corporate-wage-slave

Let's focus on being helpful here.

So there are two Plaza Premiums in T2, Departures and Arrival. The Departure lounge is airside, after security tucked away past World of Whiskies / Harrods, The Arrival one is right by where the domestic arrival area for T2, not that it sees much footfall, by Marks and Spencer, kind of around the corner from the main arrival plaza for most T2 passengers. It is definitely landside, any member of the public can hop on the tube and potentially walk into that lounge without passing through any security controls.

If you are arriving into Terminal 3 you have two ways to get to Terminal 2. Airside route and landside. Airside means taking the Flight Connections bus to T2, at which point you have two further choices - to go landside there by passing through UK Border (passports) - so this get you to Plaza Arrivals. Depending on your passport this could take 30 or 40 minutes from T3 to Plaza Arrivals. The other alternative is to stay airside, and this gets you to Plaza Departures after a security check, but no passport check. I think this could take as little as 20 minutes since the lounge is immediately after that security check (look rightwards as you leave).

Now the alternative to the above airside options is the landside route, and in practical terms this only allows you access to the Arrivals lounge. In this scenario you pass via the UK Border in T3, so passport control, enter the UK, follow the signs for T2 down a underground walkway via the main tube station, over to T2 Arrivals and then the lounge. I would guess that is 30 or 40 minutes that way around, however occasionally the UK Border is slow for non EEA citizens, whereas T2 doesn't seem to have this issue. Having visited the lounge, at some point you need to return the same route to T3, continue on to the Departures building, and through main security back to airside. No passport checks in this scenario.

To be clear, T2 Plaza Arrivals is in the public area of T2, Departures is in the secured airside area. The comment you are quoting from seems to apply to someone who is already landside, they would therefore not need to clear security to get to that lounge.

mia

It appears that both offer shower facilities, which is a reason that euromannn is considering a visit to T2.

serpens

I am new to lounges and might ask ignorant questions. Please bear with me.

Two of us are scheduled to arrive at T3 in Delta One class (at about 0800, if that matters). I have Priority Pass from Sapphire Reserve; companion has priority pass from Amex Ascend. I understand that admission to the Virgin Atlantic arrival lounge in T3 is free for Delta One passengers and admission to the Plaza Premium arrival lounge in T2 is free for Priority Pass members. At least one of us expects to want a shower.

Are my understandings on lounge admission correct? If so, is there any advantage to making the (short) trek to T2 for the Plaza Premium lounge rather than visiting the Virgin Atlantic lounge? In the unlikely event that our Delta flights pulls into a T2 gate, is there an advantage in making the (short) trek to T3?

If we both decide to take showers, is there a place to stash luggage? I imagine there must be, because many people travel alone. How large is the shower? What is the time limit?

Thanks for any education.

corporate-wage-slave

It has been a while since I was in the VS Revivals lounge, but personally I would stick to that. The T2 Plaza is a larger and newer but I don't think it is worth the walk, plus the breakfast options are better in Revivals. Just follow the signs after you emerge landside - it's a bit hidden away but the signs are clear enough. The shower units are quite large and have a hotel style luggage low table unit in them, there is also a baggage self-storage room right by the reception area, where the staff can keep an eye on things for you. Most people seem to just leave their bags in the lounge unattended, which I suppose isn't ideal but probably nothing bad happens with that. I'm not aware of a time limit, but generally the reception staff need to juggle when you can take your shower if a crowd shows up.

serpens

Thanks, c-w-s. This will be my first trip to Europe in a decade and my first visit to a lounge ever. (Actually, by the time of the visit, it will be my second, because I will visit a departure lounge when I depart for England.) I want to make the most of it!

euromannn

Thanks, airside vs landslide were new terms to me and your explanation is very thorough with time constraints listed. One would think a 3 hour layover in an airport would be easy to traverse different terminals but not at Heathrow. I do have a EU passport that I could use to go between T3 to T2 and back to T2 but prefer to keep traveling on US passport as it may cause confusion.
I also prefer carry-on luggage since it's all the clothes I will have in Europe for 5 weeks of travel and dislike airline luggage screwups. Thus it means going through security check points more time consuming versus checking in luggage.

MIA is right ---
My goal was a free shower (w/ 3 hr layover) and a nice meal which many claim T2 Plaza Premium arrivals is superior than T3 (No 1, Aspire) - shower fees in T3 with PP are 10-15 pounds.. PP FREE showers is only valid in T2 Plaza Premium (arrivals). T4 has some Plaza options but was determined to be too far way time wise and T5 charges for showers as I was there last year.

Thanks again for the detailed and thoughtful explanation. It seems I can almost make the 30 minute T3 to T2 and another 30 minute T2 to T3 transit and still meet my goals of shower, data and flight boarding but with alot of hassle.

Appreciate all the help as it seems Plaza doesn't grasp the transit with security or passport control to access T2 from T3.

LupineChemist

Just to hit this point, If you have an EU/EFTA/CH passport, you are obligated to enter the EU under that passport, just as how you are required to enter the US under your US passport.

euromannn

Problem I have with your statement is I am leaving the US and on my US passport. I always return to the US on my US passport. Several years ago I tried to enter at Ireland using my EU passport but I had shown BOTH to Irish customs. I was advised to since I started with US passport to continue using this for rest of my journey.

SO I don't think "obligated" is mandatory just an option for the traveler.

LupineChemist

It doesn't matter what you show the airline. It's really not that complex. If you are interacting with European border control, show European passport. If you are at the US border, show the US passport. This is to avoid confusion about overstaying in the databases.

euromannn

Yes, I agree if you're exceeding the EU entry rule on a foreign passport it is then best to show your EU passport to be able to stay or work.
My trip is only for 5 weeks, if non-EU citizen, you can enter the Schengen area as long as your stay does not exceed 90 days within a 6 month period.

When I was issued my Irish passport I wanted to get an 'immigration stamp" in passport booklet but EU changed to electronic bar code scanning the Irish immigration could not provide stamp.

So I agree with you, if I was staying in Europe more than 90 days, in a 6 month period, it would be best to declare my EU passport on entry to avoid confusion.

Still not sure I have time to got T3-->T2(free shower, eat)-->T2 within 2 hours while I have layover at LHR(3 hr total) even if I declare my EU passport to go faster through customs.

JamesKidd

Consider the cost of paying for shower in T3 vs. peace of mind and rushing about.

corporate-wage-slave

I personally wouldn't bother on 3 hours, 4 hours plus I may think about it (though even then I'd probably stick to T3, and that is from someone who knows LHR quite well). However on the passport point, the main reason for using the the EU passport in London is that you have the legal right of entry on an EEA passport, which you do not have on a USA passport. You can be denied entry for a long. long list of reasons and at which point this could give (in dire circumstances) a life long hold up entering any part of Europe, not just Schengen (which the UK is not in anyway). If you are an EEA citizen then you can simply use the machines and be landside in seconds, as is your right under the Lisbon Treaty and the underlying concept of European citizenship. If you use the staffed desks on a non EEA passport then the UK Border Force officers have a wide discretion to deny entry, plus you get a much longer queue.

euromannn

1. Have EEA passport & US passport
2. Will leave US using US passport
Arrival in London - can use EEA passport (Ireland) but it conflicts with BA web site which has my US passport number in system.
SO BA is checking if I enter UK with Irish passport and then do online check-in which shows my US passport......if there will be boarding problem on my continuation flight LHR-PRG.

I told BA it shouldn't matter but the BA rep sent the to their back office for clarification.

Now I know I'm not leaving T3 .......guess I shall decide using PP pass which lounge is better between No 1 vs Aspire. Bistro service in No 1 so I think that's my choice.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, but BA are not allowed to use the Border Force computer system. So by all means use the appropriate passport in the booking, but BA won't have a clue what you show the UK Border Force. The same data protocols are in force in EEA, Schengen and Nordic Schengen. Moreover it's obviously a piece of cake to swap the API information from the BAEC profile (which you seem to have set to USA) to the API on the booking (in this case it could be EEA). BA want to know you will are allowed admission at the end of the trip, that is all. I hold UK, French and NZ citizenship, so going to NZ I use my NZ passport going out, UK coming back, unless I'm returning to France in which case I swap to my French identity card (which isn't valid for departure from NZ but BA don't care about that). Not a problem. What I actually present at immigration in these locations could be something different.

JamesKidd

You can visit both. But No. 1 does get better reviews. I prefer No. 1 in T3