It seems that they are people for whom a lounge crawl is an unnecessary waste of time that could be better spent using one lounge for its intended purpose - sitting, refreshing and relaxing - rather than as boxes to be ticked off during a whistle-stop walking tour of an airport building.

So perhaps guest them all into the place where they're most likely to be happy for the duration, and then "go shopping" by yourself?

I think you may have nailed it!

I’m an Admirals Club member to boot and I now actively avoid my “home” club when going through T3. ;) Back before the direct LHR-SAN flight was reintroduced, I would fly AA from LAX and I didn’t know any better and I would just head straight to the AA lounge and hang out there before my flight. With the SAN flight switching to T3, I’ll be making use of the QANTAS and Cathay lounges a lot more. My next SAN flight is in F, so I’ll be sure to try dinning at Cathay, before popping into GF for a few bubbles and then stick my head into the AA F lounge just because I can (maybe see if they have any candy there and if not, grab some from the J lounge). Can’t say I’ve ever used the BA J lounge at T3.

To be honest, the very last thing I would want at the start of a holiday would be to be dragged around from lounge to lounge rather than be allowed to sit and relax in one.

As this is a family holiday I would suggest preparing yourself to be outvoted and to graciously bow to the ladies' wishes. Or leave them to relax while you go and tick the boxes.

For peace and comfort the J lounge seems far, far better - at least between Hong Kong departures.

There are some additional food items in the F-section, and probably higher-end drinks. But F is a quite intimate space: last week the restaurant part had a queue, and the other room was being entertained by a bunch of excited Finns. There was also an odd bod taking photos of wine bottles and the food.

It doesn't help that the restaurant won't serve half their menu if you're sitting outside the restaurant, I think the Dim Sung and the Dan Dan Mien is the only things they will serve you sitting out there. Making it necessary to queue for such a limited space if you want something else.

I found out that the buzzer from the J noodle bar works in the F lounge, though.

If they had self pour champers in the J lounge, it would be perfect for me, and I'd not ever feel the need to use the F lounge. It was no great loss when going from gold to silver, which would be horrifying if having to go from BA F to J, back in the days pre CX and Qantas.

I look forward to these pics appearing on the "Where in the world am I?" thread.

Either that or they are going to appear in a lounge review blog.

Well I have at least one daughter wanting to join me for the full tour so we'll see. I suspect the other one will be sitting with Mrs RC, headphones on. Less of an adventurer...

I had 2 kids that were eager to go and see what treats were in each one, whereas I left my better half in Qantas with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc!

I reckon if I say that there are bags of candy in the AA lounge then I might get both of them along for the ride. They were always raiding the jars in the LHR Virgin clubhouse when younger...

But... better half in Qantas or Cathay...? Where's the better champers?

Easy answer. No champers in Qantas lounge, only Cathay. Sparking Wine in Qantas. Which is why I've never visited it. In that way, its the worse of four lounges.

Recently visited all of the lounges again. Huge improvement in the attitude of the BA lounge staff.

Cathay lounges are still my fave, but the gin bar and staff at the qanats lounge are also worth a visit.

Technically there is champagne but only available to F passengers / QF Chairman's Lounge / QF Platinum One, so access is restricted.

All F passengers? Or just Qantas F passengers? Otherwise I might have popped by last time I was there.

What with being silver now, and being used to and almost preferring the CX J lounge, it would have been a novelty to try out something which I'd not otherwise have...

I've received it in CX F before so I think so, but no personal experience in BA F.

So to clarify the important point, are we saying Cathay has the only drinkable champagne in a J lounge in T3?

Depends what you mean by drinkable and has.

- BA J has champagne if you corner a poor server scuttling about.
- BA F has self pour champange.
- AA J, I don't think has it.
- QR J does not (unless showing a boarding pass and asking for it in a OW F)
- CX J has it at the bar
- CX F has it self pour.

I'd be interested as to what is given out when asking for Champagne at the CX J and F lounges in LAX.

Is Croser still served in the Qantas lounge? If so, I would posit that it is better than most of the champagnes served in airline lounges...

QR lounge in T3? I doubt so....

Quite the trek to the Cathay Lounge today as the lift was out of order. Hence there was only me and one other person in the J lounge at 7.30am today!

Yes, and very pleasant it is to. I don’t think it’s in the same league as the Laurent Perrier in the CX J lounge or the rotating selection of vintage champagnes in the CX F lounge.

Im still very happy to visit the QF lounge, particularly for breakfast / brunch. If others won’t visit because they don’t have champagne (for most), then there’s more room for the rest of us.

Hello please can you tell me which terminal 3 lounge offers the best breakfast offering (flight leaves at 08.20). Many thanks

Doh, QF. Wishful thinking that I'd be flying them...

You will have the choice of BA, AA or CX. The Qantas lounge doesn’t open until 8am so will be too late for your 0820 flight.

’Best’ depends entirely on personal preference and your choice of breakfast food.

The wiki at the top of this thread has details of breakfast offerings, and a link to a post that gives more details.

AA was first stop and yes bags to fill up with candy, so after that they were keen to see what was on offer in the others!!!

As someone else said no champers in Qantas, but the sparkling wine was pretty good.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c5d3ac734f.jpg
Are the green ants in the Green Ant gin meant to be served??!

I am counting this as a meal.

Only if they have ID :D

Having recently spent 2 x 4hrs in CX First lounge (The Wing?) at HK en route to China, I have to say that the CX lounge at T3 , when not travelling CX, is my absolute favourite lounge in the world, including CCR. (the expresso martinis in CCR are VERY good tho :) )

Seconded. CX First at T3 is the absolute business.

Expresso?

And if you like the T3 lounge you should have gone to the pier lounge at HK.

I visited the noodle bar at the CX J Lounge a couple of weeks ago and there was no Laurent Perrier champagne at the J bar- something I’d not heard of (it was still champagne) and some Prosecco. Laurent Perrier was only available in the F lounge, along with Laytons rose and George Vesselle

I don’t recall ever seeing vintage champagne in the CX Flounge. Last time I was in there the best of the bunch was a bog-standard Lauren Perrier NV Brut.

‘Twas Rodier Pere & Fils on Sunday and a few weeks ago. Someone mentioned about self pour- they do waiter service if you sit in the booths by the noodle bar. Can’t ask for more than that in a J lounge!

They’ve had LP quite extensively this year (Moët last year I think?). It’s always worth asking, if it’s not evident. I’d be disappointed if the J lounge loses Grand Marque champagne completely. It sets the CX lounges apart IMHO.

KARFA’s post at #672 shows a Georges Vesselle 2012 on the menu earlier this month. I was last there a couple of months ago and they had a Joseph Perrier vintage. I thought vintage was pretty standard in the F side of the CX lounge, but I’m not a regular visitor.

Funny you say that. I went to the BA Lounge last year and the entrance staff were very rude to me. This year I've been twice and I've noticed each time the staff were much friendlier.

You're being conned if they aren't! Whilst they impart flavour to the entire bottle i've found that a glass lacking them lacks some of that flavour. This of course could be a subjective thing and down to personal taste but i've been through a fair bit of the stuff sans tonic and noticed it more than once. Bloody lovely stuff.

For those who are a fan of their gins then, most the time at least, the bartenders seem to know their stuff pretty well and have guided me to some really nice discoveries from the collection they have there and seem to know which to pair with tonic/ mixer.

Another vote for green ant and for the bar tenders at the QF lounge. For non-gin people Aviation gin is another great one they serve that most will like. Off through in a few weeks, looking forward to it already!

i'll be in there on the 9th November for a ZAG flight( Imagine my disappointment when they moved it to T3 ;) ). If by some happy coincidence you're passing through at the same time please feel free to make yourself known and happy to sample a few alongside you.

We've had a disproportionate number of flights from LHR and T3 this year( LGW being our home airport) & I fear the outbreak of war is not too far away with Mrs Clam preferring her dan-dan noodles in CX whilst i'm quite smitten with the whole QF experience.

Minor slight deviation but has anyone else met the white dinner jacket mustachioed, slightly olive skinned guy who works there( and who's name forever escapes me). The chap oozes a certain Je ne sai quoi rarely seen in the UK nowadays especially amongst someone so, relatively, young.

It’s probably worth noting that the downstairs section of the QF lounge closes for a significant portion of the day, leaving just the upstairs section. While I find it pleasant upstairs propping up the bar, the bar tenders IME at these times aren’t properly trained and have to refer to instructions for cocktails, and the results generally reflect that lack of training.