For OWE I actually think AA F is best atm in terms of food. CX probably best for just relaxing.

that lunch menu, upthread, though is not a patch on what they used to do before Covid and lockdown.
😬🙄🙈

Ah.....I saw 'Cheerful Charlie' a few weeks ago acting as T3 dining dragon; he told me they were hoping for GGL access soon, so perhaps his wish has come true. He is every such a nice chap IMHO.

He has a good sense of humour and was winding up some other staff who were looking after the champagne stand.

Not sure if anyone knows the answer and I attempted some research, but would an arriving AA F passenger, connecting to an onward flight out of T3 (in CE, not F) be allowed access to the First Dining section? Or is it departing and/or BA F only access? I'm guessing no, but figured given BA's continued ability to complexify/confuse lounge access rules it was worth asking.

Wow... those are words I never thought I'd see written. :D I always just ignore AA lounges at LHR, but maybe I need to give this one another chance. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

Regards

Yes, you should be granted access with a departing or same day connecting oneworld first class ticket.

Have to say I’ve really gone off Cathay First dining. The last 2 times I found the service to be incredibly slow - and this is not good when you have a finite time you spend there before your flight is boarding. It wasn’t even busy which is really what surprised me. AA F and QF are much more attentive and faster.

BA T3 First Dining: Breakfast
 

As a GGL I was offered a card for First Dining on entry to the BA T3 First lounge.
I think the refurbished First Dining space looks great. As others have noted, it’s the full CCR menu and bar offering (including Grand Siecle).

Photos:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...37c347489.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9ef9cfcf2.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2bb5c9dfb.jpeg

This is all excellent news if it is consistently applied. Perhaps, they first tried it based on F pax alone and then realised that the numbers left enough capacity for GGL to be accommodated to, not least given that some will still prefer other lounges instead.

Received access just now as GGLfl without having to ask.

Just missed the 11.30 cut off for the breakfast menu but as I didn’t fancy the lunch menu at this hour the staff very kindly allowed me to order off the breakfast menu without any issue

Agree that this is a very welcome move - especially as it is my 42nd Wedding Anniversary and Mrs Travels is enjoying the hospitality also 😁

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...178ebba95.jpeg
I do like the fact you can dine and view

If sustained then this is excellent news! :tu:
I was going to say both posters appear to be GGLfL but then I noticed that alexwuk is actually 50k points away from GGLfL....!

Yes it is indeed for regular GGLs too. Was the only guest at around 8am two weeks ago so it is clear they have the space.

Thanks for that, H2L.
I assume you would be allowed 1 guest?
I see that travelswithmybriefcase was, although note that they are GGLfL.

Correct. One guest. But don't forget to collect your card from the front desk on the way in. You have to hand it over to the dining team. Staff are lovely but it is quiet - once again I'm the only person in at 8am on a Thursday.

Good news on GGL entry buy it's a shame the bacon chop is still missing!

That’s indeed great to read. I’ll be coming through T3 for the first time next week on my way to HEL. If time permits I’ll have my usual CCR breakfast there ;)

For now at least, the T3 F dining area offers the CCR lounge menu rather than the full menu.

lsquare I can't reply to your message unless you delete some.

Visited the CCR Lite lounge yesterday, but barely had any time to enjoy it after having to wait 45 minutes for bags and every ma and pa kettle traveling yesterday so security took an inordinate amount of time. Ordered burgers but ran out of time. LPGS and a nice Bordeaux on offer.

Fast Track security closed at 5:20am, but through normal in seconds.
Visited the AA F and business lounges. Ice cream fridge seems to have gone, and no paper bags or disposble cups out to loot the candy (one of the staff in the F section got me a paper cup from a cupboard). Should have brought a few security bags to fill.
(red truffles quite pleasant - might be better than the BA F dessert of Lindt truffles)

CX lounge quiet, and Dim Sum basket was hot.

Moet white and rose on offer in the AA F lounge.
Laurent Perrier white and Laytons rose in the CX F lounge.

Visited the BA CCR Lite. Given a card at the desks for entry.
Looks like the standard CCR menu at least for breakfast.
Quiet in here and one particular staff member far more pro-active than the T5 CCR.

Nice to see the newer section open in GC with chairs that have power.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...036b366dff.jpg

Just been to the AA F lounge and compared to the one person in there yesterday, pretty full. Anyway looted the candy bar there and in the business section having kept my cup and some security bags.

QF lounge now for my salt and pepper squid, and a double espresso. Plenty of power here to charge up everything :)

(Painless security experience. Bit of a walk to transfers but no queue and through in seconds).

May hit BA and CX after this as a couple of things I fancy trying.

Added: fruit flies seem to be favouring the pale coloured melon in the BA lounge.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...53ede272c2.jpg

We are flying through LHR inbound on AA Business. Our connecting flight is a different itinerary in BA Econ. Will we be allowed to enter any of the lounges even though our itineraries are separate? If so, what's the recent take on the best business class lounge? Anyone know if we will be able to have a la carte dining?

Welcome to FT doghound2.

Yes I am assuming your onward BA flight is from T3? You can access any of the T3 oneworld J lounges on the basis of your inbound AA J flights. Keep your boarding passes from your AA flights as you may need to show them at the lounge reception. You can use the CX J. QF, BA J, and AA J lounges. They are all in close proximity so you can try more than one. Personally I would try CX and QF.

Out of the business class options, only Qantas has à la carte dining (in the downstairs part of their lounge), but only during the 3 hours or so before each Qantas boarding announcement.

I must be missing something, but what's so wonderful about a la carte dining in an airport lounge?

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a melon apparently.

Freshly 'cooked' as opposed to buffet style oxidised food at an ambient temperature?

And typically higher quality and more interesting options. The Qantas F lounge at LAX is certainly an example of that.

Cheers.

One of the staff members in the AA lounge said to me that the sweetie bags being removed was an instruction from management. Seems very odd.

Had an OSL departure from T3 yesterday evening, and ended up doing a little tour of the lounges – normally I just head to Cathay F and stay there, but when our departure got delayed we popped in to the Qantas lounge and then for the first time in ages to BA Galleries F

Qantas visit reinforced that this lounge is just not for me. While the staff are generally very friendly, the décor just doesn’t gel for me, I don’t like the layout and I prefer champagne to sparkling wine (although the sparkling they offered was quite nice).

BA Galleries F was a very positive surprise, the physical product was all in very good shape, good champagnes and wines on free pour and it was a generally very relaxing ambience, more so than I remember. They also seemed to have some sort of pleasant/not-overpowering scented candles or similar somewhere. We were possibly helped by the fact it was late and hardly anyone was in there, but I came away very pleased I had popped in.

What's the consensus on best T3 F/Gold lounge for breakfast? Preferably a la carte/table service.

well that would be aa or CX f if you want table service. However, if your preference is for a full English I would head to ba f and just help yourself from the buffet.

Been a loooong time since I departed from T3 and first time with lounge access. As someone who enjoys the views from the terrace in the T5 North lounge, what T3 J lounge offers the best views of the apron/runway?

BA F side and CX F side. I don't think the J sides have windows.

No windows in any of the J lounges? Jeez that sounds depressing. Thanks for the heads up.

Hi

CX j has a few seats by the windows past the noodle bar and dining area but side views can be obstructed

Regards

Tbs

I could be wrong but I don't remember any, actually the BA J might have sine at the end?

BA J has windows too

CX J has quite perhaps 20 seats with a window view, including some very comfortable armchairs right at the far end of the lounge.

Am I right in thinking that the dining offer in the QF lounge doesn't get going until late evening? Have a trip next week and working out the best J lounge for dinner.