LHR T3 Oneworld lounge hopping starting with BA First
Mar 22, 2019, 9:51 am
#46
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
I asked the QF lounge staff to "refund" my last visit. I arrived 10 mins before the advertised end of breakfast, checked with them on entry if they were still serving and entered. The dining area refused to serve me, and upstairs the buffet had already been cleared of breakfast food.
I must have stayed all of 5 minutes, but I asked them to delete my visit as I felt that BA shouldn't be charged for it. Whether they did or not is another matter of course. Happily AA were very accomodating, and although the ambience there is poor, I always find great service, good food and excellent wifi. So I ended up happy.
I must have stayed all of 5 minutes, but I asked them to delete my visit as I felt that BA shouldn't be charged for it. Whether they did or not is another matter of course. Happily AA were very accomodating, and although the ambience there is poor, I always find great service, good food and excellent wifi. So I ended up happy.
Mar 22, 2019, 9:55 am
#47
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Spire, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 83
Don't let it put you off entirely. In the insanity/chaos that is Miami Intl the Flagship Lounge was large, spacious and serene with a good selection of food (more/better I'm sure for anyone who qualified for flagship dining which I didn't get to check out). If that's the plan going forward for all the Flagship locations I suspect many will be worth considering in future (including possibly T3 if the planned conversion to Flagship goes ahead there).
Mar 22, 2019, 5:15 pm
#48
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
I agree with your assessments overall, OP. I've had the bad luck of bored or borderline rude staff at the T3 BA F Lounge before and I agree it's the shabbiest looking of the lounges. That said, I really like their breakfast spread and if I only have time for one lounge in the morning I go there to eat.
I also agree on the QF Lounge being the most pleasant, I think it's a real hidden gem of T3 though I hope not too many people catch on as I like finding it relatively empty
I also agree on the QF Lounge being the most pleasant, I think it's a real hidden gem of T3 though I hope not too many people catch on as I like finding it relatively empty
Mar 25, 2019, 8:05 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,348
Per usual, YMMV. While I don’t disagree with anything people have observed here, how I weight the various factors would probably lead me to pick BA F if I couldn’t visit multiple lounges. AA also has a nice eggs benedict at breakfast (and it seems to be available until 1300 or so) and I do agree CX F sit down dining is the best heavy food, although their snack items are lacking.
My experience with QF was terrible, and it sounds like they have problems system-wide considering what I’ve read about the QF lounge at LAX. When I first tried to enter at LHR, I was told CK wasn’t eligible and only EXP get access. After I explained CK was higher, she seemed unconvinced, so I pointed out my OWE Emerald status. I was told that was a mistake if I am not EXP. So then I pointed out I was flying BA F, and was told I should use their lounge. They ultimately relented, but then told me I didn’t meet dress code because of my sandals (a style explicitly allowed in the Australian lounges according to their website). Now I was on a mission so I told them I’d be back. I returned, wearing loafers, and was told I wasn’t allowed in because I was wearing sandals. I pointed out I had changed and I got an eye roll but was admitted. Once inside I wasn’t impressed so I didn’t stay long. I was told the gin bar wasn’t open (this was early afternoon).
I have heard that the Flagship Lounge is on hold, but once it opens, that should be a real contender, especially for those eligible for Flagship First Dining.
My experience with QF was terrible, and it sounds like they have problems system-wide considering what I’ve read about the QF lounge at LAX. When I first tried to enter at LHR, I was told CK wasn’t eligible and only EXP get access. After I explained CK was higher, she seemed unconvinced, so I pointed out my OWE Emerald status. I was told that was a mistake if I am not EXP. So then I pointed out I was flying BA F, and was told I should use their lounge. They ultimately relented, but then told me I didn’t meet dress code because of my sandals (a style explicitly allowed in the Australian lounges according to their website). Now I was on a mission so I told them I’d be back. I returned, wearing loafers, and was told I wasn’t allowed in because I was wearing sandals. I pointed out I had changed and I got an eye roll but was admitted. Once inside I wasn’t impressed so I didn’t stay long. I was told the gin bar wasn’t open (this was early afternoon).
I have heard that the Flagship Lounge is on hold, but once it opens, that should be a real contender, especially for those eligible for Flagship First Dining.
Last edited by ikwia; Mar 25, 2019 at 10:36 pm