Things to do at LHR
 

I am flying First on Qantas to London soon and will have a couple of hours to kill at Heathrow between flights. Just wondering if people can help with things for me to do:

1. Where is the best spot to view aircraft movements?
2. Is the Moulton Brown Spa worthwhile? What "treatment" should I get?
3. Which is the best lounge? Do they still have a "Concorde" lougne? Can I use it?
4. Is it possible to leave the terminal building and have a look around?
5. Anything else?

Thanks

A "couple" of hours might be cutting it fine, but if you really want to leave the airport and go into "real person" land, get to the "Central Bus Depot" and take a bus to "Bath Road". There are a stack of busses doing this - they go through the tunnel under the runways and pop out via roundabouts into Bath Road. This is external public perimeter road with a stack of airport hotels and you can even find a smokey pub :( if you go down the right side street. You can stand against the fence and look at aircraft doing their business. The busses from the Central Bus Depot are free. Beyond Bath Road you pay. Just say "Bath Road" as you get on the bus.

You can use the Concorde Room if you are flying F on BA not QF. The F lounge downstairs serves substantially the same food and drink now as the Concorde Room (most of what made the Concorde Room special was retired along with the Concordes and now it is only marginally nicer than the F lounge; a sad fate for a great room). You probably won't be able to get a treatment at the MB spa with such little notice, the bookings fill up early in the morning and you won't have any priority. As for watching aircraft, there is a reasonable view from all of the BA lounges at LHR -- take your pick what you want to watch.

Moulton Brown bookings
 

How do you make bookings at the Moulton Brown Spa?

At the departures spas, the answer is in person, boarding pass in hand. They are pretty strict about only booking treatments for passengers who are entitled to them. However, you're entitled to use the showers in the spa so long as you're entitled to lounge access, even if you aren't permitted a treatment.

In the arrivals lounges, I think anyone who gets in can book a treatment.

I think QF F is entitled but J is not (or maybe it has to be QF Plat+F). I do recall having a treatment when flying QF LHR-BKK. The spa was meant to be for BA to have competitive advantage (and match VS!). The best treatment is the back massage, the others are facial, hand or foot massage; but they only do a limited number of back massages (less than half the treatment slots) so they are hard to get. The Eucalyptus steam shower is also pretty good.

Qantas First able to use the spa?
 

Am I entitled to book a massage flying Qantas First class? I am a QF platinum FF which is Oneworld Emerald.

The Molton Brown Travel Spa is situated in the British Airways' Lounge Pavilion in London Heathrow's Terminal 4.

The Spa is exclusive to British Airways' customers travelling First or Club World. Gold Executive members are also welcome. Opening hours are 0700 (first treatment time available) until 2030 (last treatment time available).

The Travel Spa at Heathrow is the world's first dedicated travel therapy centre. Treatments are complimentary and have been tailor-made for male and female British Airways passengers.

Passengers can enjoy a fusion of ancient traditional treatments using cutting-edge techniques, in one of the four treatment rooms. For example the Molton Brown Shiatswe massages incorporates crystals, breathing exercises, meditation and oils. And if desired a bit of lymphatic drainage, among other treatments, can also be thrown in for good measure. The pre-flight treatments are designed to reduce stress and relax, whereas post-flight a traveller can enjoy a service that helps reduce congestion, stiffness and swelling.

The Travel Spa is available before or after a flight. The 20-minute back, facial, hand or foot massage treatments (one complimentary per passenger) can be booked upon arrival at the lounge - pre-booking before arrival at the lounge is not available to ensure the maximum availability of all appointments each day.

Charles Denton, Molton Brown Marketing Director said: "We aim to provide a service that makes good use of the limited time at airports. So a passenger could have a quick ten minute Circulation Therapy before boarding, or a revitalising Body Jet Hydrotherapy Shower between connections.
"Any journey will be enhanced at the Molton Brown Travel Spa."

Two new Molton Brown Travel Spas are open at Heathrow Terminal 1 and a forth Travel Spa is due to open at New York's JFK airport shortly.

Please note: Guests of Gold Executive Club members are accepted in to this Spa facility to use the shower and refreshment facilities, however they will not be able to make use of the complimentary massage treatments.

Unfortunately it is not possible to pay a fee to use this lounge if you are not an eligible passenger, as detailed above.

Further information on the Molton Brown Spas can be found if you click here or here.

Re: 1 a very good place to watch is from the Costa Coffee seating behind the duty free area in the main plebian zone ;) From the BA lounges you can watch a cul de sac of aircraft, but from the other side of the building you can see one of the active runways.

If travelling F/J on QF, you can get a treatment
if You are a Qantas Platinum member and travelling long haul on Qantas , you can also use the spa

Dave