*A Lounges at Heathrow
Oct 4, 2000, 8:17 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,375
*A Lounges at Heathrow
I have a layover at Heathrow (inbound UA flight, business class; outbound TG flight business class) and was wondering which lounges are available to me (I am a StarGold) and/or which you'd recommend. I have only been to the UA RCC but am under the impression there might be a LH Senator lounge (? which I assume I assume I could use?) as well as Thai and SAS lounges. Also I think I need to stick with Terminal 3?
Oct 4, 2000, 8:28 am
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: New York City
Posts: 3,506
Good question. I wondered that too. The materials basically say you can use any of the Star Alliance lounges with a same-day Star Alliance ticket. So, if fly UA LHR - USA, can I check out the SAS, ANZ, TG, SQ and Varig as well as UA lounges whilst in Terminal 3?!
Oct 4, 2000, 8:56 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: England
Posts: 314
Hi there,
First, you have to stay in Terminal 3. That means there is no access to the LH lounges which are over in T2.
My understanding of *A gold is that you can use any lounge of any carrier providing you have a same day boarding pass. So, inbound on UA transfering to TG would only let you use the TG lounge.
Due to the customs laws in the UK, arriving passengers are not allowed to use any of the lounges. If you are transfering, the rules are a bit different. Practical upshot, unless you are a RCC member you will not be able to use the RCC.
If you are travelling on a paid Business or First ticket, then you can use the "Arrivals by United" facility. Only point there is that you have to go through UK customs and immigration. For a non-EU passport holder this can mean a significant delay. Then you've got to come back through security...
I have no idea what the TG lounge is like. I've been in the LH and OS lounges in T2 but in T3 I've only ever been in the RCC.
Oh, important point: All alcoholic drinks are free in LHR lounges!
Good luck!
First, you have to stay in Terminal 3. That means there is no access to the LH lounges which are over in T2.
My understanding of *A gold is that you can use any lounge of any carrier providing you have a same day boarding pass. So, inbound on UA transfering to TG would only let you use the TG lounge.
Due to the customs laws in the UK, arriving passengers are not allowed to use any of the lounges. If you are transfering, the rules are a bit different. Practical upshot, unless you are a RCC member you will not be able to use the RCC.
If you are travelling on a paid Business or First ticket, then you can use the "Arrivals by United" facility. Only point there is that you have to go through UK customs and immigration. For a non-EU passport holder this can mean a significant delay. Then you've got to come back through security...
I have no idea what the TG lounge is like. I've been in the LH and OS lounges in T2 but in T3 I've only ever been in the RCC.
Oh, important point: All alcoholic drinks are free in LHR lounges!
Good luck!
Oct 4, 2000, 9:10 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,375
According to www.baa.co.uk , the following lounges are in T3. Given I have an RCC membership and am outboung on Thai, I assume I could use both/either the UA RCC or TG RO lounges (but not the others? this lounge policy is way too complex). How is the Thai RO lounge? Is the UA "Arrivals" facility worth the schlepp out and back (through IMM & Customes)?
Air Canada
All Nippon Airways
SAS
Singapore Airlines
Thai Airlines
United Airlines
[This message has been edited by transpac (edited 10-04-2000).]
[This message has been edited by transpac (edited 10-04-2000).]
Air Canada
All Nippon Airways
SAS
Singapore Airlines
Thai Airlines
United Airlines
[This message has been edited by transpac (edited 10-04-2000).]
[This message has been edited by transpac (edited 10-04-2000).]
Oct 4, 2000, 9:52 am
#5
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Canada
Programs: AC SE 2MM, HH Dd, SPG; IC Pl/A; AA; DL
Posts: 14,321
I haven't had a problem using any star carrier's lounge provided I had an ongoing star same day boarding pass. You are not restricted to the carrier's lounge on which you are travelling! That's the whole idea since some carriers do not have lounges. You might get some static anyway, so I would just say you are checking things out for future reference or get the Star Alliance brochure lounge access pages:
http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure2.jpg
http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure3.jpg
which clearly states: "As a Star Alliance Gold member . . . you're free ot make full use of the departure lounge facilities of any member airline (when departing on a Star Alliance carrier, some conditions apply), irrespective of which one you happen to be flying.
In June in Paris, while I was travelling later in the day on AC and BD, and since I had time to burn, I tried out the SAS, UA RCC and BD lounges. I was also going to try out ANA but it was not open early in the day (may be a problem for some lounges at LHR too depending what time you are flying) and LH's was just too difficult to get too.
Usually I do like Rudi and go for the one nearest my gate.
------------------
------------------
BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2000: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html
Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 10-04-2000).]
http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure2.jpg
http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure3.jpg
which clearly states: "As a Star Alliance Gold member . . . you're free ot make full use of the departure lounge facilities of any member airline (when departing on a Star Alliance carrier, some conditions apply), irrespective of which one you happen to be flying.
In June in Paris, while I was travelling later in the day on AC and BD, and since I had time to burn, I tried out the SAS, UA RCC and BD lounges. I was also going to try out ANA but it was not open early in the day (may be a problem for some lounges at LHR too depending what time you are flying) and LH's was just too difficult to get too.
Usually I do like Rudi and go for the one nearest my gate.
------------------
------------------
BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2000: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html
Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 10-04-2000).]
Oct 4, 2000, 2:07 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: SYD, GOT
Programs: BA GGL; SK EBG; QF LTG; Hilton Diamond, A-Club Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,721
Have found no problem with using the lounges of other *A airlines. Often they will query that don't you know that there is a specific lounge for the carrier you are flying. - i.e. trying to be helpful. They will also warn that they do not make flight announcements for that flight, although sometimes they will be helpful and write down your flight and announce it.
Have found that most lounges are fairly similar and not mucyh difference between them, although I do not like SQ at all - crowded and dark.
The UA lounge is joint with NZ, so has some kiwi/australian wines and beers.
The AC lounge is the only one that I have found with a business centre that has computers for use and free email/websurfing - good if you do not lug a laptop around with you.
Mark
Have found that most lounges are fairly similar and not mucyh difference between them, although I do not like SQ at all - crowded and dark.
The UA lounge is joint with NZ, so has some kiwi/australian wines and beers.
The AC lounge is the only one that I have found with a business centre that has computers for use and free email/websurfing - good if you do not lug a laptop around with you.
Mark
Oct 4, 2000, 8:57 pm
#7
In memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: IAD, BOS, PVD
Programs: UA, US, AS, Marriott, Radisson, Hilton
Posts: 7,203
Here's a report from a year or two ago that is, I hope, relevant to your question.
Subj: first United trip 5/7
I showed up pretty early to check in for my return
flight; wanted to check out the airport lounges.
Timings: from home to Paddington Station - 8
minutes by foot. Paddington to Heathrow via
Heathrow Express - 15 minutes. Heathrow train
terminus to check-in - 10 more minutes (United's
area is the busiest and the farthest - Virgin and
Continental are the closest). Check-in took about
5; clearing security and customs ... the lady
said, oh, you can use the Fast Track, and I said,
well, that's okay; after seeing the line not move
for quite some time I had second thoughts, so she
let me out to do the Fast Track thing, which was
really fast. Took less than a minute. And I had 3
hours to kill, part of which I spent looking at
the Duty Free and the rest of which I spent at the
SAS Business Lounge, the Thai Royal Orchid Lounge,
and the Red Carpet Club.
SAS. Very polite staff. Food available - packaged
cookies, potato chips, breakfast bars. Coffee from
a machine. Orange juice from a machine. Separate
area for television (sound audible in rest of club
but not obtrusive). No booze but three red wines
and three white wines (one each Australian,
California, and French) of middle range ($8-10 a
bottle). Financial Times, London Times, and lots
and lots of Scandinavian-language newspapers and
magazines. A couple hundred seats - fairly big.
Not too full despite the Oslo flight being
amazingly late. No restrooms - you have to use the
terminal ones.
Thai. Once they determined that I was entitled to
use the room, they were very nice and very
deferential. Food - packaged shortbreads, cheap
Danish pastries, catered sandwiches. Coffee
nowhere to be found. Fresh squeezed orange juice
- delicious. TVs mounted above the bar, blasting
away; no way to turn it off. The only wine was
Glen Ellen Chardonnay in little screw-cap bottles.
Lots of booze - Bacardi, Bailey's Irish Cream,
Beefeater, Campari, Drambuie, Grand Marnier,
Johnnie Walker Black. London Times, The
Independent, a tabloid newspaper, and lots of
magazines, most of which were Thai-language things
with girls in relative undress on the covers. Only
about 30 seats, and never more than 3 patrons in
there at a time. No restrooms, but they direct you
to this little area near the security office. The
Asian carriers' clubs are in this little cluster
on the second floor - hard to find.
Red Carpet Club. Humongous - probably over 300
seats. Lots of Danish pastries of indigestible
appearance, many kinds of tea, coffee and decaf
out of a machine, many kinds of beer available
from a self-serve cooler, an array of canned
juices plus pitchers of (canned) tomato juice and
(reconstituted) orange juice. Big tubs of mixed
nuts (up to 50% peanuts), help yourself. Three
white wines of no particular interest; three reds
of no particular interest, to wit -
Chateau Rose d'Orion Montagne-St.-Emilion 1996 -
spicy opening; deep purple color, lots of acid and
tannin, not much fruit. Medium plum and spice
finish. Not very rewarding to drink.
Gallo Dry Reserve California Cabernet nv. Very
purple. Pineapple scent, not disagreeable but not
anything special. A rather sweet finish. Not that
rewarding to drink, but possibly the best of the
three offerings.
Mouton Cadet 1996. Already getting thin, a cooked
nose and a flavor of old shoes (usually a sign
that wine from Spain or Algeria has snuck its way
into the barrels); little fruit and not much of a
finish. Very unrewarding to drink.
Lots of newspapers and magazines, from FT to USA
Today to heaven knows what: but after the LA and
Newark flights left, there was nothing left.
A TV room with a very loud TV that you could hear
throughout the club; it is in the smoking area.
The other places didn't have a smoking area. Good
restrooms, helpful staff (but the cleanup people
didn't speak English).
- - -
One thing I learned from reading a bunch of
English newspapers. They just had the World
Coal-Carrying Championship, where people carry a
110-lb bag of coal a mile. This year it was won by
a fellow named John Hunter, who covered the mile
in 4 min 27 sec.
I showed up pretty early to check in for my return
flight; wanted to check out the airport lounges.
Timings: from home to Paddington Station - 8
minutes by foot. Paddington to Heathrow via
Heathrow Express - 15 minutes. Heathrow train
terminus to check-in - 10 more minutes (United's
area is the busiest and the farthest - Virgin and
Continental are the closest). Check-in took about
5; clearing security and customs ... the lady
said, oh, you can use the Fast Track, and I said,
well, that's okay; after seeing the line not move
for quite some time I had second thoughts, so she
let me out to do the Fast Track thing, which was
really fast. Took less than a minute. And I had 3
hours to kill, part of which I spent looking at
the Duty Free and the rest of which I spent at the
SAS Business Lounge, the Thai Royal Orchid Lounge,
and the Red Carpet Club.
SAS. Very polite staff. Food available - packaged
cookies, potato chips, breakfast bars. Coffee from
a machine. Orange juice from a machine. Separate
area for television (sound audible in rest of club
but not obtrusive). No booze but three red wines
and three white wines (one each Australian,
California, and French) of middle range ($8-10 a
bottle). Financial Times, London Times, and lots
and lots of Scandinavian-language newspapers and
magazines. A couple hundred seats - fairly big.
Not too full despite the Oslo flight being
amazingly late. No restrooms - you have to use the
terminal ones.
Thai. Once they determined that I was entitled to
use the room, they were very nice and very
deferential. Food - packaged shortbreads, cheap
Danish pastries, catered sandwiches. Coffee
nowhere to be found. Fresh squeezed orange juice
- delicious. TVs mounted above the bar, blasting
away; no way to turn it off. The only wine was
Glen Ellen Chardonnay in little screw-cap bottles.
Lots of booze - Bacardi, Bailey's Irish Cream,
Beefeater, Campari, Drambuie, Grand Marnier,
Johnnie Walker Black. London Times, The
Independent, a tabloid newspaper, and lots of
magazines, most of which were Thai-language things
with girls in relative undress on the covers. Only
about 30 seats, and never more than 3 patrons in
there at a time. No restrooms, but they direct you
to this little area near the security office. The
Asian carriers' clubs are in this little cluster
on the second floor - hard to find.
Red Carpet Club. Humongous - probably over 300
seats. Lots of Danish pastries of indigestible
appearance, many kinds of tea, coffee and decaf
out of a machine, many kinds of beer available
from a self-serve cooler, an array of canned
juices plus pitchers of (canned) tomato juice and
(reconstituted) orange juice. Big tubs of mixed
nuts (up to 50% peanuts), help yourself. Three
white wines of no particular interest; three reds
of no particular interest, to wit -
Chateau Rose d'Orion Montagne-St.-Emilion 1996 -
spicy opening; deep purple color, lots of acid and
tannin, not much fruit. Medium plum and spice
finish. Not very rewarding to drink.
Gallo Dry Reserve California Cabernet nv. Very
purple. Pineapple scent, not disagreeable but not
anything special. A rather sweet finish. Not that
rewarding to drink, but possibly the best of the
three offerings.
Mouton Cadet 1996. Already getting thin, a cooked
nose and a flavor of old shoes (usually a sign
that wine from Spain or Algeria has snuck its way
into the barrels); little fruit and not much of a
finish. Very unrewarding to drink.
Lots of newspapers and magazines, from FT to USA
Today to heaven knows what: but after the LA and
Newark flights left, there was nothing left.
A TV room with a very loud TV that you could hear
throughout the club; it is in the smoking area.
The other places didn't have a smoking area. Good
restrooms, helpful staff (but the cleanup people
didn't speak English).
- - -
One thing I learned from reading a bunch of
English newspapers. They just had the World
Coal-Carrying Championship, where people carry a
110-lb bag of coal a mile. This year it was won by
a fellow named John Hunter, who covered the mile
in 4 min 27 sec.
Oct 4, 2000, 8:58 pm
#8
In memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: IAD, BOS, PVD
Programs: UA, US, AS, Marriott, Radisson, Hilton
Posts: 7,203
Dupe because I got an "internal server error" message, but it turned out to be the board crying wolf (not steven).
[This message has been edited by violist (edited 10-04-2000).]
[This message has been edited by violist (edited 10-04-2000).]
Oct 9, 2000, 5:50 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
ANA no longer has their own lounges because there is now only 1 flight per day, which is to Tokyo. Flights to Osaka is now being "suspended" as of 29th November (probably due to poor load during the winter off-peak season). This means, at the most, 14 F and 64 C per day which doesn't justify having their own lounge.
So the new arrangement is, they now use the colossal UA lounges, with the following rules:
F lounge: F passenger and ANA's own gold members regardless of class
C lounge: C passengers and golds of other star carriers
Well, two less lounges in London for star golds
stargold
(PS. You could tell the winter is a real off peak, because I was the first person to reserve a flight London-Tokyo in February!
)
So the new arrangement is, they now use the colossal UA lounges, with the following rules:
F lounge: F passenger and ANA's own gold members regardless of class
C lounge: C passengers and golds of other star carriers
Well, two less lounges in London for star golds
stargold
(PS. You could tell the winter is a real off peak, because I was the first person to reserve a flight London-Tokyo in February!
)
Oct 12, 2000, 2:16 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,375
I spent my "layover" at the RCC in Boston, and on a ratty old 767-200 (from LAX; used to replace the 767-300 that had mechanical problems) before I deplaned at 12:15 AM (6:50 PM scheduled departure) knowing that I would miss my TG connection. So I cannot comment on my experiences at Heathrow with *A lounges.
I ended up going out the next morning via ORD-NRT-BKK.
I ended up going out the next morning via ORD-NRT-BKK.