In a sign that travel demand has certainly recovered from its pandemic low, American Airlines has finally reopened its most luxurious lounge in London.
Entrance to America’s Only International First Class Lounge at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Open again on Monday. The facility, which was closed at the beginning of the pandemic, has been closed since 2020, but will now be open daily from 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The lounge is located on the departures floor of Heathrow’s Terminal 3 off the passport control area in concourse H. You will find the space arranged alongside Standard Airline Admiral’s Club on the ground floor just below the entrance Top Virgin Atlantic Club up floor.
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During the shutdown, the Americans gave the space a slight refresh, perhaps including some new furniture and finishes, but it also gave the space a major upgrade. in the back of the house in the form of a brand new kitchen.
The overhauled catering space will allow the airline to offer both extensive buffets and a la carte menus in the lounge.
While the new menus and images weren’t immediately available, I hope the selection has been upgraded to take advantage of the new kitchen space. Before the pandemic, American had partnered with Rhubarb Hospitality Collection to provide catering services to this London outpost, and flyers were generally satisfied with the services.
Other lounge amenities include seating for 120 passengers, restrooms (but no showers), a Champagne bar, and high-speed internet access.
“At American, we want to continue to reinvest in our products and services to best meet the needs of all our passengers, especially at a time when seamless travel is key, ” Rhett Workman, chief executive officer of American strategy and UK operations, said in a statement.
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Access is reserved for those traveling in first class on same-day international flights marketed and operated by Americans or Americans. oneworld alliance member Airlines.
Besides, Oneworld Emerald member can access the lounge when they depart, arrive or connect any class of service on same-day international flights operated by American or Oneworld alliance member airlines. Note that this includes American’s Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum and Concierge Key elite members.
The International First Class Lounge is a unique outpost in the American lounge portfolio. This is the only establishment of its kind, as other high-end American establishments are called Flagship Lounges or Flagship First Dining establishments.
(This space in London used to be marketed as a Premier Lounge, but that brand was dropped in the 2010s in favor of the moniker International First Class Lounge. The Americans planned a renovation and renamed the club to Premier Lounge in early 2020, but that never happened.)
The Premier Lounge is designed as a business-only space, while exclusive Top Dining facilities are housed in the Premier Lounge and offer an elevated dining experience.
American operates Flagship Lounges in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Miami, and has Flagship First Dining outposts in all but the Los Angeles outpost.
Meanwhile, in New York, American and British Airways recently teamed up to open three lounges (Chelsea, Soho and Greenwich) at their new shared home in Terminal 8 of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
During the pandemic, Americans also accompanying British Airways at LHR . Terminal 5and during that time, eligible passengers can use the BA lounge there.
Now that Americans are back in Terminal 3, the airline’s International First Class Lounge will be a good choice for first class passengers on transatlantic journeys.
That said, LHR’s Terminal 3 is probably the best lounge of any airport terminal worldwide, and those who qualify for the US International First Class Lounge also have visitable (among others) Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge and Qantas Lounge if they open before your flight.
Personally, I’d rather have a plate of cooked-to-order dan dan in Cathay’s lounge than visit the American Heathrow club, but more options are definitely better than less.
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