During my OneWorld Twice To Oslo I purposely planned two long layovers in London Heathrow airport. I spent much of the first long layover in the fantastic Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge. For my second long layover I decided to visit another one of the several OneWorld Lounges in Terminal 3. This time, I chose to visit the Qantas Lounge London.
I have to admit my expectations going into this lounge were fairly high. I consistently hear great things about Qantas lounges so I hoped this lounge would be special. Additionally, I had high expectations because I was choosing this lounge over the Cathay Pacific lounge (which I loved) just next door.
Entering The Qantas Lounge London Heathrow
As you pass down the “hall of lounges” in Terminal 3 after clearing security you’ll pass both an American Airlines and British Airways lounge. While I’m sure those lounges are nice, you’ll want to keep walking if you want to visit The Qantas Lounge.
The Qantas Lounge London is also called “Lounge B” for some strange reason. As you reach the lounge you’ll see both wall and overhead signage which let you know you’ve arrived at Lounge B. You will know you’re in the right place when you see the huge Qantas branded wall next to the lounge entrance.
Posted on the glass near the entrance is a sign which informs travelers who has access to the lounge. Access to The Qantas Lounge London includes Qantas First and Business class passengers. Additionally, those with OneWorld Sapphire or Emerald elite status have access to the lounge when traveling on a OneWorld operated flight. I was a bit worried that the lounge agent wasn’t going to let me into the lounge given I was an arriving passenger. However, I had no issues getting into the lounge by presenting my American Airlines boarding card.
Once inside the lounge there is a large wooden dividing wall which prominently displays the famous Qantas Roo logo.
This area of the lounge was also where guests could pickup that day’s newspapers from various world publications.
The Qantas Lounge London Downstairs Dining Room And Bar
Just behind the large wooden dividing wall is the massive downstairs bar and dining room. This is a full service bar where guests can sit to have a drink or order something to eat.
Just beyond the bar are several tables for guests who do not wish to sit directly at the bar.
Toward the other end of the bar is a formal dining area where guests can request made-to-order meals.
This area of the lounge was completely empty in the late morning hour that I visited the lounge. I wasn’t hungy when I visited this lounge so instead of dining I decided to go to the upstairs area of the lounge.
The Qantas Lounge London Upstairs Bar
You’ll notice when you walk into the bar area a grand staircase which passes directly over the downstairs bar. These stairs take you to the upper level of the lounge which is about 60% larger than the downstairs portion of the lounge.
If you have a lot of bags or simply do not wish to use the stairs there is also an elevator just to the right of the lounge entrance. This may be the world’s slowest elevator as it takes about 30 seconds to move just a single level.
I opted to take the stairs as they were much quicker and I loved the look of the grand staircase which split near the bottom. Plus, look at the beautiful bar you’ll find directly at the top of the staircase.
Again, upstairs there is a fully staffed bar where bartenders serve a wide variety of mixed drinks, beers, and coffee drinks.
The Qantas Lounge London Sitting Areas
The upstairs of the lounge is one large square with seating areas throughout. The upstairs bar is flanked by two large, very orange, leather couches.
The upstairs bar area of the lounge is also the only portion of the lounge with windows to the outside world. The windows are small and don’t offer much of a view, so if plane watching is your goal the Qantas Lounge definitely isn’t the right lounge for you.
These sitting areas could in theory be occupied by multiple guests. However, it felt odd sitting on one of the orange couches when someone was already sitting at the other end.
This forward area of the lounge lacks any privacy. Luckily, there are more private sitting areas toward the rear of the lounge.
As you pass down the side hall which takes you to the rear of the lounge there are several sitting areas and the “kids area” (which is just a carpet square).
Then, in the rear of the lounge you’ll find these high walled couches. These couches are more private than the ones located toward the forward area of the lounge, but they are by no means the most private sitting areas I’ve ever seen in a lounge.
If you opt to sit in on of these high walled couch areas you’ll quickly notice how exposed you are to anyone else sitting here.
The Qantas Lounge London Upstairs Buffet
Toward the rear of the upstairs area of the lounge you’ll find the large buffet and beverage station.
The upstairs buffet offered an impressive selection of warm and cold food options. The warm options were at one end of the buffet while the cold options (salad bar) were located at the other end. Right in the middle resided a decent selection of desserts.
Agains the wall of this area was the equally impressive beverage station. Tea drinkers will rejoice in this area of the lounge. You can fill your own personal tea kettle with hot water and chose from a wide variety of Dilmah tea flavors.
This area also features a water spout which pours both warm and cold still or sparkling water. I’ve been noticing these little water stations in more and more lounges around the world.
If you’re looking for coffee you’ll have to visit either of the two bar areas.
The Qantas Lounge Shower Suites
As I mentioned, after I wasn’t hungry when I visited this lounge, but I was in need of a shower. There is nothing better than being able to take a hot shower after a long international flight.
In The Qantas Lounge London the shower suites are located down a corridor behind the elevator. You can access this hallway either from the upstairs bar area or from the rear portion of the lounge.
When I arrived at the shower suites there was no lounge attendant present. There was only a large wall of towels and a short hallway of about 6 shower rooms. After waiting for a few moments I simply chose one of the vacant rooms and locked the door behind me.
As I entered the shower suite everything looked clean so I assumed the room was ready for use. Inside was a toilet, a shower, and a sink. Notably there was no shelf or table to place a suitcase.
The shower suite felt a bit sterile (like the Qantas Lounge LAX), but the gray tile helped warm the room up a bit.
The shower was quite large and offered both overhead and handheld shower heads. Inside the shower were three bottles of Aspar shower products.
Lastly, there was a large sink with plenty of counter space which rested just beneath a massive vanity. Elevated just above the sink were bottles os Aspar hand wash and cream.
Overall, the shower suite was nice. The space was a little bright for my liking, but the shower maintained good water pressure and temperature so it’s hard to complain.
Final Thoughts
The Qantas Lounge London is a very nice, extremely clean, and quite bright lounge. It’s a very nice place to be, especially compared to the chaotic hallways of Terminal 3. If you only have access to this lounge when flying in a premium cabin on Qantas then you have nothing to worry about and you should have a very nice time in the lounge.
However, if you maintain OneWorld Emerald elite status I’m not sure that I’d pick this lounge over it’s neighbor. I personally enjoyed my time at the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge next door much more. The Cathay Pacific lounge uses softer textures and less intense lighting which makes the space a little more relaxing. Personally, I enjoy that type of lounge. That being said, that is my personal preference and I’m sure many prefer the Qantas lounge to Cathay.
Lastly, I didn’t have a chance to sit down and order a meal from the Qantas lounge so it’s hard to say if one lounge is superior to the other when it comes to sit down dining. With that, the food in the Cathay Lounge was excellent. Either way, the great news is that if you’re traveling through Heathrow Terminal 3 you have plenty of great lounges to choose from!
