Cathay Pacific Business Class London Heathrow Lounge
The London Heathrow Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge is one of the best oneworld Business Class lounges at London Heathrow, and should be visited if you have the chance.An update a few years ago brought along an uprated noodle bar, decent buffet dining in the pantry, a great cocktail bar, much better chairs, and quiet simply more space.
However it is the design that brings many people here.
Designed by Studioilse, the renowned London-based design studio led by Ilse Crawford, the Heathrow lounge echoes the contemporary Asian aesthetics of Cathay Pacific's lounges at Hong Kong Airport. It has a home from home vibe, with many comfortable seating areas.
London Heathrow Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge review
The Cathay Pacific Business Class London Heathrow Lounge is well worth a visit, particularly compared to the decidedly downmarket American Airlines lounge. Even with the Qantas lounge giving it a run for it's money, the Cathay Pacific recent updates to the London lounge brings about a totally different vibe.
Finding the Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge London Heathrow is a bit of a trek, now that the entrance after security has been moved to the extreme left of the terminal, forcing everyone to walk through the Duty Free Shop. Indeed, from security Fast Track you could almost walk directly to the lounge, but instead you need to zig-zag left then right through the Duty Free maze, then turn left after the Caviar Bar, past the Qantas lounge, and head for Lounge Area C, then take the lift next to the cardboard cut-out crew member to the upper floor which enters into the white marble reception area. First is left and behind you, while business is to the right, and down the corridor past the showers, with the desk ahead of you.
The reception area in the new Cathay Pacific London lounge makes extensive use of classic wood mahogany walls and glass screens with small glazing bars, one of the key components adapted from the design of The Wing and The Pier at Hong Kong International Airport.
The London Cathay lounge take its familiar design cues from the Hong Kong flagship lounges The Pier, with a pleasant residential vibe created by CX lounge designer Ilse Crawford, with what Cathay like to say are four distinct zones where passengers can relax or work.
The Cathay lounge has grown into the space which used to be occupied by the Singapore Airlines lounge. Even the bar is the old location of the Singapore Airlines bar, from way back in 2002.
When you first enter the Cathay Pacific LHR Business Class lounge you'll enter the noddle bar. Racks of dining chairs are on the left, while on the right is the Noodle Bar itself. Many passengers briefly stop to order here to order, (don't forget your buzzer) before entering the lounge proper.
Then you enter the buffet area, on the left with much more British fare than in usual in a Cathay lounge and a long wooden table opposite the food area. It is more than a refectory area, and turns dining into a casual friendly affair, if you don't mind other travellers jogging your shoulder as you dine.
Ahead of you is the main bulk of the Cathay Pacific London Heathrow Business Class Lounge, with the bar on the left, overlooking the banks of 136 seats, thankfully of many different types, spread over most of the lounge.
At the far end of the lounge are green armchairs with reading lights, called the Cathay Solo chairs, and they are incredibly comfortable. Beside each of the seats are little tables with lamps on top which contain a slide-out draw which contains both mains power (UK style) and USB sockets. Indeed, the seats are all new and varied, but crucially, there is no sleeping, or even napping area in the lounge: if you want a kip, the AA lounge is better, while the BA lounge offers more variety.
There are floor-to-ceiling windows which provide panoramic views of the airport's apron and northerly runway, but the view is rather set back from the other lounges, and you'll need to squint to see the runway in the distance.
At one end of the lounge there is a large TV - generally on BBC News - although the volume is generally down low. At the far end, hidden around the corner, is the Business Centre, called the Bureaux, although few if any passengers seem to use it any more, instead bringing their own devices.
The Cathay Pacific London lounge can get very busy in the evenings, just before the four main Cathay evening flights between 5 and 10pm: however during the day it can be all but deserted, apart from the one flight in the morning.
Food
The business class area features Cathay Pacific's signature Noodle Bar and The Food Hall, which boasts a wide range of Western and international dishes including what the airline describes as 'traditional British fare'. It is the food that draws many people to the Cathay Pacific London Heathrow Business Class Lounge - specifically, the on-demand fresh noodle bar, which offers some of the best Asian food of any of the London Heathrow lounges. In the Noodle Bar the usual options are Wonton Niidles (shrimps), Dan Dan Mien (spicy peanut), Rice Vermicolli, and a fourth, rotating option. You can also customise all of the variants: just ask at the counter. For example, if you want just the wonton soup, but with no noodles, that's easy to do. There are bowls of nuts on the worktop, but no olives. If you prefer more western food, in the main food area of the Cathay Pacific London lounge - called of course the Pantry - there is a hot plate which is empty during the day, but in the evening there is a meat and a veggie curry and rice, along with pasta and a couple of pasta sauces. Soup is available in the evening, with a dark dry brown bread. All day there is a salad bar, but it is rather poor with lousy presentation, and with only one type of dressing (French), which you can take to the long table beside the buffet.
Bar
There's also a fully tended bar available to business class passengers, and the barman is often delighted to mix up cocktails for you. The bar is pretty good in the Cathay Pacific London lounge for wine, but poor for spirits, with three very good whites and a rosáé in the chiller, and two reds on the counter top. There is little influence of the new world here. Whites tend to be Italian, while the reds are French, although occasionally a California red appears. There is no champagne, but there is normally an Austrian Prosecco for bubbles. Beer is in bottles in the fridge, with some London specials along with Tiger and Singa, plus Cathay Pacific's own Betsy Beer. In the pantry there is also a huge and quite complicated coffee machine.
Bathrooms
Shower facilities are among the best at Heathrow, with five fully equipped shower suites common to both lounges, again in the classic white marble. You need to ask at shower reception, however in the evening the showers are very busy, and you'll be handed a buzzer. The shower rooms are fully stocked with Aesop products at the Cathay Pacific London Heathrow Business Class Lounge.
Business Facilities
At the far end of the lounge there is a small wooden walled business centre with three computers. They are rarely used, as most people bring their own laptop. There is a printer on a small marble pedestal also in the business centre. The Cathay Pacific London lounge has free wifi which is good and fast. Sockets are UK/Hong Kong style only. Along with low newspaper rack in the middle of the lounge, there is also a larger rack with most of the daily UK newspapers (Mail, Independent, Times, Telegraph, Standard, but no Guardian), and all of the Hong Kong, Italian, and Spanish newspapers. Magazines are also surprisingly good, with everything from Hello to the Economist.
Beside all the main seats there is a draw with power sockets. And in the noodle bar every table has got two UK sockets with USB ports so you can charge your devices whilst eating.
Access
To access the Cathay Pacific London Heathrow Business Class Lounge, as Cathay Pacific is part of the oneworld alliance, British Airways Gold card holders and First Class passengers can access both lounges and BA Silver card holders or passengers travelling in Club Europe / Club World can use the business lounge.Video: Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge
Staffed cocktail bar
No snooze area