Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge Heathrow
With four flights a day to from the old country to the New Territories, and significant premium loads, it's no surprise that Cathay Pacific have full lounge facilities at London Heathrow, with both a Business and a full First Class section. They are among the smallest oneworld Heathrow Terminal 3 lounges, occupying only 900 square meters, however many longhaul Qantas and BA passengers make their way here, thanks to the excellent showers, and top noodle bar.
The fantastic First Class lounge for Cathay Pacific at London Heathrow airport is a delight, and should be on your must visit list if you are on any First Class oneworld flight out of Terminal 3, or have Emerald status on a oneworld airline.
London Heathrow Cathay Pacific first class lounge Review
The First Class side of the lounge is not all that big, and is long and thin, with the dining area is off to one side. There are however quite a few different seating areas, while food and drink is located in the middle of the lounge. Don't miss the very good bar, and you can have a formal sit down meal in the dining area, which has only 8 tables making it feel very exclusive. There is also a decent noodle bar, great seats, and an amazing view of the runway.
Cathay Pacific's First Class Lounge at London Heathrow Airport features a high-ceiling window wall with a great panoramic view of the apron area, and aircraft at their gates.
However, the lounge is divided into a series of smaller spaces, which makes the lounge somehow seem a more intimate and special space. Indeed, when it had a revamp a few years ago, Cathay Pacific said it represented a brand ethos of 'A Life Well Travelled', giving a pleasant residential vibe, similar to a London Loft apartment in the docklands.
The lounge is the only Cathay Pacific lounge outside of Hong Kong with a distinct First Class zone. 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. With floor-to-ceiling windows provides panoramic views of the airport's apron and northerly runway.
Most of the seats looking out through the window are singles and ideal if you want to watch the traffic on the Northern runway.
Inwards of the windows are three very comfortable sofas, which almost feel like you are at your home, separated by large wooden 'plank type' tables.
Incidentally, the newly rebuilt lounge takes in some space previously used by Singapore Airlines SilverKris lounge (now moved to Terminal 2), which in turn had some space taken by Cathay back in 2002. It is now 30 per cent larger than its predecessor at 1,200 square meters.
The lounge has an abundance of plants and specially sourced artwork by noted Chinese artist Han Feng.
One last curiosity of the lounge is the inner dining area, which is just like the large dining room in Hong Kong, just much smaller.
Food
Alongside the primary lounge, there is a dedicated dining room is what draws in most passengers. It is styled along the lines of a 1960s Hong Kong Café, called a Cha Chaan Teng. There are hues of green and a continuation of the wooden accents of the main lounge. It really is a lovely space; just ask at the podium for a table.There is a separate breakfast menu to around 11am, with eggs benedict, or a Hong Kong style breakfast, and then à la carte dinner offerings, including the famous Cathay Burger, which offers a table service for first class flyers, with freshly prepared dishes made-to-order by the chef.
In addition to The Dining Room, there is also The Pantry, where visitors can enjoy grab and go delicacies with items changing throughout the day. This is really good, with plenty of small plates to sample.
In the evening, before the three main day Cathay Pacific flights from LHR to HKG, large tubs of curry, pasta and rice appear on the hotplate. Some of these can be quite unusual, such as Duck Curry. There are also bags of crisps and bowls of nuts and olives.
Bar
The Cathay Pacific First Class London Lounge bar is a notable step up from Business next door. There is always a good champagne - generally Veuve Clicquot - and five good whites in the refrigerated area, including a rosé and a very good desert wine. There are three very good reds (generally French) on the counter top.
There are cans of Singa and Tiger beer in the fridge, however curiously spirits are very poor, with only Bacardi, Black label, Campari, VSOP, Glenlivet, Jack Daniels, and Bombay Sapphire. If you are a spirit drinker, the BA lounge is better.
Bathrooms
Shower facilities are among the best at Heathrow, with eight fully equipped shower suites common to both lounges, again in the classic white marble. You need to ask at reception for a towel.
Business Facilities
There isn't a dedicated Business Center in the lounge: instead to have to go to the Business Class side to find some.There is free Wifi, although it is not the fastest.
There is a very good newspaper rack next to the bar counter: it has all the main UK and Hong Kong papers, plus a few from mainland China and Finland. There are also plenty of magazines, from Hello to lifestyle magazines, and oddly plenty on yachts. Showers and toilets are outside the lounge.
Access
First Class tickets only, one Cathay Pacific or oneworld airlines (including BA, Qantas and American airlines) plus onework Emerald.
There is no paid access.
Diamond or above Marco Polo Club members, and Sapphire or above oneworld members, including British Airways Gold.
Video: Cathay Pacific First Lounge
Amazing view