One of the questions that gets asked most frequently is “which is the best oneworld lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3?” With 4 lounges to choose from now, it’s a great problem to have. #firstworldproblems. Although some people have completely forgotten that in oneworld and other alliances you can use any lounge if you are travelling in business or first or have the correct status level in their frequent flyer scheme. I must admit I was guilty of that for a while just going to the lounge of the airline I was flying with.

So before you head straight to the British Airways or your airline’s lounge why not have a look at what else is on offer? Here is the link to the oneworld lounge finder which will show you all the lounges available for oneworld. Don’t forget if you have an American Express Platinum card you can also use 80 Plaza Premium lounges and Amex Centurion lounges (US & Hong Kong). You can find a list of all the British Airways lounges and the facilities here. 

Which is the best oneworld lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 3?

To answer this question is like answering how long is a piece of string? It all depends on what you want from a lounge and what your status or travel class is. I will look at which is the best lounge depending on your needs from a lounge.

What is the best overall oneworld First lounge at T3?

This is a fairly easy answer for me. Although there isn’t one lounge that has everything, the Cathay Pacific First lounge is the closest to perfection for me. From great dining, good champagne & cocktails plus attentive service to the relaxing decor, this is my top oneworld lounge at T3. It is second only to the Virgin Clubhouse for my favourite UK lounge. As a matter of interest, the Concorde room would be very close to the Virgin lounge in my rankings due to the fabulous Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne they serve.

What is the best overall oneworld business class lounge at T3?

Surprise, surprise this is Cathay again with an honourable mention to Qantas. The Cathay business class lounge has a broad selection of hot and cold buffet food as well as the Noodle bar plus cocktails and a reasonable selection of wines and drinks.

What is the best lounge for Champagne and wine?

Surprisingly for some, I would say the BA First and business lounges. Cathay and Qantas are close runners-up though. British Airways often have some hidden gems which I suspect are bin ends from the onboard service.

In both lounges, they usually have 3-4 each of red and white wines plus Champagne. It is always worth having a wander around the lounge as often you will find different wines in different areas. For example on my last T3 BA Club lounge visit I found this gem:

In Galleries Club you normally have to ask one of the servers for Champagne which is usually Castel-no.

The First wines often include a Mersault which is one of my favourites although the BA ones aren’t normally the best examples of this wine. The Champagnes vary depending on supply but are usually Henriot white and rose Champagnes.

In second place would be the Qantas lounge for the selection of Australian and New Zealand wines plus the fact they have a dessert wine. I also like their Australian sparkling wine.

Cathay is a solid choice for 3rd place as the First lounge has Baron Rothschild and Moet Champagnes. The wine selection I find a bit dull here with 2-3 choices of red and white wine. Examples would include a Bourgogne Chardonnay or a Waipara Sauvignon Blanc. I often find the white wines and Champagne a bit warm in here, probably due to the way they are stored:

In the Cathay business lounge, they have Moet Champagne, Prosecco and a couple of wines at the bar but none are particularly outstanding. The Prosecco cocktails are fun though.

What is the best lounge for gin or cocktails?

This is 100% the Qantas lounge for me. What’s not to love about 14 different types of gin and Rockpool cocktails? I love the marble bar too and the elevated position by the window for looking out over the airfield. The Cathay First lounge has a better list of cocktails but I am sure that the bartenders at Qantas can make most classic cocktails.

What is the best lounge for a healthy meal?

This would probably be a tie between Qantas and Cathay. Qantas has a firm focus on health with their buffet of fresh salads and crudites for snacking on in the gin bar. They also have a Quench bar for infused waters and tissanes.

Cathay has a small selection of salads and fruit in their business class lounge but less in the way of healthy snack items other than wraps.

What is the best lounge for a proper meal?

First class

Hands down the Cathay First Class lounge. They have a proper dining area with table service and a great menu of Western and Asian favourites. I particularly like their Asian breakfast with dim sum and noddles. Qantas, American and BA all do food to order for First class but the menus are smaller and the atmosphere is less sophisticated.

For more upmarket food my next choice would be American Airlines. Their menu is very small but the dishes are restaurant quality and service is generally excellent – I have often found it better than Cathay’s service. If you want a more casual meal then BA can do that with items such as burgers and bau buns. Qantas has a smaller menu of casual dishes such as pies and sausage and mash. The ambience is nicer than BA being a new lounge but there is no champagne unless you are travelling in First with Qantas.

Business class

The Cathay business class lounge not only has the most extensive and high-quality buffet for food but also has the Noodle Bar where dishes are cooked to order. You can have dim sum or noodles including their signature dish, Dan Dan noodles. As well as hot dishes the lounge offers sandwiches and wraps, fruit and salads so ideal if you want something lighter or healthy.

What is the best lounge for food or drinks in a hurry or self-service?

In this situation, you want to grab something quickly and not have to order food or a drink.

For First class the BA lounge has an OK selection of buffet food and the wines and champagnes are good plus completely self-service. The American Airlines buffet is also good in First although champagne is brought to you but you can help yourself to wine.

For business class, British Airways has the best selection of help yourself drinks apart from Champagne which must be requested, although they have been trialling help yourself at some airports. The food is fairly average though with a rather underwhelming buffet.

What is the best lounge to get work done?

For this one, it depends on the time of day. The Qantas flights go out at around 1pm and 9pm. In between these times and early in the morning the lounge is very quiet. Service is great and there is a fairly large desk area to work at. There is only one PC (Mac) however. If you are not worried about this or champagne I would go for Qantas.

Cathay flights also go out in the evening but this lounge can be busier during the day as more people are wise to using it now. The BA lounges have a large well-equipped work area and I have rarely seen this overcrowded.

The lounges all have a dedicated work area with printers and Wi-Fi. I have found the BA wi-fi at little slow at times but it is normally good enough for work purposes.

What is the best lounge for a spa treatment or shower?

There is one option here: British Airways and their Elemis spa but make sure you get there early to get a treatment. You are entitled to a  complimentary 15 minute treatment if you are travelling in First or business (Club World) cabins or you are a Gold card member flying long haul on British Airways flights only. The BA spa menu is here.

For showers there is little difference between the Cathay and Qantas lounges, both of which are available for business class customers. They both have a luxurious feel and great toiletries. If pushed I would probably go for Cathay as I love Aesop products.

If you would like to read more information about a particular lounge here are my reviews:

Cathay First Class lounge

Cathay Business class lounge

British Airways Galleries Club and First lounges

Qantas business and first lounge

American Airlines Business and First lounges T3 review

You can find the airlines official information about the lounges here:

British Airways lounges

Qantas lounges

Cathay Pacific lounge

American Airlines lounges 

Do you have a favourite lounge at Heathrow? What is your favourite lounge at T3? Let me know on social media or in the comments below.

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Qantas Lounge at Heathrow finally opens

Heathrow’s Terminal 3 now boasts one of the best selections of oneworld lounges in the world. In addition to my favourite the Cathay Pacific First and business lounges, American Airlines lounge and of course BA, there is now a Qantas lounge to check out too. If you are departing from Terminal 3 you may want to allow an extra hour to do a lounge crawl! If you need help deciding, you can read my lounge reviews here.

The lounge was due to open earlier this year but yesterday had its official opening after a few days of ‘soft’ opening to the public.

The lounge has a light and modern feel to it and is split over two levels with views of the airfield. It follows the same concept as Qantas’ international lounges in Hong Kong, Singapore, Los Angeles and Brisbane, with the food and interior design taking inspiration from the city it is located in. The interior is inspired by London at twilight with deep greens and rich blues throughout the furniture, while warm-coloured timbers, stone and brass represent the historic architecture of the city.

I love the look of the marble cocktail bar with its brass chandelier on the upper level serving cocktails designed by the Qantas Rockpool Mixologists, as well as Australian and European wine and beer. That will definitely be one of my first stops when visiting the lounge.

If you are a gin fan you will be in for a serious treat with a special gin bar on the ground floor which has both  Australian and British gins. It also has an all-day barista service which is presumably to help wake you up with a double espresso after all the gins!

The menus are designed by Rockpool, the famous Sydney restaurant,  with a Sofitel service experience.

You can have  á la carte service in the dining room with a selection of plates of the day including:

Quintessential British dishes such as ploughman’s platters, pot pies and scones with jam and cream

Australian favourites such as healthy brunch bowls with eggs, avocado and kale, and zucchini and haloumi fritters

The signature salt and pepper squid with green chilli sauce from the Qantas First Lounges – this one of my personal favourites, so give it a try if you are there.

If you want something a bit quicker there are also hot and cold buffets.

If you need to refresh yourself or rehydrate there is a ‘Quench’ hydration station with tisane, fruit infused water, and sparkling water. Then you can have a refreshing shower in one of the 6 shower suites which come with Aurora Spa amenities.

If you need to work there are good business facilities including Wi-Fi, flexible work spaces and workstations.

The Qantas London Lounge is open daily from 8am – 8:30pm to Qantas customers travelling in First and Business and Qantas Platinum One, Platinum and Gold Qantas Frequent Flyers and their guests. It is also open to eligible oneworld Emerald and Sapphire customers, Emirates Skywards Platinum and Gold customers and Qantas Club members and their guests.

Have you visited the Qantas lounge? What did you think?

LEVEL starts in Paris and the end of OpenSkies

IAG’s low cost airline, LEVEL, is to start flying from Paris. They have also announced the end of the previously all business class ‘Open Skies’ flights that BA ran. The Open Skies flights will continue until Summer 2018.

LEVEL will fly from Paris to Montreal, New York, Guadeloupe and Martinique from Paris Orly from July 2018. LEVEL will base two Airbus A330-200 aircraft at Orly, each with 293 economy and 21 premium economy seats.

IAG buys Gatwick slots from failed Monarch

IAG, BA’s parent company, has bought the majority of Monarch’s slots at Gatwick after it went into administration recently. The extra slots mean that it could increase BA’s Gatwick presence by around 28%. Speculation is rife that this may be used for LEVEL to start from Gatwick rather than just expanding BA’s current operation. It will be interesting to see how BA use these slots as they have recently introduced/reintroduced several new routes from Gatwick. The slots could also be used to increase frequencies of flights or move more leisure orientated flights from Heathrow to free up slots there. With other airlines such as Vueling, Iberia and Aer Lingus being part of IAG, the slots could also be used for any of the airlines rather than just BA.

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The Qantas First lounge at Los Angeles is one of my favourite first class lounges that I have visited this year along with the Cathay Lounge at Heathrow. Whilst I had a few hours to kill at LAX to/from Hawaii, I visited both the business and first class lounges available for oneworld customers. If you are flying BA or AA from Los Angeles I would currently recommend using these 2 lounges rather than the American Airlines lounge at present. The new Flagship lounge for AA is due to open fairly soon and if it is anything like the JFK it may well be worth a visit.

Who can visit and how to get there from Terminal 4 (American Airlines)

Even if you are flying with American Airlines domestically from Terminal 4 you can still visit the lounge if you have oneworld Emerald status with BA. There is a connector between Terminal 4 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal which opened last year. It will take you around 10 minutes to walk between the gates at T4 and the lounges so allow plenty of time to get back before your flight. The escalators that take you up to the connector are just to the right of security at T4, by gate 41. Follow the signs for  Bradley International Terminal. Moving walkways are provided to speed things up, although the walk isn’t that far. You will eventually come out on level 5, the same level as the lounges.

Qantas First lounge

I received a warm welcome to the lounge but you will probably be asked for your BA Gold card to get access to the lounge, even if your status is printed on your ticket.

The lounge was incredibly quiet both times I went there which adds to its very civilised atmosphere. I loved the stylish furniture and decor here although I think the carpet may make your eyes goes funny if you stare at it too long!

As you enter the lounge you are in the main seating area which has plenty of chairs but charging points were few and far between. The areas are zoned into business and relaxing areas so there may have been more elsewhere. Fortunately, as it wasn’t crowded, it wasn’t an issue for me. There was a good choice of newspapers including a UK one but the magazine choice was rather limited.

If you just wanted a glass of wine or water, these were provided to help yourself to in the lounge area. If you wanted anything else you would need to go to the bar to order it. I actually like being able to help yourself to wine as often I like to have a small sip of a few before making my mind up. There were also a few snacks in jars and a good coffee machine too.

I was impressed with the Australian and US wine and Champagne selection in this lounge. The wines weren’t particularly expensive ones but they were good quality and there was a choice of no less than 4 champagnes. There was even a dessert wine from California too. I chose a glass of Perrier Jouët Champagne which I always enjoy. At the bar, they also have a selection of signature cocktails to choose from too such as Into the Forest with Gin, strawberries and basil.

Next, I headed to the 74-seat restaurant which features a Neil Perry Rockpool designed a la carte menu and a view of the open-style kitchen. This area has full waiter service from smartly uniformed staff. The menu is divided into small plates, sandwiches, main plates, sides, cheese, dessert and market inspirations. I loved this menu and wish that BA would do something similar. It’s great if you just want a snack as there are lots of options to choose from or you can have a 4-course meal if you like!

I tried the salt and pepper squid with green chilli dipping oil and aioli. It was delicious, fresh and tender with a lovely spicy kick from the dipping oil. This was definitely first class dining!

The Qantas First Lounge also offers a business area, fast WiFi, wireless printing, cable television, two private work suites and if you want to freshen up before your flight there are several showers to use.

Access requirements: Departing first class ticket on a oneworld carrier or oneworld Emerald member flying with any oneworld carrier in any cabin. Arriving first class passengers are also granted access provided they are connecting on a oneworld carrier (in any cabin of service).

Opening hours: 06:30 to 23:30

oneworld Los Angeles lounge

If you are travelling business class or are BA Silver then you will have access to the business class lounge.

As you enter the lounge you will notice the attractive wine bar to one side offering signature cocktails and bar snacks, and a barista service. The wines are laid out on the bar so you can have a look at what’s on offer. There was nothing overly exciting amongst the wines but there was at least a good selection, including sparkling wine.

I then headed over to the dining area to see what was on offer. There was a nice selection of interesting and fresh looking salads as well as a good choice of hot food. I liked the way it was laid out so that there was plenty of room and you could access each dish from both sides. It was definitely a better arrangement than the rugby scrum that is the BA Galleries lounge buffet at Heathrow T5!

I tried a few of the salad dishes and they were all tasty and hadn’t wilted too much either.

Conclusion

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BA changes baggage policy

British Airways have changed their baggage policy on mixed class bookings with immediate effect, although this will only apply to new bookings.

Up until yesterday, 18 October, when a BA customer travelled on a return or stopover journey in mixed cabins, the Most Generous Allowance (MGA) applied for baggage ie. a customer travelling outbound in World Traveller, but returning in Club World would receive the Club World baggage allowance on both sectors. With no warning, BA have changed this to:

If you have a ticket where the outbound is in a different class to the inbound or vice versa, you will only get the baggage allowance for the actual class you are travelling in, whereas previously you would get the higher baggage allowance for both.

For example, Reader A recently wrote in about his flight to Seoul where he is travelling one way Club and return in economy. As he booked before 18 October he will still get the Club baggage allowance for the whole journey. If he was to make the booking today, he would only get the economy allowance for the return flight.

The good news is that it doesn’t impact connecting flights providing you don’t have a stopover of more than 24 hours. Therefore if Reader A were to book now to fly Dublin-Heathrow in economy connecting onto the Seoul flight in Club, he would get the Club allowance for the entire outbound journey. This is provided the gap between the Dublin and Seoul flights is less than 24 hours and it is all on one ticket.

The change will impact all new bookings made on/ after 18 October 2017 and applies to:

• All BA flights (short haul and long haul)
• All BA branded bookings (BA, City Flyer, Openskies, Comair, Sunair)
• Airport upgrades on/after 18th October 2017.

Obviously, if you have silver or above status it probably wouldn’t matter as much since you get:

Silver member

• checked baggage allowance of two pieces in economy for everyone on your booking (except on hand baggage only (Basic) fares)
• a weight allowance of 32kg (71lb) per checked bag in any travel class for everyone on your booking

Gold member

• an additional free checked bag in any travel class for everyone on your booking (except on hand baggage only (Basic) fares)
• a weight allowance of 32kg (71lb) per checked bag in any travel class for everyone on your booking

The official BA baggage page has been updated to reflect the changes here.

Qantas Heathrow lounge & first B787 business class pictures

If you have travelled through Heathrow’s T3 recently you may have spotted the hoarding for the new Qantas lounge as you enter the lounges corridor. This was originally planned to open in Spring this year but had been delayed.

If you are travelling with any oneworld airlines from T3 such as BA, Qantas, Cathay, American or Finnair you can use any of the oneworld lounges according to the class you are travelling in or your oneworld status. I have reviewed all the oneworld lounges in T3 which you can find here. Personally, I think the Cathay lounge will take some beating but the Qantas lounge does look like it could well be a close second. It will feature a Rockpool menu and dining experience plus a full-service bar with Rockpool cocktails.

Qantas has now set a timeframe of towards the end of November for the opening of the lounge but as is usual, no firm date has been set.

B787 Dreamliner for London-Perth-Melbourne route – first look

Qantas recently announced that they will change to the B787-9 on the London to Melbourne via Perth route when it launches. A new QF9/QF10 Melbourne-Perth-London rotation will be replacing the airline’s existing QF9/QF10 Melbourne-Dubai-London from 24 March 2018. The first B787 has now been delivered to Qantas allowing us to see the new interiors.

The Dreamliner seats 236 passengers across Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins in a layout that has been designed to maximise comfort for longer distances.

The Business Suite onboard is the next generation of the seat recently installed on Qantas’ Airbus A330 fleet. The seats provide good privacy and on the B787 there is now also the ability to adjust the divider between seats. The seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration, with direct aisle access as well as the ability to stay reclined during take-off and landing.

Qantas have also launched new limited edition B787 amenity bags as well as new crockery for the B787 which will eventually be rolled out across all their aircraft. They are currently working with sleep specialists, dieticians and other scientists at the University of Sydney to see how adjustments to their in-flight service could improve wellbeing and help passengers adjust to new timezones.

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BA Club Europe Flash sale

BA have rather quietly launched a flash sale on Club Europe holidays. There are some excellent bargains here, even if you didn’t want the hotel! Club Europe flights either get 80 Tier points or 160 Tier points depending on the destination, so it could be handy if you need a small amount of Tier points. You must book by midnight on Monday 7th August and travel between 15th September and 15th December.

A selection of the best prices for midweek travel with 2 sharing a room are:

• Seville – Flights + 3 nights hotel from £234 pp
• Rome – Flights + 3 nights hotel £240 pp
• Barcelona – Flights + 3 nights hotel from £241 pp
• Amsterdam Flights + 3 nights hotel from £252 pp
• Nice Flights + 3 nights hotel from £273 pp
• Algarve Flights + 7 nights hotel from £273 pp
• Malta Flights + 7 nights hotel from £284 pp (160 Tier points)
• Alicante Flights + 7 nights hotel from £313 pp
• Madeira Flights + 7 nights hotel from 341 pp (160 Tier points)
• Paphos + 7 nights hotel from £406 pp (160 Tier points)

You can find the sale page here.

oneworld companion sale to the USA

There are also a couple of ex Europe sales to the US with some decent prices. The first is a oneworld sale from Paris to US destinations. This means you could travel on any of the oneworld airlines with a connection such as Iberia via Madrid or BA via Heathrow. Personally having just flown with American, I would pick them on one of their B777s. Here is my review.

The catch is that 2 people must travel together and only on mid week departures. The fares must be booked by Monday 7 August but you can travel up to March 2018. Hat tip to Steffan from insideflyer.de for the information.

• New York from €1460
• Boston from €1537
• Chicago from €1550
• Washington from €1550
• Los Angeles from €1624
• San Francisco from €1624

Star Alliance US sale in business class

In response, Star Alliance have launched their own sale to America from Paris CDG with similar prices. On this one you don’t have to travel with anyone but the fares seemed cheapest on a Thursday departure. You also have to book by 7 August but can travel up to March 2018.

Again you could fly with any of the Star Alliance airlines but probably Lufthansa or Swiss would be the most convenient and offer the best product. Air Canada also have a good business class product. United has a flat bed product and the new Polaris service but the seats are quite dated.

I managed to find Los Angeles/ San Francisco for around £1500 plus Boston /New York for around £1400. All the major US destinations seem to be included along with Montreal.

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I recently flew on Finnair’s A350 (review here), in business class from Heathrow, which allowed me to use the Cathay Pacific lounge. Last week I reviewed the First Class Cathay Pacific Lounge. Today I will look at the Business class section. You can access this lounge if you are flying on any one world airline from T3 in business class or have BA silver (oneworld sapphire status) or above.

Cathay Pacific Business class lounge Heathrow review at T3

The Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge at London Heathrow airport T3 was renovated and expanded in November 2016. The new space has a sophisticated but relaxed feel to it, with Asian influences. They have used lots of natural material such as limestone floors, cherry wood walls and plenty of plants. Although not quite as light as the First Class lounge, there was plenty of natural light and airport views with floor to ceiling windows. The lounge felt very spacious and when we visited on a Friday morning, it was very empty. I would suspect it is much busier later on, when the Cathay flights are departing.

Seating

I liked the attention to privacy in the seating choices such as high sided chairs and booths.

There are eight of these cube-type chairs pictured above which have a built-in side table, coat hook, power outlet, and USB port.

I also liked these seats with an apron view and a foot stool for relaxing.

Food and drink

As we were there at breakfast time and had eaten in the First Class lounge, we didn’t need to eat in the Business lounge. There was a great selection of appetising looking options. We did have time to try a cocktail though!

Noodle bar

The noodle bar offers dishes cooked to order in the open kitchen such as wonton noodle soup, dan dan noodle soup, and steamed bao buns. You place your order and then get a pager which buzzes when it is ready. It wasn’t open when we were there as I believe it opens at 10am.

The Food hall

As well as the Noodle bar, there is also a buffet area called the Food Hall. In this area there was a coffee machine, as well as the same selection of Jing teas as the Cathay First Class lounge. Soft drinks were also in this area, with all the usual choices you would expect.

The food was far, far superior to the BA offering at 9.30am. There was a full English breakfast selection including scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, Cumberland sausage and mushrooms. There was also porridge, cereals, a selection of Danish pastries and muffins, fruit salad, and a couple of salads. They even had warm croissants. Everything was presented beautifully in special wooden baskets and bowls. If you wanted a more continental style breakfast, there was a large fridge which had cheeses, meats and yoghurts that you could help yourself to.

Drinks

The only drawback with the drinks in the Cathay Lounge is that it is not self service. Personally I prefer to have a browse at my leisure and try a sip of wine before I commit to it! Apparently they have Moet et Chandon champagne, but I didn’t see any. I did see the Prosecco and the cocktails made with Prosecco. We tried one with pomegranate and Prosecco which was delicious. There were a few wines to choose from and a small range of the usual spirits. On my next trip in July, I will do some more extensive research and write an updated review with the all day dining options, as well as more detail about the drinks.

Other Amenities

There are 8 limestone shower suites with a large walk-in rain shower, toilet, sink, and luxurious Aesop products. The toilets are decorated in a similar style and felt luxurious.

If you need to work, the lounge also has the Bureau area which is a business centre with several Mac computers and a printer.

Location: Airside Terminal 3 departures, Lounge C near Gate 11
Opening hours: 05:30 to last departure (Monday to Saturday), 07:30 to last departure (Sunday)

You can find more details on the lounge here.

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Malaysia Airlines have been offering some excellent fare deals from the U.K. for the last year. Presumably, this is to help with their mission to return to profitability after the loss of 2 aircraft. Malaysia are confident that this is achievable by 2018, with their latest figures showing a 12% increase in passengers versus last year.

Fares have been as low as £1500 flight only or £1600 including accommodation, which is very competitive with other oneworld airlines such as Qatar and Finnair from Heathrow. Although they use an A380 on the Heathrow route, the seats are showing their age and are not up to the standard of Qatar’s A350 and B787 aircraft, for example. The A380 seats are a similar style to Qatar’s B777 seats in a 2-2-2 layout, so not ideal for solo travellers. They do generally have excellent service and good food, though. This includes their Chef-on-Call menu, which has 25 meal options you can book in advance.

Malaysian upgraded their A330-300 fleet last year with more modern seats which are used on the Australian and New Zealand routes, amongst others. The newer seat is 20.6″ wide, 43″ pitch, with a fully flat length of 76 inches. They are configured 1-2-1 and 1-2-2. This means that 90% of the seats have direct aisle access.

New aircraft for London – Kuala Lumpur route

Malaysia Airlines are now due to take delivery of 6 new aircraft in 2018 and 2019. They are due to receive 6 A350-900s, with the first by the end of 2017. The A350s were originally earmarked for Tokyo and Auckland first but it has now been revealed they will be used on the London route. Malaysian have yet to reveal the actual seats for the new aircraft, other than it will hold around 300 passengers. This could be a mixed blessing for the London route, as it potentially reduces capacity by around 400 seats per day versus its twice daily A380 service. This could mean an end to the cheap business class fares. However, the majority of the cheap fares have been on indirect routes where there is competition on the route with direct flights from London. This is similar to the way BA often discount flights from Dublin to American to fly via Heathrow.

It will also be interesting to see if they go with the reverse herringbone seats on most A350s, such as Qatar and Finnair, or do something different. There have been numerous issues with the manufacture of these ‘Cirrus’ seats with delays and quality issues but I suspect these may have come to light too late for Malaysian.

Malaysian are now looking at purchasing or leasing B787-9 Dreamliners as well, which again will mean more modern seating. Depending on the price and seating style chosen, Malaysian could prove a smart choice for oneworld flights to the Far East and Australia. You would, of course, get extra tier points versus flying direct to many Far East destinations with Malaysian.

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If you are planning a trip to Asia in the next 9 months, there are some interesting deals around at the moment. As the current Qatar sale is only for mainly last minute trips, it may be worth a look if you don’t want to chance waiting for another sale, or don’t like the idea of an ex EU.

Malaysia Airlines business class flights sale

The new Malaysia Airlines business class ‘mid year deals’ sale has some excellent prices for flying from the UK in business class. The prices are not as good some of the Qatar ex EU prices we have seen recently, but it would be a quicker option in many cases. The other advantage is that if you are able to travel to London without flying, then any connections will be on the same ticket. This would take some of the stress out of the journey compared to an ex EU. You will also earn tier points and Avios through the BA Executive club as Malaysia are a One World partner.

Their seats are fully flat but not at the standard of Qatar or Cathay Pacific for example.  The A380 seats are in a 2-2-2 configuration, so not ideal for solo travellers. The flights involve connecting in Kuala Lumpur but 2 stopovers are included in each ticket for free. Kuala Lumpur is well worth a stop over one way if you have the time.

Tickets must be booked by 31 May 2017.

 

The fares must be booked by 15th May 2017 and are available for travel until 31st January 2018 with some blackout periods.

• Ho Chi Minh city £1392
• Hanoi £1396
• Bangkok £1574
• Kuala Lumpur £1479

You can book through Expedia via this link.

Here is a video of the Turkish business class experience.

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If you are travelling with AA or BA back to Heathrow Terminal 3 on a long haul flight, you may be entitled to use the Arrivals lounge. Many people don’t bother to use the arrivals lounge unless they are travelling on business. Having used them a few times recently, it is worth popping in if you have time. If I am getting collected at the airport I usually build in time with my pick up to use the lounge. After all, I have paid for it! It is a useful way to maximise your sleep on shorter flights as you can eat breakfast in the lounge. Having a shower straight after a flight always makes me feel better too!

My intrepid Roving Reporter has been on his travels yet again and tried out the T3 American Arrivals lounge. The lounge was recently refurbished and re-opened in summer 2016.

Opening hours and access

The Arrivals lounge is outside security and customs, a quick walk to the right of the main arrivals gate and up in the lift to level 2. The lounge is open daily, from 5a.m. – 2:30p.m. during the winter, and until 3:30pm during the summer months. It is not a typical American Airlines lounge like an Admirals Club. Heathrow is the only airport that has an AA Arrivals lounge. RR visited at about 1pm.

Qualifying passengers from British Airways, Qantas and Cathay Pacific can also use it, since they operate into T3 at Heathrow. Access is available for passengers arriving on a same day flight as follows:

• Customers travelling in First or Club World on BA,
• Executive Club Gold Members arriving on a British Airways long haul flight,
• AAdvantage^® Executive Platinum/oneworld^® Emerald ^SM members
• Customers travelling in first or business class on an American Airlines, Cathay Pacific or Qantas operated flight.

Food and drink

You will almost certainly get a better breakfast in the lounge than you will on board. At the time of day that RR visited there was a mixture of lunch and breakfast items. For breakfast there was a hot selection including scrambled eggs, pastries, fruit and cereals. You could also order a number of items such as eggs benedict, pancakes or porridge.

For lunch they also had chicken in a creamy sauce with rice, sandwiches and salads.

If you weren’t dehydrated enough after your long haul flight and fancied carrying on your holiday a bit longer, they also have alcohol. There are Bloody Marys that are made to order with your choice of extras such as celery, olives or bacon (?). If you fancy some fizz there are self-service bottles of Moet which you could make into a bucks fizz (or should that be Mimosa in the AA lounge?) with the orange juice provided.  Finally, there is also a small wine selection, espresso coffee machine and of course a variety of soft drinks.

Showers

When you arrive it is worth booking a shower, in case there is a wait.  There are 29 shower rooms with C.O. Bigelow toiletries, towels and hair dryers. The hair dryers aren’t great as they are the 1970s style wall mounted ones, but better than nothing. The actual rooms though, are modern and stylish. In the shower is shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. You can also request shaving and dental kits. There is even a luggage rack for your suitcase. Valet ironing services are available too.

The lounge was almost empty during our visit, but there is plenty of comfortable seating with charging points and a selection of newspapers and magazines. For eating, there are café style tables and chairs.

There is also a business section with a PCs and a printer.

Conclusion

This is a lovely place to relax, have some food or a shower after a long flight. Having champagne available is a nice touch, particularly if you were celebrating a special occasion on your trip. Overall I think it is better than the BA T5 Arrivals lounge, especially if you are in business class. All passengers can get food to order instead of just First and Concorde room card holders. The only drawback is the lack of spa treatments which both BA and Virgin have in their arrivals lounges at Heathrow. It is worth noting that if you are arriving on BA you could also use the T5 BA Arrivals lounge, but obviously it is quite a trek to get there.

The official American Airlines lounge page is here.

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Qantas Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3

Customers flying on oneworld flights, including BA, will be spoilt for choice at Terminal 3 later this year. In addition to the BA and AA lounges, alongside the excellent Cathay lounge, they will soon have access to the new Qantas lounge. Unfortunately it has been delayed by up to 4 months and is now due to open in mid 2017. Its original opening date had been for March 2017.

The premium lounge will occupy a split-level space in Terminal 3  and offer views over the airfield. Its design will combine the signature features of Qantas’ other lounges with local touches to make it distinctive for London.

Features of the new lounge will include:

• Rockpool menu and dining experience;
• Full-service bar with Rockpool cocktails;
• Full bathroom facilities including showers;
• Business facilities; and
• Children’s zone.

Passengers eligible to use the lounge will include:

• Eligible flyers on oneworld airlines departing from T3
• Qantas Business and First Class passengers
• Platinum One, Platinum and Gold members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program
• Passengers travelling in tiered cabins on partner airlines with a QF code

BA new routes

British Airways have been launching a plethora of new routes this month which gives good Avios redemption opportunities. From May, BA will begin summer-only direct flights from Dublin to Ibiza and in June from Edinburgh to Palma, Majorca.

Flights from Dublin will operate out on Fridays and back on Sundays and from Edinburgh on Fridays throughout the summer. This will give Dublin travellers the opportunity to go for both a short break or a longer stay.

Basic each way fares from Dublin to Ibiza are from 49 Euros and from Edinburgh to Palma from £59. All flights will operate on Embraer 190 jet aircraft, with two abreast seating so no one has to have a middle seat. The disadvantage is the lack of the blocked middle seat in Club Europe if you are travelling solo.

British Airways have existing lounge arrangements in Dublin with the contract lounge, Dublin Executive lounge. This is a strictly average lounge but good enough for a short stay. In Edinburgh, BA have their own lounge which is very pleasant as it is only a few years old.

Schedules:

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