Cathay Pacific reopens London Heathrow lounge

London Heathrow Terminal 3 is getting its groove back.

One of the finest airline lounges at Heathrow, Cathay Pacific has now reopened its flagship loafing area in T3 following closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Located close to Gate 11 in T3, and open from 5:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. daily, it welcomes back first and business class passengers and selected members of the Marco Polo Club and Oneworld partner program members including British Airways Executive Club Silver and Gold members.

Related: The ultimate guide to Cathay Pacific first class

Frankly, there are few better ways to drown out the distractions of the U.K.’s busiest air hub than unwinding with one of the lounge’s sumptuous cocktails and watching the world go by. Its food options are a joy, including the Noodle Bar, which wouldn’t look out of place in any Michelin guide (grub arrives in small bamboo baskets), a ‘grab and go’ Food Hall and, for First Class passengers — the á la carte Dining Room which boasts a hearty menu of comfort food classics.

Dripping with architectural swag, the space is designed to feel like a warm, contemporary apartment, using natural materials, floor-to-ceiling windows and eye-catching furniture. For those needing a bit more stimuli, the shower facilities are enough to cure any long-haul jetlag too.

Related: Stellar Service: Cathay Pacific in Economy From Los Angeles to Hong Kong

Currently, all flights from the U.K. into Hong Kong have been suspended until 21 January, which makes the reopening of the lounge even bigger news for Cathay Pacific. The Hong Kong-based carrier has been badly impacted by the pandemic, recently divulging that traffic figures in November 2020 had fallen 93.7 percent compared to the year before. As such you can expect the lounge to be very quiet and peaceful.

With any luck, normal service will be resumed fairly soon, when once again you can expect a lot of lounge users to make final boarding by the skin of their teeth.

How do I get into the Cathay Pacific lounge? 

To gain access into the Cathay Pacific business-class lounge is Oneworld Sapphire elite status (AAdvantage Platinum status), but you can then enter even when flying in economy on any of the Oneworld alliance airlines departing from Terminal 3. It goes without saying that as a passenger flying in business or first class with Cathay or any of the Oneworld member airlines, you also get access.

The carrier also has an agreement in place with Finnair, as well as American Airlines which allows Admirals Club lounge members traveling on a Oneworld carrier to access the lounge.

If you are flying British Airways from Terminal 3 and have lounge access (either from status or class of service) we highly recommend the Cathay Pacific lounge over the British Airways lounge in the same terminal.

Featured image courtesy of Cathay Pacific.