Heathrow Airport delays reopening of Terminal 3
While international travel out of the U.K. is still due to resume on May 17, Terminal 3 at London Heathrow Airport will not reopen in time.
Airport officials blame the delay in reopening the terminal that's home to several Oneworld carriers such as Qantas, American and Cathay Pacific, as well as Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines on continued uncertainty over the impact of rolling travel restrictions from the British government.
Sign up to receive the daily TPG newsletter for more travel news!
As of now, the earliest Terminal 3 could resume operations is May 24 — and that date isn't set in stone, either. The airlines that typically operate within Terminal 3 and airport are working to make the transition back to expanded operations as smooth as possible and needed more time to do so.
The delay in the terminal's reopening means Heathrow will continue using solely Terminals 2 and 5 for flights going in and out, as it has for more than a year since the pandemic began. Since then, British Airways and some of its partners have operated out of T5, while most other airlines have been operating out of T2.
Putting another terminal back in play is seen as crucial to handle the expected boost in passenger traffic at the airport from the resumption of non-essential travel, helping it to manage passengers during the peak summer travel season.
The delay in reopening is particularly impactful for flyers who travel with Virgin Atlantic and Delta. Those airlines were expected to be the first to resume flights in and out of Terminal 3.
Virgin's Upper Class passengers looking forward to enjoying the airline's top-flight Clubhouse lounge located in the terminal will have to wait a bit longer, even when T3 does reopen. Virgin Atlantic says the Terminal 3 lounge will remain temporarily closed for a time even when operations start up again. Upper Class passengers will continue to use the Virgin lounge located in Terminal 2 until T3 reopens.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app