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Virgin Atlantic and Delta return to London Heathrow's Terminal 3 on July 15, Clubhouse reopens

Ben Smithson
Articles
Ben Smithson is a senior writer for TPG UK. Originally from Australia, he is the primary points and miles writer for the U.K. site.
July 05, 2021
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3 min read
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Virgin Atlantic and Delta return to London Heathrow's Terminal 3 on July 15, Clubhouse reopens
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As travel resumes, London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) will reach another significant milestone this month. In particular, major tenants Virgin Atlantic and Delta will return to their home in Terminal 3 on July 15.

The joint venture partners had been operating from Terminal 2 during the pandemic. The usually busy Heathrow airport consolidated operations from four active terminals down to just two amid plunging demand.

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The news is even better for Upper Class and Gold members of Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program (as well as eligible Delta passengers) since the well-regarded Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse will reopen at the same time.

The airline plans to provide as much of the famous Clubhouse experience as possible. But, in line with current U.K. government guidelines, masks will be required on entry and when guests are moving around inside the Clubhouse. And guests should remain seated as much as possible. So bar seating, the rooftop and pool table will be unavailable until further notice.

Clubhouse guests can order complimentary a la carte menu items including tapas, meats and cheeses as well as afternoon tea online via QR codes placed throughout the lounge. Rival British Airways' move from buffets to at seat-ordering in their Terminal 5 lounge has been well received by passengers.

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Related: How to get Virgin Atlantic elite status without stepping on a plane

“We’re delighted to finally be back on our home turf, and I know our teams can’t wait to warmly welcome our customers to Terminal 3, as they return to the skies in style, as they fly safe and well with Virgin Atlantic" Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operating Officer, commented.

While the core routes operated by the two airlines between the United Kingdom and the United States remain off-limits to British tourists for non-essential reasons, Virgin Atlantic does operate flights to some green-list destinations, including to Antigua, Barbados, Grenada and Israel.

Related: US misses UK green list again

Terminal 3 received flights arriving from red-list destinations to avoid mixing these higher-risk passengers with those coming from green and amber list countries. But, red-list passengers now arrive into Heathrow's Terminal 4.

This means that for arriving aircraft, Heathrow will once again use all four terminals. And this is a significant milestone in the return of travel.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.