Virgin Atlantic and Delta return to London Heathrow's Terminal 3 on July 15, Clubhouse reopens
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.
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.
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.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | Earn 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere |
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- Simple earning structure
- Bonus categories
- Annual credits
- No foreign transaction fees
- Flexible redemption options, including transfer partners
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- Fewer bonus categories than some competitors
- Lacks premium perks
- Limited-time offer: Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles—75,000 miles once you spend $7,500 in the first 3 months, and an additional 75,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app