TL;DR
British Airways Galleries First Lounge Terminal 3 London Heathrow is not as nice as their T5 facilities. Although they accomplish what is expected of a First Class lounge, it lacks any special touches or any wow factor. Food was alright for what I was expecting, although I only had pastries. The lounge is a far cry even from the Concorde Room at T5. This was the last lounge I visited this time around at London Heathrow Terminal 3.
The Good: Quiet and ample space to work, easy to find a seat with a power outlet.
The Bad: No wow factor, and lackluster special amenities.
The Noteworthy: The lounge also has an Elemis Spa treatment center, where you can have a free 15 minute treatment as a First Class passenger.
Getting to the Lounge:
After having travelled most of the lounges corridor at Terminal 3, I found myself walking towards the British Airways Galleries First Lounge. I was originally flying with BA, so it was fitting I save them for last. The lounge, just like the rest, is easy to find. There are signs all throughout the hallway pointing to each lounge. I was coming back from the No1 Lounge and the Cathay Lounge, so I had mixed expectations.
Lounge Entrance:
The lounge entrance is shared between the Galleries Club and the Galleries First Lounge. To the right is the Club Lounge agents, and to the far left is the First Lounge. The Elemis Spa is in the middle.
Elemis Spa:
The Elemis Spa offers a few treatments for free to First Class passengers. They offer a menu to passengers that range between massages, face treatments, and shaves. I had the back massage, which was fine. Very similar to what you would find at the Centurion Lounge Spas at Miami or Dallas. It took 15 minutes, and I felt refreshed either way.
First Class Lounge:
At the entrance of the lounge, there are flight monitors and some leather chairs. I didn’t like the color scheme of the chairs, it seemed very outdated and bland.
As soon as you enter, you find the champagne bar. It was empty all the time I was there, but it does look classy and adds a nice touch. American has a similar concept at Flagship Lounges.
To the right side, you find a coffee station with three coffee machines, cookies and scones. There is also a child’s’ play area, much more ample and appealing than the one at the No1 Lounge.
There is a lot of seating, and many of them have power outlets and USB ports. At the other side of the lounge, there is a hot food buffet, with some cold breakfast items as well. The buffet is nice, but nothing too fancy.
At another side, there is a small sit down restaurant area, with limited food options. It was very similar to the one at the Newark Galleries First Dining area, but I felt it was even more limited. I was surprised, since this is a home-base lounge, and not an outpost. Some of the tables had views of the tarmac.
There is an extensive business center, with over a dozen computers. None were taken, but it was the most comprehensive business center I visited.
The last section I visited had a lot of booze, and it was by far the best liquor selection of the lounges. They had a variety of whiskeys and other drinks. There was also a selection of wines. By the corner, there was a self serve bar, which was stocked with the usual soft drinks, juices and water, but there were also a few more hard alcohol drinks.
Landing Thoughts:
The Galleries First Lounge offers great drink options, and good food options. If you want a massage and don’t want to pay for it, go to the Elemis Spa. Although the Cathay Pacific Lounge was my favorite of the three lounges I visited, the Galleries First Lounge was a nice second place. It offers all the basics, and although it isn’t wow, it is a solid lounge. I would recommend it to people who can’t access the Cathay Lounge for whatever reason.
What do you think? Have you been to the British Airways Galleries First Lounge Terminal 3? What was your experience like? Let us know!
