There are a number of oneworld alliance lounges at London Heathrow Terminal 3. Frequent flyers in the know will go lounge hopping, trying the various options and now that I’ve tried it, I’m not really a fan.

Cathay Pacific offer a first class and business class lounge. Australian airline Qantas also has a lounge there, not to mention American Airlines with both first and business class offerings. You also have the hometown airline British Airways with two lounges as well.

What Is Lounge Hopping?

As a oneworld alliance frequent flyer, you can use any of the lounges available before your flight. Those with oneworld Sapphire or Emerald cards can switch lounges as much as they like.

On frequent flyer forums, this is almost a rite of passage when passing through LHR T3. It’s not something you would usually do, but if you have enough time you can visit them all if you want to.

Cathay Pacific

Easily the best lounge in my eyes is the Cathay Pacific first class lounge. It is designed so that it feels like home and everything is geared towards comfort and style. It’s pleasing to the eyes and you feel very relaxed when visiting. Food in the dining room reflects the airline’s Hong Kong origins and is delicious.


Their business class lounge is a larger space with the same design aesthetic. With bountiful food options and the same relaxing vibe, these two lounges, for me, are the pick of the litter.

Qantas

When I did my lounge hopping, the next facility I visited was the two story Qantas lounge. This is a combined first and business class lounge, with a dining room and bar on the lower floor, with seating, a bar and another food serving area upstairs.


It all looks very swish, but the vibe isn’t particularly to my taste. Drinks are great if you like gin, though a lot more is on offer. Food is also fine, but overall it just doesn’t resonate for me as a destination lounge like the Cathay Pacific one.

American Airlines

Those with oneworld Emerald status can use the American Airlines international first class lounge. It has a really lovely dining room, which looks inviting. The lunch menu comprised of Beef Bourguignon Pie, Moules Mariniere and a Caramelised Onion Tartlet, with Mille-Feuille for dessert. I don’t know what most of that is, but it’s definitely something!


While the food on offer looked splendid (when did you ever have bad food in the United States?) it’s all let down by a design that hurts your eyes. Unfortunately, I had filled up in the Cathay Pacific lounge, and while I would have loved to have eaten there, I didn’t. I have in the past and the food is good, so that is the main selling point for me.

Overall Thoughts

Lounge hopping is not for me, and that is mainly because I am far too in love with the Cathay Pacific lounge vibe. Everything else pales in comparison. I didn’t even visit the British Airways lounge – I went back to the CX lounge as I missed it… and I’d only just been there for about three hours.

Perhaps it’s just my taste, or perhaps I needed to have three stomachs to truly enjoy the experience. Even so, next time I pass through LHR T3, I will be camping out in the Cathay Pacific lounge once again.

What do you think of these lounges? Do you have a favourite and which one is it and why? What are the pros and cons for each airline? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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