Background
After my United Polaris flight from Newark, I had scheduled a 4-hour connection before boarding a short hop on Air France to Paris. Since both were separate tickets, I decided to forgo the earlier Air France flight with a 2-hour connection just to add a buffer. Well, it turns out I didn’t need that buffer, and would have made the earlier flight with time to spare. But you never know!
So, I was departing from Terminal 4 at London Heathrow, and the lounge options are minimal here. I decided to enter the Plaza Premium Lounge and used my Capital One Venture X for access. I heard people with Priority Pass getting turned away and sent to the poorly rated Blush Lounge, which is also operated by Plaza Premium. So, that is a perk for Capital One Venture X, as the Capital One Partner Lounge Network does give Plaza Premium Access, separate from Priority Pass.
Location and Access
The Plaza Premium London Heathrow Terminal 4 lounge is located between Gates 1A and 1B, on the second floor.
Hours of operation are from 5 am to 10 pm daily.
There are many ways to access this lounge, from buying hourly passes to gaining access from your credit card benefits such as Priority Pass and the Capital One Partner Lounge Network.
Entry and Seating
I was helped by a friendly agent who quickly scanned my Capital One Venture X Card and my boarding pass. Behind reception is the large buffet area with dining-style seats and high tops.
To the left is seating, with more traditional sofa seating, as well as these oddly shaped single work pods. I liked the work pods and sat in one for most of my visit. They had charging ports as well, and the WiFi worked well enough for me to surf the web.
Past the buffet is more seating alongside the windows with views of the airport. The lounge was bustling with people, but never 100% full.
Food Selection
They had a variety of hot and cold items. For hot items, I saw mushrooms, ham, hash browns, and eggs. I also saw some cold cuts, as well as bakery items. I had some of the banana bread which was quite good.
There is also a coffee machine and fridge with soft drinks like sodas.
Bar Area
A bar is also available and is located to the left of the check-in desk. I almost missed the bar area completely as I didn’t see it when entering. I wonder if others were like me, as the bar area and respective seating areas were empty, while the main lounge was quite crowded.
There are complimentary alcoholic drinks, as well as premium drinks for purchase.
Restrooms & Shower Rooms
The lounge does have restrooms inside which is nice not to have to go inside the terminal. It was quite spacious and clean, but I wish they had paper towels.
Access to the shower rooms is available for an additional fee and was not included with my access from Capital One Venture X Card. I was going to be in the lounge for a while, and felt like I wanted a shower after my red-eye flight, so I decided to book a visit via LoungeBuddy, which does include shower access. Since I have the AMEX Green Card, I get a $100 credit yearly for LoungeBuddy. But, most of the lounges overlap with Priority Pass, deeming the credit useless. I didn’t spend any of the credit last year, so I pretty much saw it going to waste anyway. Might as well get a shower out of it! It costs 36 GBP for a 3-hour visit with shower. The lounge attendant let me know that I could just pay 18 GBP to add on a shower, but I felt like using the credit made sense as I probably wouldn’t use it anyway.
In terms of the shower room itself, it was quite bare bones, but it got the job done. They only provided one bath towel that was nearing its end. Thankfully, they did have paper towels.
The shower had soap in reusable bottles that seemed to be past their prime as well (yikes!) but at least the shower worked. It could use a renovation on the tiling and grout.
Overall, not the nicest airport lounge shower, but better than nothing!
The Verdict
All in all, the Plaza Premium Lounge London Heathrow in Terminal 4 is a decent spot to spend time before a flight and grab a bite or drink as Terminal 4 itself was quite hectic and didn’t look like much fun to loiter in.
Have you visited the Plaza Premium Lounge London Heathrow in Terminal 4? What were your thoughts? Share below!
Cheers,
Ty
