American Airlines reopens its Heathrow Terminal 3 First lounge

American Airlines has announced that its dedicated First Class lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3 has reopened.

It is the last airline lounge to reopen in the terminal. It was still closed last December when I flew with American Airlines to New York (review here) to see the new joint BA and AA lounges at JFK.

The First Class lounge is a separate area to the Admirals Club lounge at Heathrow, which I reviewed here. The last time Rob visited, in 2015, he compared the decor to an old people’s home (photo below ….)

Fortunately, AA has said the lounge has undergone a ‘cosmetic refresh’ whilst it has been closed, although no new photos have been provided:

“The revamped space saw the install of a new fully fire-rated professional kitchen, providing American’s chefs with the capacity to produce an extensive buffet offering and a premium á la carte menu. The reopening also sees the return of American’s Champagne station, alongside top-of-the-range bean to cup coffee machines and an extensive wine and spirits list.”

The plans for a long-awaited full refurbishment and rebranding to a superior ‘Flagship First’ lounge – first mooted in 2018 astonishingly – still appear to be on hold.

The lounge offers space for 120 guests with access open to anyone with oneworld Emerald status (ie. BA Gold) on a same-day oneworld flight or anyone in Flagship First or oneworld First. Unlike The Concorde Room in Terminal 5, you do not need to be flying in First Class.

The lounge is open from 5:30am until 7pm, seven days a week.

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How to earn American Airlines miles from UK credit cards January 2024)

American Airlines no longer has its own UK credit card.

There is, however, still a way to earn American Airlines miles from a UK credit card. 

The route is via Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty points convert to American Airlines miles at the rate of 3:1.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is via the official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card. It comes with 20,000 points for signing up and 2 points for every £1 you spend. At 2 Bonvoy points per £1, you are earning (at 3:1) 0.66 American Airlines miles per £1 spent on the card.

You can apply here.