Review: Cathay Pacific First Class lounge, Heathrow Terminal 3

This is our review of the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 3.

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

The Cathay Pacific First Class lounge at Heathrow is widely regarded as the best lounge in Terminal 3, so naturally I saved it for last.

This lounge is the latest lounge to reopen its doors, having done so in January after almost two years of closure. Bizarrely, it has opened despite the fact that there are currently no Cathay Pacific flights to Heathrow. Someone has clearly run the numbers and realised that the operation can be profitable just by serving oneworld passengers.

The Cathay Pacific lounges are currently the main lounges for Finnair and American Airlines, whilst the AA lounge at Heathrow is refurbished and possibly turned into a Flagship lounge.

The Cathay Pacific First Class lounge at Heathrow was my final stop on my oneworld lounge safari at Terminal 3. Previous stops include:

• The British Airways Galleries Club lounge (review)
• The British Airways Galleries First lounge (review)
• Qantas London Lounge (review)
• Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge (review)

How to access the Cathay Pacific lounges at Heathrow T3

You do not need to be flying Cathay Pacific to access the lounges.

The only requirement is that you be flying a oneworld carrier (such as Finnair, American Airlines, Qantas or British Airways), either on a business class ticket or First Class ticket – depending on lounge – or with the relevant status.

That means anyone with oneworld Emerald (ie. British Airways Executive Club Gold) can access the First Class lounge and anyone with BA Silver can use the Business lounge, even if you are flying an a hand-baggage-only British Airways economy flight.

You are allowed to bring one guest if you are entering via your status. If you are entering via your ticket class, you should be able to bring a guest who is travelling in Economy or Premium Economy on the same flight.

I got in on the back of my BA Gold status and an economy flight to Gibraltar. You can see the list of short haul BA flights operating from Terminal 3 here.

How to find the Cathay Pacific lounges at Heathrow

Terminal 3 uses an alphabetic labelling system for the 9 lounges that are now available at the airport. The Cathay Pacific lounges are designated as ‘Lounge C’ when you exit security.

Lounge C is situated just a few metres down from the Qantas lounge, by gate 11.

The Cathay lounges are currently open from 5:30am until 5:30pm daily except Sundays, when the lounge opens at 7:30am.

Inside the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge at Heathrow T3

To get into the lounge you need to take the lift up a floor:

Once you’re on the right floor you are greeted by the lounge receptionists, who are happy to give you a little tour if you haven’t visited before. However, all the facilities are well sign-posted:

First impressions are high: the lounge features beautiful semi-translucent green stone along the walls and other Asian-inspired decor, such as the semi-transparent divider above.

The First Class section of the lounge is immediately to the right of reception and is a beautiful, light filled space:

The floor to ceiling windows really flood the lounge with light – I don’t think I’ve ever been to a brighter, airier lounge. It’s glorious, and you also get fabulous views of the runway where you can see the aircraft rotating:

Along the front window is a series of armchairs:

I managed to nab myself the throne – in the far corner – and was quite content to while away an hour or two just watching aircraft take off and soaking up some vitamin D. Plugs are provided in the side tables in a little drawer which can be pulled out:

Very nifty!

Behind the armchairs are a few more seating areas which are more appropriate for groups:

and

The First Class lounge isn’t huge – there’s probably space for around thirty to forty people – but on this winter morning we were pretty much the only people there, save for three Americans who turned up later.

Food and drink at the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge at Heathrow T3

The Cathay Pacific First Class lounge has impressive dining options. There is a small galley-style pantry which has a small range of nibbles:

Options include a selection of sandwiches, chilled cheeses, cold cuts and salmon:

Plus, depending what time of day, cereals, pastries and cakes:

Or, later in the day, other snacks such as olives, chicken wings and hummus. Behind the pantry is the self-pour bar:

Spirits include Black label Johnnie Walker, Bombay Sapphire, Grey Goose, Jack Daniels etc. Champagne and wines are also self pour, via this funky little drinks cooler:

You can choose from Laurent-Perrier ‘La Cuvee’ Brut and Champagne Georges Veselle 2012 or, if you are feeling like a rose, the Layton’s Brut Reserve Rose.

If you are after something a bit more filling, then you can also visit the a la carte dining room, which again is beautifully designed:

and

A breakfast menu is served until midday, and includes a mixture of Asian and Western options. I tried the Dan Dan Main:

…. which I found to be a bit too rich for me, and lacking a protein. I probably should’ve ordered the wonton noodle soup instead. I also had the dumplings:

These weren’t quite as fresh as when I was here last, but were still good. Next time, I will have the Wonton noodles and maybe try one of the Western options to see how they are.

If noodles for breakfast aren’t your thing you can also order a full English breakfast with egg, or eggs benedict. For those with a sweet tooth, Belgian waffles and fruit are also available.

Showers

The Cathay Pacific lounge showers are shared by the First and Business class sections of the lounge and are by far the best showers at any Heathrow terminal:

The dark brown marble is just absolutely stunning together with the gold fittings.

Stepping into the shower you feel like you have skipped the flight entirely and have already arrived at a stunning 5* resort:

It’s hard not to be blown away. Toiletries are by Bamford and have a lovely geranium smell:

Conclusion

Despite a dearth of flights, it’s business as normal at the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge which remains the best lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3 and one of the best lounges worldwide.

To be honest, I would come here purely for the views and the natural light alone – the stunning design, gorgeous showers and great food are the cherry on top.

It’s not hard to see why this lounge has such a good reputation. I hope Cathay Pacific weathers the political and pandemic uncertainties in Hong Kong so that we can continue to enjoy what is undoubtedly one of the best lounges at any airport, anywhere.

Travelling from Heathrow Terminal 3? Here are your lounge options ….

Heathrow’s Terminal 3 has one of the highest concentration of premium lounges of any terminal in the world.

Our overview of the best airline lounges at Heathrow Terminal 3 is here, or you can read individual reviews of all the lounges here:

• American Express Centurion lounge review
• American Airlines Admirals Club lounge review (oneworld)
• American Airlines First Class lounge review (oneworld)
• British Airways Galleries First lounge review (oneworld)
• British Airways Galleries Club (business class) lounge review (oneworld)
• Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge review (oneworld)
• Cathay Pacific First Class lounge review (oneworld)
• Club Aspire lounge review
• Emirates lounge review
• No1 Lounge review
• Qantas London Lounge review (oneworld)
• Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse review

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,300 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Plaza Premium, Delta Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £195 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.