Review: Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

During my Aria Suite Adventure to Hong Kong, I had an extended layover at London Heathrow Terminal 3, as I was arriving in British Airways business class, and connecting to Cathay Pacific business class. After checking out the Qantas Lounge, my next stop was the Cathay Pacific Lounge.

In this installment, I’ll review the Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, and in the next installment, I’ll review the Cathay Pacific First Lounge.

The Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow is simply phenomenal, and such a treat for any oneworld flyer. There’s so much to love about this space, from the gorgeous design (Cathay Pacific has the best lounge aesthetics of any airline in the world), to some of the airport’s best views, to delicious food (including a noodle bar), to great drinks (from cocktails to barista coffee). If you’re a oneworld flyer passing through Terminal 3, this lounge should be on your list.

Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow location

The Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow is located in Terminal 3. Once you clear security, walk through the duty free “maze” and follow the “Flight Connection” route in the direction of the “Lounge C” area. It’s only a few minutes walk from the security checkpoint.

The Cathay Pacific Lounge entrance can be easy to miss, given the limited branding, plus the lounge being one level above the terminal. So your best bet is to just look for the bright yellow “Lounge C” sign.

There are two sets of elevators, which will take you up to the lounge.

Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow hours

The Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow is currently open daily from 5:30AM until 9PM, though you can expect that the schedule will vary over time, so check the Cathay Pacific and oneworld websites for full details. This lounge isn’t just intended to serve Cathay Pacific passengers, but it also acts as a contract lounge for other airlines, ranging from oneworld partners, to China Airlines.

Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow entry requirements

The Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow follows standard oneworld lounge access rules. The business class portion of the lounge is open to oneworld business class passengers and oneworld Sapphire members on any oneworld flight. Business class passengers can’t bring guests, while Sapphire members can bring one guest.

Then the first class section of the lounge (which I’ll be reviewing in the next installment) is open to oneworld first class passengers and oneworld Emerald members, with all passengers being allowed one guest.

Note that at times there might be capacity controls put in place on lounge access, given that the lounge can get very crowded over certain hours. Furthermore, sometimes access will be granted through other reciprocal arrangements outside of oneworld.

Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow layout & seating

The Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow is roughly 1,200 square meters (13,000 square feet), but that includes the business and first class section. As you enter the lounge, the business class section is straight ahead down a long hallway, while the first class section is to the right.

Cathay Pacific is consistent with its lounge design, and this outstation is no exception. As you enter the lounge, you’ll first find yourself in the noodle bar area, which has tables with booths, plus communal tables with stools. There’s also some high-top seating at the noodle bar itself, should you prefer to sit there, and watch the action.

Just past that is the main buffet area, which also has a long communal table, with seating for around a dozen people.

Past that is the main room of the lounge, with several clusters of seating. I love the style, comfort, and variety of seating options, which is consistent across the carrier’s lounge network.

Along the windows there are rows of seating — some are just chairs with side tables, while others are loungers with ottomans.

There are great views from this part of the lounge, though frankly, the first class section offers an even better vantage point.

As you go deeper into the lounge, you’ll find even more seating, in a similar arrangement to the main part of the room.

In the very back right corner of the lounge are some semi-private seats, also with great views. If you ask me, these are the best seats from which to work, while the chairs with ottomans are perhaps better for relaxing.

The very back of the lounge has a business center with workstations, including PCs and printers.

What a lovely lounge design. There’s not another airline that has lounges that are simultaneously so elegant and cozy, where you really feel like you’re in someone’s very nice living room. It really transports you away from the airport.

Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow food & drinks

The Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow has a main buffet past the noodle bar area on the left. I’d describe the buffet as being quality over quantity. There are a variety of pastries, croissants, cereal, cheese, cold cuts, fresh fruit, yogurt, muesli, chia pudding, and more.

Then the hot selection includes omelets, sausage, bacon, hash browns, grilled tomatoes, baked beans, and oatmeal.

There’s a self-serve selection of espresso-based drinks, tea, soda, water, and juice.

On top of that, there’s a full bar, where you can order everything from a glass of wine, to a cocktail, to a barista coffee.

To drink, I had an excellent cappuccino.

Of course the best aspect of the food in any Cathay Pacific business class lounge is the noodle bar, where you can get everything from wonton noodle soup, to dim sum, to fresh bao, to ham and egg fried rice. Usually I’d always get something from here, but I primarily used the first class section and had a full meal there, so I couldn’t bring myself to order even more.

However, you can get a sense of what’s available from my reviews of some other Cathay Pacific lounges, like the one at Tokyo Haneda (HND).

Huge kudos to Cathay Pacific on its lounge catering. While the airline doesn’t necessarily have the biggest buffets in business class lounges, the excellent drink selection and made-to-order Asian specialties more than make up for it.

Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow bathrooms & showers

The Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow has bathrooms along the main hallway near where you enter, and these are shared between first and business class passengers. The men’s room has a nice design, with around half a dozen sinks, toilet stalls, and urinals.

The airline does a great job keeping the bathrooms clean, and I also appreciate the Bamford toiletries.

The lounge also has eight shower suites. I took a shower here, and found the shower suite to be both luxurious and functional. Each shower suite has a sink, walk-in shower, and toilet.

Toiletries are in wall-mounted containers from Bamford, and there are also all kinds of basic toiletries that you may need, like a dental kit, cotton swabs, etc.

Bottom line

The Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow is about as good as outstation business class lounges get. The lounge has beautiful decor, nice views, delicious made-to-order food, bartender cocktails, and barista coffee. Premium travelers on oneworld airlines really are spoiled for choice when departing Terminal 3.

What’s your take on the Cathay Pacific Business Lounge London Heathrow?