Review: Cathay Pacific First 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.

I spent the bulk of my layover in the Cathay Pacific Lounge. In the previous installment, I reviewed the business class section of the lounge, and in this post, I’ll review the first class section of the lounge.

While the business class section of the lounge is great, the first class section is even better. If you’re familiar with the Cathay Pacific Pier First Lounge in Hong Kong, the London Heathrow lounge is basically a small version of that. The lounge has incredible apron views, a restaurant style dining experience, and such a cozy vibe that you can’t help but feel at home.

Visiting lounges like this is what makes me really appreciate oneworld Emerald status, as it’s so nice that you can visit this lounge even when flying on oneworld partners, like American. I wish we saw more airlines have boutique first class lounges at outstations, rather than just at hubs.

Note that this review is supplementary to the business class lounge review, so I recommend reading that first.

Cathay Pacific First Lounge Heathrow location

The Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow is located in Terminal 3, in the “Lounge C” area. It’s only a few minutes walk from the security checkpoint. Once you spot the entrance, you’ll need to take one of the two elevators up a level, as that’s where the entire lounge is located.

Cathay Pacific First Lounge Heathrow hours

The Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow is currently open daily from 5:30AM until 9PM, and that applies to both the first class and business class section.

Cathay Pacific First Lounge Heathrow entry requirements

The Cathay Pacific First Lounge London Heathrow is a standard oneworld first class lounge. This means that it’s open to oneworld first class passengers as well as oneworld Emerald members, and in both cases, travelers can bring one guest with them.

Meanwhile the business class portion of the lounge is open to oneworld business class passengers and oneworld Sapphire members.

Cathay Pacific First Lounge Heathrow layout & seating

When you arrive at the Cathay Pacific Lounge London Heathrow, you’ll see that the first class section is located just inside the entrance to the lounge and to the right, while the business class section is straight ahead.

I’d estimate that the first class portion of the lounge is maybe a few thousand square feet, so it’s quite intimate. Despite that, it feels surprisingly spacious and private, as it’s broken up into several different zones. The center part of the lounge has two main seating areas, with a partition separating them.

All this seating is in Cathay Pacific’s signature style, with so many comfortable seating options.

Then along the perimeter of the lounge you’ll find a large number of loungers with ottomans, which are basically made for aviation geeks, given the lounge’s incredible views.

Not only do you have a great view of the apron, but you also have an amazing vantage point for observing the runway and taxiways.

In the very back corner of the lounge there’s an additional small seating area, with a few chairs and a large couch.

Last but certainly not least, you’ll find the lounge’s sit down restaurant area, in the very back left of the lounge. The style here is very similar to what you’ll find in Hong Kong, but on a smaller scale.

What can I really say? I mean, name me a more elegant, boutique lounge. I’ll wait…

Cathay Pacific First Lounge Heathrow food & drinks

The Cathay Pacific First Lounge London Heathrow has a few different options for food and drinks. For one, there’s a small buffet area, which is similar to the carrier’s “pantry” concept in Hong Kong. This isn’t intended to offer a full meal, but rather is just a way to grab a light bite.

The selection changes throughout the day, and in the morning, included everything from cereal, to muffins, to croissants, to danishes, to sandwiches, to tarts, and more.

There’s also a fridge, which contained yogurt, muesli, chia pudding, fresh fruit, cheese, juice, etc.

Next, there’s a coffee machine, as well as tea.

In another area, there’s a self-serve drink station, with a large selection of liquor, wine, beer, and soda.

If you’re looking for a real meal, there’s the restaurant area, which guests can visit at any time. I came here toward the end of my layover, and had lunch. You can find the menu below, and then then drink list underneath that.

To drink, I ordered a negroni, which was excellent.

As far as food goes, I ordered the vegetable miso soup as an appetizer.

For the main course, I had the pan fried salmon with mushroom and tomato orzo salad and crayfish bisque.

Lastly, for dessert, I had the coconut jelly with spiced pineapple and toasted coconut.

All three dishes were excellent, and in particular, I loved the dessert.

Let me emphasize that those with access to the first class lounge can head over to the business class lounge at any point, which has a noodle bar, barista coffee, and cocktails made by bartenders. The staff in the first class section are always happy to get you any of those things, but if you want a change of scenery, it’s worth heading over there as well.

Cathay Pacific First Lounge Heathrow bathrooms & showers

The Cathay Pacific First Lounge doesn’t have dedicated bathrooms and showers, but instead, you can use the ones just down the hall in the business class section of the lounge. Check out my review of the business class lounge for more details on that.

Bottom line

The Cathay Pacific First Lounge London Heathrow is a lovely facility, and I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s intimate, cozy, and luxurious. It’s like a miniature version of the carrier’s flagship lounge in Hong Kong. In particular, I love the amazing views and restaurant dining.

Lounge visits like this make me appreciate oneworld Emerald status so much. While I was flying Cathay Pacific in this case, ordinarily, it’s even more of a treat to use this prior to an American flight.

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