American Airlines Reopens its First Class Lounge at London Heathrow

After shutting during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, American Airlines First Class lounge at London Heathrow (LHR) has reopened with a “cosmetic refresh” and new food options.

A new kitchen will enable to lounge to serve “an extensive buffet offering” and a “premium á la carte menu,” although the airline hasn’t publicized the menu.

Other attractions include a champagne station, bean-to-cup coffee machines, and an extensive wine and spirits list. Seating is available for 120 guests.

The lounge is available for American Airlines customers with first-class tickets on international flights and those traveling First Class on oneworld partner airlines.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, American Airlines Admirals Club / Photo: American Airlines Newsroom

oneworld Emerald members, including ConciergeKey and AAdvantage Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro members, can access the lounge if they’re traveling that day on any flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or another oneworld carrier.

The lounge is located on the departure level of Terminal 3, beyond security and passport control, and in lounge area H. It’s open daily between 5:30 AM and 7:00 PM.

Rhett Workman, managing director of strategic performance and UK operations, said: “Our London Heathrow First Class Lounge aims to further enhance the customer experience for our valued guests, whether they are traveling between the US and Europe or connecting beyond Heathrow.

“At American, we want to continue reinvesting in our products and services to best meet the needs of all our passengers,” he added.

While photos of the space haven’t been circulated yet, the renovations are considered cosmetic. They don’t qualify the Heathrow lounge as one of Americans’ Flagship lounges, the luxurious spaces for premium customers it’s opened at Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), and Miami (MIA) airports.

American Airlines has teased a Flagship lounge for London for the last seven years, but this isn’t that lounge. The next Flagship lounge to debut will be at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), although a definite date for the opening has yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, premium customers are already spoiled for choice for lounges at Heathrow’s Terminal 3. The British Airways Galleries First lounge is open to the same travelers served by this American Airlines First Class lounge.

First Class and oneworld passengers can also use the Cathay Pacific lounge, which the Hong Kong carrier promises to supplement with a dedicated first-class lounge by 2025. Business class and oneworld sapphire customers can use the Qantas lounge.

However, returning 120 lounge seats to Terminal 3 will ease the overcrowding plaguing exclusive airport spaces since travelers returned last year.