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New First class Qantas lounge at Heathrow T3
Qantas will significantly enhance its network of lounges in Australia and overseas with a $100-million investment. The program features four brand new lounges, including a new flagship First Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport, and an extensive upgrade program of existing international and domestic lounges, including:
- New First Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport
- Re-opening of a refreshed Hong Kong International Lounge
- Complete refurbishment and expansion of International Business Lounge in Sydney
- Updated and expanded International Business Lounge in Melbourne
- New Hobart Qantas Club
- New Broome Regional Lounge with double the seats
The $100-million investment in lounges is phased over three years.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the faster-than-expected recovery in travel demand meant the airline could accelerate investment in its award-winning lounge network.
“Being back in profit means we’re back to making long term investments for our customers. That started with the major aircraft order we announced last year and now we’re building on that with a major investment in our lounges,” said Mr Joyce.
“Millions of people a year visit our lounges and they are typically our frequent flyers who travel with us the most, so anything we do to improve them is a way of saying thank you to our most loyal customers.
“We have three new and upgraded lounge spaces due to open this year and the pipeline we’re announcing today will take us through to 2025.
“London is one of the most important destinations on our network and it’s the perfect location for a First Lounge, especially with our direct Project Sunrise flights on the way. Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports so we’re very pleased to be working with them to secure a great space in the terminal for an additional lounge,” Mr Joyce added.
Subject to agreement with Heathrow Airport and UK regulators, the luxury London First Lounge is expected to feature direct access to boarding gates, views of the airfield, a focus on wellbeing features and an unrivalled dining experience. The targeted opening date will align with the first Project Sunrise flights direct to Sydney which is expected in 2025. It will be interesting to see where they will put this at T3. At present, it sounds like they are still in discussion about the size and where it would go.
If you are travelling on BA in First or are Oneworld Emerald you will be allowed to use the lounge. Hopefully, it will be as good as the Qantas First lounge in LAX which has fantastic food and some good wines too.
50% bonus Avios on Avis
If you are planning to hire a car, BA are offering extra Avios with Avis. For every £1 you spend on Avis, you’ll collect 7.5 Avios which works out to a 50% bonus. Plus, add one additional driver for free. In effect you receive 2.5 bonus Avios in addition to the standard award of 5 Avios per £1 spent, equalling 7.5 Avios per £1 spent on qualifying rentals.
Book your car by 10 March 2023 – to use between now and 5 April 2023. You have to hire a minium of a group C car for 3 days to get the bonus. BA Holidays also count (don’t forget that if you book car hire for 5 days minimum, you get double-tier points).
You can find the offer page here.
Cellars in the Sky winners announced
Every year Business Traveller gives annual airline wine awards, and this year the results have just been announced.
The judges for the 2022 awards were: Charles Metcalfe (Head Judge), Masters of Wine Peter McCombie and Sarah Abbott, winemaker John Worontschak and author, drinks writer and presenter Helen McGinn.
This year, Singapore Airlines scooped five gold awards, including the awards for Best Overall Cellar and Best Business Class Cellar, whilst Qantas picked up gold for Best First Class Cellar. In first class, as well as Singapore Airlines and Qantas, winners included British Airways, Oman Air and Qatar Airways. In business class, gold winners include Air Tahiti Nui, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Aircalin.
Business Traveller contacted airlines in summer 2022, with the five judges tasting each wine and independently scoring the wines over a two-day period.
Unusprisingly BA was noiwehere to be seen on the best sparkling wine in business class, although rightly so they get a mention for their Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle in First class. Finnair got a mention for its Joseph Perrier champagne, that I really enjoy onboard.
I have to say I am very surprised that Qatar did not win an award for its business class wines as I find the quality of these incredibly high and more akin to many airline’s first class wines with the exception of the champagne on occasion.
First Class Cellar
Gold Qantas
Silver Singapore Airlines
Bronze Oman Air
Business Class Cellars
Gold Singapore Airlines
Silver Qantas
Bronze Cathay Pacific
OVERALL CELLAR
Gold Singapore Airlines
Silver Qantas
Bronze Oman Air
You can find the full list of winning wines below.
Do you agree with the winners? Which airline has the best wines in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND SHORTLISTED AIRLINES:
FIRST CLASS
Best First Class Sparkling
Gold Medal: Oman Air – Champagne Charles Heidsieck, Blanc des Millénaires, 2007, France
Silver Medal Joint: Qantas and Singapore Airlines – Champagne Tattinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blanc, 2008, France
Bronze Medal: British Airways – Champagne Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle NV, France
Best First Class White
Gold Medal: Qantas – Tolpuddle Tasmania Chardonnay, 2018, Australia
Silver Medal: Qantas – Penfolds Reserve Bin 18A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, 2018, Australia
Bronze Medal: Singapore Airlines – Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumeaux”, 2017, France
Best First Class Red
Gold Medal: British Airways – Teusner The Riebke Barossa Valley Shiraz, 2019, Australia
Silver Medal: Singapore Airlines – Clonakilla O’Riada Canberra Shiraz, 2019, Australia
Bronze Medal: Oman Air – Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru Les Sorbets, 2017, France
Bronze Medal: Qatar Airways – Two Hands Ares Barossa Valley Shiraz, 2014, Australia
Best First Class Fortified
Gold Medal: Qatar Airways – Château Rieussec 1er Grand Cru Classé Sauternes, 2010, France
Silver Medal: Qantas – Morris of Rutherglen Old Premium Rare Topaque, NV, Australia
Bronze Medal: American Airlines – Maynard’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port, NV, Portugal
Best First Class Rosé
Note that only silver and bronze were awarded in first class as the judges did not score any submitted rosés above 92, the benchmark for a gold award.
Silver Medal: Qatar Airways – Domaines Ott Château Romassan Bandol, 2020, France
Bronze Medal : American Airlines – Pebble Lane Pinot Noir Rosé, 2021, California
First Class Cellar
Gold Qantas
Silver Singapore Airlines
Bronze Oman Air
First Class Best-presented Wine List
Gold Singapore Airlines
Silver Japan Airlines
Bronze Korean Air
BUSINESS CLASS
Best Business Class Sparkling
Gold Medal: Air Tahiti Nui – Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV, France
Silver Medal: Singapore Airlines – Champagne Piper-Heidsieck, 2014, France
Bronze Medal: Eva Air – Champagne Castelnau Brut Millésime 2006, France
Bronze Medal: Finnair – Champagne Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut NV, France
Bronze Medal: Qantas – Champagne Jacquart Brut Mosaïque NV, France
Best Business White
Gold Medal: Qantas – Penfolds Max’s Chardonnay 2018, Australia
Silver Medal: Aircalin – Crozes Hermitage Mule Blanche Domaine ‘Paul Jaboulet Aîné, 2021, France
Bronze Medal: Cathay Pacific – Nik Weis Saarfeilser Riesling GG, 2016, Mosel, Germany
Best Business Class Red
Gold Medal: Singapore Airlines – Teusner The Riebke Barossa Valley Shiraz, 2019, Australia
Silver Medal: British Airways – Santa Rita, Medalla Real Gold Medal Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017, Chile
Bronze Medal: Iceland Air – M.Chapoutier Belleruche, Côtes-du-Rhône, 2020, France
Best Business Class Rosé
Gold Medal: Air Tahiti Nui – Château des Demoiselles – Côtes de Provence, 2021, France
Silver Medal: Qatar – Château Beaulieu, Cuvée Alexandre Rosé Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, 2020, France
Bronze Medal : Virgin Atlantic – Château de Montfrin La Tour Rosé, 2021, France
Best Business Class Fortified
Gold Medal: Aircalin – Domaine La Sobilane, Rivesaltes, 1948, France
Silver Medal: Qantas – Baileys of Glenrowan Founders series Classic Muscat, NV, Australia
Bronze Medal: Singapore Airlines – Morris Classic Liqueur Muscat NV, Australia
Bronze Medal: TAP Air Portugal – Graham’s 10 Years Old Tawny Port, NV, Portugal
Business Class Cellars
Gold Singapore Airlines
Silver Qantas
Bronze Cathay Pacific
OVERALL CELLAR
Gold Singapore Airlines
Silver Qantas
Bronze Oman Air
Business Class Best-presented Wine List
Gold Singapore Airlines
Silver Jetblue
Bronze Air Canada
Best Alliance
Gold Oneworld
Silver Star Alliance
Bronze Skyteam
19 comments
Is it me, or is the Raffles article missing?
Also hunting for that…!
It is. After further research I found it was not as good as I originally thought so removed it. Title corrected.
The same red wine wins Gold for BA in First as it does for SG in Business. Nice for SG business passengers getting the best first class red.
Where exactly does the Qantas release refer to first “class” lounge? Your title is misleading.
I have no idea what you are talking about. The title of the official press release is new first lounge. If you mean the word class I have no idea why you think first and first class is different? It’s for first class passengers? I’m very confused by your comment.
Ummm, gee. Let’s see. “First class” refers to, well, first class. First in and of itself does not refer to class. Qantas doesn’t have a single “first class” lounge in its entire network. You’ve acknowledged the Qantas release doesn’t refer to “first class”. Why are you misreporting? Qantas obviously thinks there’s a distinction, otherwise it would likely go with with “first class” like a number of other airlines. I suspect (but don’t know) that the reason is because these lounges are accessible by more than just first class passengers. Yes, the lounge is accessible to first class passengers, but not only first class passengers. Similarly, Qantas has no “business class” lounges. The fact remains, Qantas has no first “class” lounges. Is accuracy in reporting not something you’re interested in?
Wow. Now I understand what you were saying. However I seriously can’t understand why anyone would get so annoyed by something so trivial. If that’s the biggest concern that you have and you have time in your day to rant about whether a lounge is first or first class then think yourself very lucky.
Haha. Okay, if that’s the best response you’ve got to poor journalism, so be it. I’ll tell you one thing I no longer have time for in my day: reading this website.
That’s the best response that I have to rude comments. It takes nothing to be polite.
Oh and if you’d like more fun please feel free to head over to Executive Traveller, as they also used First class. I’d point out that should the airline feel that was inaccurate they would have asked them to correct it by now. But feel free to speak to Qantas PR too.
Top Stories on Qantas New LHR Lounge.
Qantas to open all-new first class lounge in London – Executive Traveller
A new Qantas first-class lounge is coming to London Heathrow Terminal 3 – TPGUK
Qantas Reveals London Heathrow First Class Lounge – Simply Flying
A new Qantas first-class lounge is coming to London Heathrow Terminal 3 – TPG
NEWS & OFFERS: New First class Qantas lounge at Heathrow T3, – TLFL
Qantas to open all-new first class lounge in London in time for world’s longest flights – The National.
Do you see a pattern in the above? Sorry to hear that the word “class” triggers you so much but as clearly demonstrated by the above headline quotes the term “First Class” is accepted and widely used nomenclature all around the world and in specific relation to this very news item.
All I can say is congratulations on having such a perfect life that the use of a single word is the thing that sends you into a multi post rant because you feel most of the largest, well known & respected travel reporters have all made such a heinous error! Michele may not be of the size or scale of some of those quoted above but if she’s guilty then so are the rest, as per your own terms.
I am a little surprised that there is no mention of Emirates given the breadth and quality of their cellars. Surely Chateau D’Yquem , Clarendon Hills Australis, Torbrek Run Rig etc etc worthy of awards.
It could be that they didn’t participate. If they did then I totally agree.
I’d imagine the new Qantas First lounge will be in the vicinity of Gate 1 at LHR T3, with a general layout similar to the Emirates lounge at Gate 7. This location would give the runway views and direct access to the aircraft that’s promised in the press release.
Useful info Duncan. Be a bit of a trek if flying BA long haul!
I know, if that’s where it ends up being at least the walk back will help with the digestion of the salt and pepper squid! 🤣
I am not sure I understand why Josh (see above) got so excited and rude about a first class lounge… or the descriptor of? However, I think that he may have been wrong about Qantas not having First Class lounges unless I have missed a trick? Having visited the first class lounge in Sydney(admittedly a few years agao), I think there is one open to oneworld passengers flying in first class…it is open to various “high” of one world memberships, but like many other airlines “First Lounges”…I have just checked and another travel website did a review in 2022, so I assume it is still open?
Sorry to see that you have to put up with such a petty and childish approach MIchelle.
Hi Michele,
Do you know whether the wines were tasted with a view to what will work best at 36,000 feet, or just the preference of the tasting panel?
I ask because there seems to be a weighting towards the heavier tasting wines. Shiraz and Chardonnay are by no means everyone’s favourites, and while very robust and perhaps remaining true to their flavour profiles in the air, you would think more people would choose a Puligny-Montrachet over an Aussie Chardonnay.
Yours
J P Williams
Comments are closed.