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Bits: Qantas T3 lounge ‘soft opening’, Virgin Trains closing lounges?, REAL Transfers winner

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News in brief:

New Qantas lounge in Terminal 3 ‘soft opening’ due

If you are heading through Heathrow Terminal 3 soon, you will be spoilt for choice for good lounges.

The new Qantas lounge, which we previewed in this article last year, is due to have a soft opening in the next few days ahead of the official opening next week.

The lounge will be available to any British Airways passengers departing Terminal 3 who are flying in Club World, Club Europe or First Class or who have a Silver or Gold Executive Club card.

The choice for British Airways passengers in Terminal 3 is now laughably good.   You also have the excellent Cathay Pacific lounge which we reviewed here, the ‘OK’ British Airways Galleries lounge (review) and the ‘OK’ American Airlines lounge (review).  If you’ve got a Priority Pass you can add in the No 1 Lounge reviewed here and the Club Aspire lounge reviewed here – they are both very good as well.

Qantas has its work cut out if it wants to top the Cathay Pacific lounge – will it manage it?  We will find out very soon.

Is Virgin Trains culling its smaller lounges?

A reader dropped me a note to say that Virgin Trains is closing its lounge at Wolverhampton on 11th December.

The company hasn’t put it like that, of course.

A sign outside the lounge says:

“GREAT NEWS!  From Monday 11th December 2017 this lounge will be open to all our customers providing a warm and welcoming waiting area for everyone using the station.”

….. which, as a piece of spin, is pretty impressive.

I think Virgin West Coast has outstation lounges in Glasgow, Manchester, Crewe, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street, Birmingham International, Runcorn, Liverpool and Coventry.  I doubt the big cities on that list are at risk but I can think of a couple that could disappear if penny pinching was underway.

Virgin Trains Wolverhampton lounge

REAL Transfers competition winner

We have a confirmed winner of our competition last week in association with REAL Transfers

Chris C has won a return Mercedes E-Class transfer from anywhere inside the M25 to Heathrow or Gatwick.

Well done Chris.  If you are not Chris, you might be interested in one of REAL’s current promotions for a discount on your next booking.

For new customers:  new customers get 10% off bookings to any destination when they create an account online. The promo code will be sent to you via email once you have registered.

For existing customers:  if you’ve used REAL in the past you can get 15% off all transfers by using the promo code RT15LUX on the REAL Transfers website.  This offer expires on 31st December.

If you come to the Head for Points Christmas Party on 12th December (tickets on sale later this week) there will be another chance to win a transfer from REAL Transfers in our raffle.  We now have over £3,000-worth of prizes to give away …..

Category

Cathay Pacific and Asia Miles, oneworld alliance partners

Comments (94)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • TripRep says:
    22 Nov22 November 16:51

    Bits OT: Anyone that signed up for the Club Carlson promos advertised on LL and discussed in the comments on here a few weeks ago…

    Heard from CC membership queries, it looks v unlikely that they will post unless you were directly targetted via email.

    • Rob says:
      22 Nov22 November 21:49

      I can confirm they do not post, as I was at the Radisson in Manchester last Monday.

  • Matt says:
    22 Nov22 November 17:21

    I am wondering can I do airside transfer from T4 to T3 and then go back to T4 if I don’t have any carryon luggage? Many thanks for advise!

    • Stu_N says:
      22 Nov22 November 19:33

      When you come off the airside buses you go through a boarding pass check and security at T3. Very much doubt you would be allowed airside at a terminal you’re not flying out of.

      It takes about 30-45 mins to get between terminals so not quite sure why you would want to do this anyway…

      • the real harry1 says:
        22 Nov22 November 19:40

        @ Matt presumably wants to go T3 lounge walkabout 🙂

      • Matt says:
        22 Nov22 November 19:43

        Thanks for your prompt reply. Well, just because I would like to visit the new QF lounge at T3 before my mileage run as LHR-KUL which departing at T4… :p I’m thinking about to buy a refundable ticket to allow me to access T3….

        • James says:
          23 Nov23 November 00:05

          I recall that this is possible as long as you have a few hours before your flight. You say to the Heathrow reps that you want to go shopping in T3. As Heathrow is basically a very big shopping centre, you get escorted into T3. Formally, you are supposed to get out in the same way but T3 > T4 transfer works. Whether you will get into the lounges though I am unsure. Technically you should. I suspect BA will not be a problem, AA will be more of a problem, Cathay will be fine with a bit of sweet talk, QF probably won’t have a clue you’re not flying to a non-T3 destination.

          • Rob says:
            23 Nov23 November 08:04

            It can be done but as you need an escort both ways I get a feeling the escort may stay with you. Whenever I go airside in Heathrow without a boarding pass, which I do quite often (and am doing again next week to see the Qantas lounge) I need to be accompanied at all times.

    • Nick says:
      23 Nov23 November 12:15

      Bizarrely, yes you can ‘terminal hop’, but only if you’re using the personal shopper service. It’s 10-20 mins between terminals and the assistants know when the buses run to time it well. But you can’t do it on your own.

  • Keith says:
    22 Nov22 November 18:00

    O/T cancelled a BA Miles booking 16 days ago and Avios have been returned but cash element £1,000 has not been on credit card. BA said they sent it and AMEX say they haven’t! Ideas?

    • Rob says:
      22 Nov22 November 21:49

      I have had issues with this in the past but the BA call centre has always been able to see that the money was not triggered and release it.

      • Keith says:
        25 Nov25 November 15:20

        Thanks Rob/Harry BA are investigating second call seemed to think there was an issue so we will see. AMEX suggested chargeback if BA can’t sort. Poor from BA though.

  • the real harry1 says:
    22 Nov22 November 18:18

    chargeback? ie ask Amex to get it back for you – you can do it online

  • ADS says:
    27 Nov27 November 23:32

    apparently Alan Joyce, the Qantas ceo, is officially opening their new lounge tomorrow.

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