Review of Swissport lounge, Heathrow Terminal 3

EDIT:  The Swissport lounge closed down in 2016 and was replaced by the new impressive Club Aspire lounge which is reviewed here

This is my review of the Swissport lounge in Heathrow Terminal 3.

I flew to Helsinki last week to test drive the new Airbus A350.  As Finnair fly from Heathrow Terminal 3, I had five lounge options:

• No 1 Lounge (via Priority Pass) – click here for my review
• Swissport (via Priority Pass)
• Cathay Pacific (the ‘official’ Finnair lounge) – click here for my review
• British Airways (a oneworld partner of Finnair) – lounge review here
• American Airlines (a oneworld partner of Finnair) – lounge review here

I decided to visit them all!  Yesterday I reviewed the No 1 Lounge lounge.

After my visit I walked next door to the Swissport lounge.  You can access this with a Priority Pass (via Amex Platinum, or you can buy one) or Lounge Club card (via Amex Gold). You also pre-book access to the Swissport lounge for cash via their website.

This could actually have been a very short review – don’t go there!

(Technically, I should remind readers that you will collect a Lounge Miles stamp for visiting the lounge.  Swissport is actually paying you 70p for popping in.  I am not so desperate for 70p.)

Given the discerning nature of Head for Points readers, I will provide some additional photographic evidence of why you shouldn’t go there.  Remember that next door is No 1 Traveller with its cinema, games room, library, buffet, full bar and cooked to order bistro options ….

This is the main seating area (look, no guests!):

Here is a side area:

Here is food selection – crisps or cheese and crackers (as I wanted to test something from each lounge, I had my little pre-packed bit of cheese with my pre-packed crackers):

Here is what I assume someone once thought would pass for a funky seating area:

I didn’t get a picture of the bar.  To be fair, there is no shortage of alcohol – which is good, because you would want to pour yourself a stiff one if you’d paid to come here.  The alcohol is also self-pour, whilst No 1 Traveller insist on pouring for you.

I should also say that Aspire / Swissport / Servisair lounges usually come with a good range of reading material and this was no exception.  It was the only place I found an Economist, for example.  The rest of it is just dismal and depressing, frankly, and you would be better off in the main terminal.

If you have a Priority Pass card, head for No 1 Traveller.  End of discussion.

No 1 Traveller is not in Lounge Club.  If you have a Lounge Club card via Amex Gold with two free lounge visits loaded, please do not use them here unless they are about to expire.  There are far nicer lounges out there.

Next time, I begin my tour of the three oneworld lounges in Heathrow Terminal 3 …..