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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.

  • Scott says:
    22 Nov22 November 12:11

    Flying out of T3 on BA in first (no status) – I assumed the BA First lounge would be my only option. Just read the review of the CX lounge – would folk say this is a better choice?

    • the real harry1 says:
      22 Nov22 November 12:16

      just about everybody says exactly that though sadly not had a chance to experience it for myself

      you always go to both!

      • Scott says:
        22 Nov22 November 12:20

        So it’s OK to visit more than one lounge, even if access is via your class of flight (I understand that status holders can visit multiple lounges) ?

    • Darren says:
      22 Nov22 November 13:12

      Yes the CX lounge is easily the best lounge in T3 at the moment, until we see what Quantas have to offer.

    • Alan Wan says:
      22 Nov22 November 13:16

      Scott: I’d say the CX First lounge is superior to the BA First lounge at T3 in every way except for booze. But as others suggest, try both. I have accessed multiple OW First class lounges per trip, this was based on my BA Gold Status rather than flying First. According to the Oneworld website you should be able to visit the CX First lounge based on flying 1st https://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access/-/loungeaccess/LHR/-1

  • n says:
    22 Nov22 November 12:53

    can these be used to buy a glass of champagne (and therefore guarantee entry)?

    • the real harry1 says:
      22 Nov22 November 13:02

      no, that’s disappeared

      however, surely you get g’teed entry when you pre-purchase No1 lounge passes for a 3 hr slot

      it’s Priority Pass/ Lounge Club etc holders who mostly get turned away if it’s busy

  • Scallder says:
    22 Nov22 November 13:19

    OT – Just announced in the budget that long haul APD for Premium classes will increase from April 2019, although short haul APD and long haul economy APD will be frozen.

    So those BA ‘taxes and charges’ will be increasing further for using the 2 for 1 (exc INV and JER of course)

  • may says:
    22 Nov22 November 13:59

    I’ll be flying from T3 on Saturday, crossing my fingers that it’ll be open that day!

  • the real harry1 says:
    22 Nov22 November 15:09

    up by £16 per person (Premium)

    Air Passenger Duty (APD) – Short-haul APD rates for 2019-20 will remain frozen as they have been since 2012. The long-haul rate for economy passengers will be frozen at the 2018-19 rates while the rates for premium economy, business and first class will increase by £16 and for those travelling by private jet by £47.

  • DS says:
    22 Nov22 November 15:37

    OT: did anyone receive the hidden IHG bonuses? https://headforpoints.com/2017/08/30/easyjet-hands-free/

    • Rob says:
      22 Nov22 November 16:00

      No. I know someone who complained (as he had hit the hidden targets) and who got the points. I don’t know anyone who actually got the offers to show in Accelerate ‘officially’.

  • Rob says:
    22 Nov22 November 15:40

    Sorry for the off-topic, but need to book a Qatar airlines fare somewhere TODAY. Does anyone know of any good deals going from London or anywhere else in Europe (economy or business). Are there any Qatar Airways deals on at the moment?

  • Rob says:
    22 Nov22 November 16:13

    I have a voucher that was issued to me a year ago for $150 discount off any Qatar airlines fare, due to an operational issue. It cannot be extended and expires today. So I was seeing whether there were any decent deals that anyone knew of, otherwise I’ll just let the voucher expire. As long as it’s booked today, the flights can be anytime through to the 2018 year.

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

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