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The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London Heathrow Terminal 3 is often talked about in the same breath as some of the best airport lounges around the world so as I was passing through T3 on a recent trip, I made some time to get some pictures of the Clubhouse and to reacquaint myself with a lounge that I seem to like more each time I visit.
Access
The following categories of travelers can access the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow:
- Passengers traveling in Virgin Upper Class (Business Class)
- Passengers traveling in Delta One
- Flying Club Gold members traveling on Virgin Atlantic
- Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion card holders*
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum Medallion card holders*
- Air New Zealand Gold card holders**
- Air New Zealand Gold Elite card holders**
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Elite Gold members and PPS card holders**
- Virgin Australia Velocity Club Gold card holders**
- Virgin Australia Velocity Club Platinum card holders**
- Virgin Australia Velocity The Club card holders**
*When traveling on a Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines operated flight leaving the UK.
**When traveling on a Virgin Atlantic operated flight.
Passengers listed above (excluding Delta One passengers and Singapore Airlines members) are welcome to bring a single guest to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse as long as they’re traveling on the same day, from the same terminal on an international flight operated by Virgin Atlantic, Delta Air Lines, Air France or KLM.
Getting to the Clubhouse
Virgin Atlantic offers a dedicated path to the Clubhouse from the Terminal 3 check-in area.
An elevator takes you up one floor…
…and then eligible passengers can use a dedicated security lane (which was closed on this visit) to ease their passage to the Clubhouse.
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is Lounge “H” at Heathrow Terminal 3 so after you’ve cleared security, follow the signs for “Lounges B-H”…
…and then the signs for “Lounges F-H”…
…and you’ll soon find yourself in the right area.
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is 1 level above the departure gates so when you get to the sign for “Lounge H”…
…you’ll have to take an elevator…
…or the stairs (next to the elevators)…
…to get to the Clubhouse entrance.
Inside the Virgin Atlantic Heathrow Clubhouse
As airline lounges go, the Heathrow Clubhouse is huge.
It also has a wider variety of seating options than most other lounges that you’re likely to visit.
Some of the seating options are a little more “out there” than others…
…but I can’t imagine anyone not being able to find something that suits them.
In addition to the various ‘relaxed seating’ options I’ve shown above, there’s also plenty of dedicated seating for anyone who just wants to get on with some work…
…and there’s an abundance of tables and chairs and booths set up for guests who want to enjoy something to eat.
Newspapers and magazines are now back in the Clubhouse…
…and while the spa remains closed and the barbershop is a dim and distant memory, the lounge now offers some Peleton bikes for anyone wishing to tire themselves out before they fly (who does that?!)…
…and guests can use the stairs to the mezzanine floor to access a billiards (pool) table and to get out to the outdoor terrace that overlooks the T3 apron (when the weather permits!).
Dining in the Clubhouse
The way guests have been served and what guests have had access to have changed a number of times during the course of the pandemic (and they may change again) but at the time of writing, this is how things seem to be playing out:
There’s a deli counter (near the Clubhouse entrance) which guests can visit and select whatever it is that catches their eye.
Guests choosing to sit in the main dining area (the Brasserie) are now offered waiter service.
In other areas of the Clubhouse, guests can use the QR codes that have been placed on the tables to access the online menu using their smartphones and to order remotely. Clubhouse staff will bring the order to wherever guests are sitting.
On this occasion, I was visiting early in the morning so Breakfast was being served:
The Clubhouse is also home to one of the largest bars that you’re likely to see in an airline lounge (I don’t have a picture to show you as it was incredibly crowded by the time I got around to visiting it) and while sitting at the bar was still discouraged during this visit, the staff will happily make guests whatever drink takes their fancy.
As far as the food and drink options in the Clubhouse go, guests can order as much or as little as they feel like ordering and it’s all on the house (or included in the cost of their fare!)
Why I like the Clubhouse as much as I do
Between the airline statuses that I hold and the flight bookings that I make, I get access to a significant number of the best airline lounges in the world, so it says a lot about the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse that I always look forward to returning.
The staff in the Clubhouse are almost always incredibly helpful and friendly – there’s never any attitude – and they always seem genuinely interested in making sure that the people they interact with have a great visit.
Add to that the size of the lounge (it rarely feels crowded), the fact that there’s a vast choice of seating options, and that the food on offer is usually pretty good, and it’s easy to see why I always enjoy my visits.
The Clubhouse isn’t a run-of-the-mill Business Class lounge. It’s more of a hybrid that takes on board elements from a very good Business Class Lounge and mixes in elements of a regular First Class lounge and that makes it feel a little special. It’s also what makes it one of the best lounges in Europe and what gets it on the list as one of the best lounges in the world as well.
Bottom line
I’ve visited most of the lounges that London Heathrow has to offer and I can’t think of any other Heathrow lounge that I look forward to visiting more than the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. Some of the other good lounges have their own USPs that I enjoy (the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge has good food, decent Champagne and good views of Heathrow while the Qantas Lounge has a fantastic Gin bar), but none is as well rounded as the Clubhouse and none has the same all-round appeal. Put simply, I love it.
