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You are here: Home / Trips / Chicago and Hamburg / Two for the Price of One: Heathrow Transit, American Airlines Flagship Lounge

Two for the Price of One: Heathrow Transit, American Airlines Flagship Lounge

17/05/2016 by Kevincm

Two for the Price of One: Heathrow Transit, American Airlines Flagship Lounge

Two for the price of one: Chicago and Hamburg Trip Report Header Image

In this epic…

  • Two for the price of one? Or when two become one?
  • Off to Manchester Airport on the edge of my seat…
  • BA Domestic – BA1387 Manchester Airport to London Heathrow
  • Heathrow Transit, American Airlines Flagship Lounge
  • American Airlines – AA87 London Heathrow to Chicago, Main Cabin
  • Streamlined Immigration?
  • The Crowne Plaza O’Hare
  • Evening adventures with the Sony A5000
  • The Hyatt Regency O’Hare
  • Off to O’Hare, American Airlines Admirals Club
  • American Airlines – AA1205 Chicago O’Hare to Boston Logan
  • A Boston Omnishambles
  • British Airways – BA202 Boston Logan to London Heathrow Terminal 5 in World Traveller Plus
  • Transit and changes… from holiday to work, British Airways Galleries North Lounge
  • British Airways – BA974 London Heathrow to Hamburg
  • IBIS Budget St Pauli, Hamburg
  • Trade Show 101 (or… don’t sleep on your glasses).
  • Pounding the Halls of AIX – What you might had missed…
  • A Walk around the Hamburg Dom
  • Rushing back to Hamburg Airport
  • British Airways – BA967 Hamburg to London Heathrow
  • Homeward bound
  • Mixing business with pleasure

Once off the plane, it was a matter of following all the signs to the transit location, and clearing Terminal 3 security (as well as AA Passport and document check).

In the bright confines of Terminal 5.

London Heathrow Airport

Arriving into Terminal 5 at a gate, I headed for the transfer zone. As the plane was docked at Gate 1, it was a hike through T5 transfers/arrival level, after clearing a boarding pass inspection.

London Heathrow Airport

Those formalities completed, I headed to the shuttle bus to Terminal 3. Thankfully, with short waits between shuttle buses, a bus was waiting for me when I arrived at the lower transfer area.

London Heathrow Airport
An Arriving Iberia Airbus A321

And with that, it was a short drive from Terminal 5 to the Central Terminal Area (or Terminal 3).

Editors note: No, the camera wasn’t on the blink – rather I was shooting through purple. Adds a nice touch. Or not. Non fans of the colour purple need not apply.

London Heathrow Airport Heathrow’s Tower of Power… In Purple!

London Heathrow Airport British Airways Boeing 747-400

London Heathrow Airport
Heading towards the Central Terminal Area. There’s Purple everywhere.

London Heathrow Airport
And a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600… with a purple moodlit touch.

Arriving in Terminal 3, it as a matter of following the signs… and going up, then down, clearing security, and then clearing the Advanced Passenger information section.

London Heathrow Airport
Terminal 3 – more a building site than it used to be.

London Heathrow Airport
Everyone and everything is on a journey these days. Even Heathrow Airport.

Whilst it didn’t add much time for me as I went in the premium queue, there was a substantial queue for those without any status.

London Heathrow Airport
API Clearance Section for American Airlines. British Airways and Virgin has a small section outside this for their passengers to clear at.

That done, I headed into the maelstrom that is the Oceanic Terminal – Terminal 3.

London Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport – a mall with jetbridges.

London Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow Airport
Shops Shops everywhere… and so little natural light.

London Heathrow Airport
Yours for the duty free price of £1583.30!

Before heading to a lounge – I wanted to get a few things (namely, a bottle of water and to laugh at the Duty Free prices of certain things).

And laugh I did when the high street was beating Dixons Travel hands down on pricing of lenses. But that’s a different post completely. Suffice to say, I didn’t buy a lens and it pays to shop before you travel.

Even when it comes to electronics, there are savings to be had… even when Dixons Travel says they aren’t (and even with the minor pressure I was exerting, I wasn’t going to get Dixons to pay out on its double the difference guarantee… so that’s a waste of time, space an energy).

With the shopping done, it off to the American Airlines lounge. I could had gone to the British Airways lounge… but there was no real point to go lounge hopping

American Airlines Flagship Lounge

London Heathrow Airport

With the shopping done, it off to the American Airlines lounge. I was welcomed to the lounge, and directed to the Flagship lounge.

Yes, this is the final milking of my oneworld emerald status was about to begin… and I might as well milk the darn thing since I’m heading into the slightly darker lands of Sapphire (or BA Silver).

The Flagship lounge is one of the quieter loungers at Terminal 3 – always good for a snack – so I parked my stuff down, and settled into breakfast.

London Heathrow Airport
The lounge.

What was on offer? Well there was an ala carte option or the help yourself option. I was lazy – and did the help yourself.

London Heathrow Airport
The menu option.

London Heathrow Airport
Counter

London Heathrow Airport
Cereals selection

London Heathrow Airport
Fruits and Yoghurt’s

London Heathrow Airport Breakfast selection.

IMG_2062
I’m still not sure about those scrambled eggs…

The lounge Wifi was pretty speedy allowing me to get on with a few things (as well as practice working with the little Lenovo that would be my friend for when I was in Hamburg).

Checking the boarding times, I took a look at the board – and found my flight was delayed. This was annoying – as I did have a pretty hectic schedule lined up in Chicago.

Heck – I always do.

At same time, I asked for a seat map check – and found that the seat next to me would be clear for the journey to Chicago. The agent offered to block the spare seat for me – a very kind gesture.

Meanwhile, the food changed from breakfast to lunch.

London Heathrow Airport   London Heathrow Airport

Time ticked on, and after the laptop was charged, and I was prepared for the flight – the flight was called near enough an hour late. Time to head to the gate.

London Heathrow Airport Heathrow Travellators…

I finally reached Gate 28, where I was cleared and blipped in.

London Heathrow Airport

With the plane outside looking happy to itself, I noticed the crew coming through. Yep – further delays along the line this day.

London Heathrow Airport
The waiting Boeing 777-200ER

London Heathrow Airport
The waiting public.

Eventually, boarding was called for first, business and priority passengers… with everyone trying to board at once. A bit of ordered chaos to say the least.

London Heathrow Airport

But for me, it was time to get 3,953 miles under my belt.

Next: American Airlines AA87 London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare.


Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond – Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, with in-depth coverage, unique research as well as the humour and madness as I only know how to deliver.

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Filed Under: Chicago and Hamburg, Trip, Trip Reports, Trips

Comments

  1. Mcass777 says

    25/05/2016 at 6:09 pm

    I love the bus ride around LHR – Last time I did it I almost went to T5 just to check it out. Not sure if I would be let in as I was on AA.

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