Sweet Home Chicago
The Cathay Pacific Lounge (Business Class), Heathrow Airport
- Well, it’s been a long two years, hasn’t it?
- Testing, Testing, Swab 1-2-3…
- Off to Heathrow (Take the coach they say. It’s fun they say)
- Cathay Pacific T3 lounge, Heathrow Airport
- AA87 London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare International (Main Cabin Extra)
- Into the USA, Crown Plaza O’Hare
- Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Airplane Art from the Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Fooding around Chicago… Badly
- Starbucks Reserve Rosterary, North Michigan Avenue
- Exploring Chicago with a smartphone
- Back to O’Hare, British Airways Lounge
- BA296 Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow (World Traveller Plus – Premium Economy)
- Welcome back to the UK, or how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
- To the Journey
Cathay Pacific Lounge (Business Class)
And back…
I headed up on the elevator and was checked in at reception. With that, I was asked if I had been to this lounge before. When I confirmed this wasn’t my first time, I was welcomed back.
Of course, the first order of business at the lounge is to get noodles and dim sum. You might have other priorities when getting in a lounge, like securing a seat or getting bubbly, however, this was mine.
On the menu
Because an order of Dan Dan Mein and Dim Sum is a priority after the morning I had.
I found a seat facing the runway and settled in with a glass of bubbly. Yes. This was a good start to a trip (and it is nice not to have to deal with the mediocrity of the BA lounges).
Into the Business Class Lounge
Near enough home
Sofa
Bar
I took a look at the other food options – which had been heavily paired back thanks to the Human Malware, with basic breakfast offerings.
Cold cuts
Breakfast bar
The elixir of life machine (coffee machine, along with a fancy water fountain that I’m used to in another world).
Pastries
Orange and Apple Juice pre-portioned
Some travellers have to bring their own coke on airlines
Croissants
Porridge
Nonetheless, the buzzer went, meaning it was time to collect my breakfast offerings. And noodles are a perfectly good breakfast option – especially when paired with bubbly.
Breakfast is served.
From here, I sat and watched the world go by, stopping now and again to pick up a few shots of espresso (so I could be awake for the boarding call).
Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000
Eurowings Airbus A319
British Airways A320
Aer Lingus A321LR
Qatar Airways protest operation aircraft – the Airbus A380
Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-300
Of course, the desire for more nibbles came again. This time, I went for the fried rice and some dim sum. The dim sum basket is made up of a Char Sui bun (Steamed bun with roast spiced pork), a Har Gow (shrimp dumpling) and a generic meat dumpling – not the biggest selection (a shumai would have been nice to see), but not the worst.
Round 2.
Internet is pretty much the same as it always was in the Cathay Pacific lounge – passable, but nothing too exciting.
The lounge itself had not changed much since the human malware, just a few extra protections for staff.
And that’s a good thing – I’ve always rated the Cathay lounge highly compared to some of the options in Terminal 3.
The power to keep me awake
A boarding call was made from the lounge, and I made my way out. It seems the Cathay Lounge was acting as an AA overflow lounge, with every flight called being an American Airlines flight.
I gathered my crap and headed down to the public level, to encounter a passenger thinking they had found the toilets.
Oh, dear.
From the lounge, I began a classic Heathrow hike. Gate 42 – to put it mildly, is in the third extension satellite heading eastwards – if you were to go any further eastwards, you’d be heading into the fuel farm and T5C. In walking terms, they recommend 20 minutes to get to the gate. I don’t doubt it this time, even with travellators.
We’ve come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good.
It’s a long way…
To the first satellite…
Onto the second satellite
Life, The Universe and Everything
Making the gate in a reasonable time, Group 1 were boarding, with people still confused about what group numbers meant on their boarding passes.
Yes, friends – travel is back.
With Group 2 called, I put myself forward. My boarding pass was beeped, as well as a check of the face sans mask.
With that, it was time to do something I hadn’t done for two years – fly long haul.
NEXT: A row? Just For me? – AA 87 to Chicago
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond – Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, featuring in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.
Follow me on Twitter at @EconomyBeyond for the latest updates! You can follow me on Instagram too!
Also remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.
Did your flight leave from terminal 5? I have an upcoming layover with BA for 5 hours that arrives in terminal 5 and leaves from terminal 5. Wondering how easy it is to get to and from the terminal 3 lounges – Cathay Pacific and Amex Centurion.
My flight left from Terminal 3 as oppsoed to 5. It’s not easy to get over – as there is considerable distance between the two terminals.
In addition, security might raise one or two eyebrows if you try this. You used to be able to cross terminals for shopping purposes only – not lounge purposes sadly.
There is some lounge choice within T5 (Club Aspire, Plaza Premium and of course the BA lounges).
You might be lucky with five hours – but its a gamble.
Ah. Figured it was probably too difficult to risk. Thanks for the confirmation and reply.
Are any of the T5 lounges better than the others? We are able to use the First Class BA lounge (not Corncorde though) being Oneworld Emerald, but wonder if any of the others are worth checking out beyond that.