Review: No1 Lounge at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 3
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London Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe. You need a place to unwind. We tested No1 Business Lounge in Terminal 3 before our short-haul flight to Helsinki. Our experiences were great!
Covered in the Article
No1 Lounge Among Many Other Lounges
London Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe. It has five terminals and there are seven different companies operating lounges. We departed from terminal 3 which has 5 different business lounges. In other words, there are many lounges to choose from.
Aside from London Heathrow Airport, there are 5 other airports in the London area. In this article, we only concentrate on No1 Business Lounge at London Heathrow Airport in terminal 3. We had often heard positive feedback about No1 Lounge so we decided to visit there and finally made our review of this lounge.
Our Review Plan: The Lounge and the A350
We were really lucky to know that our flight from London to Helsinki was operated by a new A350 plane. Being fortunate for this reason, we decided to write a review of Finnair during the same trip.
Our itinerary was from London Heathrow to Helsinki Airport. We had an economy class ticket but we had upgraded it to business class with Finnair Plus points. Unfortunately, we were downgraded back to Economy class just moments before the flight. Luckily, we were still able to access the No1 Lounge before the said flight for free. You can read about our Finnair review from a separate Finnair article.
This time Finnair was endorsing No1 Lounge for their business passengers. Even though the lounge is privately owned and operated, many other airlines are sending their customers to this lounge too.
How to Find No1 Lounge at the Airport?
No1 Lounge is located in terminal 3 in the security area. You don't need to pass passport control to access this lounge.
At the airport there are clear signs so getting lost is not probable. You just need to follow signs for the area called Lounge F and you will find No1 lounge easily. Be prepared that the walking distance may be long. Be also prepared that accessing your gate after your visit to the lounge may take a long time.
If you are a connecting passenger, you need to pass a security check before accessing the transit area. This may take time up to 30 minutes, so basically for a quick transfer, we do not recommend a lounge visit due to time constraints.
Environment and Catering in the No1 Lounge
No1 Lounge was peaceful as business lounges usually are. However, it was quite crowded inside. London Heathrow is a busy airport and during busy hours, it may be impossible to access the lounge at all. We have been in the same lounge before and we have noticed the same, being crowded.
There are comfortable chairs and some work desks in the lounge. There is also a bar desk where you can order complimentary food and drinks. You can have your small, cold snacks from the buffet tables.
In addition to the food, there are other services available. Wi-Fi is working well. They have a varied collection of newspapers. The toilets are clean and you can access a shower for free. Of course, you will easily find sockets to charge your electronic devices too.
Our Rating
Accessibility
To access the lounge, you need to walk quite a lot. There is also a need to go up and down which can be a little frustrating. You have to reserve a lot of time to reach your gate after the lounge visit. But locating the lounge is easy by carefully following the directions described above. Walking distances in a big airport like London Heathrow are always expected to be long.
Comfort of the Lounge (excluding catering)
The lounge is a comfortable place to relax and a decent place to work with your portable computer. Be prepared that there may be a lot of people, but at Heathrow Airport it is almost impossible to avoid them. The view outside from the lounge is to the tarmac area where there are not many planes. The lounge's location does not offer the best place for plane spotting.
Catering
The cold buffet table was of average quality. There are basic snacks and drinks. There were fruits and different varieties of coffee. The buffet is not better or worse than in the lounges normally.
The best thing is that there is a bar desk where you can order drinks. You can also order hot and free snacks from the lounge's menu. On-demand service makes the lounge more exclusive than the usual lounges.
Customer Service
The service was good and decent. We have nothing to complain about.
Overall Rating
At the London Heathrow Airport, No1 Lounge is one of the best choices for business class passengers. We know there are better lounges for first-class passengers but entering them is way more complicated. No1 Lounge is worth visiting if you need a place to unwind.
Many (Cheaper) Ways to Enter the Lounge
People may think that business lounges are exclusively for high-class passengers but we list you a few easy ways to enter No1 Lounge as a normal traveller:
- The easiest but not the cheapest way is to pay the normal entrance fee: 36 British Pounds.
- Business and first-class passengers will be invited by the airline: This means, You must have a business class ticket or be a status member of the airline loyalty club.
- Probably the cheapest way to enter is to access the lounge with a credit card: Diners Club cardholders are allowed the enter the lounge for free or if not, for a small fee. Check your card issuer for more details.
- Or maybe you have the Priority Pass lounge card: Priority Pass membership allows you to enter the lounge. The card comes free with many credit cards or it can be purchased separately. Check the exact terms from the Priority Pass web page.
Need Cheaper Prices for Lounges? Consider a Pre-paid Entry Voucher
Wherever you are flying from you may consider using a company called Lounge Pass. They sell guaranteed lounge entry vouchers at discounted prices. It is enough to have an economy class ticket and to buy a voucher to enter the lounge.
In London airports, the voucher prices start from 37 Euros/entry (about 30 Pounds) but in many other airports, prices are much cheaper. This is a more practical way to enter lounges in many airports.
There are many ways to access airport lounges.
- Infrequent travellers may book lounge visits on Lounge Pass.
- Frequent travellers may benefit from a lounge membership. Read our Priority Pass review.
You will find more helpful information from our lounge guide.
Unfortunately, the No1 Lounge is not the cheapest in the London Heathrow Aiport. Visit Lounge Pass website to find current prices of airport lounges and maybe you want to secure lounge access for your next trip. And as we just mentioned, you can buy access vouchers to lounges worldwide.
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