Qantas has quietly shelved plans for a standalone first class lounge at London Heathrow, abandoning an idea first floated in 2023 after years of failed attempts to secure suitable space at the congested airport.
Instead, the airline will renovate its existing Heathrow lounge — open since 2017 — adding 40 to 60 seats, more showers, and a new invitation-only premium dining room modeled on the acclaimed Platinum Dining Room at its Auckland lounge. Construction is expected to begin within six months, with the upgraded facility targeting completion by October — timed to coincide with the first Project Sunrise nonstop A350 flights from Sydney.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace was candid about why the original plan fell apart. “We looked for quite some time for alternative space, but because of the congestion and the changes going on at Heathrow, that wasn’t a possibility,” he said. “We’ve looked at about three or four spaces, but we’ve been unsuccessful — there’s just not a lot of infrastructure.”
The new premium dining room will be invitation-only, open to first class passengers, Qantas Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers, Oneworld Emerald equivalents, and Chairman’s Lounge members. During renovation, Qantas expects to stage-close sections rather than shut the lounge entirely, with Oneworld partners British Airways and Cathay Pacific next door as overflow options.
Why It Matters: If you’re flying Qantas through Heathrow this summer on a premium ticket or top-tier status, expect a lounge in transition — and plan accordingly. The good news is the end product should be meaningfully better than what’s there now.
Source: Executive Traveller
