London Heathrow (LHR) and the Skyteam Lounge

Here’s the next installment of my quasi-‘Round the World trip.

• JFK Airport/Delta Skyclub and Delta Economy Class to London
• London Part 1
• London Part 2

April 11, 2011

One of the things I love doing is eating local foods.  So naturally my last meal in London was a Full English Breakfast from a deli across the street from the hotel.  A fantastic heart-attack of 2 over-easy eggs, fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans, bacon, and toast with butter.  Of course a traditional English breakfast wouldn’t be complete without a cup of tea.

Full English Breakfast

We take the Heathrow Express back to Heathrow Airport, which again is a great transport, just a little overpriced.  Now our tickets were purchased through Delta.  But this flight was run by KLM, and was only code-shared with Delta.  I should have known better, but we go to try check in at Delta.  They say go down the hall and check in with KLM.  This whole time, I’m looking for signage as to where SkyTeam Elite Plus check-in is.  The sign next to Delta Economy check in said to go Area H (maybe not exactly “Area” H, but _____ H, whatever they called it).  Delta Economy was G, and looking down the hall, the letters only went down to A.  After about 30 yards, I turn around, thinking this can’t be the way.  Then off to the right, around a corner and a wall is Area H.

In London Heathrow, the SkyTeam airline alliance all utilize Terminal 4.  (Here is some more info about Skyteam and LHR Terminal 4)Its cool to see the alliance actually working together, unlike its New York JFK presence, where everything is scattered.  They also have a dedicated premium check-in area (First Class/Business Class/SkyTeam Elite Plus/SkyTeam Elite) separate from the rest of the masses, with separate kiosks and counters for each SkyTeam airline.  I liked it alot, except for the fact that its almost hidden.  I mean, the semi-segregation is nice, but would be even nicer are prudently placed signs directing the higher-value customers where to go.  There was maybe one couple in front of us, so check-in was quick and painless.

We only had about an hour before boarding started.  Jamie and I went into the lounge, Gina wanted to do some shopping.  The lounge in LHR is a shared lounge, and is the only SkyTeam operated lounge in the world.  All the other lounges that Delta uses is run by either another airline, or private company like a credit card.  For example, Delta business class passengers traveling through Paris Charles De Gaulle have the option to use Air France’s lounge there.

Entrance, near Gate 10

Two floors. Never got to check out upstairs.

One of five shower rooms

Shower

They supplied 3 towels, conditioning shampoo, body wash, and a Jo Malone mini gift set which had Grapegruit Shower Gel and Orange Blossom Cologne.

1st Floor. Those chairs around that pillar was a gaming station with PS3s at each seat, I think.

Food area

Some fruits, breads, cereals

Yogurt?, fruit salad, cheese

Bacon, sausage, potatoes, mushrooms

Fried tomatoes, scrambled eggs, pancakes. All the ingredients needed for a full English breakfast. With a few American flapjacks on the side.

Non-alcoholic drinks area

Beverages/Wine Bar area

Good selection of wines and spirits

Better view of what's inside the refridgerator

They started to put out the lunch spread just as we were about to leave

An oxygen bar with 4 different scents. One of the cooler amenities I've seen in a lounge.

From what I hear, not many people know about the second floor.  I even looked at a floor map, and totally forgot there was even a 2nd floor.  If you’re looking for a more quiet, relaxing, and private stay, then upstairs is the place to be from what I hear.  There’s even a quiet area with 4 day beds if you want to get some sleep.  I haven’t been to that many lounges around the world yet, but this one has to be by far better than most, at least from the ones that are operated by a Skyteam airline.  I don’t think you can buy access if you’re not a First/Business/SkyTeam Elite Plus, but maybe if you ask nicely (perhaps with a little bribe) from somebody appearing to go in, they may be able to guest you in.