Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has officially opened the London Lounge at Heathrow Airport, and we’ve got all the luscious pics.
The lounge, which has taken 12 months to build, comes as the airline counts down to its direct 787 Dreamliner flights between Australia and London.
Speaking at the opening, Joyce said, “The Kangaroo Route is at the heart of Qantas’ identity and London is one of our most important destinations.”
“We have worked with leaders in design, food and service to create a lounge that is modern and comfortable and incorporates the aesthetics of the Qantas lounges that make our customers feel at home.
“We are reshaping what customers come to expect from international travel with direct flights between Australia and London.
“It’s a long flight, so we’re taking a holistic approach to passenger wellbeing on and off the aircraft, and the new Heathrow lounge is an important part of that,” he added.
Ok, enough about the details, let’s see the photos!
Key features of the lounge include:
- Seating for more than 230 customers to relax, work and dine before their flight
- Split over two levels with views of the airfield
- Follows the same concept as Qantas’ international lounges in Hong Kong, Singapore, Los Angeles and Brisbane, with the food and interior design taking inspiration from the local region
- Designed by Woods Bagot, the interiors reflect London at twilight with deep greens and rich blues throughout the furniture, while warm-coloured timbers, stone and brass represent the historic architecture of the city
- A marble cocktail bar beneath a brass chandelier on the upper level serving cocktails designed by the Qantas Rockpool Mixologists, as well as Australian and European wine and beer
- A gin bar on the lower level offers the finest Australian and British gins, alongside an all-day barista service
- Menus designed by Rockpool with a Sofitel service experience, customers will enjoy á la carte service in the dining room with a selection of plates of the day including:
- Quintessential British dishes such as ploughman’s platters, pot pies and scones with jam and cream
- Australian favourites such as healthy brunch bowls with eggs, avocado and kale, and zucchini and haloumi fritters
- The signature salt and pepper squid with green chilli sauce from the Qantas First Lounges
- Premium hot and cold buffets
- ‘Quench’ hydration station with tisane, fruit infused water, sparkling water
- Business facilities including Wi-Fi, flexible work spaces and workstations
- Six shower suites with Aurora Spa amenities
- The new range of Noritake crockery by David Caon and a collection of tea cups and saucers by Miranda Kerr for Royal Albert.
Qantas Creative Director of Food, Beverage & Service Neil Perry said, “We want to help our customers feel great throughout every part of their journey so we have been working with the University of Sydney to create dining options for the lounge that are light and fresh with a focus on hydration and nutrition, while continuing to offer a variety of locally inspired dishes and comfort favourites.”
