This article has partner links that I may receive compensation from at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site by using them!

american airlines flagship lounge london heathrow 700x525

For most airlines, a Flagship Lounge would be a place for the airline to put out their best effort forward to give a good first impression. Of course, American Airlines doesn’t quite seem to grasp this, especially not in London.

The lounge clearly could use a refurbishment. It resembles a basic American lounge that you’d find in a regular airport, and not even one of the nicer Admirals Club lounges like in San Francisco. While the lounge does have nice flooring and decent furnishings, they still somehow feel dated. The low ceiling certainly doesn’t help. It almost feels claustrophobic.

american flagship lounge london heathrow 700x525

Part of the problem is that there aren’t many windows in the lounge, and the few that exist don’t let a lot of light in, especially on a grey English morning. Here is the sad view.

aa flagship lounge heathrow 700x933

american lounge london heathrow 700x525

AA’s London Flagship Lounge does have solid service at least. The employees were all friendly, and in addition to hot dishes, there were also made-to-order meals available. The food was decent, though I did get caught a bit in between the breakfast and lunch meal services.

american flagship lounge london menu 700x933

While the lounge is a bit bleak, at least there is plenty of space. The seating was adequate, but there were only three nice recliners available. I have no idea why some lounges do this. I don’t see the point of having so few seats that are going to be in high demand, as once people get one, they are understandably going to park their ass in one for as long as possible.

american flagship lounge lhr 700x525

In addition to the regular seating, there are also a couple of TV lounges and a business center.

london heathrow american lounge 700x933

american lounge london 700x933

I sat in the dining area while I had some made-to-order eggs benedict, along with a bit of additional breakfast before it was cleared away.

american flagship lounge eggs benedict 700x933

american flagship lounge breakfast 700x933

The tiny Diet Cokes made me feel like a giant, which is always nice.

tiny diet cokes 700x933

american flagship lounge lhr sodas 700x933

What the self-service bar may have lacked in quality, it made up for in breadth of selection. I don’t believe I’ve seen such a variety of liquors in a lounge like this.

american flagship lounge heathrow bar 700x525

There were also plenty of different snacks available.

american flagship lounge lhr snacks 700x525

american flagship lounge london snacks 700x933

american lounge london heathrow pastries 700x933

The selection of healthy items such as yogurt and fresh smoothies & juices was especially nice.

american flagship lounge london heathrow food 700x525

One of the pleasant aspects of the American Flagship Lounge at London Heathrow is that there were plenty of power outlets that didn’t even need plug adapters. On the other hand, wifi service was dismal, so it’s not like you’d be accomplishing much in the lounge anyway.

american lounge london heathrow seats 700x933

Adding to the weird atmosphere of the lounge was a constant whirring that was coming from some machine somewhere. I don’t know if it was the HVAC system, or something relating to airport operations, but whatever it was, it was constant.

Between that, the lack of sunlight, and the dated feeling of some of the decor, American Airlines has a long way to go to make their Flagship Lounge at London Heathrow a place that they can be proud of. The food and service are just fine, but considering how much of a hellscape the rest of Heathrow can be, American should be striving to create a space that can be a refuge for weary passengers. If you have access to the lounge, chances are you have access to one of the other Oneworld lounges in Terminal 3, which are nicer, but it’s disappointing that when flying first class on American, passengers are not treated to an experience that consistently feels like it is first class.

What do you think? Add a comment!