Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London Heathrow Airport [Review]

Key Takeaways

• There are just 5 Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounges in the world. At London Heathrow, the Clubhouse is a beautiful space with great views and a cool ambience.
• Access is pretty restrictive, as only passengers in business class or with certain high-end airline statuses can get in.
• Food and beverages are standouts, including an à la carte menu.

The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London’s Heathrow Airport routinely gets high marks from frequent flyers, and rightly so.

In Heathrow’s Terminal 3, where all Virgin Atlantic and partner Delta Air Lines flights arrive and depart, it stands out for its food, including à la carte dining, and is easy to navigate despite its large size.

Here’s why, on a recent visit as a repeat customer, I loved it.

Who Can Access the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in London?

The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London (LHR) is among just 5 in the world. The others are in Johannesburg (JNB), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington, D.C. (IAD). There’s another coming in 2025 to Los Angeles (LAX).

I had access to the lounge as a passenger in Upper Class, Virgin’s version of business class, connecting from New York to Bengaluru (BLR), India, via Heathrow.

Admission is based on class of travel or on elite status with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or partner airlines. Access is restricted to:

• Passengers in Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic, plus 1 guest (if the guest is traveling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines)
• Passengers in Delta One on Delta Air Lines, with no guest permitted unless the guest has Delta Diamond Medallion or Platinum Medallion status
• Passengers in Clase Premier on Aeromexico
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold Card members, plus 1 guest (if traveling with Virgin Atlantic, Delta, or Aeromexico in any cabin)
• Passengers with Delta 360°, Diamond Medallion, and Platinum Medallion status, if they are traveling in Delta Premium Select or Premium on Virgin Atlantic, plus 1 guest
• Flying Blue Platinum members, if traveling in premium economy on Virgin Atlantic or Delta, plus 1 guest if traveling in the same class

You can’t park yourself in the lounge all day: Access is allowed only from 3 hours before departure. Fortunately, the 3-hour rule doesn’t apply when connecting via Heathrow.

The requirements for access have also become more stringent recently. Thanks to my Delta status, I used to be able to enter the Heathrow Clubhouse even when flying economy class. Now, Delta’s top elites need to be at least in premium economy if they want to get in.

The good news is that the exclusive departure experience at Terminal 3’s Upper Class Wing — featuring a dedicated security lane — is still available to Delta Diamond and Platinum Medallions plus a guest in whatever class they are traveling.

Hot Tip:

If you don’t meet the requirements for access to the Clubhouse, Priority Pass cardholders can access Termina 3’s My Lounge and No1 Lounge. For an overview of what’s available, check out our list of airport lounges at London Heathrow Airport.

Location and Hours

The Clubhouse is open from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. or last departure.

To get to it, once past security in Terminal 3, follow the signs to lounge area H.

Keep in mind that Terminal 3 is big, and departure gates can be quite far from lounges, involving a walk of up to 20 minutes.

The hallway leading to the Clubhouse — and to the American Airlines Admirals Club and International First Class Lounge next to it — is rather bland, but things improve markedly as soon as you see the staircase leading up to the Virgin lounge.

There’s also an elevator if you don’t want to make your entrance via the marble stairs.

Inside the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse

This is a big lounge, covering 26,000 square feet over 2 levels, but its intuitive layout is easy to navigate.

The upper level is small, though, and all the services are on the first floor. You don’t really need to go upstairs to enjoy the Clubhouse’s amenities, from dining at your table to enjoying a shower or excellent airplane watching.

The entrance feeds into the main space, anchored by a big bar. To the right of the bar, you have the relaxation and shower area; on the left, you have dining and areas for work or play; and behind it, you have a gallery overlooking the tarmac. A staircase in the dining area leads to the small second floor and an observation deck.

At 7:45 a.m. on a Sunday, after presenting my boarding passes at one of the podiums outside, I walked into a relatively quiet lounge. Virgin Atlantic and Delta long-hauls begin leaving from Heathrow at 8 a.m., and mornings can get busy here, but this time there was plenty of room throughout my stay.

Immediately after entering, I was greeted by the sunken lounge, which felt like a big living room. Like in the rest of the space, the vibe here was halfway between midcentury modern design and the interiors from a 1960s science-fiction film.

Virgin Atlantic is notoriously thorough about the aesthetics of its passenger experience, and its flagship lounge showed that to great effect.

For people who don’t have a lot of time to spend in the Clubhouse, the sunken lounge may be enough. Sit in one of the Eames chairs, charge your phone from one of the many outlets, have a drink from the bar, or use the QR menus at each table to have food or a beverage brought to you — and you’ve passed a perfectly pleasant hour. Over several visits here, noise levels have never been annoying, even in the middle of the lounge.

To the right of the entrance looking at the bar, a model of a Virgin Voyages cruise ship sat atop a locked wine cabinet, right where the floor changed to a dark color, signaling a break between the convivial and relaxation spaces.

This area was where booths ideal for working used to be. Now, it has been changed into a zone dedicated to peace and quiet (read more about this in the Amenities section of this review.)

For a longer stay in the lounge, or to geek out on airplane watching, my preferred section of the Clubhouse is the gallery overlooking some of the Terminal 3 gates. Just behind the bar, it was almost completely occupied during this visit. Its coziness and seclusion clearly made it a popular choice.

The views from its large, clean windows did not disappoint. This was a fun place to photograph the action on the tarmac.

Another good place to watch airplanes was the observation lounge at the very end of the Clubhouse when looking left from the bar. Power outlets were plentiful, especially considering that the Clubhouse at Heathrow was opened in 2006, just before smartphones made constant charging a key need for travelers.

As for that other constant need of travelers exposed to dry airplane air — hydration — the Clubhouse delivered, with several water stations.

Also at the left end of the lounge was an area dubbed the Screening Room, with a large television that most people ignored in favor of their personal devices.

Another TV was in the small upstairs room, reached via stairs between the dining area and the Screening Room. In a nod to Virgin’s record-company heritage, LPs and photos of stars from the Virgin Records catalog decorated the shelves.

Like the rest of the clubhouse, the upstairs room had QR codes on tables so people could order from online menus and have staff deliver their food and drinks.

From the upstairs room, it was a quick hop up a flight of stairs or via elevator to the part of the lounge that aviation enthusiasts rave about: the observation deck.

The mesh fence made photography difficult, and the morning chill of an English fall wasn’t conducive to sitting outside. Otherwise, I would gladly have spent the entirety of my Clubhouse stay up here, smelling jet exhaust and watching big jets dock at Terminal 3. Fortunately, the views of the airplanes from inside were just as good.

Food and Beverages

Unlike at many U.S. lounges, where some alcohol is free but other higher-end wines, liquors, and cocktails require payment, the Clubhouse drinks menu was completely free. From a midrange Laurent Perrier La Cuvée Champagne to a decent selection of beers and ciders plus a small but solid wine list, the bartenders could have kept me very well supplied — except it was early morning. I saw just a couple of my fellow passengers observing the airport rule of “anything goes, so drink whenever you want.”

You can order drinks and food from the restaurant, which the Clubhouse calls Brasserie, from anywhere in the lounge via QR menus.

The Brasserie itself, decorated with ficus trees and other plants like the rest of the lounge, was to the left of the entrance, just past the buffet.

Like many lounges, the Clubhouse served a breakfast menu (until noon) and a lunch and dinner menu, plus a special menu for children, available from noon. This being Britain, an afternoon tea menu was available too, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

The Brasserie menu was simple but not boring. In fact, this lounge served one of the best chicken tikka masalas I’ve ever had in London — and that’s saying a lot in a city where Indian food is often excellent.

This time I stuck with the buffet, or the Deli, as the lounge calls it. It’s a staffed buffet, like at the JFK Delta One Lounge, so you order from what’s on display.

At breakfast, the buffet offered choices for every taste.

Cured meat and smoked fish enthusiasts would have been especially well served, with 3 kinds of smoked trout plus various salami, chorizo, and different kinds of ham.

The self-serve spreads next to the smoked fish were a small encapsulation of global food-marketing trends meeting local traditions. Nutella, the international sensation created in Italy, sat next to hyper-British Marmite.

And speaking of Nutella: Remember that anything-goes airport rule for drinks? It applies to food as well. So no one can judge you for putting Nutella on the same plate as smoked trout and ham, which is what I did, with a cup of green tea.

In front of the buffet, a counter with chairs next to a station with coffee, tea, juice, and water was the ideal place to sit, people-watch, and eat.

Hot Tip:

Virgin Atlantic Upper Class is a great way to cross the Atlantic, and it can be less expensive than you may think, especially when you book with points. Upper Class can, in fact, be exceptionally cheap when there’s a Virgin Atlantic sale on award seats.

Amenities

First, the bad news: The Peloton bikes that used to be a highlight of this Clubhouse are no longer there. Once stationed at one end of the gallery overlooking the tarmac, they used to be many a frequent flyer’s favorite way to work out. In turn, they had taken the place of another unique lounge amenity: a small hairdressing salon. The space is now used for more seating.

Fitness and Relaxation Area

At the right end of the lounge, past the cruise ship model, there was a fitness and relaxation area with weights and towels, a sort of miniature gym.

The staff had stacked yoga mats by a sign reminding guests that the area was reserved for people 16 and over.

Showers

Nearby were shower stalls you could book via the reception desk.

Bathrooms

The 2 sets of bathrooms, near the minigym and near the Brasserie, had individual stalls and were spotless.

Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi, the other fundamental amenity in any lounge, was fast and stable. Download speeds were a relatively slow 8 Mbps in the middle of the lounge, but I was still able to work and stream videos effortlessly.

Service

Since the first time I flew Virgin Atlantic in 2007, inflight and ground staff have been a standout part of my Virgin Atlantic experience. Lounge staff at the Clubhouses I have visited — this one in London and the one in New York — have always been warm and efficient.

During this visit, I interacted with the front desk and buffet employees, who confirmed my impressions. Flyers used to the uneven service standards common on U.S. mainline carriers might be surprised by how warm Virgin Atlantic staff tend to be, on average.

Final Thoughts

If you are mourning the loss of the Peloton bikes and the hair salon, you are not alone. But make no mistake, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London’s Heathrow Airport is still among the best business class lounges in the world.

On every visit, I have found great food, a lively but uncrowded atmosphere, and friendly staff. Add to that a cool, stylish vibe, and you have a great lounge to either wait for a flight or spend a long layover.