QF1 F arrival into LHR questions

[PaulST]

QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

Hi all, I've got my first F award on QF1 coming up in late Sept and have a few questions.
I'm assuming my aircraft will arrive at terminal 3 but I'm keen to check out the BA arrivals lounge at terminal 5.
I understand that there's a train between these terminals so that's fine. Now my question is, will I be able to pick up the complimentary chauffeur at terminal 5? I'd expect most other QF F pax will catch their ride from terminal 3.

I'm assuming BA would have a whole line of limos just waiting so I should be able to grab one from there?

TIA

(ps: happy to hear any other tips about how to take advantage of my first proper F flight on QF)

 

[JohnPhelan]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

I have news and it's (mostly) all bad!!

Firstly, BA doesn't have any limo service. At all. For anyone. So you will need to get your limo from T3. (There's a large limo despatch area that EK and QF use - it's really almost a limo rank. You go to the counter, show them your ticket, and they allocate a car and driver.)

Secondly, you won't be able to use BA's excellent T5 Arrivals lounge. When arriving at T3, you MUST go through immigration there. You will be able to access the AA Arrivals lounge.

The train between the terminals is all landside. BA does have an airside transfer bus, but it doesn't apply to pax arriving into the UK. There is also a small underground train that links the main T5 terminal with its two satellites. But that's all within T5.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

Hi all, I've got my first F award on QF1 coming up in late Sept and have a few questions.
I'm assuming my aircraft will arrive at terminal 3 but I'm keen to check out the BA arrivals lounge at terminal 5.
I understand that there's a train between these terminals so that's fine. Now my question is, will I be able to pick up the complimentary chauffeur at terminal 5? I'd expect most other QF F pax will catch their ride from terminal 3.

I'm assuming BA would have a whole line of limos just waiting so I should be able to grab one from there?

TIA

(ps: happy to hear any other tips about how to take advantage of my first proper F flight on QF)

You'll need to get the chauffeur from T3. You can't use the BA arrivals lounge at T5, that isn't a One World benefit. You can access the AA arrivals lounge in T3 which is upstairs on the R after you clear customs.
You will need to confirm the pick up time with QF if you are using this Lounge as the desk may only be open for the duration of QF 1/9 arrival. Cars are allocated to pax on arrival and checking in at the chauffeur drive desk in the arrivals hall.
EDIT: You could go to the desk and let them know that you don't want to depart until x hours as you are going to use the arrivals lounge. I personally haven't done this but I think it would work ok.

 

[kpc]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

EDIT: You could go to the desk and let them know that you don't want to depart until x hours as you are going to use the arrivals lounge. I personally haven't done this but I think it would work ok.

I'll be really interested to know if anyone has done that.... in Dec I will arrive at 0650 off QF 1, and would love to go and have a shower and breakfast at the AA arrivals lounge before I head to my hotel at Canary wharf....can see no point in arriving at the hotel at 0900 to be told that I can't check in till after lunch! So anyone gone to the counter and said they will be back in 90 minutes for the limo??

 

[PaulST]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

Thanks John and Princess Fiona.
I'm glad I asked otherwise I would have trundled over toe T5 and got a horrible surprise!
At least the AA lounge appears to have been recently refurbished. I just hope I won't need to tip!

I think I'll speak with the limo desk first and then spend an hour or two in the AA lounge before heading into London.

kpc, I'll be sure to report how I go (expecting a trip report ) My flight is on Sept 28th.

 

[kpc]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

At least the AA lounge appears to have been recently refurbished. I just hope I won't need to tip!

it has been refurbished with plenty of shower stalls .....then you can have a nice English breakfast before you head off; they also have space to store all your luggage.

I think I'll speak with the limo desk first and then spend an hour or two in the AA lounge before heading into London.

kpc, I'll be sure to report how I go (expecting a trip report ) My flight is on Sept 28th.

Thanks....it would be great if you could!

 

[Hvr]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

When I used the limo awhile ago my driver told me that was his last job before a few hours off and sleeping. I believe they are contractors so waiting for you means they either lose time off or the possibility of another job.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

When I used the limo awhile ago my driver told me that was his last job before a few hours off and sleeping. I believe they are contractors so waiting for you means they either lose time off or the possibility of another job.

This is where the call from the First Host when departing AU might prove invaluable.
"Lovely to hear from you. I will not require chauffeur pick up at LHR until 11:30 as I will be using the Arrivals lounge facility provided to QF F pax at the AA lounge. Can you please ensure that this is recorded in my booking and I will confirm my arrangements with the QF staff upon my arrival in LHR?" Or something like that.....

 

[Blackbird]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

EDIT: You could go to the desk and let them know that you don't want to depart until x hours as you are going to use the arrivals lounge. I personally haven't done this but I think it would work ok.

I'm pretty sure the chauffeur desk is outside the arrivals area. Once you exit you cannot go back in. Your first host call strategy would be best option.

 

[serfty]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

I'm pretty sure the chauffeur desk is outside the arrivals area. Once you exit you cannot go back in. Your first host call strategy would be best option.

Not sure what you mean in this context.

Both the T3 chauffer desk and the AA arrivals lounge are landside, you can walk between them at your leisure.

 

[phily]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

I'm pretty sure the chauffeur desk is outside the arrivals area. Once you exit you cannot go back in. Your first host call strategy would be best option.

Just to clarify - both the Chauffeur desk for QF and the AA Arrivals Lounge upstairs are outside the arrivals (customs) area. There'd be no need to "go back in" to access the AA Arrivals lounge.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

I'm pretty sure the chauffeur desk is outside the arrivals area. Once you exit you cannot go back in. Your first host call strategy would be best option.

Not sure what you mean in this context.

Both the T3 chauffer desk and the AA arrivals lounge are landside, you can walk between them at your leisure.

Correct
Both are landslide in arrivals. No need to go back in at all.

 

[Per_Travels]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

I'll be really interested to know if anyone has done that.... in Dec I will arrive at 0650 off QF 1, and would love to go and have a shower and breakfast at the AA arrivals lounge before I head to my hotel at Canary wharf....can see no point in arriving at the hotel at 0900 to be told that I can't check in till after lunch! So anyone gone to the counter and said they will be back in 90 minutes for the limo??

I've done this several times, usually I'm heading straight into the office so I want to shower before I leave T3 - go to the chauffeur drive desk, tell them you've arrived and are going to have a shower/breakfast in the arrivals lounge. I seem to remember that once I was told that I had 90 minutes from the flight landing.

 

[Flying Fox]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

This is where the call from the First Host when departing AU might prove invaluable.

"Lovely to hear from you. I will not require chauffeur pick up at LHR until 11:30 as I will be using the Arrivals lounge facility provided to QF F pax at the AA lounge. Can you please ensure that this is recorded in my booking and I will confirm my arrangements with the QF staff upon my arrival in LHR?" Or something like that.....

I have done exactly this. Worked well as the Mrs & I spent approx 90mins there before being driven to our 'hotel' opposite St Pancras Station (where we caught the Eurostar to Paris a couple of hours later).

 

[flychrisfly]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

Firstly, BA doesn't have any limo service. At all. For anyone.

True at LHR but not quite true in Syd: https://www.britishairways.com/en-a...ice?source=R04X&hpsource=E04CXTravelincomfort
I used it once but the work experience person made the booking so we had a major fail both on departure and on arrival. Service recovery was okay.

 

[phily]

Re: QF1 F arrival into LHR questions - limo and the arrivals lounge.

I've done this several times, usually I'm heading straight into the office so I want to shower before I leave T3 - go to the chauffeur drive desk, tell them you've arrived and are going to have a shower/breakfast in the arrivals lounge. I seem to remember that once I was told that I had 90 minutes from the flight landing.

I arrived at LHR this morning with a booked QF car and out of interest asked about going to the Arrivals lounge for an hour or two. The response was that I'd have to pay for the waiting time of the driver. I didn't bother asking what the cost would be. But YMMV.