AA and BA are creating a new experience for First passengers.
It’s natural to assume that all British Airways flights from Heathrow depart from T5. That’s the BA terminal, and for the vast majority of travellers, that’s where they will start or end their journey. However, a batch of flights departs from T3, covering both short-haul and long-haul destinations, and some of these flights have a First cabin.
Why T3?
I’ve only ever flown from T3 with BA once, and that was to Bahrain in First. That route is currently paused. We managed to get some last-minute First flights, and we got to experience some of the oneworld lounges in T3. The check-in process was fine; there was a dedicated check-in desk for First. It was not luxurious, but we did not expect that at T3.
We tried out a number of lounges: Cathay Pacific, Qantas, American Airlines and finally British Airways. There’s a Concorde Dining Room inside the BA First and Business Class lounges. The First lounge was so average that I thought it was the Business lounge.
American Airlines uses T3 exclusively. They have a lot of traffic coming into London, with flights from the obvious US cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. They also fly in from Charlotte, Las Vegas, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Raleigh-Durham. Whilst the airline is focused more on its enhanced Business Class than its First product, they still have that cabin on flights to New York and Los Angeles.
I’ve reviewed the excellent American Airlines arrivals lounge. This is usable by premium passengers on AA and BA flights that land overnight into T3. It is a great arrivals lounge: nearly always quiet, and it offers a decent breakfast and good showers. I enjoy it more than the BA arrivals lounge in T5, but I still rate that one highly.
AA also has a decent, but not outstanding, First lounge at Heathrow. It’s really not bad, but given the number of excellent oneworld lounges in the terminal, it is not top of anyone’s list.
What has been announced?
A new check-in area is being developed by BA and AA, and this is due to open “this Winter’. That would mean it was one of the first upgraded spaces to open at Heathrow since BA announced its ambitious plan to upgrade all its lounges.
It’s worth saying that this is just a check-in area. Unlike the T5 First Wing, it does not have its own security.
What’s on offer is a separate space to check in and sit. It promises a colour scheme and materials that are similar to the First Wing at T5, which itself was updated just under a year ago.
It’s an attractive space. Compare it to the regular check-in desks, and it’s positively luxurious. I think it does a good job of being much better than a regular First check-in line. There’s some natural light, at least in the renders and some seating around the edge. It does feel more like a boutique hotel than an airport, which is surely what every airline is aiming for with their premium offering.
Neither AA nor BA have enough First passengers to warrant this space, but combine them and it makes more sense. For AA passengers, this will be a genuine upgrade. For those flying with BA from T3, it moves the experience closer to T5. There is no First security, nor a fully fledged Concorde Room, but the dedicated check-in area is better than the dedicated lines.
Not just for First class ticket holders
If you are BA Gold or higher, you can use this check-in. That opens it up to a lot more passengers, and those entry rules mirror those of the BA First Wing. Granted, it has become much harder to get BA Gold since the changes in December 2025.
What T3 doesn’t have is a BA A380 flying from it. With the new seats on that plane announced at the same time as this lounge, it means that passengers won’t be able to use the upgraded First cabin and an upgraded First lounge until much closer to 2030.
Will more flights move from T5 to T3?
T5 is at capacity, and you can experience that when you end up at a remote gate and get bussed to the terminal. That’s why BA still relies on T3. It doesn’t want to; it has to.
Generally, BA will move flights from T5 when it simply doesn’t have the space, but with the upcoming two-to-three-year period of lounge upgrades, it may decide to move more flights to T3. The experience may be poorer in T3 today, but next year it may end up being better.
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