Singapore Airlines closes Heathrow lounge "for aesthetic facelift"

Singapore Airlines has closed its first and business class SilverKris lounges in London Heathrow's Terminal 3 for a minor make-over.

"The London Heathrow First and Business Class SilverKris Lounges in Terminal 3 are scheduled to undergo refurbishment from 18 June, which are expected to be completed by 15 July 2012," a Singapore Airlines spokesperson explained to Australian Business Traveller.

The SQ rep promised that "the lounge is currently scheduled to reopen on 16 July. Both lounges will get an aesthetic face-lift, including minor changes to the layout and replacement of furniture."

While the SilverKris lounges get their refurb, SQ's business and first class passengers and high-tier frequent flyers will have access to the No 1 Traveller lounge, which we rate as perhaps the worst lounge in T3.

"Suites, First Class and Business Class customers, as well as PPS Club and KrisFlyer Gold members, will be accommodated at the No 1 Lounge, an independent lounge located on the second floor of Terminal 3 (airside)" Australian Business Traveller was told.

Cardholders with other Star Alliance airlines and Virgin Australia's Velocity program will also have access to the lounge, with Singapore Airlines' spokesperson advising "there are no changes to the ability of SQ and partner airline frequent flyers to use the above lounge in the interim."

Introducing your interim SQ lounge...

We don't image that SQ customers will be impressed by the No 1 Traveller lounge.

Busy and cramped, with mainly two-seater sofas, it's not a useful lounge for the business traveller.

It's a small lounge with pleasant decor, but on our visit we found the food selection paltry and the wine just awful.

Australian Business Traveller reviewed the lounge late last year (headline: disappointing), and gave it a brief pop-in last week to see whether anything had changed. (Alas, no.)

More frustrating: it's a buy-your-way-in lounge that's already used by many airlines, Priority Pass (and other lounge membership networks) and anyone who's happy to fork out.

That makes the lounge noisy, crowded and simply not up to the Singapore Airlines standard.

Unfortunately SQ didn't arrange to use partner airline Virgin Atlantic's Clubhouse, which we rate the world's best business class lounge.

Our advice to travellers: spend as little time as the airport as possible.

It'd be a pretty disappointing experience to turn up early to Heathrow expecting to relax and get some work done in the SilverKris lounges, only to be presented with a loud, cramped space that offers wine selling at three-for-£10 per bottle in UK supermarkets.

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John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.