Emirates Airline today (October 27) opened its first dedicated lounge at London Heathrow for First and Business Class passengers travelling on its five daily services to Dubai.

The Emirates Lounge will be situated at the airport’s Terminal Three in its recently-opened Pier 6 departures area, and will boast panoramic views with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the airport’s southern runway.

Covering a total of 9,500 square feet, the lounge is part of a worldwide investment of £19 million by Emirates in providing the best possible lounge facilities for its First and Business Class passengers and frequent flyers.

“Following the addition of a fifth daily flight last year, demand for our services from London Heathrow continues to grow with over 10,000 passengers travelling with us from the airport each week,” said Vic Sheppard, Emirates’ Vice President UK & Ireland.

“The new lounge will form an integral part of the travel experience we provide our First and Business Class passengers, as we constantly seek to enhance our services, both in the air and on the ground,” he added.

Passengers using the lounge will be able to enjoy an extensive menu of complimentary hot and cold gourmet dishes, accompanied by a full bar service, including champagne, as well as Emirates’ trademark attentive service from its dedicated lounge staff.

The Emirates Lounge will also feature a business centre, with 10 computer workstations and four laptop workstations each with complimentary broadband and wireless LAN access, along with a hotline to both the Skywards and Emirates Call Centres.

It will have seating for up to 190 passengers, with a large number of leather armchairs available and a plasma screen showing the latest news and lifestyle programmes from a selection of global channels. The lounge will also provide travellers with full shower facilities.

The Emirates Lounge is being modelled on the carrier’s award-winning lounges at Dubai International Airport and is part of Emirates’ $13 million investment programme to install lounges at key airports across its global network.

The Emirates Lounge at London Heathrow will be its second dedicated facility to open in the UK, following the opening of the stunning Emirates Lounge at London Gatwick in October 2005, which has been well received by the airline’s passengers. Emirates Lounges are also available in Auckland, Bangkok, Brisbane, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London Gatwick, Melbourne, Munich, New York (JFK), Paris (CDG), Perth, Singapore and Sydney.

Emirates passengers have the use of alternative top-class lounge facilities at most other departure points across its network of 85 destinations worldwide.

“The new Emirates lounge has one of the best views on the airport and will be a fantastic addition to the overall passenger experience,” said Tony Douglas, CEO BAA Heathrow.

Emirates offers its passengers the extensive choice of five non-stop flights each day from London Heathrow to Dubai, with quick and convenient onward connections to a wide variety of destinations across the globe including Sydney, Melbourne, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore.

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