Roundup
Air France's Heathrow Terminal 4 lounge is open, with a spa, a La Première room and strict entry rules
Air France opened its 150-seat Terminal 4 lounge on July 7. Three months in, here is what is inside, who gets past the desk, and how it stacks up against Qatar, Plaza Premium and the rest of T4.
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Air France Lounge
LHR · Terminal 4 · London
4.1/5 overallOpened July 7, 2026. Air France and KLM business (not Business Light), Flying Blue Elite Plus, eligible SkyTeam partner customers; Clarins spa on weekdays; La Première room.
Air France's first own-brand Heathrow lounge in 17 years: 750 sq m with a staffed bar pouring Laurent-Perrier champagne and evening cocktails, a 60-seat dining area, work pods, a nap zone, a Clarins spa with free…
Get in with: Air France Lounge, SkyTeam Elite Plus Lounge Access
Gulf Air Falcon Gold Lounge
LHR · Terminal 4 · London
3.5/5 overallShares a corridor with the Air France lounge; small, well run, Gulf Air passengers only.
Opened 2011. Rated 3.5/5 across 14 measures. 3 showers. Gulf Air business class passengers and Falconflyer Silver members; Falconflyer Black: 2 guests, Gold: 1 guest.
Saudia Lounge
LHR · Terminal 4 · London
2.3/5 overallUpper floor of the old SkyTeam Lounge; Saudia passengers only.
Opened 2025. Rated 2.3/5 across 15 measures. 2 showers. Saudia First and Business passengers and Alfursan Gold members only.
Etihad Lounge
LHR · Terminal 4 · London
4.6/5 overallClosed for renovation from early September 2026; check before relying on it.
Temporarily closed for a major refurbishment from 1 September 2026, with reopening expected in summer 2027 in Etihad's new 'Beyond Borders' design.
Temporarily closed. Check before you go.
News and analysis · Sources checked October 6, 2026; access rules updated October 11, 2026.
Air France's new lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4 opened on July 7, 2026, a few months later than the "spring" the airline originally floated, and it has now been running for three months. The lounge is roughly 750 square meters with around 150 seats, open daily from 05:00 to 22:00, and it replaces the arrangement under which Air France sent its premium passengers to the Plaza Premium contract lounge. Air France describes it as the first lounge of its own at Heathrow in 17 years; CAPA and One Mile at a Time reported the opening the same week.
What is inside#
The space is the former Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge on level 3 near gate 6, sharing a corridor with the Gulf Air lounge. Air France gutted it. The result is a long room with floor-to-ceiling windows over the apron, a staffed bar pouring Laurent-Perrier and mixing cocktails in the evening, a dining area of about 60 seats with a rotating hot and cold buffet, work pods, a quiet zone for naps, two showers and a Clarins treatment room.
The Clarins room is the headline amenity. From July 13, eligible guests have been able to get one complimentary treatment, chosen from a short menu of three, on weekdays only and on a first-come basis. La Première passengers can reserve in advance; everyone else queues. Head for Points put the treatments at about 15 minutes, so think of it as a pleasant extra rather than a reason to arrive two hours early.
There are also two small roped-off areas that most visitors will never see: a five-seat La Première section with à la carte service, and a four-chair enclave for Flying Blue Ultimate members. Air France flies up to six daily Heathrow to Paris CDG rotations in summer, and the La Première section exists for the handful of passengers connecting onto a long-haul first class flight at CDG. It is a statement, not a volume facility.
Who actually gets in#
The fare and status rules are worth reading closely.
- Air France La Première and Business passengers on Standard or Flex fares.
- Flying Blue Elite Plus members (Gold, Platinum and Ultimate) flying Air France or KLM.
- KLM business class passengers.
- Business Light fares are excluded. If you bought the cheapest business ticket, you are in the same position as an economy passenger, and the Plaza Premium Lounge is the practical alternative if you hold a card that gets you in.
- Eligible customers on SkyTeam partner airlines. Air France's July 7 release says the lounge welcomes "eligible customers flying with KLM and SkyTeam alliance partner airlines." It does not list which partner fares or tiers qualify, so check with your airline before you rely on it. See our Air France Lounge page for the current rules.
There is no paid entry and no Priority Pass or card access.
How it compares at Terminal 4#
Terminal 4 has quietly become one of Heathrow's better lounge terminals, and Air France's lounge arrives into real competition rather than a vacuum.
- The Qatar Airways Premium Lounge is still the best room in the building, with a formal dining area and a proper bar, but it is only for Qatar's own premium passengers and top-tier Privilege Club members.
- The Plaza Premium Lounge (T4), opened in October 2024, is the only option for Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey holders. It is good for a contract lounge and has four showers.
- The Saudia Lounge took over the upper floor of the old SkyTeam Lounge in 2025 and serves Saudia's own passengers.
- The Gulf Air Falcon Gold Lounge next door is small but well run, and Etihad's lounge was closed for renovation at the start of September.
Against that field, Air France sits second to Qatar on food and service, and first on the thing it chose to compete on: the bar.
Our take#
The lounge is a real upgrade for the people it was built for, and a clear signal that Air France wants its Heathrow product to stand next to British Airways rather than behind it. The criticism is the same one we make of most new European business lounges: the exclusions are doing too much of the work. Business Light customers paid for a business class seat and get no lounge at all. SkyTeam let its own Terminal 4 lounge lapse in 2020 and never replaced it, so this Air France room now matters for the whole alliance. If you fly Air France or KLM in business on a proper fare, go early and enjoy it. If you fly another SkyTeam airline, confirm your eligibility before you skip the Plaza Premium Lounge.
Correction — October 11, 2026#
An earlier version said passengers and elites flying other SkyTeam airlines are not admitted. Air France's July 7 release says eligible customers flying with SkyTeam partner airlines are welcome, and we have updated the access section to match.
Related reading#
Cite this article
Lounge Frog Editorial. “Air France's Heathrow Terminal 4 lounge is open, with a spa, a La Première room and strict entry rules.” Lounge Frog. Published 2026-10-06. Updated 2026-10-14. https://www.loungefrog.com/news/air-france-heathrow-terminal-4-lounge-open-access-rules
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Quick answers
Which lounge networks get you into these lounges?
Air France Lounge opens 1 of the 6; SkyTeam Elite Plus Lounge Access opens 1 of the 6; DragonPass opens 1 of the 6. Each lounge's page lists every program and card that admits you.
Written and checked to our editorial standards. Scores follow our methodology. Join the discussion below.
