Air France has opened its first dedicated lounge at London Heathrow, giving premium passengers and frequent flyers a French-designed retreat in Terminal 4 before flights to Paris and beyond.
The opening matters for UK business travellers on the airline’s medium-haul network, who until now have had no Air France-branded space at the airport. The lounge is open daily from 5am to 10pm and admits La Première, Business and Flying Blue Elite Plus customers, along with eligible passengers flying with KLM and SkyTeam alliance partner airlines. Entry is handled by eligibility kiosks at the door, so access checks should be quick even at peak departure times.
The new facility follows the airline’s announcement late last year that a Heathrow lounge was in the works, and forms part of a wider international lounge programme that recently saw a new Air France space open in Chicago.
What travellers will find inside
Designed by Air France’s in-house teams with agency MARKS Brandimage, the lounge covers more than 750 square metres and seats nearly 150 guests, with runway views and plenty of natural light. The airline’s winged seahorse emblem and heritage posters feature throughout, alongside furniture from French designers including Margaux Keller, Pierre Paulin, Patrick Jouin and Christophe Pillet.
The dining area seats close to sixty, mixing tables for two with a large communal table, and the menu changes through the day with hot and cold dishes, vegetarian options and traditional French cooking, beef bourguignon among the opening dishes. A staffed bar serves champagne, French wines and spirits.
For those working between flights, there is a quiet, functional workspace, free Wi-Fi, TV screens and power sockets and USB ports beside the seats. A separate relaxation area sits tucked away from the main space, and digital newspapers and magazines are available through the Air France Press app. The airline says it prioritises local and seasonal produce, and has added water dispensers to cut single-use plastic.
The lounge includes a treatment area run by Clarins, an Air France partner for nearly 20 years. Guests can choose one complimentary treatment from three options: Anti Jet-Lag, L’Instant Detox and Focus Regard, each delivered by Clarins beauty therapists in a private treatment room.
La Première customers get their own private area modelled on the La Première suite found on certain long-haul flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, with five seats, in-seat dining and a view of the runways. They also qualify for an exclusive Destination Relaxation treatment in the Clarins area. Flying Blue Ultimate members have a dedicated four-seat zone offering extra privacy.
Terminal 4 is the SkyTeam end of Heathrow, and the arrival of a flagship Air France lounge strengthens the case for routing connecting journeys through Paris rather than rival hubs. For SME travellers weighing up loyalty schemes, the access list is worth noting: Flying Blue Elite Plus status now unlocks a considerably better ground experience at Heathrow than before, without a first or business class ticket. Full details of the facility are on the Air France corporate newsroom, and our Heathrow business traveller’s guide covers the rest of the airport’s premium options.
