Air France and KLM are moving back to Heathrow T4
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Air France and KLM are bidding adieu and vaarwel to their current base at London Heathrow (LHR), T3, as they move back to T4.
The Skyteam-affiliated duo had resided in T3 since August 2021, when T4 was temporarily closed during the pandemic, now as reported by Business Traveller, they are headed back to their old stomping ground.
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One potential headache is that Virgin Atlantic — now of course, part of the Skyteam Alliance as well — says it is to remain at T3, suggesting that connecting on KLM and Air France throughout Europe, or vice versa onto some of Virgin’s long-haul offerings further afield, might not be as smooth as expected.
Further eyebrows will be raised on what lounge access will look like for regular and elite travellers using KLM and Air France, who have both used T3’s Aspire Lounge since last July as their last T4 haunt, the SkyTeam Lounge, is no more.
Despite many parts of T4 gradually resuming normal service since reopening following the easing of travel restrictions, for the SkyTeam Lounge it sadly was terminal, with bosses permanently closing the lounge when the shutters came down on T4 during the peak of COVID-19.
Related: Virgin Atlantic is now a member of SkyTeam — here are 6 things you need to know
Remember that you can only access the lounges in the terminal you are departing from, so it’s worth double checking with the airlines before you fly.
The good news, however, is that T4 is coming back in a big way for those who like to get work done or unwind in luxury. More and more lounges are popping up in T4, including Qatar’s new Frequent Flyer lounge and dedicated Premium check-in area for business and first-class fliers.
The triumphant return of European stalwarts KLM and Air France just underlines the subtle attraction of Heathrow’s Terminal 4, even if it’s the newer T5 that usually generates most of the headlines.
By all accounts, the move is happening imminently, so if you’re flying out of Heathrow with either airline, be sure to contact your respective carrier to find out more.
If you do find yourself on the hop, Heathrow’s minimum connecting time at T4 is 90 minutes, so plan your journey accordingly.
Featured image by HEATHROW AIRPORT
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