Etihad's rebuilt Heathrow lounge returns in summer 2027, the first in a new global lounge design

Etihad Airways says its next generation of lounges will start in London. The airline's lounge at Heathrow (LHR) is being rebuilt and is due to reopen in summer 2027. It will be the first lounge built in Etihad's new "Beyond Borders" design, the airline said in its Sept. 16 announcement. More lounges will follow, Etihad says, but it has not named them yet.

The lounge has been closed since Sept. 1. Head for Points reported that passengers were told only the day before. So if you fly Etihad from Heathrow this winter or next spring, you will be using someone else's lounge.

What Etihad is planning

Each new Etihad lounge will have separate spaces for Business and First guests. Guests booked in The Residence, Etihad's top cabin, will get private suites. Heathrow will be the first lounge to get all of this.

The look comes from Etihad's new cabins. The release says the design was "born in Abu Dhabi" and built around an idea it calls "from sand to superstructure." It draws on the emirate's desert, its buildings and how fast it has changed. Etihad first used the design in its new aircraft interiors. In the lounges, it will show up in shared materials, textures, lighting and details.

Etihad stresses that the lounges will not be copies of each other. Each will respond to its own city and purpose, while still feeling like the same airline. At the Arabian Travel Market show, the airline gave visitors a preview of a central showpiece and a new bar design planned for Heathrow.

The lounge plan is part of a larger spend. Etihad says it is putting US$20 billion into new aircraft and customer experience. That includes a US$1 billion program to retrofit its existing fleet.

Arik De, the airline's chief revenue and commercial officer, said in the release: "Our new lounges are an important part of the Etihad experience and London Heathrow marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter." He added: "London is the beginning."

De has since left the airline. One Mile at a Time reported on Oct. 8 that he departed effective immediately. De confirmed his exit in a LinkedIn post. Etihad had not named a replacement at the time of that report.

Where to wait at Heathrow until summer 2027

Etihad flies from Terminal 4. Our listing for the Etihad Lounge, once known as The House, rates it 4.6 out of 5. It had about 100 seats, a full bar and two showers. It was last renovated in 2019 and sat near gate 10. Access was for Etihad First and Business passengers and Etihad Guest Gold and Platinum members.

While it is closed, here is where Head for Points says Etihad sends its premium passengers:

• Most flights: the Gulf Air Falcon Gold Lounge, near gate 6. It rates 3.5 on Lounge Frog. It has about 120 seats, a full bar and three showers, and opens 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is not in Priority Pass.
• EY68, the late-evening departure: only The Residence and First passengers go to Gulf Air. Business passengers and Etihad Guest elites go to the Plaza Premium Lounge (T4), reportedly because of space. Plaza Premium is the top-rated lounge in Terminal 4 on Lounge Frog, at 4.9, with four showers. It is also open to Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass members, so it can get busy.

If you hold Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and the Blush Lounge, rated 4.1, are your T4 options in our data. See our Heathrow airport page for every lounge in all four terminals.

The lounges Heathrow will have to match

In Abu Dhabi (AUH), Etihad's home lounges in Terminal A opened in 2023. They give a sense of the bar Etihad sets for itself. The Etihad First Lounge rates 4.7 on Lounge Frog. The Etihad Business Lounge rates 4.6, spans three floors, seats about 600 and has 18 showers. Both are open around the clock. Etihad has not said whether the Beyond Borders design will reach Abu Dhabi.

Elsewhere, our data lists Etihad lounges in Sydney, rated 4.8, and at New York JFK, where the Etihad First & Business Lounge rates 4.5. More on Abu Dhabi's lounges.

Heathrow is busy with lounge news. British Airways plans a new lounge at the Terminal 5 C gates, and Amex is planning a second Centurion Lounge at Heathrow, also in T5.

What we don't know yet

Etihad has not given an exact reopening date for Heathrow. It has not shared the lounge's size or seat count, or named a designer. It has not said which city gets a new lounge next, or whether access rules will change. We will update this story when Etihad shares more.