Lounge provider No1 Lounges is to manage Etihad’s lounge at Heathrow T4, in a move which will see the lounge rebranded as “The House – Home of Etihad Airways and Other Leading Airlines”.
In a statement provided to Business Traveller, the carrier said:
“Etihad Airways recently initiated a process of sourcing a reputable vendor to manage the airline’s lounge offering at key locations outside Abu Dhabi, starting with London Heathrow.
“No1 Lounges, a leading lounge services provider, was chosen as Etihad Airways’ partner for this innovative project, known as ‘The House – Home of Etihad Airways and Other Leading Airlines’.
“With this partnership, Etihad Airways aims to utilise the proven expertise and experience of No1 Lounges to enhance the lounge experience for its customers, building on the acclaimed Etihad Premium Lounge offering, and providing even more choice and quality.”
More details are set to be released in the coming days, but Etihad stressed that “the lounge access eligibility has not changed”.
It is unclear at this stage if customers not travelling with Etihad or its partner airlines will be able to pay to enter the lounge – as would normally be the case with No1 Lounge facilities.
Last year Etihad introduced the ability for economy passengers to pay to access Etihad lounges worldwide, as part of wider changes including the removal of free chauffeur drive services for business and first class customers at international destinations.