No matter how often you travel, jetting off for a luxury holiday is always eagerly anticipated.
As well as the awesome activities enabled by a sojourn in the sunshine or snow, a break from the workaday routine is always cathartic.
And as Britain’s busiest and best-connected airport, Heathrow is the ideal gateway to glam locations like Bali, Cape Town and Milan.
But a fab pre-flight experience sets up a stylish break beautifully – so here are five airport hacks for Heathrow fashionistas.
First thing’s first – before browsing any of the airport’s chic gift boutiques or elegant couture emporiums, slake your thirst at the Heathrow Fortnum & Mason bar at Terminal 5.
They stock excellent Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru and Brit Rose champagnes, effervescent cocktails like the Smoking Hedgerow and Intercontinental sour, and sublime Scotches like the Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Islay Barley.
Once you’ve unwound with a few beverages and bar snacks, take a leisurely postprandial stroll towards Heathrow’s designer boutiques to see if anything takes your fancy.
Heading to Chanel is often your best bet – you can rely on this Gallic couturier to provide an amazing array of timeless outfits for any occasion, as well as matching shoes, accessories and watches. You can make a shopping reservation at boutique.heathrow.com and personal shopper or pick up on return services are also available.
After your retail therapy, you might need a bit of a break while your credit card cools off – in which case, book a massage at Heathrow’s Be Relax spa and pamper yourself prior to takeoff.
Located at Terminal 5B, Gate 35, this bijou beauty bar offers full body table massages, oxygen and aromatherapy, a steam room and shower, and manicures or pedicures.
When your treatment is finished, you can also detoxify yourself further with a wonderfully healthy wheatgrass shake at the juice bar.
With the best will in the world, Heathrow’s main concourse can be hectic, so spending some spare time before takeoff in an exclusive lounge can help you realign your chakras before it’s chocks away for your flight.
There are several to choose from in Terminals 2 through 5, but there’s a Plaza Premium lounge in each and their sleek interiors and first class food, drinks and comfort make them the pick of the bunch – book your space on the official Heathrow airport website.
When you’ve taken great care and consideration to prime your hair and makeup and pick out the perfect pre-flight outfit, the last thing you want is to arrive looking like you’ve been dragged through a bush backwards because you’ve braved packed public transport.
So find Heathrow airport parking at Looking4.com, cruise there in the comfort of your own car and step inside the terminal as confidently as if you were floating along the catwalk. Plus, when you’re tired on the return leg of your trip, you can hop back in your ride and hit the road homewards.
That’s our list! Share your own stylish Heathrow tips in the comments section.