Even British Airways’ mid-level Galleries Lounge is better than anything domestic airlines offer their frequent fliers.
I’m a very frequent flier, and a big fan of airlines lounges. These days I use one pretty much every time I go to the airport, even if it’s only for half an hour. I’d rather read the USA Today and other complimentary papers and magazines in a nice cushy chair than at the crowded gate, and I’d rather check my email on higher speed WiFi then the airport offers – without having to watch commercials or jump through hoops to connect. I’d rather play with the high tech (and free) coffee machine than stand in a long line to pay top dollar for the burnt tasting stuff at Starbucks.
I spend enough time in airports where I think it’s worthwhile to belong, so I’m a paying member of the United Lounge, which also covers (for now) the US Airways Lounges. I spend a fair amount of time in Delta lounges, and thanks to frequent flier status I use Star Alliance and Sky Team lounges overseas. Before I joined United, I belonged to Priority Pass, with a multitude of various airline related lounges, so I have been in a lot of them over the years. But just like the Beach Boys wish they all could be California Girls, sometimes I wish they all could be British Airways Lounges.
To be fair, because I know some of you are going to write in, there are plenty of other great lounges, especially with top tier international airlines like Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Singapore and so on. But the reality is that unless you travel frequently to specific places these are not realistic options for the vast majority of travelers, even frequent travelers. But British Airways is – Heathrow, its hub, is the busiest airport in the world and you pass through it on your way to a LOT of places. Can’t say that about Dubai. You might not have to pass through Heathrow at all, since London is the number one international destination for American travelers. Also, BA has plenty of lounges right here in the good old USA, at pretty much every major airport. We can argue about what airline has the best lounges, but I’m pretty sure that BA has the best lounges that someone like me, who travels a lot to different destinations, can use regularly. And soon a lot more people might be able to use them regularly, since they are closely allied with code share and One World partner American, which is on the verge of becoming the nation’s – and the world’s – biggest airline. That could be a big deal.
BA has four (or five or six or seven) tiers of lounges and not all are created equal, but I think it’s hard to go wrong (I haven’t been to the smallest ones, like Jersey or Newcastle). Yet the one I like the most is the one the least people probably use – and maybe don’t even realize exists at all. That would be the arrivals lounge at Heathrow. I recently spoke to a very frequent and decades long BA flier who goes to London all the time and has never used it. But this same person has complained about arriving early at their hotel to find the room not ready. Here’s a tip: next time, don’t be so quick to leave the airport.
Most overnight flights from the US to Europe, especially from the East Coast, get in early in the morning. No matter how nice your hotel, if you roll up at 8:30 expecting to check in, you are asking for trouble (unless of course you used a great travel agent, in which case your room will be ready, but that’s a different story, which I have written about here). So here’s a better idea: head from the plane to the BA arrivals lounge, which in a lot of ways I think is nicer than their business class lounge, and freshen up. Take a shower, shave, whatever, they have plenty of private individual shower/bathroom combos, cleaned between every use, and supplies to help you out. They have a vast breakfast area that puts the “full English” to shame – I’d never seen an automatic pancake making machine before. There are TVs, magazines, even a spa with complimentary treatments. Worst case scenario is you get to your hotel a bit later, but still early, and your room is ready. So what? You are showered, fed and happy. But if your room still is not ready, at least you are showered, fed and happy. It’s a win win.
I’d much rather get my coffee here than at the Starbucks in the terminal.
The arrivals lounge, like the other BA lounges – and pretty much all airline lounges – is only for higher level BA frequent fliers, high level One World fliers, dues paying club members, and premium class passengers (business or first). You can’t just buy an economy ticket and walk in. They are an amenity for frequent travelers or high fare travelers. But it’s a nice amenity to have.
I love the arrivals lounge, and lots of people go to London. But if you are passing through, BA has you covered as well. I recently had a trip to Africa where I had an 8-hour Heathrow layover in one direction, and 9-hours in the other. So to say I spent a fair amount of time in the lounge is an understatement – it was my home away from home.
The BA lounge structure is confusing (you can try to unravel it at their site’s lounge page). With the sole exception of Cape Town, home to a simple “British Airways Lounge,” their entry level product is the Terraces Lounge, at less busy airports. It has hot and cold food, wines, spirits, soft drinks, WiFi and usually business services, comfortable seating and reading material. This is the most like a US airline lounge – but still appreciably better than any I have been in (and I’ve been in a lot). In locations with overnight flights, many serve a full dinner option before departing, if you want to sleep on the plane. I recently used the Terraces lounge in Boston Logan airport, and the dinner spread was pretty impressive for a lounge, with multiple hot entrees, soups and salads. At the domestic airline lounges they had cheese and crackers. Not only was it much better than any of the US airline lounges, it certainly beat eating on the plane, and by skipping the entire inflight meal service, it let me get more sleep on an otherwise relatively short flight.
Next comes Galleries, which is usually just Galleries, but in some airports, liker Philadelphia, Toronto and Dulles, splits into Galleries First and Galleries Club, BA’s word for business class. The distinction is not that big, but First gets you a kids club, more champagne choices and better food. Considering that Terraces is already a huge step up from most airline lounges, I’m not going to split hairs over lounge entrée selections. The regular Galleries Lounge in Heathrow has a fresh soup bar, hot and cold entrees, lots of snacks, full coffee stations with all sorts of cappucino and lattes, and a very broad selection of wines, beers and spirits. That’s pretty much enough, and some lounges have more.
First class lounges are BA’s top tier – almost. In most cities they are, with waiter service, nicer decor and furniture, and generally more exclusivity.
But Heathrow, the crux of the matter from an American traveler’s perspective, is a whole different story, with multi-floor lounge complexes that resemble shopping malls. Here they have one Galleries Lounge for business, the First lounge for First, and just to confuse things, only in Terminal 5 (there are also lounges in 1 and 3) they have the Concorde Room, also for First class passengers, with hotel-style rooms featuring beds and en suite bathrooms, plus restaurant-style dining. They also have a Concorde Room in New York’s JFK (I haven’t been). In Heathrow, the various lounges in each terminal complex share an Elemis Travel Spa, which is pretty awesome and maybe my favorite feature. Even if you don’t like massage, if you just got off an 11 hour flight, have a long layover and then an 8 hour flight, you will like a massage. And while the free treatments are quick, like 15 minutes, they are top shelf. I found my 15 minute massage here better than some hour long versions I’ve had elsewhere. Plus, it is something else to do to break up the trip. I loved it. And it doesn’t matter which lounge you are in, you have access.
In the past couple of years I’ve used lounges from United, Delta, US Airways, Swiss, Lufthansa, Qantas, KLM, and Air France, and a few others I can’t recall. If I walked into an airport tomorrow and had the choice of all these lounges, I’d head straight to BA.
Given that British Airways operates its own lounges at more than 40 airports, often with multiples in each airport, and has several dozen more partner lounges to its network, I’m sure some frequent fliers have criticisms of particular lounges. But looking at the network and overall quality of food, service, drink and facilities, compared to the offerings of other similar sized airlines that most American frequent travelers have as viable alternatives, I don’t think you can do much better.
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(In the past 15 years I have flown British Airways on paid tickets in coach and business, on free tickets provided from the airline, and as a code share. I have used the lounges based on class of service, my BA frequent flier status and my One World frequent flier status.)
Frequent Flyer Oasis: British Airways Lounges Ease Stress Of Travel
