allturnleft

I am still in the no children in lounges camp! Are there any airlines which operate this policy?

UKtravelbear

Isn't there one airline that has a no children in the J cabin rule on certain planes / routes?

Not quite the same but a happy start!

If there was a mine or chimney near LHR that would be a nice place to put the little darlings !

Paralytic

Introducing this would benefit me, but I can't fathom why someone whose company pays for all their CW/F flight should then take their family on holiday in WT and expect lounge access.

Its an interesting discussion, and happens a couple of times every year, but I can't see BA changing anything.

FrancisA

Tempting though it is, I won't go that far.

However, I would restrict children to GCs, not GFs/FLounges, particularly if there were any option to pay for additional child guests. (I personally don't see why there should be an option to pay for extra adult guests - they can buy CE/CW/F tickets if they want lounge access, or earn status).

My logic to this this that GF/FLounges offer better booze (not available to children), better food (unlikely to appeal to most children) and a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere (not something that large numbers of children would create).

Anyway, now donning a hard hat and opening a packet of popcorn ....

InfiniteCycle

6 hour layover - with kids - you want to spend that in a lounge?! Take them to Legoland (Windsor) and show them something fun, rather than just a small playroom in a waiting room for 6 hours. Alternatively EXPLORE the airport. Way more exciting than a dull lounge.

drspear

Not my experience at all, and since you ask I can tell you what we did

girls got their nails done in the spa, I got my haircut
had 2 meals at a sit down restaurant type setting
sat in the sports zone and watched a live game
had games of pool on the pool table
had countless drinks from a waitress that didn't even need to ask she ordered refills when you got 75% through your glass
would have the Jacuzzi but it was under maintenance
ate lots of fudges and boilings ^

It was nothing short of excellent in that respect and they let me take in the kid, a perfect experience in that respect, and it stuck out like a sore thumb BA don't offer that, so thought it worth suggesting it would be a good idea

To all those continuing to hide behind "ooh but it will be easy at easter" we are already accepting that with a criteria of overfilling so you need to hide behind another reason or just say you don't want to share the lounge with kids

CCayley

I'm not sure why the replies all focus on BA, including various suggestions for changing the BAEC lounge access rules. Surely the real point is that at T5, unlike many other airports, there is no third party lounge offering paid lounge access.

If space could be found somewhere at T5 for such a lounge, it would enable those who want lounge access but don't qualify under BAEC rules a chance to get it, whilst leaving the BA lounges to those who qualify.

Fatpenguin

I think people are focusing on BA because it is being suggested that DYKWIA's, the OP as an example, who can not be bothered to pay for their family to fly in a suitable cabin want to ruin the lounge for others. I do not mean children in this respect, I mean having extra people in the lounge who should not be there.

I find it strange that people who achieve Gold with BA would ever fly in Y. I take it it is earned by flying mainly in F/J, so why would you want to not let your family fly in the same way? I really feel that these people should be honest with their families and tell that they dislike them, do not want them to as comfortable as mummy or daddy is when somebody else is paying and that being with them is a total sufferance.

As to the argument that you do not take guests in when flying on business, well, perhaps BA should read this and stop all guesting privileges completely, the lounges would go back to being what they were intended to be, somewhere quiet to relax before a flight.

FP

seaskybound

How about flies mostly WT, and just manages to keep GCH? Still flies a lot, still frequents Flounge a lot SOLO

CCayley

I'm not sure if your post was altogether serious, but I have to say I saw nothing DYKWIA-like in OP's posts. S/he is merely saying that the opportunity to buy a portion, but not all, of a premium service would be welcomed. Given the expense of long-haul business class compared to economy that is an understandable attitude. I suppose it is logically no different to someone saying "I would gladly pay £30 to be provided with the F meal service when I fly Y - BA should consider making it available". The only difference is paid lounge access might be more practicable, but given that the T5 lounges already get quite full at times I happen to think a third party lounge would be a better solution than having BA do it.

Fatpenguin

Not 100% serious, but it does get so boring hearing people come on here about lounge access when they know that they do not have it, they complain the lounges are too busy but they want an exception for them as they are so special, it is a special trip for their parents, their children will get bored etc etc etc.

It is very easy, pay for F/J, use the miles you earn when your company is paying for your flights or man up and accept the situation.

The reasoning of it costing too much is null and void, if you can not afford it then why should you get the benefits? If you go to a restaurant regularly and have fillet steak, you then take your mum for her special meal, do you say you want the fillet as usual, but because there is two of you you want it at the rump price as you can not afford 2 fillet steaks?

FP

Fatpenguin

I should probably change my last paragraph to say that I am paying for this myself so will not be ordering what I have when somebody else is paying!!!!!!

FP

nux

It seems like almost every other time I go through GF someone is trying to talk their way in with family in tow, either wife and child, two kids, or more.
My guess is the large majority have a gold card from corporate travel, but travel economy on personal travel.

I wonder if BA keeps a tally of the knock backs so they know how large the increase could be if they open the floodgates with paid access, extra guest passes or similar.


The rules are clear. If lounge access is a requirement, then fly in a class that allows it, have enough status card holders travelling to guest all required, fly with an airline with a more generous allowance or use a paid lounge (granted this is not an option at T5).

Otherwise, arrive a bit later at the airport, have a meal at Plane Food, or just survive without going to a lounge.

techie

If BA are so stuck up in their ways that they would rather fly with many empty CW seats than open them to UUA, I cannot see pay-per-person-per-visit access to lounges being offered.

zkzkz

AC does guest passes -- in fact as the equivalent of a BA Bronze that's all you get. A few (used to be 4, I think they cut it to 2) one-time guest passes. The problem with these is they tend to get sold off or traded, or even just given away when their expiry nears. So you end up with someone turning up with 6 guests and a wad of passes.

On the other hand AC does allow immediate familiy. I think this is pretty standard at other programmes actually. One guest *plus* any spouse or children. And a bit of online browsing comes up with some evidence:

AC policy:LH policy: NZ policy:And lest you think this is a *A thing, the QANTAS policy:So I would fear any attempt to charge members for their own children would actually backfire and come across as BA being mean.