Flexible preferences

And, hypothetically, over four dozen if every F passenger were to invite a guest...

lost_in_translation

I think I pointed out in a thread towards the end of last year that the IAD dining area was now called First Dining on the menus, has taken BA quite a while for the policy change to follow!

corporate-wage-slave

My theory is that this has been inadvertently caught up with the situation at BOS. The idea was that BOS would have something similar to IAD in having a Concorde Dining experience, but the budget was (initially) cut, so there is a dining area, and insufficient seats to accommodate anyone other than First ticketholders. I imagine someone complained about this. So BOS went to First Dining, this allows BA to exclude CCRs and Prems, and now IAD has been regularised with BOS, even though there is plenty of space there. Just to take it further forward, BOS is now having the room next to First Dining added to that area, so that it will be of the same order of size as IAD, so in the medium term the "problem" will go away in terms of space. Whether both lounges will then become Concorde Dining remains to be seen. By all means mention this at the GGL events coming up, I think there are 2 or 3 of them.

crazyanglaisy

Surely if it's called First Dining they should reintroduce access to Gold card holders. Wasn't the whole reason for using the word 'Concorde' across the lounges aimed at getting around the OneWorld access rules on those premium routes where BA wanted to be more discriminatory?

Either way, what this does show, alongside the reported new boarding trial, is that BA's managers' capacity for boneheadedness has soared to ever greater heights.

sts603

First Dining was never meant to be part of the One World lounge rules. It was COS dining just like the CW dining rooms aren't open to Silvers.

Golds would overwhelm the dining rooms. They weren't designed for that capacity.

There is a big difference between the number of non-F Golds and non-F CCR Holders.

CCayley

Au contraire. Surely BA should be able to offer some form of pre-flight dining to (actual) First Class passengers at outstations with limited facilities without having to allow countless cattle class passengers who happen to be able to wave a bit of shiny plastic in on the act?

crazyanglaisy

I don't disagree with you, though I'd be surprised if many CCR holders were travelling in Cattle Class. As others have mentioned, this new CCR cardholder restriction couldn't lead to more than a handful fewer lounge guests a week, and I've never seen either of these dining rooms full (contrasting, unfavourably, with the LHR CCR, for example). My point was just that I always thought i had a developed sense of what the First and Concorde designations meant in BA's network for my lounge access eligibility, and this report has thrown the metaphorical spanner in the works. I was not actually advocating letting in all GCHs. Consistency is key, i feel, in situations like this.

HIDDY

Their wife/husband/partner/kids might be though.

From what I remember the T4 CCR dining room facility wasn't easy to get entry into even to F ticket holders.

HilFly

And yet in the new lounge at BOS they've opened up CW pre-flight dining to anyone who has lounge access.

If they'd kept access to CW passengers only they could have used more space for Concorde dining.

chris1922Mk2

I was in BOS a few weeks ago, flying F, and seated in the First Dining area. I noticed it was full, and another passenger was turned away. From what I could ascertain, the passenger in question was flying F as there was a discussion as to how it could be full and no room for an F passenger. I can only imagine it was due to a second LHR flight scheduled some two and a half hours later.
But perhaps it was a CCR holder, either already dining or wanting to.
I didn't think the food was all that great anyway, as it happens...........

Purim

Because such a strategy would be inconsistent with BA behavior and belief that BAEC is one the jewels of the crown.

Other than onboard seating, is there anywhere that BA prioritizes F pax over CCR's?

gw76

Agree!

randomflyer

It's been a bit of time, but having used IAD myself and both First and CW dining areas, guests were not accommodated when I was last there.

The sole way to get in to either was to hold a boarding pass for the cabin as described "on the tin."

The CCR card holder is a different category of diner and that seems to be the bone of contention here.

But while being in CW or F and having the appropriate permission to guest someone not traveling in F or CW into the lounge area, they could not join you in the dining room, guarded by the fine staffers at the podium at the entrance who check your BP.

Maybe that's changed, dunno.

LHRagain

Did anyone manage to bring this up at last nights GGL event and if so what was the response?

Filthy Monkey

I brought it up and have been assured that it will be looked into. I'll report back when I have an update.