No, I don't have it in for Qantas. They often provide me with good services, although I am not always happy with them (which is inevitable - disappointments happen in life).

It's simply that I wouldn't mind making a bit of effort to contribute to 'ailing BA'.

If QF started ailing too, that's would be a different matter. If that happens, might avoid using the BA lounge under the OWE access rules, because the value I consume at a lounge is not really that much, mainly as I do not drink in public and I am not a big eater. I may instead just use the lounge that correspond to my class of travel (then the only direct cost to the airline is what I consume). But for now, they appear to be able to afford what could be a rather expensive cranberry juice or bottled water and bits of fruits.

If I don't use the F lounge at T5, it's out of laziness. So I wouldn't mind making a bit of an effort if there is something so small that I can do to contribute to BA's coffers and if that prevents one of the staff being made involuntarily redundant, or service level being reduced, that would be nice. That's just in an ideal world and in reality, I know it doesn't probably work that way.

Having said that, saying "just for the sake of walking in" is a bit of an exaggeration, I suppose. I sometimes can't be bothered going to the lounge and have some something to drink/eat elsewhere. But given that my lounge visits benefit BA, I'd make an effort and use the lounge.

I guess what I am really saying is that I'm not that interested in the lounge just because of free food and drinks - I don't mind sitting elsewhere at T5 as long as there are quite areas with tables (which there are plenty as long as I'm paying for food/drinks), and I've done that many, many times instead of going to the lounge. Sometimes it's because I prefer non-lounge food, but sometimes out of sheer laziness to walk to the F lounge especially if the gate is on the opposite side of the airport. I'd sooner pay to eat and drink than to walk quite a lot of the time.

[Besides, you don't tend to get loud talkers at Itsu or Plane Food like you get at the lounge! But I digress.]

In other words, I wouldn't be literally walking in and out in 10 seconds. That would be a bit silly, wasteful and a bit rude towards QF, in fact. I'd probably feed my laptop too and use the free WiFi once in the lounge, even though they are not essential given the in-seat power availability for longer flights anyway.

From what I gather, the lounge access benefits come from my class of travel on BA rather than my OWE membership in the case of BA contract lounge. Is that assumption correct? If that is the case, I'd also not visit a contract lounge if doing so is merely out of my laziness (it happens, because if I am walking past it, I'd go there instead of looking elsewhere to sit), unless I feel I need to due to poor facilities elsewhere in the terminal, or unless I have a good reason to want to go to the lounge. If BA gets billed for my being there when all I want is somewhere quiet and I hardly consume anything (most contract lounges are poor enough for me to only consume some bottled water to the value of £1, if that, which to me is a huge waste if BA gets charged quite a lot for my access), it's not particularly good for me or BA.