Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
I've heard from two sources that BA are "reviewing" the lounge situation, though I don't want to build up any false sense of hope here. Aspire opens on 1 June at NCL (and elsewhere), and by coincidence BA has renewed third party lounge contracts in all sorts of places with effect from 1 June, the extent of that we will only find out towards the end of next week.
Anything would be welcome, though a third party lounge won't be as homely as the BA one was. Since the refurbishment a few years ago, the general departure area at Newcastle has felt more cramped. It may just my perception, but it feels like there are fewer seats that aren't within a catering establishment, so you end up having to buy something if you want to sit down. The location/physical presence of the outlets certainly feels like it reduces the light into general departure area compared to before.
All in all, it's no longer a pleasant place to wait and it's very difficult to get work done compared to the tranquility of the BA lounge. Something approaching that would be lovely...