FlyerTalk Evangelist and Ambassador: The British Airways Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Diam, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 33,186
Somebody please do something about those showers...
There are so many different ways to enjoy lounges. With BA, I am lucky enough to enjoy CCR access, and quite frankly, whilst the daytime food menu is perhaps not at its best just yet, I do think that at the moment, breakfasts are probably better than ever before (not a different menu, but just better prepared - this morning, my California benedict were perfectly prepared, not least the poached eggs which were so often overcooked before, grapefruit segments have been replaced by much fresher half grapefruit, etc).
That said, on trips like today when I was connecting from long haul to short haul, I very badly missed the ability to use the cabanas, and in their absence, made my way to the showers which are probably the most important part of the lounge experience for me when connecting long to short haul as I feel pretty rough after a night with very little sleep and jetlagged.
Good grief....
1) The showers now apparently only open at 7.30 which is pretty useless for anyone connecting on the first bank of European flights which are timed around 8 in the morning (and I think is the largest bank of European connections at the moment);
2) My shower had no hot water and no way of regulating the temperature. Seriously? In the middle of winter and on people who are tired that is pretty unpleasant. And by the time I was naked and wet, I didn't really want to dress again pick up all my stuff, and complain to get another shower room with actual hot water, plus wouldn't have had the time anyway given the late start (nearly 1h30 after I landed...)
3) Minor point but radio was not working either;
4) still that ridiculous policy of not offering shower mats - only towels so you put water everywhere when you get out of the shower;
5) And of course, the shower rooms are still in pretty dire condition and in great need of some repair, complete with some cracks and even a small hole in the wall of the one I was using.
Come on BA, there are plenty of things you do well, but lounge showers is not one of them and for your connecting passengers at least, could do with some pretty radical fixing...