Originally Posted by
Oxon Flyer
Could you perhaps elaborate on which elements of, say, the LHR T5 First Lounge were such a disappointment to you ? There is a limit to how much constructive debate we can have if whole lounges are simply dismissed as “lousy” without any supporting evidence.
Well, for one, its ridiculously crowded for an F Lounge. I've literally never been in an F Lounge where I had trouble finding a seat, other than LHR T5 F Lounge. The furniture is pretty rundown.
Second, the food situation is just really poor. Historically, one differniator between business lounges and F lounges is an a la carte menu offering. The "a la carte" menu offering in T5 GF is just laughably, stunningly sad. Contrast the T5 GF "menu offerings" to the Qantas F Lounge offerings @ LAX (which btw isn't even a hub for them).
https://onemileatatime.com/reviews/q...st-lounge-lax/ (pictures of ala cart menu are about mid way down the page)
Honestly, for those that have experienced other OneWorld F Lounges (e.g. JAL, CX, QF) I don't really know how anyone could say, with a straight face, that the T5 GF lounge is a proper F lounge. Frankly, it's just become a business lounge that restricts access to OWEs.
Brits have often made fun of AA lounges in times past (often rightfully so), but I was recently in the MIA Flagship lounge and honestly, it blew the doors off T5 GF lounge (in food, wine, spirits, and crowding) And the Flagship Lounge is a "business class" lounge open to all OW Sapphires.
I realize this sounds harsh and I know I'll offend the usually suspects, but again, when you compare JAL, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas F lounges at each of their respective hubs, BA should be embarrassed of the T5 GF offering @ LHR.
IMHO, the only thing T5 GF really has going for it is the F Wing entrance.
Regards
P.S. I'm aware CX is currently "on the ropes" Time will tell if they recover, but pre-covid, their F lounges were very strong