Lounge Review: FCO British Airways Lounge

Index to Genius1 Trip Reports

BA’s Rome lounge opened in 2018 in the non-Schengen departure lounge of T3, one level above the gates. Replacing the ageing Executive Club lounge, the new lounge is bright, airy and well laid out, featuring the airline’s latest ‘Futures’ lounge concept.





The lounge is semi-open plan, loosely divided into four rooms. Beyond the single-desk reception is the lobby bar. The largest of the rooms, this space features a central walk-through self-service island bar, a self-service buffet and a variety of seating options; high-top seating at both ends (with ample UK and European power and USB sockets), café and dining table seating. The bar itself features additional seating (again, with power and USB sockets). The terrazzo flooring I like so much in the GVA lounge makes a return appearance here, either side of the bar.















The buffet was well stocked during my afternoon visit, featuring a variety of salad, (slightly stale) sandwiches, quiche, meats and cheese, whole fruit, fruit salad, biscuits and pastries.







Back in February (and perhaps since concluded), six hot dishes were available to order via QR codes dotted around the lounge, with options including lasagne, aubergine, pizza, ham and cheese pie, chicken fillets and pasta. Both the aubergine and chicken fillets were good for an outstation lounge. The waiting staff were friendly, and quick to clear empties.





The bar featured the typical BA lounge selection of wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks, with Prosecco also offered of course. Negronis were available on request. A coffee machine is located adjacent to the food buffet.









The next room along is the main lounge seating area (or ‘social space’ according to BA), with banquette seating on the three side walls and armchair seating in the centre. Since the lounge opened in 2018, these armchairs have been replaced with more durable options, although even these new varieties were a little dirty and worn in places. Later lounges adopting the same design have received leather or more durable fabric variants of the same design. All side tables feature power and USB sockets (some of the pop-up variety), and most feature individual lamps. There is space to store luggage underneath the tables. Views from this space and the next two rooms are great, across the apron to Runway 07/25.



















Two rooms are set behind the main seating area, partially secluded behind slatted wooden partitions. The first is the ‘office’, featuring a communal marble work table and high-top seating. There’s a wireless printer here, plus a TV and mini drinks station (although surprisingly with no proper coffee machine).













The second room is the quiet seating area or ‘solitary’, featuring more armchair seating and banquette seating around the perimeter.





I appreciate the fact that BA have redeployed artwork from the previous Executive Club lounge and added some more, presumably from their archives, which creates a more homely feel than the same lounge design at GVA. Despite the lounge having a semi-open ceiling throughout, there is no noise from the rest of the terminal.





BA’s Rome lounge is a great example of high quality stylish and practical design in a relatively small space, with the lounge never feeling overly crowded despite multiple departures at a similar time. Food options were surprisingly plentiful, and seating options comfortable, all well served by power. There’s little to be left wanting for here.