I start this "review" of the lounge by saying I miss the old BA lounge - an in house gig (or contracted) and run by a chap called Tony who was top notch. Usually a hot main option cooked to order in front of you - noodles etc. There was a decent range of beer in the Biz Lounge including an IPA (TankHouse). He even went off one occasion to "find" some tankhouse as they had none on display. The food then was ok but at least the menu changed. No showers but more bathrooms, and tight in the halcyon days of three flights a day (used to be 2 x 747 and 1 x 777 or a day when the early flight was delayed and the lounge hadn't emptied.)
Now, its a sectioned off part of the Premier Plaza (PP) lounge . The partitioning is basic, as I assume before 3pm, its one big lounge. Only two bathrooms from memory which is way inadequate, and one shower but no indication on booking it / using it. The PP staff are polite, but a bit slow and slightly unauthentic. Reception is slow as I assume they are paid per pax and so, everyone is entered into a hand terminal which slows it down. Been in the First section a couple of times when First was still available on the route (with table service and a slightly enhanced drink and food menu.)
The Biz lounge has a great view and is over gates C31-33 which are the usual gates for BA. Help yourself food is clearly all reheated with the roast beef reminding me of the old days of frozen birdeye / Findus roast beef in gravy. My gripe with the menu is low cost ingredients, and a mains menu which has NOT changed since it opened. (They must have a job lot on the roast beef). The food is warm at best and the quality depends on whether its a fresh batch or its been around an hour or two and all the best bits of beef have been picked out already.) There is soup and some nice cold mini samosas (spicy), mini quiches etc. Fruit, packaged deserts - choc mouse etc which contain two tea spoons of warm (in a bad way) desert. Nibbles - all in big bowls/ dispensers. They did have cold cans of Pop in the fridge. Draft lager (nothing special) and the usual spirits and cheapo wines. Coffee is freshly made, and bar service is slow with the bar serving both the BA side and the other side for other airlines. The one regular torture is the musac played just too loud and that awful music you get in a massage or elevator ( repetitive, no melody, bland) and it goes on and on and on with no escape from the torture. They do call the flights but by the time you get downstair in one of two slow (pneumatic piston) elevators, they're onto PE and group 3 so i head down early. (I am yet to see a group 0 come forward - a rare species or embarrassed?)
Not really lounge related, but the stars of the show remain the check in staff who you get a second audience with on boarding. Most have been there a long time, really nice and friendly and have gone beyond to check bags through on different locators. (Note to BA if you're reading this! DO NOT SUB THIS OUT TO A THIRD PARTY!!) Checking in with the BA team always starts the trip for me, most of the team are familiar and very BA (from the old days and in a GOOD way).
I use the lounge and if on the early flight, i do eat so I can sleep. Is it a gourmet meal or one to forget - definately the latter, though I think PP work hard for some paltry fee paid by BA and its still better than the ACs Canteens (as I all them) in terminal 1 where it is so busy, with zero lounge quality or style and always reminds me of a full work canteen with the queues too)
And as someone else said, AA is out of bounds past US Immigration and Customers in the pre clearance area AND on another pier so you can forget that one. (its great going to the US - no view, and ok food but nothing substantial food wise)