Access to BA Galleries -Arrivals- Lounges at LHR?
Oct 12, 2018, 10:56 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVP 75K, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 241
Access to BA Galleries -Arrivals- Lounges at LHR?
Simple enough question but can't seem to find any definitive answers after searching the forum. Do AS MVPG and MVP75 have access to only the air-side Galleries Lounges at LHR, or would one be entitled to access the Arrivals Galleries lounges as well? I'm flying WT+ and don't have a OW credential that would otherwise permit access. If no one can offer anecdotal evidence either way I'll be happy to share my findings on Sunday morning.
Oct 13, 2018, 3:26 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,357
Good luck -- it's my understanding that you need to be flying J or F to get in the BA lounges. Happy to be proven wrong. If you don't get access, then there's a private lounge next to the United lounge in T-2 (?) that charges a flat fee for admission. Not sure about the non-airline affiliated lounges in T4 or T5.
Oct 13, 2018, 6:28 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
If you need J or F to access BA lounges, what would the point of this listed benefit be? Lounge access is included in BA J or F.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...rtner-benefits
I suspect OP’s answer will be “no” because the arrivals lounges are not listed and it’s talking about flights. I suspect that just departure lounges are included. No harm in asking I guess. Also happy to be wrong.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...rtner-benefits
Available to MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K members, plus one guest.
Complimentary access to the select British Airways Galleries Lounge locations listed below when holding a current day ticket/boarding pass with at least one British Airways operated international flight segment. Physical or mobile app digital elite tier card required.
Complimentary access to the select British Airways Galleries Lounge locations listed below when holding a current day ticket/boarding pass with at least one British Airways operated international flight segment. Physical or mobile app digital elite tier card required.
- Galleries Lounge in Heathrow International Airport (LHR) Terminal 3
- Galleries Lounge in Heathrow International Airport (LHR) Terminal 5
Oct 13, 2018, 6:35 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SJC / DPS
Programs: AS G75K, UA Silver
Posts: 1,757
No access to the arrivals lounge. The Galleries lounges at T3 and T5 are fine, even with a Y or Y+ ticket. You may get some pushback if there's an agent who hasn't deal with AS MVPGs before; we're not particularly common there.
Oct 13, 2018, 8:55 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,843
Also, is it just me, or has the Galleries food gone downhill in recent years, like most things BA?
Oct 13, 2018, 9:13 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska 100K - MM, defender of shoes on the carpeted bulkhead 4ever, AA LT PLT, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia
Posts: 7,446
right, it took some effort: showing them my AS Gold card and the website documenting the benefit to motivate one of the agents to “research it” back in March. On the return trip, it was no issue at all, though.
Also, is it just me, or has the Galleries food gone downhill in recent years, like most things BA?
Oct 14, 2018, 2:32 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere
Programs: AS MVP, EK Silver, Bonvoy Plat
Posts: 921
right, it took some effort: showing them my AS Gold card and the website documenting the benefit to motivate one of the agents to “research it” back in March. On the return trip, it was no issue at all, though.
Also, is it just me, or has the Galleries food gone downhill in recent years, like most things BA?
Oct 16, 2018, 8:59 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,598
I gained access to the Galleries with my WT seat and 75K status.
Note: The T5 South Galleries is far better and more spacious than the T5 North Galleries, IMO.
Oct 17, 2018, 12:14 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVP 75K, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 241
OP here. Yes- sorry it’s been a busy week and I haven’t had time to report back. Galleries Arrivals in T5 is actually open M-F from 5a-6p(?) so I wasn’t even able to give it a go. I did visit the Plaza Premium lounges in T2 and T4 on Priority Pass. I will say that while it was an additional changeover in trains to get to T4 vs T2, the PP lounge there was far larger and had better amenities than the T2 version. T2 was literally a converted retail space that was quite small, really limited seating and only 3 showers which left me waiting quite some time. Even on a Sunday morning it was overrun. Next time I would go straight to T4 if other options were unavailable.
Oct 17, 2018, 10:37 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,813
OP here. Yes- sorry it’s been a busy week and I haven’t had time to report back. Galleries Arrivals in T5 is actually open M-F from 5a-6p(?) so I wasn’t even able to give it a go. I did visit the Plaza Premium lounges in T2 and T4 on Priority Pass. I will say that while it was an additional changeover in trains to get to T4 vs T2, the PP lounge there was far larger and had better amenities than the T2 version. T2 was literally a converted retail space that was quite small, really limited seating and only 3 showers which left me waiting quite some time. Even on a Sunday morning it was overrun. Next time I would go straight to T4 if other options were unavailable.
Oct 17, 2018, 4:39 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 659
The gate agent was little perplexed by the situation, commenting that my ticket didn't have an indicator on it showing lounge access. I flew some legs FI Saga on this trip and they all did have the name of the lounge printed somewhere on the card. I was ready to pull up the AS website if needed, but she was aware that as Gold I should have access
I just showed her that my FF# on the ticket matched my card and she sorta shrugged it off and scanned me in.
Oct 17, 2018, 9:05 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: San Francisco
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Titanium, UA Silver
Posts: 118
We used the T5 South Galleries last weekend. I showed agent the WT+ boarding pass and my MVPGold digital card. The only hesitation she had was to ensure I did not need to have the physical card in lieu of the digital. She checked a notebook, then let us in.