richarddd

They announce the gate some amount of time before they start boarding. In my experience, AA announces boarding at least 15 minutes before they start boarding. I start walking to the gate from the lounge when they announce boarding and I can't remember arriving before boarding starts.

By announce, I mean post on the TV monitors.

dmsdfw

I might just be a fast walker, but if I did that I'd be at the gate about 30 minutes before boarding starts. I normally leave the lounge about five minutes after the display changes to "Boarding Now".

JY1024

I haven't seen it recently...when I was there last month, I only saw the Taittinger Brut Millesime 2006.

stifle

The Concorde Room is a tremendous lounge and not worth missing.

It is not a very long detour off your route as you'll have a long trek and underground transit to get from the EDI arrival in terminal 5A to the SEA departure which will almost certainly be in 5B or 5C.

QueenOfCoach

I guess I'm sort of a slow walker, so I usually leave the departure lounge when they announce the gate. I don't mind waiting a bit in the gate area. Sometimes they have additional security right at the gate, so I feel more comfortable giving myself plenty of time. In general, when traveling I like to be where I'm supposed to be.

Just to make sure we are all on the same page:

When you first walk into the LHR departure lounge (ie terminal area, with seating, shops, restaurants and TV monitors), the TV monitor will say something like

AA 135 Los Angeles Wait in lounge

When they assign a gate AND have personnel at the gate ready to process passengers, the TV monitor will say

AA 135 Los Angeles Go to Gate 35

By contrast, in most US airports they will have a gate displayed on the TV monitor way ahead of time. You can go to that gate and wait or to a restaurant or lounge convenient to that gate.

One year in Heathrow I asked an airport employee who told me the gate number ahead of time. So, I went on to the gate. Big mistake. The doors into the gate waiting area were shut tight and locked. I had to stand in the hallway with no place to sit except the hallway floor. I've learned my lesson. Go to the gate when they tell you to go to the gate. Not before. Not after.

Fast walkers can allow a bit more time.

Superguy

Yes, I'm finding this a fairly annoying UK practice, but then again, like you said, there's not much to do at the gate either. They did that in Leeds, too.

I stopped at both the CX and BA lounges. CX had the noodle bar which was quite good (I recommend the wonton noodles), but they didn't have much else out. Maybe because it was early. They just had drinks and the noodle bar. There was only one other person in there when I went in. This was around noon. More people showed up by the time I finished my noodles, but there still wasn't much put out.

I'm just chalking that up to the earlier hour.

I liked the BA lounge much better. They had quite a nice spread of cold and hot selections and plenty of drinks (both alcoholic and soft) available. Their restroom setup was weird, but overall, I liked the lounge over CX's.

Didn't even bother with AA's.

US 733 left out of gate 30. It was a bit of a hike, and there was one small cafe between the gate and the main area. Gate 30 was at least wide open and had places to sit without having to wait outside.

ccengct

Indeed, it's not just at airports. Platform numbers at the major train stations (Waterloo, Paddington, etc) are sometimes not posted until 10 minutes before departure, and a mad rush through the ticket barriers follows.

I have had good results asking the BA customer service reps what gate will be used before it's posted. (I mean the customer service desk in the back, not the people working admissions in the front.)

aaupgrade

You can pre-book treatments at the Elemis Spa in London Heathrow Terminal 5A South within 28 days of departure if you are travelling in BA's First cabin. Details on how to book may be found at BA's You First web page.

stifle

Yes, I agree. The process is this way so that people won't head right to the gate and will instead spend more money in the shops.

Superguy

Makes sense.

I shopped anyway as I didn't have much time to do souvenir shopping. That said, the Brits were the most "in your face" about dumping people into duty free than any other country I've been to yet.

I came to the conclusion that LHR is just a mall that happens to have planes going in and out of it.

Oaxaca

LPGS is now only in the Concorde Room at T5 (and onboard in BA F). The Flounges at LHR have Taittinger. There are occasional reports of a stray bottle of LPGS being sighted in other lounges, this is usually reported on the BA forum and consumed faster than you can say "flash mob"

worldiswide

As good as advertised. Made a swing through the stores, noodles at CX lounge, a rest in BA. One thing to note,AA flights not announced in BA or CX, and my flight originally had a delay of 40 minutes and then was moved back to the original time and the board was wrong in the BA lounge. I was reading and not checking alerts, but decided to visit AA lounge for a few minutes where they informed me upon check in to go to gate. All well that ends well. Refitted 767 was very nice with a few quirks

JDiver

I use the FlightBoard app (Android or iOS) for gate, delays, etc. information.

worldiswide

Thanks for the suggestion. Ive got it loaded and ready for next time.

QueenOfCoach

The BA board folks told me about a dedicated app for Heathrow. You can enter your departing flight and it bings you when the gate has been announced.