Which F to Choose: WAS-JFK-LHR or WAS-DFW-LHR

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May 10, 2024, 8:15 am

#16

Blumie

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tennessetom

Keep in mind that you probably won’t actually have access to the CCR as you aren’t flying first on BA equipment

Absolutely untrue. AA F passengers have access to the CCR.

I would fly through DFW. The JFK-LHR flight is way too short to get any decent sleep, contributing to jet lag (IMHO, of course).

May 10, 2024, 8:34 am

#17

tennessetom

Join Date: Jul 2008

Posts: 842

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blumie

Absolutely untrue. AA F passengers have access to the CCR.

I would fly through DFW. The JFK-LHR flight is way too short to get any decent sleep, contributing to jet lag (IMHO, of course).

The Concorde Room at London Heathrow Terminal 5 is available for passengers who are:

Flying on a scheduled British Airways flight in First.

May 10, 2024, 8:36 am

#18

MarkY123

Join Date: Dec 2015

Posts: 214

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blumie

Absolutely untrue. AA F passengers have access to the CCR.

I would fly through DFW. The JFK-LHR flight is way too short to get any decent sleep, contributing to jet lag (IMHO, of course).

I was able to access the CCR flying on AA F in 2022, no questions asked.

May 10, 2024, 8:38 am

#19

Rossodio

Join Date: Oct 2022

Location: GSP

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Blumie

Absolutely untrue. AA F passengers have access to the CCR.

I would fly through DFW. The JFK-LHR flight is way too short to get any decent sleep, contributing to jet lag (IMHO, of course).

There is a thread out there discussing this; AA F passengers not flying on BA mainline F product (as codeshare or on BA ticket) have not had access to CCR for over a year. I dealt with this personally last May. Once in a blue moon someone would slip in at that time but since quite a while back no one has been able to. The signage at least fairly recently said that AA F was allowed in, but the policy did not. there was a time closer to peak COVID where a terminal was shared between AA and BA at LHR when AA F absolutely did have access to CCR, but those days are long gone.

There is reciprocity with the Chelsea lounge at JFK between BA and AA, but not at CCR at LHR.

May 10, 2024, 8:48 am

#20

tennessetom

Join Date: Jul 2008

Posts: 842

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkY123

I was able to access the CCR flying on AA F in 2022, no questions asked.

Policy changed once AA moved back to t3, I tried just the other day and wasn’t allowed in until my wife who is gold joined me, you can go to the mini concord lounge in t3 if you are on AA equipment

May 10, 2024, 9:04 am

#21

Blumie

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tennessetom

The Concorde Room at London Heathrow Terminal 5 is available for passengers who are:

Flying on a scheduled British Airways flight in First.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkY123

I was able to access the CCR flying on AA F in 2022, no questions asked.

My success rate has been 100%.

May 10, 2024, 9:08 am

#22

tennessetom

Join Date: Jul 2008

Posts: 842

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blumie

My success rate has been 100%.

you have BA gld by your name, that would get you in as would CK on AA, or if you booked aa but thru ba and had a ba flight number

May 10, 2024, 9:12 am

#23

MarkY123

Join Date: Dec 2015

Posts: 214

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennessetom

Policy changed once AA moved back to t3, I tried just the other day and wasn’t allowed in until my wife who is gold joined me, you can go to the mini concord lounge in t3 if you are on AA equipment

Right, AA was flying to T5 at the time.

May 10, 2024, 9:27 am

#24

Blumie

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tennessetom

you have BA gld by your name, that would get you in as would CK on AA, or if you booked aa but thru ba and had a ba flight number

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkY123

Right, AA was flying to T5 at the time.

I’ve fallen back to Silver. And I have done this several times when flying into T3 (it’s been quite some time since AA used T5) and transferring to T5 for a BA connection in J. It must be my good looks.

All of that said, while I’m happy to have CCR access when I can, I have never found it that big of a deal. I know we all like to feel more important than we are, but the F lounge, even though it can sometimes get crowded, has always been fine.

MarkY123 and Andy0805 like this.

May 10, 2024, 9:38 am

#25

Antarius

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OP, hopefully you aren't paying a premium to fly AA F.

wrp96 likes this.

May 10, 2024, 9:42 am

#26

Eastbay1K

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A summer 1:50 DFW connection - no way, unless that was the only option. The chance of something going awry in the skies causing a misconnect is not insubstantial, whether a WAS or DFW thunderstorm issue.

And a short LHR connection could hose you, too.

May 10, 2024, 9:53 am

#27

guv1976

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Antarius

OP, hopefully you aren't paying a premium to fly AA F.

On some days this Summer, the premium for flying F over J DCA-LHR is just 10,000 AAdvantage miles.

ezefllying likes this.

May 10, 2024, 10:05 am

#28

HaleiwaFlyer

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Another vote for DCA-JFK-LHR.

I would recommend just eating at the Chelsea Lounge and make sure you ask them about the champagne of the week (Cristal, LPGS, or Dom). Sleep on the flight and skip the meal service.

Your second option doesn't give you much time to transfer between T3 to T5 since BA LHR-GVA leaves from terminal 5. There isn't much room for error, and LHR is not a fast nor flexible place to allow tight transfers.

If you have the option to book award flight DFW-LHR +/- GVA on BA F metal, then that would make the most sense since you will arrive at terminal 5. If you need to position yourself to DFW on a cash fare, might be worth it, since BA F is much better than AA F to LHR.

May 10, 2024, 10:08 am

#29

guv1976

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Quote:

Originally Posted by HaleiwaFlyer

If you have the option to book award flight DFW-LHR +/- GVA on BA F metal, then that would make the most sense since you will arrive at terminal 5. If you need to position yourself to DFW on a cash fare, might be worth it, since BA F is much better than AA F to LHR.

Very large cash co-pay (carrier surcharge) when redeeming AA miles to fly BA U.S.-Europe.

ezefllying likes this.

May 10, 2024, 10:19 am

#30

ijgordon

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Join Date: Apr 2001

Location: NYC

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkY123

I was able to access the CCR flying on AA F in 2022, no questions asked.

I believe AA was flying from T5 at that point in the later stages of the pandemic, and it was the policy, especially for departing AA F flights.
Once they moved, and access became about inbound F, it became much more YMMV. I was denied in March 2023 on JFK-LHR-ZRH on BA-marketed FC ticket (but AA-operated on the first leg). Data points are mixed, though IIRC more recent ones were more favorable.

MarkY123 likes this.

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