Do BA own T5 lounges? Observing lounge staff
 

For the past 2 months I have had a Silver card which has been handy with alot of early morning flights from T5.

I really do enjoy looking at a process and thinking could this be done better?

This has got me thinking.

Do BA own the lounges or do they pay a per entree fee to a 3rd party for each person who comes in? I assume if they own the lounges it makes sense for them to employ a 3rd party for staffing once inside the lounge.

Often I am one of the first in the lounge as it opens. I have come to notice that the staff inside the lounge are "missing in action" early doors. I have been amazed at the amount of food and drink which they take back into the kitchen for breakfast. As more staff arrive several pick up a newspaper from the lounge, make a cup of coffee and then head back into the kitchen.
Is breakfast part of their benefits and why is food not held back in the kitchen for them?

What is the cost of this missing food?

FYI, like everything at Heathrow, T5 belongs entirely to BAA who rent the facilities to British Airways.

The staff at the front reception desks and "Guest Services" desks are British Airways' own staff. The brown uniformed catering staff are employed by Restaurant Associates (part of Compass Group).

BA staff are not permitted to help themselves to anything other than water from the lounges, despite the fact that our excessive price hike last year in the staff canteens run by Restaurant Associates goes to subsidise the free food in the T5 lounges. (Rather a sore point............)

British Airways' customers and entitled Executive Club cardholders are obviously self-financing. British Airways is entitled to charge One World airlines for each customer swiped into the entry system and this is partly the reason why we fastidiously stick to the "one guest" rule no matter how much our beloved Aadvantage Platinums stamp their feet! Whether BA applies the charge, or whether there are "contra" deals in place, I have no idea (but rather suspect there are).

Restaurant Associates' staff are not very well paid and I believe the odd bit of food and the read of a newspaper are little "perks" which, even if unofficial, I would not begrudge. Theirs is not the best job in the world, after all!

Presumably there is some kind of knock for knock at work here, as the motor insurance industry would say?

I would have thought BA would much rather fastidiously count the people through their lounge in terminal 3!

I agree that price hikes in staff restaurants are wrong, but the 'free' food in the lounges are for paying passengers.

Countless times (across just two visits) to the T5 Flounge, staff were lifting soft drinks and crisps from the counter opposite the Gold Bar and taking it into the staff area. The man who sometimes mans the shower entrance in the North lounge stocks up on bacon butties and croissants of a morning, before all the pax get there. I think that is just unprofessional, and wrong.

In answer to the original question, BA have control over the lounge space and own everything inside eg. furniture etc., but the space is of course BAA's, as is the rest of the terminal infrastructure.

If you were a manager, would you think it would matter in the big scheme of things?

Yes, of course it does.

To fund my studies, I work part time at a well-known national retailer, as a duty manager. Am I allowed to help myself to some own brand products on my break? No, of course I am not. If I saw any of my staff doing that, it would be treated as gross misconduct and they would be sacked. I am paid to be working, not paying to be there.

One has to wonder where "the boss" is when all this grand nibble theft is going on? If the BA or contract staff are being left unsupervised then it's no wonder they do it....I would be tempted to do it myself especially with the smell of bacon wafting through the workplace.

Good luck to them if they can get away with it.....whilst the cat's away the mice will play.

Glad others have spotted this.

Someone should have a word in his shell-like before he keels over with a coronary....('you are banned from eating bacon butties and croissants in the morning for Health and Safety reasons' should do it)

I still think my best spot was the old dear pouring herself a large vodka before going for a 'rest'.......at c. 9am. Quite impressive really :)

Your attitude would indicate that it is okay to steal from your employers and disobey rules about use of customers' provisions.

I completely disagree and find this behaviour (and, honestly, support for it) shameful.

Why do you think HIDDY's now exiled to Argentina? ;)

I reckon soon he'll be off to Uruguay! :D

:rolleyes:

Which part do you disagree with?