RANT: BA Experience at T1 to DUB-Shabby!!!
 

I am trying this for the first time today, and after a lovely LUX-LHR flight into T5, I now find myself trapped I the very average BMI lounge post photo-check, with nothing but crisps and such to nibble on, and no way to re-enter the terminal for a proper meal, all after being rudely denied access to the lounge upstairs prior to photo check despite being a GCH in J. Something about Dublin.

Bunch of nonsense, in my opinion, and severely testing my patience and loyalty here. BA had better get a proper Flounge over here ASAP regardless of destination.

Rant over.

Welcome to the BMI world.

Having spent a large chunk of my life in the Gate 8 Lounge (was "The London Room" and something else before that), it's not really that bad. Or certainly not that bad prior to a domestic flight (in my case).

I find that eating is cheating when in a BD lounge anyway ;)

Crisps and such....what are the "such"?

Salted peanuts
Some week old olives
Individual Walkers fruit cake
Some Walkers cookies
Or sometimes if you are really lucky, Jaffa Cakes

;)

Surely you got the rubbery croissants in plastic wrap too?

This is all the standard catering that all the lesser lounges in LHR get, presumably all from the same vendor.


I am kind of curious what basis they have for refusing BA Gold members at other lounges. And I assume if you had enough time you could exit the domestic terminal through the security passage that dumps you near the baggage carousel for domestic flights. Then you would have to re-enter through security again (you might have to check in again to get a new boarding pass first).

RANT: BA Experience at T1 to DUB-Shabby!!!
 

At least they had pain au chocolat this morning - a welcome development. Agree system bonkers that lounge offering is so poor at gate 8, but still not allowed to use the Great British Lounge. Can't see gate 8 lounge improving though, especially with Edi flights moving to T5

Nice to see DUB is still domestic despite having a CE cabin and being a different country. BD's quirky spirit still alive and well. :D

Ah, only if you were early enough to beat the mad rush for them.

I do miss the Irn-Bru offering in BA lounges. One of the fantastic perks of BD ^

That's a lot better than the last Admirals Club I was in. I can't believe there's no cheese though.....surely there must be cheese?

Do the economics of the DUB route support a high-end lounge or is this the issue that people so crave low fares with no frills that a real lounge just isn't supported?

If BA are denying access to the international lounge to gold and silver card holders then that's very disappointing indeed. It was one of those stupid BMI rules that I hoped BA would consign to the dustbin.

Definitely worth a complaint and poor show on behalf of BA.

Actually, perhaps this is one Nicci could clarify as this seems to go against all of the published BA and oneworld rules.

So you're complaining about being denied access to a lounge you weren't entitled to be in? The Republic of Ireland is classified as domestic for passport and immigration purposes, so you are treated as a domestic passenger for the purposes of access to the BD lounges in T1 (as it operates differently to T5 in terms of separation of passengers). The (mostly) ladies in the BD lounge upstairs are generally recognised as being amongst the most helpful anywhere, so I'd personally be surprised if they spoke to you rudely at all, unless of course you tried to make a little too much fuss in claiming a non-existent entitlement ...

However much you yearn for a First lounge in T1, the building will be completely redeveloped and integrated into the new T2 in the next few years (starting 2014) to allow all the Star Alliance airlines to be in one place. That will free up a large number of stands currently occupied by the *A airlines in T3, which makes it far more likely BA will consolidate more operations there. Would you put money into developing another F lounge which would only be in operation for such a short period?

Yes, plenty of cheese, if you like the sort that comes wrapped in plastic.

The lounge is actually quiet and would be perfectly fine with Flounge style nibbles, but I did pull a little DYKWIA hissy fit at the Great British Lounge when refused entry, more to let them know that they were irritating valuable pax than to beat my chest.

BA needs to fix it ASAP.

YUM :D:D:D:D:D

BA and OW rules ENTITLE me to access any lounge except the CCR regardless of travel class and destination. Period. BA owns BMI. This is not a code share. BMI needs to follow BA and OW rules, and accept their demise. :D