T5 FIRST Lounge a Wreck
Jun 15, 2013, 5:01 am
#31
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,647
My opinion is that there are too many gold card holders. The lounge personnel cannot cope with the large crowd. BA might decide to introduce a max. capacity rule and introduce a line for Gold's waiting outside untill lounge space becomes available. GCH'S could also be motivated not to use the lounge by no longer providing champagne! Some already do not visit any longer the lounge after the food enhancements.
Jun 15, 2013, 5:39 am
#32
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 517
I was in GF (&CCR) yesterday evening as well for a couple hours from about 8pm. It was clean and tidy while I was there, and I have to congratulate the staff attitude - always very friendly and helpful. The front desk even spotted that my checked luggage (first time in ages!) was wrongly routed, chased it down and fixed it.
The buffet really isn't much but we ordered a couple things off the menu and they were cooked and presented well.
The buffet really isn't much but we ordered a couple things off the menu and they were cooked and presented well.
Jun 15, 2013, 6:20 am
#33
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
No need to fly any segments to qualify.All can be done on codeshares without setting foot on BA metal,or getting close to the UK,so that idea wont work.
Jun 15, 2013, 6:57 am
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: A metal nomad
Programs: Mucci des Delices Exotiques,Order of the Platinum Hairbrush,Her Royal Diamond
Posts: 23,700
Seriously - it may be a long time ago, but does anyone remember the T4 First Lounge (downstairs, so CCR was full width, Business lounge was full width, but GCH First Lounge was only half the width of the others to accomodate the massage rooms).
On a Friday night, and undoubtedly at other times, it was completely full and you couldn't get a seat, had to queue for food (nothing like the new T5 GF lounge) and there was very little cooked to order.
Remember this is only 5 years ago.....
On a Friday night, and undoubtedly at other times, it was completely full and you couldn't get a seat, had to queue for food (nothing like the new T5 GF lounge) and there was very little cooked to order.
Remember this is only 5 years ago.....
Do you mean the OLD terminal? The one were the CCR was a true CCR?
Jun 15, 2013, 7:04 am
#35
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Moscow / Aylesbury / Leeds
Programs: BA-GGL, SU-G Agean, G,, Hhonours D, Starwood G, IHG G,
Posts: 1,531
Remember though that the T4 lounge downstairs actually, back in the day, used to be the "Executive Club Lounge" (First/Concorde as you walked in over the BA arms, with the dragon often standing out front, and Club upstairs). It was for Silver/Gold but Executive Club card holders only (i.e. NO OneWorld). It was rarely too busy like that. This was built before all this Emerald/Sapphire stuff sent numbers so far out of control.
Considering T5 was built with a blank sheet of paper, a fresh start, it makes me wonder why some of the good things about the T4 facilities managed not to get integrated into the new terminal.
Considering T5 was built with a blank sheet of paper, a fresh start, it makes me wonder why some of the good things about the T4 facilities managed not to get integrated into the new terminal.
Jun 15, 2013, 8:13 am
#37
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London, or 1A or 64K
Programs: MUCCI :D, BA Lifetime Gold, JJC (1980 the Leo Budd years) Hilton Gold
Posts: 559
Yes, ma chere Yahillwe, the good old T4 CCR where one could board the rocket from the lounge - those were the good old days and, since the beginning of the 21st century, things have been going down hill ever so fast.
Jun 15, 2013, 8:47 am
#38
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
Can you imagine the bonus payment that will be forthcoming to the corporate genius who came up with the afternoon tea?
Jun 15, 2013, 8:49 am
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: A metal nomad
Programs: Mucci des Delices Exotiques,Order of the Platinum Hairbrush,Her Royal Diamond
Posts: 23,700
And boad, it seems that you and I are in the same cities and at times same seats how come we haven't met for coffee/tea?
Jun 17, 2013, 1:50 am
#40
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: BA Executive Club, AC Aéroplan, Accor ALL
Posts: 475
My real fear is that BA is chasing the wrong target market for its lounges. It would be interesting to know on a given day how many in the F lounge are actually ticketed in economy.
I pay for the premium cabins in which I travel and I do not visit the lounge for the free booze nor (especially now) the food. Yes, absolutely: decent drink should be there, as should food appropriate to the time of day. But I'm not going to eat a dodgy buffet curry that I'd never eat at home, just because it's there for free.
I rate the business centre the most useful feature of the F lounge. Aside from the slow internet it's like an office. The quality drink (Grey Goose, JWBL etc.) is next on the list, although there are some dodgy spirits alongside them, probably for the Americans (jokes!). The food is unquestionably terrible. I frankly have never had a decent meal in the CCR. And it's not as if I eat in Michelin-starred restaurants every day. If I get hungry in T5 you'll probably find me downstairs at Caviar House. Sometimes I can even pick-up the lounge WiFi signal there.
The danger is if they make the F lounges undesirable to my type of traveller they may assume because of low uptake that nobody actually wants food etc. - a totally wrong conclusion to draw, since if there was excellent food in there people would eat it. I hope this was not what happened to the former menu which was at its best very odd indeed and now, almost pointless.
I pay for the premium cabins in which I travel and I do not visit the lounge for the free booze nor (especially now) the food. Yes, absolutely: decent drink should be there, as should food appropriate to the time of day. But I'm not going to eat a dodgy buffet curry that I'd never eat at home, just because it's there for free.
I rate the business centre the most useful feature of the F lounge. Aside from the slow internet it's like an office. The quality drink (Grey Goose, JWBL etc.) is next on the list, although there are some dodgy spirits alongside them, probably for the Americans (jokes!). The food is unquestionably terrible. I frankly have never had a decent meal in the CCR. And it's not as if I eat in Michelin-starred restaurants every day. If I get hungry in T5 you'll probably find me downstairs at Caviar House. Sometimes I can even pick-up the lounge WiFi signal there.
The danger is if they make the F lounges undesirable to my type of traveller they may assume because of low uptake that nobody actually wants food etc. - a totally wrong conclusion to draw, since if there was excellent food in there people would eat it. I hope this was not what happened to the former menu which was at its best very odd indeed and now, almost pointless.
Last edited by Action Man; Jun 17, 2013 at 2:03 am
Jun 17, 2013, 2:25 am
#41
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: Mucci (Scirocco Sash), BAEC Gold, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 861
Jun 17, 2013, 2:42 am
#42
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: BA LifetimeGold GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,140
My real fear is that BA is chasing the wrong target market for its lounges. It would be interesting to know on a given day how many in the F lounge are actually ticketed in economy.
I pay for the premium cabins in which I travel and I do not visit the lounge for the free booze nor (especially now) the food. Yes, absolutely: decent drink should be there, as should food appropriate to the time of day. But I'm not going to eat a dodgy buffet curry that I'd never eat at home, just because it's there for free.
I rate the business centre the most useful feature of the F lounge. Aside from the slow internet it's like an office. The quality drink (Grey Goose, JWBL etc.) is next on the list, although there are some dodgy spirits alongside them, probably for the Americans (jokes!). The food is unquestionably terrible. I frankly have never had a decent meal in the CCR. And it's not as if I eat in Michelin-starred restaurants every day. If I get hungry in T5 you'll probably find me downstairs at Caviar House. Sometimes I can even pick-up the lounge WiFi signal there.
The danger is if they make the F lounges undesirable to my type of traveller they may assume because of low uptake that nobody actually wants food etc. - a totally wrong conclusion to draw, since if there was excellent food in there people would eat it. I hope this was not what happened to the former menu which was at its best very odd indeed and now, almost pointless.
I pay for the premium cabins in which I travel and I do not visit the lounge for the free booze nor (especially now) the food. Yes, absolutely: decent drink should be there, as should food appropriate to the time of day. But I'm not going to eat a dodgy buffet curry that I'd never eat at home, just because it's there for free.
I rate the business centre the most useful feature of the F lounge. Aside from the slow internet it's like an office. The quality drink (Grey Goose, JWBL etc.) is next on the list, although there are some dodgy spirits alongside them, probably for the Americans (jokes!). The food is unquestionably terrible. I frankly have never had a decent meal in the CCR. And it's not as if I eat in Michelin-starred restaurants every day. If I get hungry in T5 you'll probably find me downstairs at Caviar House. Sometimes I can even pick-up the lounge WiFi signal there.
The danger is if they make the F lounges undesirable to my type of traveller they may assume because of low uptake that nobody actually wants food etc. - a totally wrong conclusion to draw, since if there was excellent food in there people would eat it. I hope this was not what happened to the former menu which was at its best very odd indeed and now, almost pointless.
Exactly my point of view. When you go to eat at the Caviar House : take a glass of wine (or champagne) with you out of the lounge. I did it a week ago, I told BA staff at the entrance of the Flounge that I was going to eat something. They did not stop me nor asked any further question and I was welcome with my drink at the Caviar Bar. I had a decent meal before a short CE flight.
Jun 17, 2013, 2:49 am
#43
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,299
T5 FIRST Lounge a Wreck
Last time I went I finished my drink and offered the glass to the attendant walking by (who had ample room to carry it) and he rudely told me to just put it down on a table.
That was after the only seat I could get was at the wine bar.
It's becoming a dump.
That was after the only seat I could get was at the wine bar.
It's becoming a dump.
Aug 22, 2014, 6:08 pm
#44
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: East Berlin
Posts: 1,533
It was a bit of a wreck again today. Pots and plates and glasses left uncleared and nowhere to sit without an assortment of used crockery strewn here and there.
Only one bottle of champagne - Castlenau - at the Champagne Bar, no glasses, no ice, no tomato juice amongst other things etc. When I went to the hot food buffet, there wasn't any rice, no chilli, no salmon cakes, no greens; just pasta, potatoes, and the vegetable curry.
Palmer
Only one bottle of champagne - Castlenau - at the Champagne Bar, no glasses, no ice, no tomato juice amongst other things etc. When I went to the hot food buffet, there wasn't any rice, no chilli, no salmon cakes, no greens; just pasta, potatoes, and the vegetable curry.
Palmer
