T5 FIRST Lounge a Wreck
 

I'm sitting in T5 First and it's a wreck of a place. I've been here about an hour and haven't seen a single person clearing away the empties. Most seating areas have piles of dirty glasses and dishes. I know the catering changed but surely not to this level!

When I arrived around 5pm they were putting out wine glasses for the champers. Very generous I thought :D but now I know why. None of the dirty ones have been picked up since arriving and so they ran out. In front of me (seat opposite) are 2 wine, 2 champagne, 3 plates and a cake on the floor.

Where are all the floor walkers that you normally have , cut backs? Not a good place to be tonight unless you like you champers on the "large" side :D

Hope they get it sorted by end of July as I am flying F to Vancouver. Better use CCR instead?

Find the lounge manager (in the office to the left of Galleries First reception as you exit the lounge) and complain. This sounds unacceptable.

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.

Hi Genius,

He's was walking around earlier as someone had spilled liquid on the wooden floor on the way into the food area and it hadn't been cleaned, let a lone a sign saying wet surface. He was trying to get staff to clear up.

Oddly I've just walked down the other end (opposite end to the outside terrace) and it's spotless now. The top end near the wine racks still has empties 1:45 after arriving.

I assume PatVan's comments were tongue-in-cheek, but if it's any consolation Galleries North isn't much better. No glass-clearing going on here either.

As I said elsewhere, tonight is my first visit and frankly it doesn't seem any nicer than GC upstairs.

:p

Just grabbed a Dragon as the Manager has vanished. She was surprised, not impressed has gone to find someone. Maybe this cook-to-order is taking staff away form clearing up, as a lot of food seemed to come out all in a short space of time.

It's bad this evening. I come through here regularly and I've never seen it like this before. Normally there are a few staff members wandering around clearing away plates and glasses, but tonight there appear to be empties on every single table. The lounge is busy, but I've seen it busier and cleaner.

It doesn't look that busy from where I'm sitting. I've seen T5 GC busier and tidier on a Friday night. And yet GF is indeed a right tip just now. I can count five empty tables with dirty wine glasses and plates on them near me.

Cleanup in full swing! Normality restored. Shame, I was just beginning to enjoying that size of glass :p

Didn't you raise that in another thread?

I don't believe that there are too many Golds, I pay [personally] a lot for mine and wouldn't want an increase in threshold. If they did, I'd trade BA off by increasing my LH and AF/KLM.

The lounge wasn't close to capacity, plenty of empty seats, just no clear-away service. Food was coming out the kitchen but no one seemed free to clear the tables. So whilst I agree that there are too little staff, I don't agree it's a Gold Card to staff ratio issue. More Business traveller to Staff issue!

Now Madrid has gone the lounge is back to its calming appeal. What would be your thoughts on moving Iberia back to T3 ??

Always use the CCR. Much nicer in every way.

The problem is when you're in a hurry and just want a quick something to eat. You step into the Flounge to grab it, then back away slowly from the buffet shaking your head all the way back into the CCR.