corporate-wage-slave

There is an attendant in the checked luggage area, and you get a tag to take away with you.

redkitty

Thanks c-w-s. Appreciate the response.

User Name

I visited the arrivals lounge for the first time a few weeks ago. Despite my flying TATL every few weeks, I only fly overnight on this route about once a year (and last year's was on VS!).

Irubi

I had an odd experience last week in the arrivals lounge and wanted to share and see if anyone else has come across this.

I was on ATL-LHR in F - landed a bit late - so close to 12pm. I had a loooong layover - was originally going to head into town, but it was pouring with rain and had some work to do - so decided to stay at the airport and try the arrivals CCR for the first time.

I had a shower and walked into the CCR breakfast area at around 12:50pm.
I was approached by a member of staff who told me that this area was "for first class passengers only". I told him I was - he then told me that this area was closed. He told me that it closed at 12:30.
I asked him to show me a sign or anything stating that as I had understood that it closed at 2pm.

He said he couldn't, but he would get a manager and I would have to leave.

I went outside and figured I would have some breakfast there. All the buffet areas were completely empty. He brought a manager over, who told me that they closed at 12:30 and stopped breakfast in the lounge too (can't remember if she said at the same time or not). She told me that I should speak to BA as she worked for Baxters. She then did offer to make me breakfast if I wanted (which I did).

In the meantime the lounge agent had heard this and came over and she called down the Premium Manager. He was utterly charming and professional. He was very apologetic as they don't advertise these facts anywhere.

In short - was all quite embarrasing - did anyone else know about this early closing?

Non-NonRev

The server was correct - the food service stops at 12:30. The Dining Room is closed and the buffet food is put away. Showers etc remain available until 14:00.

You are correct in that the website for the lounge uses confusing language. Note the bottom most sentence:

http://www.britishairways.com/en-us/...rivals-lounges

The wording on the webpage could stand to more clearly state the end of the food service.

My last time through I arrived at exactly 12:00 noon and found the Dining room with no other passengers seated. I seated myself and within a minute a clearly surprised waiter took my order. Another man and woman came in at 12:15 and they were served, but again the waitress acted quite surprised (but she was ultimately polite).

Irubi

I did mention to them that at least a sign on the door stating that they close at 12:30 would have made things simpler.

Still - I agree - the wording could be clarified.

corporate-wage-slave

I wasn't aware of the precise time here (I'm not a frequent Arrivals lounge user) but I was aware that trying to get a Full English at 13:48 hrs would be doomed to failure. And taking that further, I can see the point in stopping hot service at 12:30 hrs - but advertising it accordingly - since when I have been there later on there really are very few users. However what they could do is leave some items out - cereals, yoghurt pots, charcuterie, bread, viennoiserie - for the late arrivals, along with the juices, water, tea, coffee, snacks which I guess are left out after 12:30 hrs.

User Name

I was in there the other Sunday. My arrival was at 10.10 from BOS, so probably in the lounge at about 10.40. I stayed for about 2 hours knowing my hotel room wouldn't be ready that early. I sat close to the hot buffet.

Just as I arrived, a buffet 'refresh' was happening, which among other things saw the removal of the last slice of toast. No toast reappeared before my departure. Bacon miraculously appeared at about 11.45, having been absent prior. Buffet upkeep appeared fairly random. There was a major egg outage for about 20 minutes somewhere in the middle.

This was my first visit. I have, however, visited the comparatively-tiny VS Revivals lounge at T3 on 2 occasions and been very impressed with the speed and quality of their cooked-to-order breakfasts, especially the eggs-benedict-but-with-smoked-salmon (what is the name for that?) which wouldn't have been out of place at all in the CCR.

gypsyjaney

Why do they close the lounge if BA flights are still arriving? Is it just a case of tough luck if you arrive in the afternoon? I'd be pretty fed up if i was in F and couldn't use an arrivals lounge after landing.

KARFA

The arrivals lounge is supposed to provide a place to go prior to your hotel check in time. Beyond early afternoon most people can go straight to their hotels after arriving and there is much less need for an arrivals lounge.

gypsyjaney

Ah, I see thanks for that. However it's tough luck if you have a non- BA economy connection and would like a shower.

Non-NonRev

Some companies allow corporate employees to travel in J with the understanding that the will work at least a half day in the London office on the day of arrival.

Arrivals lounges make this possible - business clothing is pressed while the person showers. Out the door, into a cab and they are at the corporate office before noon.

teemuflyer

That may well be true, but the BA Arrivals Lounge does stay open until 14:00. By the time you leave there after your shower and pressing, how much time do you have to spend at your DT London office with anyone else around, especially if they kept it open until, say, 16:00?

Non-NonRev

The majority of US East Coast to London flights arrive in the 06:30 to 08:00 time frame.

I'm not saying that this group is the only intended target for the lounge, but I do think that the initial reason for even having an arrivals facility was rooted here.

The lounge does play a dual role as a very nice anemity for non-corporate travellers, and there is absolutely wrong with that.

Globaliser

Then you can see alliance pressure at work: If you could have flown onward on BA or another oneworld airline but you chose not to do so, then you may have foregone the free shower by your own choice.

It might, overall, still have been the more sensible choice to pick the non-oneworld option - but free shower or no free shower should have been part of the decision. In any event, I think that at least at LHR you can probably pay for a shower between flights at most (every?) terminals.