1010101

It makes sense to keep it, it doesn't cost anything to do so. They can patch it up from time to time and it doesn't matter how rubbish it is as long as it's 'exclusive'. People will keep using it and keep appreciating it as there is nothing else on offer in T5 to show it up.

To bring it into the general F lounge would really require an investment and overhaul of the whole floor which seems to be against everything BA stands for right now.

rossmacd

I must live in a parallel universe to you. The food quality is poor at best, and the bathrooms are a disgrace.

Then again, I do get the pleasure of sampling the CX lounges at HKG relatively often, so my perspective is different.

xenole

I said something about the CCR in the "new first wing" thread.

With the introduction of the first wing that lets GCHs etc. avoid the shops in order to get to the lounge, it doesn't make things quite as easier for those passengers actually travelling in F (depending on if the fast track lane remains).

Not sure if BA have ever considered this, but moving the CCR to T5B might be in some ways a step in a different direction.
Since pretty much all long haul flights with F cabins leave from T5B or T5C, converting the under-utilised T5B lounge into the CCR would then make that lounge far more exclusive.

It would mean slightly less travelling for F passengers to their flights (although still not the luxury limo transfers some would like).
It's got an elemis spa that would then become exclusive to BA first class passengers and probably far easier to book something on the day.
There's a kitchen although might need improved.

Sure it means that it makes it harder to use it when flying short haul but it may help reduce the numbers in there at certain times which will make things better for some.
Also no shops as such but the first wing entrance, in part, is designed to avoid those anyway.

orbitmic

How so? Those departing from T5B would still need to go from T5A to T5B, just as they do now. Of course, they could do it at the start of their trip rather than the end and have marginally more time in the lounge than now but that's it.

Those departing from T5C would have a twice more inconvenient transfer. Instead of going from T5A to T5C, they would need to go from T5A to T5B to access the lounge, and then again from T5B to T5C to access their plane.

As for those departing from T5A, which has two long haul gates (one contact, one bus), instead of no transfer, they'd need to go from T5A to T5B, and then again from T5B back to T5A!

And then of course, there is the rest of us who transfer, accounting for more than half of F pax in case anyone forgets, which would be significantly inconvenienced by the move.

Overall, I do not think that this is a good idea.

xenole

I know it's flawed, but with BA's line of thinking, who knows if they want to reduce the number of premium passengers accessing it and direct them to GF instead?

orbitmic

Quite likely indeed, but please don't give them further ideas on that!

philthegreek

I must be in the other parallel universe as I too have the opportunity of sampling the CX lounges both in HKG and LHR and often wonder what it is that other people get that I don't as my experiences are so different. With the exception of the Pier I do not find that these lounges are any better than the CCR or GF in LHR; the Wing First, in my experience, is often horrendously crowded. They are however better than the Qantas lounge in HKG which, since it lost its First status and became a general OW lounge has, IMHO, really gone downhill.

timol

A genuinely interesting idea: somewhat similar to LX with their new ZRH F lounge in E where only long hauls depart (albeit the old F lounge in A is still there, too). A superb decision, resulting in a calm, quiet, truly premium lounge.

DoctorCopper

Moving the CCR to T5B is an interesting idea. While the majority of fights with F cabins do go from B & C gates, how would the T5B proposal be of benefit to (1) incoming pax connecting to European flights who are eligible to use the CCR and (2) CCR users not travelling in the F cabin and starting their journey at LHR. Doc Copper

rossmacd

Exactly, the HKG Pier F is in a different league to the BA GF at LHR.

timol

The solution beneficial to everyone (except the BA bean counters) would be, again following the LX ZRH model, to keep the T5A CCR, too.

A more realistic option could be a "for F pax only" section in the current T5B lounge, the focus being on its special, calm atmosphere.

xenole

Perhaps but in my experience, I've only seen a dozen people tops in the B gate lounge so it seems to be overkill at present to split it.

BA could possibly look at cutting costs by dropping the CCR in T5A and moving it to T5B thus reducing things by one lounge. Then either leave entry as is or perhaps start restricting to only those on long haul flights that leave from T5B/C. Sure it will annoy those arriving on F flights etc. and connecting, but BA aren't exactly renowned for their love of status passengers these days.
With the Flounge technically being labelled as a first class lounge, I'm sure they wouldn't blink an eye and put spin on the news if connecting passengers had to go there.

It's also possible that HAL? could perhaps be looking at putting another paid-per-entry lounge in place of the CCR as some sort of compromise with BA for the first wing.

henkybaby

I think that KLM proves that it is in no way necessary for a carrier to have a very good lounge offer at their home base, especially if there is little to no competition. I have always marvelled at the offerings OneWorld has across the globe and I do like the CCR.

Is there a business case? I wonder. If the CCR was no longer there I doubt many people would all of a sudden change carrier. Who would you change to? Much like KLM in NL, BA has a de facto monopoly as a global (direct) carrier ex LHR.

xenole

Well, from most of our observations, a lot of business and premium customers do like various perks of their ticket and/or status.
Lounge access for me is very useful and probably does encourage me to fly BA.

As for losing the CCR, it wouldn't discourage me and probably wouldn't discourage too many others, regardless of what is claimed on here, as we all know cabins are still fairly full even with enhancements and service nowhere close to other airlines.

London_traveller

If you think about the marginal cost to BA of providing the CCR as a separate lounge to GF, I assume it's not material. These are passengers that would otherwise be housed in the GF lounge anyway and it's not like the CCR has masses of staff swarming around while GF has none. I guess there's the additional cost of the premium drinks? What are the other material factors in the cost of the CCR compared to just making the space an enlarged GF lounge?

I also wonder about advertising revenue for the CCR. Anything will be particularly lucrative even compared to GF.

But otherwise it's not like it's something extra-special like its own terminal. Even the kitchen is shared with GF so the back-room production is the same.

With that in mind, and re my earlier comment - namely that the brand perception of BA and their First Class proposition overall is hugely important to them - I really can't see its demise coming any time soon.