Petrus

They should pay us for some of the slop they serve these days

Great report and photos from OP! ^
Shame about the Concorde Room door being closed. Was very convenient for shops and always enjoy turning right straight after South Security.

boutela

This is a question that doesn't seem to have been answered explicitly anywhere (I apologise if it should be obvious from the photos!)... If you're travelling with more than your Flounge guest capacity—and it's half term and the Club counters are heaving—can you still check in at a First desk and then turn around and head for South Fast Track? Or will that be impossible?

KARFA

F check in desks have not moved. You can use them as before and go wherever you want afterwards.

boutela

Thanks, that's helpful to know. Cheers!

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, or you can get it from the BA agents in the lounge / customer service desk. You don't need to give a reason, but you can mention your concern about whether your phone has enough power to last to the boarding gate.

I don't think so, I think that is to check eligibility, guesting, visas and what not. Plus any Emeralds whose status may not have come over on ticketing. My suspicion is that you will need to show your boarding pass there, just as you used to do when entering Flounge, which is effectively what the desk was/is. It also marks you in FLY as being in the First Lounge, since that data is captured. If BA needs to find you then it's useful to know where you may be at any given stage.

spanglysteve

The first and only time you will ever read those words on flyer talk!!!!!!

NoTiersForMe

A question relating to the number of desks/check points in the First Zone / Wing

1. Existing First welcome desk - is it still there?
2. Existing BA First check-in desks/bag drop
3. BA staffed check points in front of entrance to First Wing [verify lounge status/document check]
4. HAL staffed BP scanner to allow access to First Wing security

With only carry on bags, I assume I still present something [my BAEC card, my BP on whatever form or my passport?] at the First welcome desk [my words] at step 1 to gain access to the whole zone?? Or can I just march up to the BA staffed desks at step 3. And I assume conformance is still achieved at step 4.

Great pictures chris1979 but owing to my unfamiliarity with that area of terminal I don't know how that First welcome desk factors into the layout and flow, if at all.

IrishStephen

Thank you for the clarification, much appreciated.

chris1979

the whole area hasn't been unveiled yet.

but yes, when I was there, it still had
1. existing F 'welcome desk' (though often this unmanned / doesn't require interaction).
2. existing F check-in area (as reported up thread, some of the new stuff that hasn't been unveiled should look very nice).
3. correct.
4. correct.

matinicus rock

So if you have bags to check, you go to the old F check in desks, THEN to the new First Wing? Seems like an unnecessary step?

KARFA

Why? Same number of steps as it was before, check bag at check in desks then head to security. The F check in desks and F wing are next to each other. F wing security is a lot closer to the F check in desks than south security is, and obviously once through security you are in the lounge now as opposed to having to go downstairs and back up to the GF.

corporate-wage-slave

It's the same area, the First Wing and the old+new First check-in are in Zone H (well, strictly speaking it's J but there aren't many signs). If checking in bags you go to the check-in desk, then bear left about 10 metres for the scan for the lounge, then another 5-10 metres for the gates. I guess that is three scans in all, but the middle scan is like the First lounge entry, it won't detain you unless something is wrong.

chris1979

I think the way BA have this in mind is that the old (and new - it's the same) F check in area is considered as part of the First Wing.

What's changed / new is that the lounge elibiligty check is now before security (and if you don't check in bags, i.e. dont to visit the F check in desks, this is your first interaction with BA) given security feeds your straight into the lounge. So the number of interactions with BA or HAL is the same.

matinicus rock

I understand - Thanks KARFA (and CWS and Chris!)