IAD has 'made a mistake' [on CCR card dining]
#16
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
#17
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,252
I have complained to the GGL team and they have confirmed that the policy has changed. A Concorde Card holder has access to LHR, JFK, Dubai and Singapore, but no longer has access to Washington or Boston as these are actually First Class dining lounges and not Concorde rooms! This is absolutely ridiculous and shows the Concorde branding is inconsistent and confused. I spoke with the catering manager at IAD a couple of weeks ago and he stated that when they used to allow Concorde Card holders into the dining area there were on average 5 a week!
IAD is one of my main destinations and this is a significant enhancement for me. I would encourage all Concorde Card holders who use this facility to complain to try and reverse this enhancement. Surely for BA this is not the time to hack off their most frequent travelers!!!
IAD is one of my main destinations and this is a significant enhancement for me. I would encourage all Concorde Card holders who use this facility to complain to try and reverse this enhancement. Surely for BA this is not the time to hack off their most frequent travelers!!!
#18
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,804
My theory is that this has been inadvertently caught up with the situation at BOS. The idea was that BOS would have something similar to IAD in having a Concorde Dining experience, but the budget was (initially) cut, so there is a dining area, and insufficient seats to accommodate anyone other than First ticketholders. I imagine someone complained about this. So BOS went to First Dining, this allows BA to exclude CCRs and Prems, and now IAD has been regularised with BOS, even though there is plenty of space there. Just to take it further forward, BOS is now having the room next to First Dining added to that area, so that it will be of the same order of size as IAD, so in the medium term the "problem" will go away in terms of space. Whether both lounges will then become Concorde Dining remains to be seen. By all means mention this at the GGL events coming up, I think there are 2 or 3 of them.
#19
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: BA Gold. KrisFlyer Gold
Posts: 732
Surely if it's called First Dining they should reintroduce access to Gold card holders. Wasn't the whole reason for using the word 'Concorde' across the lounges aimed at getting around the OneWorld access rules on those premium routes where BA wanted to be more discriminatory?
Either way, what this does show, alongside the reported new boarding trial, is that BA's managers' capacity for boneheadedness has soared to ever greater heights.
Either way, what this does show, alongside the reported new boarding trial, is that BA's managers' capacity for boneheadedness has soared to ever greater heights.
#20
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL, AA 1MM LT GLD, SPG PLAT, National Exec Selc, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver
Posts: 8,278
Surely if it's called First Dining they should reintroduce access to Gold card holders. Wasn't the whole reason for using the word 'Concorde' across the lounges aimed at getting around the OneWorld access rules on those premium routes where BA wanted to be more discriminatory?
Either way, what this does show, alongside the reported new boarding trial, is that BA's managers' capacity for boneheadedness has soared to ever greater heights.
Either way, what this does show, alongside the reported new boarding trial, is that BA's managers' capacity for boneheadedness has soared to ever greater heights.
Golds would overwhelm the dining rooms. They weren't designed for that capacity.
There is a big difference between the number of non-F Golds and non-F CCR Holders.
#21
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: BA (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 1,256
Surely if it's called First Dining they should reintroduce access to Gold card holders. Wasn't the whole reason for using the word 'Concorde' across the lounges aimed at getting around the OneWorld access rules on those premium routes where BA wanted to be more discriminatory?
#22
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: BA Gold. KrisFlyer Gold
Posts: 732
Au contraire. Surely BA should be able to offer some form of pre-flight dining to (actual) First Class passengers at outstations with limited facilities without having to allow countless cattle class passengers who happen to be able to wave a bit of shiny plastic in on the act?
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
#24
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: BA Silver, Mucci
Posts: 5,289
And yet in the new lounge at BOS they've opened up CW pre-flight dining to anyone who has lounge access.
If they'd kept access to CW passengers only they could have used more space for Concorde dining.
If they'd kept access to CW passengers only they could have used more space for Concorde dining.
#25
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BAEC (Silver), IHG (Plat Elite)
Posts: 541
My theory is that this has been inadvertently caught up with the situation at BOS. The idea was that BOS would have something similar to IAD in having a Concorde Dining experience, but the budget was (initially) cut, so there is a dining area, and insufficient seats to accommodate anyone other than First ticketholders. I imagine someone complained about this. So BOS went to First Dining, this allows BA to exclude CCRs and Prems, and now IAD has been regularised with BOS, even though there is plenty of space there. Just to take it further forward, BOS is now having the room next to First Dining added to that area, so that it will be of the same order of size as IAD, so in the medium term the "problem" will go away in terms of space. Whether both lounges will then become Concorde Dining remains to be seen. By all means mention this at the GGL events coming up, I think there are 2 or 3 of them.
But perhaps it was a CCR holder, either already dining or wanting to.
I didn't think the food was all that great anyway, as it happens...........
#26
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Pasadena, CA
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hyatt Plat, Amex Plat.
Posts: 651
Au contraire. Surely BA should be able to offer some form of pre-flight dining to (actual) First Class passengers at outstations with limited facilities without having to allow countless cattle class passengers who happen to be able to wave a bit of shiny plastic in on the act?
Other than onboard seating, is there anywhere that BA prioritizes F pax over CCR's?
#27
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 1,624
Au contraire. Surely BA should be able to offer some form of pre-flight dining to (actual) First Class passengers at outstations with limited facilities without having to allow countless cattle class passengers who happen to be able to wave a bit of shiny plastic in on the act?
#28
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 475
And, hypothetically, over four dozen if every F passenger were to invite a guest...
The sole way to get in to either was to hold a boarding pass for the cabin as described "on the tin."
The CCR card holder is a different category of diner and that seems to be the bone of contention here.
But while being in CW or F and having the appropriate permission to guest someone not traveling in F or CW into the lounge area, they could not join you in the dining room, guarded by the fine staffers at the podium at the entrance who check your BP.
Maybe that's changed, dunno.