Tobias-UK

This is the press release:

British Airways’ customers travelling from Innsbruck, Ibiza and Seville from today will benefit from access to new lounges.

The use of the partner lounges, exclusively for the airline’s customers travelling in Club Europe and eligible cardholders, is part of the airlines multi-million pound investment to offer access to more lounges across the globe.

After customers have checked in at these airports they will be invited to go through security and head straight to the lounge, where they can relax or catch up on last minute emails prior to their flight. Customers will also be able to enjoy a selection of food and beverages before take-off.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience, said “We understand that using a lounge is an important part of the journey for our premium customers, so we are delighted to be able to offer this experience in more airports across the world.

In recent years we have opened new lounges in Boston and Gatwick South Terminal and revamped spaces in Edinburgh, Cape Town, Amsterdam, Belfast, Washington, Singapore and Dubai with more in the pipeline.”

British Airways is currently refreshing its lounges in New York’s JFK Terminal 7, along with improvements being made to the customer experience at check-in. Later this year new lounges in Aberdeen and Rome will open. Further investment is then planned in San Francisco, Johannesburg and Chicago and Heathrow's other lounges will be refurbished over the next few years.

The airline will also be investing in a number of partner lounges where there is currently no lounge offering, in order to improve the customer experience.

Last year British Airways launched its Ł4.5 billion pound investment plan to benefit its customers with a focus on excellence in the premium cabins and more choice and quality for all.

Six hundred million pounds will be spent on Club World with an emphasis on improved catering and sleep, and a new seat in the future. At Heathrow The First Wing check-in area with direct security and lounge access has launched. The Club Europe cabin has also been introduced on UK domestic services and all customers can look forward to the latest generation Wi-Fi across British Airways’ long-haul and short-haul fleets over the next two years.

benjai

This might be handy as I'm going to SVQ next weekend. Does anyone know which lounge will be available? Is it the priority pass one? Any good?

corporate-wage-slave

Very good news, these were the three lowest hanging fruit in the problem statement. The next three I would say are KRK, TLL and OPO. Maybe people travelling through these airports could write to Ms. Martinoli to ask her to look at this locations.

There is only one lounge in Seville, which is also used by Priority Pass, but it's an AENA run lounge like most of BA's provincial lounges in Spain (hence the low hanging fruit issue). It's roughly the same standard as the other AENA lounges, not worth an extended visit but certainly better than nothing.

VIP lounge - Sevilla Airport - Aena.es

[I'll put something in the Europe Lounge guide without it looking too much like cross posting.....]

madfish

South London Bon Viveur

The SVQ lounge is very small and the offering is limited, so nothing to get excited about, but indeed better than nothing.

KeaneJohn

Oh positive news... what is happening at Waterside.

corporate-wage-slave

Oddity of the day: GGLs don't normally get 2 guests in "partner lounges" (non BA operated lounges in other words) but in updating the Europe lounge thread I checked the airport website and to my surprise, in the case of INN, GGLs do get 2 guests!

https://www.innsbruck-airport.com/de...esucher/lounge

benjai

Haha! But we will be doing the MAD-SVQ leg on sunday noon though. Sounds like you are going the other direction?

benjai

Thanks thats good to know! Although we already have priority pass so I was gently hoping that there would be a better lounge

Phorbas

Would be great to see BOD on the list soon, as their partner lounge doesn't accept Priority Pass (and the terminal catering offering is dire!).

eefor jfp

It would also be nice to have SPU (Split, Croatia) added. How does one find Miss Martinoli's email address?

bhbloke

Wandered into the VLC lounge late on Sunday morning for my IB flight back to MAD. The lounge lady looked at the BA tag on my bag in horror, before breathing a sigh of relief when I showed her my IB boarding pass.

She made a comment about stroppy BA pax taking it out on the staff, when they realise they're not allowed in.

corporate-wage-slave

But VLC Sala Joan Olivert is enabled for BA passengers?

mmxbreaks

This is great news, as I'll be doing Ibiza in May. Woo.

bhbloke

In that case, it's no wonder they get annoyed!