Piano in Flounge - for the love of god why?
Feb 5, 2019, 7:27 am
#31
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: All over the place often South Wales and Lake District
Programs: BA Gold for Life Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,552
I am however slightly ashamed to say that when I saw the new electric piano in the Flounge a couple of weeks ago I sat down with headphones and pretended to play for a few seconds. I am just hoping it wasnt like one of those phone calls one often hears where the headphone jack isnt plugged in properly...
Feb 5, 2019, 12:56 pm
#32
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, HHons diamond
Posts: 86
Piano currently being played by someone with a pass attached to his lapel who is really quite good. Lounge staff say he is someone brought in to play and that this will be ongoing to provide ‘atmosphere’. At 1940 in a quiet and chilled lounge (apart from bloke just down the way wearing headphones making calls telling his family and work colleagues and others who can hear him where he is and where he is going next) I think it’s a nice touch.
Feb 5, 2019, 2:08 pm
#33
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: BA GGL & GfL, AA LTP, Marriott (sigh) Ambassador, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,227
if it is played by a trained musician--great! good atmosphere and likely soft enough to not intrude on those with headphones, or conversation.
i despise the scourge of "play me!" pianos. as a classically trained cellist and bassist, if you are an amateur--please dont! but if you are trained, i more than welcome this!
i despise the scourge of "play me!" pianos. as a classically trained cellist and bassist, if you are an amateur--please dont! but if you are trained, i more than welcome this!
Feb 5, 2019, 2:50 pm
#34
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Perth WA/ UK
Programs: BA Gold, Priority Club Gold, Accor Silver, Virgin Australia Gold
Posts: 1,748
[QUOTE=frandrake;30741230]Always saw the white piano played by people wearing headphones. If now the piano is "free to air" I would certainly agree it's very inappropriate.
The lounge is a place for work and relaxation, not a tube artist corner.[/QUOTE)
Maybe for some hearing the piano is relaxation. Sure beats the hell out of having little choice but to be listening to all those "important" people on telephones who want everyone to know just how "important" they are.
The lounge is a place for work and relaxation, not a tube artist corner.[/QUOTE)
Maybe for some hearing the piano is relaxation. Sure beats the hell out of having little choice but to be listening to all those "important" people on telephones who want everyone to know just how "important" they are.
Feb 5, 2019, 3:46 pm
#35
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 189
There was a piano in the CCR when I was there at the beginning of January. No one played while I was there.
There was also one in the Turkish lounge the last time I was in IST.
Anecdotal, but the person who decided to play in IST was enjoyable. No complaints.
Que the screaming baby....
There was also one in the Turkish lounge the last time I was in IST.
Anecdotal, but the person who decided to play in IST was enjoyable. No complaints.
Que the screaming baby....
Feb 6, 2019, 7:24 am
#36
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: BAEC Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Sixt Gold
Posts: 418
And btw, who ever said loud phone calls are ok? I do not recall stating that. It is obviously not ok, regardless of the content and of how important/unimportant the caller is.
My point is that in the lounge the noise should be kept to a minimum. Fullstop.
Feb 6, 2019, 11:09 am
#37
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: Mucci Chevalier des Internautes Amables; BAEC
Posts: 967
You may, like miserable me, be pleased to learn that the one in WAW has been removed. No more second-rate chopsticks by uncontrolled rugrats. Although I will miss hearing the odd virtuoso who appeared to play from time to time.
Feb 6, 2019, 11:58 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,140
Surely the presence of a Grand Piano implies the level of sophistication and civilised behaviour one would hope to encounter in a First Class lounge?
There is, however, no legal requirement that I am aware of that requires the frame to have strings.
As for electronic keyboards ... best kept in t‘ pub, eh?
There is, however, no legal requirement that I am aware of that requires the frame to have strings.
As for electronic keyboards ... best kept in t‘ pub, eh?
Feb 6, 2019, 12:22 pm
#39
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,795
I don't mind a little piano music in a lounge as long as it is played piano not forte. Much better than background lift muzak (so turn that off).
Once stayed in the Aurora hotel in Moscow and they had a live harpist in ballgown playing during the breakfast service. That was lovely.
The Liberace impressionist at breakfast in Caesar's Palace less so...
Once stayed in the Aurora hotel in Moscow and they had a live harpist in ballgown playing during the breakfast service. That was lovely.
The Liberace impressionist at breakfast in Caesar's Palace less so...
Feb 7, 2019, 4:10 am
#40
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, VS Silver, Marriott Ambassador, HH diamond IHG plat
Posts: 637
I had a tinkle on the one in CCR JFK the other week. Headphones in I should say; The only trouble with electronic keyboards is the sound is "dead" and lacks the vitality of a real instrument. If they got a real pianist in and proper cocktail service now that would be good.
Feb 7, 2019, 7:48 am
#41
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South East, UK
Programs: BA Gold / GfL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,431
As to why? It's simple, money. BA see an opportunity to earn some money from product placements in lounges and now seem to be using that space in the T5 First lounge on a rotating basis with a number of different companies. None of which seem to have generated much interest in my experience.
That's all we are to them these days, a marketing opportunity. They sell ad space on BA.com, on our boarding passes, in the lounges. Nothing's sacred. Won't be long until they follow Ryanair and plaster the overhead bins with ads! Or maybe they will allow their planes to become advertising hoardings with a new paint job. Or maybe they will give away all our personal data to third parties without our consent ( ... oops ... they're ahead of me on that one)
That's all we are to them these days, a marketing opportunity. They sell ad space on BA.com, on our boarding passes, in the lounges. Nothing's sacred. Won't be long until they follow Ryanair and plaster the overhead bins with ads! Or maybe they will allow their planes to become advertising hoardings with a new paint job. Or maybe they will give away all our personal data to third parties without our consent ( ... oops ... they're ahead of me on that one
)
Feb 7, 2019, 8:07 am
#43
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
As to why? It's simple, money. BA see an opportunity to earn some money from product placements in lounges and now seem to be using that space in the T5 First lounge on a rotating basis with a number of different companies. None of which seem to have generated much interest in my experience.
That's all we are to them these days, a marketing opportunity. They sell ad space on BA.com, on our boarding passes, in the lounges. Nothing's sacred. Won't be long until they follow Ryanair and plaster the overhead bins with ads! Or maybe they will allow their planes to become advertising hoardings with a new paint job. Or maybe they will give away all our personal data to third parties without our consent ( ... oops ... they're ahead of me on that one)
That's all we are to them these days, a marketing opportunity. They sell ad space on BA.com, on our boarding passes, in the lounges. Nothing's sacred. Won't be long until they follow Ryanair and plaster the overhead bins with ads! Or maybe they will allow their planes to become advertising hoardings with a new paint job. Or maybe they will give away all our personal data to third parties without our consent ( ... oops ... they're ahead of me on that one
)
Feb 7, 2019, 10:30 am
#45
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South East, UK
Programs: BA Gold / GfL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,431
I guess the issue here is that what is relaxing for one person might annoy the hell out of someone else. While some lounges are quite big, you can probably still hear the piano from most parts of the main T5 F lounge area (assuming the person playing isn't using the headphones).
Personally, it does seem an odd thing to me. Even in more public spaces, like hotel lobbies, I don't particularly find piano playing to add to the atmosphere. Particularly when one solitary person starts clapping at the end of each piece! Just seems odd!
