Geneva Lounge
Feb 5, 2019, 8:34 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: London(ish)
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 564
Geneva Lounge
We had a nightmare here last year with it being so busy and having to sit on the floor outside the lounge (with our wine).
My wife and I are both BA Silver at the moment.
Are there any alternative lounges we can use here where they will let us guest in a guest each (4 of us).
Thank you in advance.
My wife and I are both BA Silver at the moment.
Are there any alternative lounges we can use here where they will let us guest in a guest each (4 of us).
Thank you in advance.
Feb 5, 2019, 8:37 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Lausanne Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold; Swiss Blue
Posts: 1,244
There are no alternative OW lounges at GVA.
The others are airport/handling agent run for which entry can be paid for.
This is normally only an issue during the ski season on change over days
Most of the time it can get busy but never completely saturated.
Geneva is a very Premium heavy route. With business users and lots of high-status PAX
The others are airport/handling agent run for which entry can be paid for.
This is normally only an issue during the ski season on change over days
Most of the time it can get busy but never completely saturated.
Geneva is a very Premium heavy route. With business users and lots of high-status PAX
Feb 5, 2019, 8:41 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
We had a nightmare here last year with it being so busy and having to sit on the floor outside the lounge (with our wine).
My wife and I are both BA Silver at the moment.
Are there any alternative lounges we can use here where they will let us guest in a guest each (4 of us).
Thank you in advance.
My wife and I are both BA Silver at the moment.
Are there any alternative lounges we can use here where they will let us guest in a guest each (4 of us).
Thank you in advance.
Feb 5, 2019, 8:52 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,892
At least you got wine when sitting outside. We were outside for 2 hours a couple of years ago on ski swap-over day in Feb half-term (nowhere else to sit pretty much in the whole airport) and they wouldn't even bring out sandwiches or drinks. It was a zoo. I really think they should stop guesting when it gets as busy as that. No other OW lounges in GVA unfortunately.
Feb 5, 2019, 10:20 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Mucci de l'Arbitrage
Posts: 927
The GVA lounge is not exceptional even when quiet (perhaps aside from the excellent heart shaped butter biscuits, wrapped individually).
The Swiss business lounge accepts Priority Pass and has the added bonus of Movenpick ice cream.
If you have lounge access I take it you also have fast track, which is efficient in GVA, so if you are a bit early I suggest you go to landside bar Le Chef which is super comfortable, has a nice selection and great views over the Jura mountains - and the runway. From Le Chef to security is about 3 minutes’ walk.
The Swiss business lounge accepts Priority Pass and has the added bonus of Movenpick ice cream.
If you have lounge access I take it you also have fast track, which is efficient in GVA, so if you are a bit early I suggest you go to landside bar Le Chef which is super comfortable, has a nice selection and great views over the Jura mountains - and the runway. From Le Chef to security is about 3 minutes’ walk.
Feb 5, 2019, 4:33 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,983
It's not the best lounge and as stated above it can sometimes get very busy, but I still find it worth a visit as the airport overall is pretty grotty in my opinion and I don't fancy taking out a second mortgage in order to buy food in the airport ( although that's the same everywhere in Switzerland).
Feb 5, 2019, 4:50 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,163
It’s a miserable lounge - you’re really not missing much. Always busy, in my experience - and not worth more than a quick pit stop for a drink and a call home - to the extent I ever spare time at GVA, I’d rather browse the shops or pay a few CHF for a nice wine downstairs than spend any time in the BA lounge - it’s just depressing
Feb 6, 2019, 5:56 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: HKG
Programs: BA GGL & CCR
Posts: 600
I drive to Zürich now...
nicer lounge
nicer airport
better prices on the peak time flight for evening connections to Longhaul
nicer, friendlier staff who are more likely to attempt a through check on two PNRs for an onward F connection to USA or Asia.
no joke of club Europe check in
no yellow tag nazi
no searching for change for a luggage cart deposit
no joke of boarding half the plane of passengers with small children some old enough to have zits and twice the chance of a prolific screamer/seat jumper
no standing behind cheap people who rent a car once a year, have already been ripped off for a ski season rental and speak a language different from grumpy sales girl trying to push insurance on them
No sodding rental car bus I won’t be crammed into and end up walking a freezing mile dragging luggage
A beautiful fleet of sliver and black BMWs and Mercedes as far as the eye can see where they don’t try and convince you a Suburu outback is a BMW X5 equivalent.
nicer lounge
nicer airport
better prices on the peak time flight for evening connections to Longhaul
nicer, friendlier staff who are more likely to attempt a through check on two PNRs for an onward F connection to USA or Asia.
no joke of club Europe check in
no yellow tag nazi
no searching for change for a luggage cart deposit
no joke of boarding half the plane of passengers with small children some old enough to have zits and twice the chance of a prolific screamer/seat jumper
no standing behind cheap people who rent a car once a year, have already been ripped off for a ski season rental and speak a language different from grumpy sales girl trying to push insurance on them
No sodding rental car bus I won’t be crammed into and end up walking a freezing mile dragging luggage
A beautiful fleet of sliver and black BMWs and Mercedes as far as the eye can see where they don’t try and convince you a Suburu outback is a BMW X5 equivalent.
Feb 6, 2019, 7:04 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: EC Silver FC Silver
Posts: 34
Now now, this is a BRITISH airways thread, only ski holidays involving flights into Geneva (or awkwardly timed flights in/out of Innsbruck) will be considered 
.
Appreciate the OP is already ticketed and has a good approach "is what it is" - plus the bus services from GVA are excellent. Nevertheless, the other responses have reminded me why I avoid GVA (+ no toilets inside any of the lounges - very TXL). Can't see them ever building capacity to handle traffic only experienced 5-10 days a year (changeover days in and around school holidays), though the airport operator could at least invest in some decent plumbing...
Has anyone tried flying into Milan / Lyon and driving to the typical GVA-accessed resorts? My better half would like to try Megeve, though it's a bit of a trek from our usual fly+drive+ski airports (Munich, etc).
.Appreciate the OP is already ticketed and has a good approach "is what it is" - plus the bus services from GVA are excellent. Nevertheless, the other responses have reminded me why I avoid GVA (+ no toilets inside any of the lounges - very TXL). Can't see them ever building capacity to handle traffic only experienced 5-10 days a year (changeover days in and around school holidays), though the airport operator could at least invest in some decent plumbing...
Has anyone tried flying into Milan / Lyon and driving to the typical GVA-accessed resorts? My better half would like to try Megeve, though it's a bit of a trek from our usual fly+drive+ski airports (Munich, etc).