Club World Lounge Access with Children
May 7, 2019, 10:53 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: All the usual suspects
Posts: 342
There's always the pay on the day lounges if you really want to get everyone into a lounge. Personally I'd prefer to spend that cash some of the restaurants though, when we faced the same situation as you, we would just rock up to the Fortnum and Mason 'fish shack' and enjoy a drink there.
May 7, 2019, 10:54 am
#18
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,091
May 7, 2019, 11:01 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,091
Disappointing as it may be, it seems that it is perfectly possible to keep the party together - just not in the BA Club Lounge on your current ticketing.
I suppose i could instead be looking looking for someone travelling at the same time with guest privileges
May 7, 2019, 11:20 am
#20
Join Date: May 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hotels.com Gold
Posts: 390
I really wouldn't be too bothered about the lounges. On the one hand it is nice to get away from the big, open, noisy space of the main departure lounge, but the BA lounge is also very crowded (hunting for a pair of seats takes some time, so finding a four will be hard) and only slightly quieter. Free booze is nice but your kids can't have that anyway, and the food in the lounge is pretty terrible. If we are there at a mealtime we always go out and eat at somewhere like Giraffe (breakfast) or Wagamama (lunch/dinner) rather than the brown school dinners in the lounge. So best to set aside your disappointment and enjoy a nice meal at one of the restaurants.
May 7, 2019, 12:15 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Just to clarify that GGL's now permanently get up to 5 guests (on the same flight)
Golds is ad-hoc as and when BA decide to allow extra guesting during holiday periods.
GGL now allowed 5 guests in GF + TFW (same flight only)
Golds is ad-hoc as and when BA decide to allow extra guesting during holiday periods.
GGL now allowed 5 guests in GF + TFW (same flight only)
May 7, 2019, 12:21 pm
#22
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,399
You take turns using the lounge with the one of you not in the lounge staying with the kids.
BTW, are your kids old enough to travel in a cabin without an adult? Check the BA rules on this, but remember it's an overnight flight and they *cannot* visit you in CW.
BTW, are your kids old enough to travel in a cabin without an adult? Check the BA rules on this, but remember it's an overnight flight and they *cannot* visit you in CW.
May 7, 2019, 12:23 pm
#23
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,991
Have you considered what you would do if there were an emergency that required the immediate evacuation of the aircraft?
May 7, 2019, 12:59 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 592
OP says the children are 13 and 11, I thought you had to be 12 to travel unaccompanied? Does a different cabin count as accompanied? I'd just pick a decent eatery and wait there, each adult could have a trip to the lounge if wanted, kids will probably be happy anywhere.
May 7, 2019, 1:01 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,255
I’d certainly give the lounge a miss - don’t have any crazy ideas about loitering out front and trying to get another passenger to guest your kids - it’s not nice to put someone else in that position. Enjoy a meal in the main terminal and head over to your gate in a timely manner
May 7, 2019, 1:05 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - Hampshire & London
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Classé, plus BAEC.
Posts: 2,734
I would go to Plane Food. The 4 of you can settle in at a table and enjoy some food and drink while chatting about what you want to do in NYC. A table near the windows gives good aircraft views and there is always people spotting to do.
You are not missing much in the Club lounges.
You are not missing much in the Club lounges.
May 7, 2019, 1:07 pm
#28
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
I was on a flight a while back where a couple in CW had three children under 12 in Y. BA seemed fine with it, so I can't imagine they were considered UMs.
I felt sorry for the kids. A parent came by a couple of times and barked instructions at them and they were very quiet the whole flight.
I felt sorry for the kids. A parent came by a couple of times and barked instructions at them and they were very quiet the whole flight.
May 7, 2019, 1:09 pm
#29
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,399
Some airlines won't permit a 13 year old to serve as the "adult" for younger kids. YMMV.
Even if the airline permits this, is it a good idea? What if there's an emergency? What if there's a predator?
Even if the airline permits this, is it a good idea? What if there's an emergency? What if there's a predator?
May 7, 2019, 1:30 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,517
I'll add my welcome to Flyertalk and the BA Forum to others' bakker110!
I'm really sorry that you didn't get the answer you were hoping for but in effect, there are challenges which can be resolved and others which can't and this one, I'm afraid is of the latter kind. As others have pointed out, there is simply no way that the four of you will be able to get into the lounge, that simply isn't going to happen. Your two options are either that your partner and yourself can go into the lounge and the kids stay somewhere else (not recommended at all, as you point out, they seem too young for this) or that the four of your spend tie together somewhere else - either in the general area or in one of the many cafes and restaurants in the terminal. Those are basically the only options.
As pointed out by others, whilst it is actually allowed for the two children to travel on their own in Y as long as you are on the same flight, note that they won't be able to visit you in CW and BA crew equally won't take care of them. So they will basically be on their own and unless the flight has some empty seats (or it's an A380 and they end up on a window pair on the upper deck), that will be with at least one stranger next to them in their row as all other WT rows have either 3 or 4 seats each.
If that idea is uncomfortable for you, either your partner or yourself would be able to swap with one of the kids upon boarding so that one adult+one kid travel together in CW and one adult+one kid travel together in WT. However, the change would have to be for the whole duration of the flight as passengers can't swap mid-flight.
I'm really sorry that you didn't get the answer you were hoping for but in effect, there are challenges which can be resolved and others which can't and this one, I'm afraid is of the latter kind. As others have pointed out, there is simply no way that the four of you will be able to get into the lounge, that simply isn't going to happen. Your two options are either that your partner and yourself can go into the lounge and the kids stay somewhere else (not recommended at all, as you point out, they seem too young for this) or that the four of your spend tie together somewhere else - either in the general area or in one of the many cafes and restaurants in the terminal. Those are basically the only options.
As pointed out by others, whilst it is actually allowed for the two children to travel on their own in Y as long as you are on the same flight, note that they won't be able to visit you in CW and BA crew equally won't take care of them. So they will basically be on their own and unless the flight has some empty seats (or it's an A380 and they end up on a window pair on the upper deck), that will be with at least one stranger next to them in their row as all other WT rows have either 3 or 4 seats each.
If that idea is uncomfortable for you, either your partner or yourself would be able to swap with one of the kids upon boarding so that one adult+one kid travel together in CW and one adult+one kid travel together in WT. However, the change would have to be for the whole duration of the flight as passengers can't swap mid-flight.