hungry

Hi everyone

Tomorrow (today) I am flying back to LHR from Belfast. I am taking someone to the airport who needs help, who is flying to a different destination on a different (non oneworld) airline. I planned the flights so we left within half an hour or so of each other.

But...... Their flight time was changed to be much earlier, annoying. Top and bottom of it I am going to be at Belfast City at about 10.30am for my flight which is 1510! No problem I thought, I�ll just chill in the lounge and catch up on some work over a few glasses of champagne- I�ve got loads I can be doing.

I�m not sure if I will be able to check in my case- but I have a backup plan for that. My travelling companion is gonna shove my liquids in her case and give them to me later this month and I�ll take mine as carry on (it�s small) and use my app BP. So my first Q is, will the check in be open so far before flight (like at Dublin, EDI etc) or will I have to give her my liquids ?

Second question, not sure if it�s a BA or 3rd party lounge .. but wondering if there will be any issue of staying in there from about 11am till my 1510 flight? I�m guessing not but you never know....

Thanks, as always, in advance

Tobias-UK

I’m pretty sure the BHD BA Lounge closes after the morning departure (10:00?) and only reopens at 13:00 for the afternoon departure. There is an Aspire Lounge if you have PriorityPass (or are prepared to pay for access).

UKtravelbear

This is that the lounge database says about the lounge.


I guess check-in would follow the same sort of pattern as well - open 2 hours before flight close 45 mins before then staff go and do the gate ops

BA Lounge Database | United Kingdom

Is a same day change not an option for you - ticket dependent of course

Stormbel

My understanding is also that the lounge is not open all day. There are so few b a fights and it's rarely crowded so why do so for 2 or 3 at that time of day?
The Aspire lounge is next door.

hungry

Oh no. Grr

one of the few occasions a 3rd party lounge would be advantageous (open all day)

is there a decent bar in the terminal? Also please tell me lounges/airport bars aren’t subject to that ridiculous outdated Belfast no booze before 1130/1230 rules, which I just learned about on this trip!

bd95

Back in the days of 8 evenly-spaced shuttle flights a day, the lounge stayed open all day. Now the timetable has been pared back / aligned with EI. There are huge gaps between BA departures so the handling agent closes the lounge and checkin until 2h pre-departure. I don�t know if you can check in earlier during the checkin window for a previous flight but I would doubt it.

Annoyingly EI don�t use the BA lounge for their flights!

hungry

Thanks for the help everyone. You were all correct.

Couldn't check in so with some rearranging done hand baggage.

Lounge closed and locked up tight.

oh well live and learn

ECR

I heard a rumour that the airport was going to just have a third party lounge and there won't be a BA lounge in the future. I'm not sure if it is just someone speculating due to the large amount of time the BA lounge is closed during the day or if there is any basis to it.

Whilst it would have been beneficial to the original poster's circumstances it would be a shame if the airport lost a dedicated BA lounge as no matter how good it is a third party lounge always seems like a downgrade.

sentosa

That would be very sad if true.
I love the great view of the runway and watching the incoming flight, knowing I will soon be on my way.
I also believe that it is one of the few places where you board directly from the lounge.
Hope it is just speculation.

ECR

The Aspire lounge is next door and few seats have a view of the runway. It is much smaller though than the BA Lounge from what I recall and I can't see it having the capacity to cope with BA status holders and business class flights in addition to other airlines and Priority Pass card holders etc.

I would imagine the third party lounge would either move into the BA space, or perhaps expand into it. I'm not sure how it would work for direct boarding if at all, as I can't see them just letting anyone with lounge access via Priority Pass etc have priority boarding. I suspect they would just take the easy option and leave the direct access door firmly shut.

I hope it is all just idle speculation without foundation. I would fear for the long term future of BA operated flights to this airport if true as it would show a lack of commitment by BA to close their own lounge.

sentosa

The view that I like is the BA plane coming in and I doubt there is anywhere better to view it than the BA Lounge .

I did wonder if it would be an option to expand into the BA lounge.

I do think about BA's commitment to Belfast, it was very disappointing when they pulled out in 2001.
I know that we can use Aer Lingus, but that entails a Terminal Change, and they do economy only from Belfast.
Always keen to collect Tier Points and Avios

Last week, we flew long haul, and then had a 7 1/2 hour layover in Lhr, first flight to BHD is too early to connect with early long haul flights.
Flight was actually very full and I was quite surprised how many people were collecting long haul transferred hold luggage.
Still hoping it is speculation

bd95

BA are reverting to type and running the route from the London end. They appear to be giving up on Belfast-originating P2P and most of the pax appear to be connecting.

The flight times this winter season work for a day�s business in Belfast but not for the Belfast traveller heading to London for the day - the earliest arrival into LHR won�t have you in central London for 9am and the last flight to Belfast leaves LHR at 1845 which isn�t great.

As a result, Flybe seem to be cleaning up on BHD to LCY with the important early and late rotations and 6x daily during the week. EI seem to be giving up as well with the base closure and running LHR as either a W, or taxiing in crew from Dublin.

ECR

I asked on a recent visit to the lounge and was told the BA lounge is being taken over by Aspire so unfortunately it is not just a rumour.

I remember the lounge opening a few years after a refurbishment when BA took over BMI. Sadly since then they have axed most of the flights. I recall BA initially had about seven flights a day on some days, whereas now it can be as low as two.

I fear for the remaining few flights a day that are left.

SHT88T

I really hope this isn’t true, I’ve loved this little gem of a lounge since the BMI days. It’ll be a sorry day if it happens and boarding directly from the lounge goes away. It is also a very busy place at peak times, if it is opened to the general travelling public there will be even less space available. The current Priority Pass Aspire Lounge is tiny and used also by Flybe and KLM.

There are still at least 5 IAG flights a day to Heathrow from BHD, sometimes up to 7. Surely they could do something within the group to split the cost between EI and BA keeping it in house for BA/EI status holders/business class passengers.

blurt91

We're you given any idea of when this might happen?