Bad news - BA's NCL lounge reportedly to close permanently
#166
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BRS
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,941
If - and I appreciate it's a very big if - the Aspire lounge does become available to eligible BA passengers then I hope that part of the agreement includes capacity guarantees. I would occasionally try and use the Aspire lounge with my Priority Pass when flying BA but they would often refuse me access on the basis it was full. It was never full or even close to it, but the justification was that they had X number of passengers on the Emirates flight to DXB. Being able to have a proper cooked breakfast was the main attraction so fingers crossed that we do have some good news on that front in due course.
I know the travel industry is a mess at the moment, but that model might work at NCL if that extra space where the BA lounge was is now available... particularly given the presence of Emirates and the other mainline network carriers.
#167
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: MME (midway between NCL and LBA)
Programs: BA Gold, AF/KL Gold, Hilton Gold, Nordic Choice Gold
Posts: 739
I'm not very familiar with NCL, but in BRS (and other UK airports, I'm sure), there are two Aspire lounges. We have the original Aspire offering, which is primarily for the holiday/Priority Pass/prebook crowd and Aspire Plus which is a seperate lounge primarily for airline status customers/business class and those who are happy to pay the considerable uplift to go in. Although the latter has been closed since the start of the pandemic AFAIK.
I know the travel industry is a mess at the moment, but that model might work at NCL if that extra space where the BA lounge was is now available... particularly given the presence of Emirates and the other mainline network carriers.
I know the travel industry is a mess at the moment, but that model might work at NCL if that extra space where the BA lounge was is now available... particularly given the presence of Emirates and the other mainline network carriers.
#168
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Newcastle
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 80
Just a quick update. It looks like BA have done a deal with Aspire.
Lounge access is now showing on the Oneworld website https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=NCL
One small issue is the Aspire lounge is not yet open.
Lounge access is now showing on the Oneworld website https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=NCL
One small issue is the Aspire lounge is not yet open.
#169
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mostly UK
Programs: Mucci Extraordinaire, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold (ex BD)
Posts: 11,203
I guess due to having no lounge for a while makes this more tolerable. It's still a massive step down from what we used to have though. I'll miss being able to see when boarding starts from within the lounge.
Does anyone know if any of the excellent staff at the NCL lounge are working elsewhere in the airport?
Does anyone know if any of the excellent staff at the NCL lounge are working elsewhere in the airport?
#170
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: MME (midway between NCL and LBA)
Programs: BA Gold, AF/KL Gold, Hilton Gold, Nordic Choice Gold
Posts: 739
Just a quick update. It looks like BA have done a deal with Aspire.
Lounge access is now showing on the Oneworld website https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=NCL
One small issue is the Aspire lounge is not yet open.
Lounge access is now showing on the Oneworld website https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=NCL
One small issue is the Aspire lounge is not yet open.
#171
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: BA GOLD
Posts: 599
Just a quick update. It looks like BA have done a deal with Aspire.
Lounge access is now showing on the Oneworld website https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=NCL
One small issue is the Aspire lounge is not yet open.
Lounge access is now showing on the Oneworld website https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=NCL
One small issue is the Aspire lounge is not yet open.
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#172
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Newcastle, England
Programs: BAEC, Flying Blue
Posts: 98
Ill be glad to see some sort of lounge access back for BA, certainly wont be the same as an airline lounge though
I guess once the new airport lounge opens it may be used by BA, well if it ever does!
I guess once the new airport lounge opens it may be used by BA, well if it ever does!
#173
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,824
Yes, if this is confirmed this is good news although still a downgrade compared to the BA lounge.
As with layz, I hope that some of the former BA lounge staff have been retained by Aspire (would regulars like corporate-wage-slave know?)
As with layz, I hope that some of the former BA lounge staff have been retained by Aspire (would regulars like corporate-wage-slave know?)
#174
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,367
Yes, if this is confirmed this is good news although still a downgrade compared to the BA lounge.
As with layz, I hope that some of the former BA lounge staff have been retained by Aspire (would regulars like corporate-wage-slave know?)
As with layz, I hope that some of the former BA lounge staff have been retained by Aspire (would regulars like corporate-wage-slave know?)
#175
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 273
Shame. How does aspire compare? Remember lovely experience in the BA (though couldn't get back to main terminal area due to the one-way automatic doors. )
#176
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,367
Oh it's perfectly fine as lounges go, there may even be a modest increase in food and soft drink options, but losing the CCR of the North was always going to be a heavy blow. Essentially we move from a perfect BA lounge to European generic lounge standards. A bit better than HAM or DUB, not quite as good as MUC.
#177
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Programs: MUCCI; BAEC Lifetime Gold; Marriott Bonvoy Emeritus Titanium; Hertz#1, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 3,207
It was a nice lounge without doubt but the "CCR of the North"? Maybe a bit of local bias creeping in? 🤣
#178
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,367
#180
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Programs: MUCCI; BAEC Lifetime Gold; Marriott Bonvoy Emeritus Titanium; Hertz#1, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 3,207