Gold during COVID is better than before ?
 

I've taken a few flights, one to Belfast in Economy and today in Club Europe to Split, and the experience now is really great.

Besides the First Lounge experience being really good (order online and drinks arrive faster than if I were to get myself ) I've found the CSMs on the flights to be really attentive. On my flight to Belfast the CSM came half way down the plane to chat with me and we had a good laugh. On today's flight to Spit I was served first and by name (in 1F versus the people in 1A and 1C). I even got some additional drinks too which was a win on both sides. I've given him a Golden Ticket (not sure the benefit for him but possibly something beneficial ).

I've felt like I've been on CX or QR rather than on BA despite Exec Club being my mileage programme. It's all small and mini things but, as a result of this, I've moved some trips over to BA.

I can concur. The lounge experience is a big improvement, and despite being gold for 3 years, I got my first personal hello in economy a couple of weeks back. He even bought drinks up to the exit row from the front for us

Hi.

Whilst the lhr lounge experience is very good, the lack of a ba lounge at edi and overseas ( whilst understandable) is a little let down.

Service in ce was good( better than some flights) but not outstanding

Another 4 flights planned in early oct as long as covid restrictions are not tightened some airports having a priority pass card is more useful than a ba gold/silver card

Regards

Tbs

I agree the T5 GF and CCR Terrace is a great experience. EDI in total is a bit of a let down at the moment with No BA Lounge, Limited opening hours for bars and cafes and half the shops are closed.

However I do believe this is understandable

I have a feeling that this great experience is not going to last: Once travel volumes start going back up all these newly implemented things will break down. Of course, if travel volumes will not go up, the implications may be even worse.

Can we please have a vaccine and be done with this? 2022 can't come soon enough.

I was very underwhelmed by the lounge experience. I was flying LHR/ORD in late August, with my wife and two young boys. There was nothing suitable for children on the lounge menu at all, and there was only really one cooked proper lunch meal. It was delicious, but other than that it was soup or a rather early in the day 'high tea'. No dessert, and nothing child-friendly. The lounge was very full, and I see no reason why the menu could not have been broader. (And the food on board in Club was very poor....)

LHR lounge is much improved. Priority boarding is no more. Otherwise it’s just the same, complete indifference from crews on board, First Wing mostly competent apart from one painful experience.

It’s a shame it takes a global pandemic to improve services that are the norm with other carriers.

From my perspective, and this is from someone who is flying exclusively in the USA at the moment, I see things differently. The fact that all of AA's Flagship Lounges are closed means that we're limited to Admirals Clubs where they exist. Food options are limited to a couple of hot options for breakfast / dinner with snack boxes also available as a free option. Other food options are available but these, along with premium drinks, have to be paid for.

Some airports offer Priority Pass lounges (for example, the lounge in LAS T1 is open) but all the Centurion Lounges remain closed.

I agree with a number of the post above.

I've had to take a few transatlantics since July and the BA experience has been excellent in Y. The priority boarding and lack of lounges at outstations (e.g., BOS, ORD, IAD) are a downside, but is understandable and bearable for a range of reasons (e.g., social distancing, the number of flights, the number of passengers, local laws).

The one change I would like would be for the BA lounges to be reopened back to the US, even if for reduced hours. I've not tried out any Priority Pass lounges yet but I was surprised to see that apparently the BOS Air France Lounge is open which would be useful given that the BA lounge is closed, and the Lufthansa lounge in BOS (with paid entry) might be open but closes before one would get anywhere near going through security for the BA212.

I've not done any BA domestics or Euro flights as trying to stay within the law, rules, and reasonableness when I'm in the UK. The US domestic experience is different: AA are still doing priority boarding, and a range of Admirals Clubs lounges are open but the onboard experience is not very good in Y (even though I got a row to myself). In Business, AA is fine but the customer experience on BA Y international far outshines the AA business domestic. I am aware I'm not making a like-for-like comparison. The Flagship First check-in is nice where it is open (e.g., JFK, ORD), and is comparable with BA's First Wing (though the AA Flagship First security experience doesn't filter out well to the security, compared to BA's First Wing at LHR... albeit that is only an issue when the foot traffic is heavy and staffing is not matched to the peak).

There are several aspects I like about the pre-COVID AA experience over BA, and there are several aspects I dislike about BA generally... but the Gold experience is one that seems worthwhile, and it definitely has helped make necessary travel more bearable.

My goodness, on the basis of my recent BA travels you must be easily pleased.

I think the GF lounge is very good considering the circumstances, but still not as good as on March 14th when they had the old buffet, order menu, self service drinks and the place was deserted.
I suspect that if and when things get busy, the current menu order system for everything will be difficult to sustain.
As already pointed out, the lounge has no desserts (only the afternoon tea cake). I agree that the menu is not ideal for children.
Overall however, I think there can’t be better lounges out there at present.

On board service has been great with some very attentive club Europe CSMs.

Hold onto your hats... myself and my partner (both Silver) got acknowledged as such on our last flight. The service was attentive throughout.

It doesn't take a lot to be the difference between average and amazing. Amazing doesn't need to mean over the top, just a little effort on the smallest of details that have a massive impact on the overall experience. That to me is how you differentiate yourself from any budget airline.

Before COVID-19 were there any child friendly food choices? I don’t recall the food choices being remarkably different before.

Well, I wouldn't say 'better', maybe 'different' based upon only two TATLs:
The first one nothing was open, so no lounge (in the US or at LHR) - onboard was okay with attentive service (not surprising since only 2 of is in WT+), but crap food.
Second one, no US lounge, Flounge at LHR as others have said was very good for service (less good for choice perhaps). On board okay - food 'better' than first trip (only relative), no recognition per se though.