dddc

Travelling CE from Kefalonia next month. As it's a Summer only destination, there is no BA lounge. I don't even think there are any paid lounges there, just a couple of cafes. I haven't been since before the pandemic and the terminals were being rebuilt and I'm worried the "better" cafe is now on the intra-Shengen travel side - from what I can see on the website!

That aside, do the check in staff give out any vouchers in these circumstances? I thought I'd read something like this elsewhere, maybe LCY? We're travelling HBO (just to avoid any baggage issues) so wouldn't approach the check in desk unless there was a need.

No great loss if there isn't. Would be good to get a cool drink and snack as we'll be out driving most of the day after taking the ferry over from neighbouring Ithaca and will be doing some sightseeing on Kef before heading to the airport. I'm sure we'll get a delightfully filling meal on the flight back...

scottishpoet

I have never worked out when BA chooses to provide vouchers and when not. I think if a route nirmally has a lounge but it is closed then vouchers might be provided, but not at a destination that ba has not provided a lounge.

I say this because when the KRK route first started ba would not pay krk for the lounge that was available nor did it provide any vouchers. 3 years i think it was till we got lounge access

krispy84

If there is no lounge usually available to BA pax (whether or not there is any other lounge in the airport), you won’t get a voucher. You shall have to play the game of ‘spot the fellow flustered CE pax’ having to cope with a bar/café open to all 😁.

ratechaser

I remember once getting a voucher at ORY... but never anywhere else...

If you read various other threads on here, it's clear that the remote lounge network access has been significantly curtailed - and even worse where there are lounges, access cut for BA but not other OW partners. I was looking at a flight to Catania, but it looks like BA stopped offering lounge access there several years ago (whereas if I was flying Iberia I'd get in...)

Yet another devaluation of status and/or J travel with BA. It's genuinely sad to see.

krispy84

It is sad that the BA lounge network is getting smaller, but don’t let that put you off travelling. I’m in Sicily atm, having a great time, and will survive no access to the by all accounts awful, third party lounge in Catania.

South London Bon Viveur

I've never been given a voucher at LCY. Hope I'm not missing a trick!

any small airport lounges are pretty basic and crap, but then again so, typically, are the airports, which almost makes it more important to have that lounge access, even if the lounge is rubbish. The non accessibility of lounges for CE and status pax is therefore very disappointing.

1Aturnleft

BA operates to many seasonal destinations, particularly in the Greek islands over the summer where lounge facilities are either non existent. Examples including but not limited to Kalamata, Kefalonia and Corfu. Or not subscribed to where loung facilities do exist but travelling BA Club doesn't grant you access (Heraklion and Paphos being good examples). In both cases when flying Club Europe you do not get a voucher for terminal outlets, you suck it up and pay for what you need in the airport or wait until you board and hope sufficient catering has been loaded for the journey to London.

binman

Not just seasonal routes with no lounge. Paris CDG has no access for late afternoon services. It’s pretty poor, but it is BA

groenroos

Catania is probably the only lounge I've ever experienced that is genuinely worse than just pottering around the terminal. Upon seeing that tiny sad little storage closet of a lounge with supermarket snacks and five chairs, we instantly left to spend ultimately a far better time in the cafes and shops.

Probably a rare case where BA removing the lounge offering is actually an improvement in the overall experience.

Mordac

FAO is terrible too.

ScienceTeacher

I flew from Kefalonia last month. Was a lovely place to visit! Honestly, stay in the town as long as possible and get to the airport as close as the T-20 mark as you feel comfortable - I'd say an hour would be too much!

Once airside you have a duty free shop and a single kiosk selling EUR-5 beers and the like. Grab a nice bite in Argostoli before heading over an hour before.

Kranebitten

As a regular user of CTA and more often than not CE flyer (80TP per sector remember) it is indeed really not an issue and the longer sector length should give a nice paced on board service too. Have to say that the bars etc are fine (though I preferred the previous incarnations to the current leaseholders). It certainly is at capacity on a busy weekend, but other than that is fine - it gets a lot of stick from people and I get that and some of it is valid. I have never had a serious issue though in over a decade of use and do smile at some of the more amusing comments/attitude test failures I have heard over the years from passengers.

jmd

We go to EFL regularly - the airport is better than it used to be (it is now air conditioned) but it still gets very crowded airside in the summer. They have cut the departure lounge in half with passport control in the middle, so you can use both Shenghen and non-Schengen facilities, but both are pretty basic. There is CE check in but no other benefits. There is a taverna just outside the gates to the airport, and EFL regulars tend to go and sit there and have something to eat/drink until the aircraft is on approach (assuming you’re HBO).

richiejv

+1 to this. Best FAO experience I've had with BA was when the lounge was closed so they gave us a voucher to use in the airport.

SxMan

No – certainly don’t stop travelling but consider moving to a carrier that actually does provide business class services for business class travellers I think was the message.