HighwayToHEL

Apologies if this has been discussed to death, I’m reading on my phone.

After arriving from BLR and awaiting my EDI flight I fancied some grub. Being a Sunday it’s quite quiet at LHR (apart from security but that’s another topic). So I’ve come into the CCR.

I was shown to a table and given a menu. I had to ask what the soup was - sadly the same as my outbound routing last weekend - so I opted for the salmon mousse….and after a week in a non-beef country I went for the burger; which pre-covid was excellent.

The salmon mouse was fantastic, but I had taken just two bites when the burger arrived. I hurried the mouse and then found that the burger and chips were like warm at best.

My visit last Sunday was also mediocre (the ordered dessert never arrived) but I put it down to being unlucky, but twice in a run is unusual; pre-covid it was consistently excellent.

I will lose my GGL/CCR in August at the current rate, but perhaps I’ll not be missing that much after all

Or was I just unlucky two weeks running?

Yeah I know, first world problems…..

Simonp27

I had great service on Thursday morning I have to say. Nothing like you describe fortunately for me.

navylad

I’m afraid I’ve only had good service too in my various visits over the last 6 months, so I think you were unlucky.

chriswiles

Also, compare it against the regular Galleries lounge, which is absolutely packed, and you'll soon realise how good CCR is in comparison!

Galleries confuses me. When I was in there before my ARN flight last week, LHR was generally quiet on Monday, but the lounge rammed.

HFHFFlyer

I’m a miserable moaning git and even I find it generally excellent. That said, I know there can be the occasional “off day” with the food but I have found these to be quite rare of late. The service chaos that regularly reared its head at busy times in 2018 and 2019 seems to be sorted once and for all.

The staff are consistently charming and proactive and have moulded into a good team, even whilst they are low on numbers. The other morning, quite early whilst sitting at the bar, I witnessed an eager and very concerned discussion amongst three of them about where an elderly gentleman who had fallen asleep in an armchair was headed. They were able to work it out, wake him and ensure he didn’t miss his flight. A lovely touch.

PS I do hope the young chap who is currently “off work” returns soon.

PPS I also hope that the wonderful afternoon tea buffet that they started on the terrace about a year before the Pandemic can return.

Simonp27

100% agree on this, very attentive and enthusiastic from entry, service desk and the waiting team, nothing too much trouble.

crazyarmadillo

Excluding the chips issue, your recent visits are not something I have experienced either.

But yes, there's lots of things that could be improved with the CCR, but service itself is not one of them that stands out.

At this moment in time, the service, followed by the lounge being 'relatively' quiet, (albeit there are now busy times now, like there never used to be), are the positive standouts for the CCR.

Genius1

The decline of the CCR catering is quite well documented here: Concorde Room (CCR) LHR : menus 2022

The state of affairs appears to be quite embarrassing compared to almost any other home hub international first class lounge.

Within the oneworld alliance alone, AA Flagship First Dining (DFW, JFK, MIA, ORD), CX First Class lounges (HKG, LHR), Japan Airlines First Class lounges (HND, NRT) and Qantas First lounges (LAX, MEL, SYD) all knock the socks off the CCR by some degree, in particular in the quality of their menus. I don't rate the QR Al Safwa lounge's catering at DOH, although know many would place that above CCR.

Even airlines that don't offer first class, such as AY, offer better catering at their premium lounges such as the Platinum Wing at HEL, which is the equivalent of the Galleries First lounge at LHR rather than the CCR.

DoctorCopper

Have you been in the JAL First lounges at either HND or NRT recently?

Doc Copper

Genius1

Not since COVID, but it's not like the CCR wasn't always sub-par, at least in recent years. Things have got worse recently. I've sampled all the other airlines' 'flagship' offerings more recently, and all were better than the CCR.

DoctorCopper

Thank you.

Doc Copper

HIDDY

Only been in the CCR a few times over the years. Like most of the other 'famous' F lounges I've been in around the world I do think they receive OTT positive reviews. Maybe I'm just easily pleased?

seanp7

In my recent experiences, the service has been really good, the drinks excellent, and the food mediocre (& trending downhill). I know burgers are comfort food and can be spectacular; I just don't think a First Class Lounge should have this as their go-to / signature. The soup option (again, in my experience) has been average at best (when it could be exceptional).

I'm not a dessert person, so I can't comment on that.

I prefer the food in the LH/LX FCL's.

ajamieson

No, it;s not you ... the CCR has gone downhill. Catering has been slashed back (although you say you enjoyed the salmon mousse, which replaced the smoked salmon) and the dining area service is more slapdash than it used to be - I have to ask for most things twice, courses all arrive at once or not at all, I'm not offered water or refills, one chap in particular seems to want to seat everyone right opposite other guests even if many other booths are free. As for the BA ground staff at the 'guest services' area watching TV on their iPad and unwilling to entertain even the simplest of requests for help...

Afternoon tea on the terrace? You must be kidding!

SFO777

So true, sadly. We're transiting LHR in the next couple of weeks as I log my annual 4 BA segments and have no expectations of anything positive.