LHRJFK

100%. We can give BA feedback to retain our custom, else we will leave. I have already booked another airline to test it.

I think BA is doing this deliberately but irrespective if they are not feedback should help fix things.

Everyone knew CCR was closing and knew something new would replace it. No one expected a Business Lounge from 2008 in Melbourne to replace BA's JFK lounge.

xenole

I know. All of us were shocked when something involved BA was "enhanced". It's not as if everything they go near involves some sort of downgrade under the pretence of being improved

At the end of the day, no-one is forced to go in these lounges. It's not as if "I'm flying first, so I must solely use this lounge". There are other places to eat in the airport, and in the city if there's time.
I"ve said before that all the lounges have their merits. All have their failings, some quite major.
FFD and the CCR were nice, but not as amazing as some believe them to be. It was always a dark winter evening when I was in the T7 CCR, so not much to see outside anyway
It pretty much stems down to what champagne is on offer. The fancier it is, then things are overlooked.

jjLDNY

You are right. We don’t expect enhancements from BA all of the time, rarely in fact: the suites are the only recent thing I can think of. But you’d think they’d give themselves a way to counter it by pulling out something everything now and again to shout about for PR alone - I don’t think there was a better time than with JFK. I guess they did that on the day 1 PR launch with rib-eye and Krug on the menu!

This for many may be the last straw for those who fly frequently from JFK-LHR - Virgin has a competitive product in my opinion here with a much better lounge whilst maintaining a similar charm. Short term people will revolt and push back in hopes they react(guilty), long term they will leave if they continue their current style of enhancements.

Many of us have obviously invested some time (money aside) into these airlines and may be seeking ggl/gglfl before we move away to another as I’m sure we’d all prefer not to restart elsewhere.

On the second part of a lounge not being the be-all and end-all. I’m sure we all agree, but this is a thread to discuss just the lounge! On the champagne point, you’re right, and I’d probably take sipping nicolas feuillatte whilst looking out of the window over lpgs looking at other pax in a bunker (well actually don’t hold me to that, I’d probably just stay home longer and drink there.. But you get the sentiment) it’s a shame that skipping the first class lounge is a consideration.

happiest_at_40000

Agree and understand everything you are saying but just would counter to say that having flown VS recently I was so underwhelmed and tbh disappointed. I would say the FA's were super nice (and a few were really beautiful.....but that was it). It was not the most professional service, the food was a let down on every level. I also think the hard product was horrible. The tray table is like 5 x too big, the seat is not comfortable, I recall not being able to find a good spot to recline and watch a movie. Also, its narrow and felt very close to the row in front/behind. Of course better than the horrible herringbone seats but to me the level of professionalism on BA F was so much better than VS not to mention a better hard product and better food (maybe not fair to compare F to J but I read all the time how BA F is just glorified J)..

Oh and since we are on a thread about lounges, the Clubhouse was an absolute joke. Horribly small showers, an exercise bike from 1987 not to mention 3 diff families with 7 combined kids running around like it was a freaking playground. It was truly a cluster F. In many visits to all the FL's (except ORD where I've never been) I dont ever recall having an issue with kids being allowed to just do as they please how they must be Ok with at the Clubhouse.

Sorry to rant, your mentioning VS just reminded me of a very regrettable decision to use 95K DL miles for the experience (never listening to the God Save the Points buy again, he is the reason I booked that flight/plane).

jjLDNY

Ok. I trusted a friend’s review on this one. I take back my suggestion and the friend will be dealt with appropriately.

Smid

I've found the more recent seats in VS J to be much more cramped, they used to be better when the 737s and A363s were flying. The 787 and 333s seats were a struggle last time I was in them. Food and service can be variable. You can have a superb time one time, and then feel as if they are not only phoning it in, but not even that, the next time.

jjLDNY

Today's response. Lounge layout and F&B aside, feed back to them as you feel appropriate; whether you're happy with this, would like a CK match access for transcon or would like traditional CCR-type access.

mmxbreaks

So GGL doesn't even have access on a transcon? I'd call that "long-haul"!

golfmad

In which case the updated BA website documentation is already wrong.

Football Fan

They changed it and took out the transcons.

golfmad

Good grief, it's only been a few days. I can't keep up.

DMPHL

I feel like this is BA misinterpreting in the exact opposite direction. AA differentiated between "domestic," which if used alone generally just means down to Miami, or Dallas, or Chicago, Cleveland, etc. Then, of course, there are domestic routes that are Flagship...the transcons to LAX, SFO, SNA, DFW/CLT to Hawaii, which should grant access. I have to think BA heard no access on domestic itineraries and just assumed that meant all domestic. What a cluster.

Koru Flyer

Seriously, BA should stop worrying what AA may think and just make their rule and pay AA for the access (if that is the arrangement?). These co-lounges are always a mess.

(In all reality this looks like a simple task of lounge access rules was delegated so far down the org chart, and the poor person is just being bashed in each meeting)

nufnuf77

BA is trying to pay as little as possible. I was excited about the new lounge proposition, but once again penny pinching won...

Andriyko

In OW alliance, the operating carrier pays for lounge access. When it comes to the lounges that are not covered by the OW rules, AA gets to decide who gets access (as it was the case with FFD). BA gets to decide who can use the lounge in conjunction with its own flights. I'm not sure why BA would make its own rule for AA flights.