Lucanesque

I was in there yesterday, it was open, however they were limiting the number of people in the First Class section

Door5L

do not get too excited. I started at the A gate lounges last weekend and they were completely overcrowded and clearly not enough staff to clear tables or even manage demand. As soon as I saw my B gate appear, I moved over to the much calmer B gate lounge.

Lounges are of course nice to have access to but are nothing more than a busy canteen zone now. Feeding time at the trough based on the lounge numbers last weekend anyway. Areas outside the lounges were calmer so maybe the wilds would be better.

Schultzois

For my F trips on LH my personal minimum happy connection time is probably around 5 hours, once I count a little something to drink when I get into the FCT, a leisurely bath with a duck, a nice meal in the dining space (also, ironically, often duck…), a bit of online work with a nice scotch… times always goes quickly and no risk of missing my flight since they will drive me to the plane when the time comes. That’s not even building in time for a possibly-needed nap and a not-needed cigar in the cigar lounge section. Of course I could do it faster, but only with higher risk and less enjoyment.

In times past I might have felt similarly for BA (minus the bath, but still probably a shower) but I’m afraid it’s not been that way at all lately. I book a long connection and feel lucky if I just make it to the connecting flight after all the unexpected mishaps along the way… had a flight booked into F in June with the hope and timing of a relaxed stop at CCR but by the time I’d dealt with all of BA’s last minute changes - shortening the connections and blocking OLCI - I was running for the flight without even a stop in any lounge whatsoever. And no car like LH or AF and not even a cart like EK, etc. Just a fast run with my bags in my hands. Was fine for me back in my 20s but I’m getting a little too old for that unless it’s a true emergency.

Never Stansted

Think we might be getting a hint of what will happen when BA finally do start to refurbish the A lounges, anyway…

subject2load

Out in the wilds can be a good thing !

bisonrav’s interesting thread about our fixation with lounges Non-lounge facilities at BA served Airports was begun, I think, only a day or so before any news of this £30 offer had appeared ; but the cash does have a certain attraction, whilst providing something of an incentive to try something other than the often-overcrowded canteen zone, aka T5 F lounge.

For me, five hours is a lot of time to kill - unless of course you encounter the sort of ‘unexpected mishaps’ as described by Schultzois above (in which case it might be only just enough ! )

richiejv

After experiencing GF yesterday (around 16:00), I think I'd have taken the £30. Ridiculously busy, as mentioned above even the soft drinks were all warm. Just about got a seat but there weren't many available. Slow at security, food was not much to write home about. Not exactly the "premium" experience. The AA Admirals Club in PHL on Sunday (a fairly average lounge really) was much better.

choosethedrew

I think I would take this and buy a nice lunch in Plane Food, I hope I'm offered it!

adrianlondon

This really depends on the airport. I don't have lounge access any more (Bronze) but have no problems passing the time in LHR T5.

On Sunday, I flew from T4. It's very quick to get through security and to the waiting areas, but incredibly boring once through. I would have liked a lounge (I was flying KLM so it wouldn't have been a BA lounge of course)

Foofighter69

Is this just time of the year or are there more Golds in the mix at the moment than before?

fdem

having being delayed and cancelled multiple times we found ourselves chatting to fellow passengers who all seemed to be lifetime gold. I think sometimes BA rue the day they opened up lifetime tiers ( only gold at this point) as the lifetimes are people who travelled extensively during the golden age of travel are mainly retired and travel economy with gold benefits. I am probably just jealous!

chriswiles

It does, but just takes a lot longer (lot more stops). And Bond Street is manic too half the time. You'd have to allow over an hour just for that journey alone.

Another option is to head to T5B for a bit. Really nice since the revamp, but that more times we tell a public forum to go T5B, the more people head to T5B...

T8191

Recent T5A FLounge comments noted! I shall see what tomorrow brings!

Likely to be a T5C departure [to PHX] so may head for T5B Lounge and wait there.

KARFA

to bond street crossrail vs HEX there definitely isn't much in it time wise. HEX may be quicker but you only go to Paddington so still need to get something else to go further on. in fact if you put T5 to Bond Street in to TfL journey planner for today you get results showing at most about 6-7 minutes difference between the two (both are about 41-48 minutes.

the important point is not to wait at T5 until the next crossrail - get whatever is going first. if it is HEX then get off at T2&T3 as you should be able to pick up a crossrail train coming from T4 on the same platform.

PUCCI GALORE

Frankly, I would do neither as Him Indoors would be fretting about getting back to the airport and then all the faff of security. However, if I had my Big Girl Thong on I'd go to Bond Street. Paddington is a dump - unless it is to go somewhere specific - like Paddington Station for a train.

Dear OP - I'd take their 30 pieces of silver, go off to Duty Free buy Gin or Champagne. This is not very honest of me I confess but normally I would not get out of bed for £30 let alone get into it. Still, who says that you cannot have your cake and eat it? If they told me to get on my bike I'd slum it in the Business Lounge with all the riff-raff. I bet they're more fun - don't they run around grabbing printers whilst stuffing their faces with breakfast/lunch/dinner?

What I would do is get the Telegraph Cryptic crossword and just have a mooch about to watch the Sons and Daughters of the Rising Yen buying things that I would not want even if I could afford them. I'd take their £30 and go back in a bit later via the dark side. I am a people watcher and I would spot whether I could see Flyertalkers. They're mostly dishy so they'd stand out and then I'd know you - but then if they were dead dishy and looked like Brian Ferry then I'd know that I'd found .......

No! Be still Oh My Beating Heart- he's probably still in New... (nearly said it!) 5 hours in his august presence and I'd care less whether I had a connection to make or not

msm2000uk

What a clever way to trial dynamic pricing for J fares.

M