LHR T5 Galleries Club Lounge North & South both "at capacity"
Sep 20, 23, 9:21 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 539
LHR T5 Galleries Club Lounge North & South both "at capacity"
Friend at T5 right now says both North and South J lounges are closed as they are "at capacity" and there is a huge queue that is not moving.
Seems like the overcrowding is going from bad to worse?
Seems like the overcrowding is going from bad to worse?
Sep 20, 23, 9:27 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,095
more people are flying CE
Golds dropping to Silver
Lower frequencies so transit pax in the lounge for longer
I also think people are arriving at the airport earlier at the moment as they have heard horror stories about security. the security is nowhere near as bad as the horror staories so again people in the lounge for longer
Sep 20, 23, 9:54 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 11,861
Lounges were fine and not at capacity in summer holidays, and there would've been a fair few "plus 1s" then, so not really sure what is to blame. I can't believe beginning of Sept a load of Golds dropped to Silver and a loads of Bronze gained Silver ?
Sep 20, 23, 9:55 am
#7
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Jersey
Programs: BAEC gold
Posts: 482
By contrast, GF is currently relatively busy but by no means rammed, and the First Wing was empty. This suggests to me that the situation is being driven by increased premium leisure travel plus gold status extensions running out.
Sep 20, 23, 9:57 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 818
I suspect this is the biggest reason. While some Silvers would have dropped to Bronze, it seems like it was a lot easier to retain Silver, especially with the double TP offer, than it was to retain Gold.
So more golds dropping to sliver - than silvers dropping to bronze - and that gets worse as the year goes on.
So more golds dropping to sliver - than silvers dropping to bronze - and that gets worse as the year goes on.
Sep 20, 23, 10:12 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 39
Post summer holidays taken using the BAH double TPs promotion could quite possibly generate a peak increase from Bronze to Silver around this time...perhaps!
I only hope not too many more people discover the B gates lounge
I only hope not too many more people discover the B gates lounge
Sep 20, 23, 11:03 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 4,972
Those who generated / retained status from summer holidays this year will surely remain Silver through at least summer next year, to probably be joined by other new Silvers for the next 12 months. Im sure half-term and Christmas will also be crazily overcrowded.
Sep 20, 23, 11:03 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club - Silver (OWS)
Posts: 737
Sep 20, 23, 11:13 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Silver, IHG Gold
Posts: 327
This might be a complete newbie question but is there a good way of finding out which gates your flight might be going from? Given the crowds Im wondering whether going straight to B lounge is better.
Sep 20, 23, 11:43 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: BA- Gold, Accor - Diamond
Posts: 26
From my experience, short hauls usually use A and the long hauls are more likely to use B/C. Though that is not written in stone. That being said, I went to B lounge a couple of weeks ago and I struggled to find a seat there as well.
