Apparent lounge cutbacks at LHR T5
Mar 6, 2009, 2:57 pm
#31
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My concern at lounge cutbacks is that they any provide red label JW and the same colour for Smirnoff. Not really good enough for GF.
Mar 6, 2009, 3:06 pm
#32
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Mar 6, 2009, 6:31 pm
#33
Join Date: May 2006
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There has been no reduction in the magazine ordering for the lounges. It must just have been a bit of a glitch and possibly down to the time of day. As for the cleanliness, it can rather depend on the shift as to how good they are at this as well as load factors that day in the lounge. Hopefully you will find the Galleries Club up to the December standards on your next visit.
Mar 6, 2009, 7:49 pm
#34
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: LAX
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Seems to me that the situation is not helped by people stealing just about anything they can from the lounge which I suspect are not the real frequent flyers / premium paying passengers, but people who have upgrades or status with other airlines that offer naff lounges.
Mar 7, 2009, 3:06 am
#35
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I can believe this. I fly out once a week, usually hitting GF at about 1900 on a Sunday or Monday night. Very consistently there are no worthwhile magazines, and very few British newspapers. In the year since T5 opened I've seen two copies of The Economist.
Mar 7, 2009, 4:18 am
#36
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Mar 7, 2009, 9:14 am
#37
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[*]The lounge was very dirty and untidy with crumbs and other detritus all over much of the carpet and furniture.[*]The previously outstanding selection of magazines (including many copies of the Economist, Prospect, Spectator, CN Traveller and countless others I don't remember) had been reduced to no more than High Life and Business Life; although there were still some decent newspapers even late in the evening.[/LIST]
Was the grubiness just a one-off on a day when they were short of staff? Even if it were, the sharp reduction in magazines supplied surely wasn't?
Was the grubiness just a one-off on a day when they were short of staff? Even if it were, the sharp reduction in magazines supplied surely wasn't?
Generally speaking I find the lounges very good, tidy and well stocked. My only disappointment is no more Apple Pie and Custard on the First buffet counter
.
Mar 7, 2009, 9:25 am
#38
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Reporting back from using T5 North lounge today 05.30 - 08.30: lounge was as clean as ever & BA staff as nice as ever, and food still good (no complaints whatsoever on that front from me), but magazines were entirely HighLife / Elite Traveller etc with the exception of one Caribbean magazine, strangely from autumn, and a single copy of 'Hello' magazine.
So, sorry, magazine supply has definitely decreased over the last few months as far as I can see.
So, sorry, magazine supply has definitely decreased over the last few months as far as I can see.
Mar 7, 2009, 9:32 am
#39
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With the magazine world imploding, it is possible publishers are cutting back on this extra distribution to save money.
Mar 7, 2009, 10:13 am
#40
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Exactly. Lucky Hiddy was not around or he would have taken the book rack as well.......
I have to say that T5 lounges have been nice when I have been in them. The thing that I do find is the disgusting pax who dont give a damn and make a mess and dont even attempt to clean it up. Some are nothing more that pigs.....
then again pigs are pretty clean animals........
I have to say that T5 lounges have been nice when I have been in them. The thing that I do find is the disgusting pax who dont give a damn and make a mess and dont even attempt to clean it up. Some are nothing more that pigs.....
then again pigs are pretty clean animals........
Mar 7, 2009, 10:24 am
#42
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As for the Economist I believe there is a world wide shortage of them due to over subscription............look no further than the BD board to see who's to blame for that!!!
Mar 7, 2009, 10:51 am
#43
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Still they have The Sun so you will have plenty to entertain you.
Terraces at LGW are delightful. They had magazines - I confess that I did not look too closely. I did not get an Economist. I just got a retired policeman, a Director and His Consort, and a well travelled Teddy Bear and some Champagne.
The Lounge was very clean and they had moved the Playpen over to where the Smokers used to be closeted. There's now an Internet Cafe only there's no coffee unless you fetch it and it doesn't open until later on this month. If you want to surf - you have to go downstairs.
Isn't that lift up to the Lounge (or down to the Crown Room or whatever occupies it since the abdication to LHR) the world's slowest?
Mar 7, 2009, 12:57 pm
#45
Join Date: Nov 2004
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I'd like BA to bring Bloomberg magazine back to the lounges. It used to be available in the LHR/LGW lounges and in premium cabins, and it's been gone for about a year. I'd like BA to make sure that Italian and Norwegian newspapers are not the only choice left in T5 GF, as happened a few weeks ago. Also, why is it that most of the time the vast majority (>80%) of magazines in GF are specialty mags of no interest whatsoever to most people. I have seen titles I never knew even existed which probably have a circulation of 1,000 copies, and unfortunately often those are the only mags left in GF. Racks and racks of totally worthless rubbish. BTW amazingly the T5 arrivals lounge consistently has a far better selection of magazines and newspapers than GF.