LeisureFirst

I was in the T5 Galleries Club South three weeks ago, awaiting my favourite flight in the world, BA247, and the lounge really seemed to have deteriorated quite markedly relative to the excellent standard I had observed last year (most recently in mid-December). In particular,

• 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.

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? Rather it's the inevitable consequence of declining revenues and the recession. When I see more sale fares or other special offers I'm afraid my heart sinks at the thought of the grubby poorly-stocked lounges and declining service levels which are the other side of the same coin.

Last year I thought T5 Galleries was close to as good as Business Class lounges get (I found it far more impressive for what it was than the CCR). It still has some strong points. Not only is it still spacious light and comfortable with excellent hot food, it seems that they're now pouring the best of the BA Cellar down our throats to compensate for the missing New Statesmen and Yachting Worlds: they were serving (I kid you not) Château Léoville-Poyferré. ^

David-A

OT: I was in the IB MAD lounges over the weekend and I noticed they were quite dirty (literally in need of a good clean).

Coupled with no more cakes and very infrequent restocking I got a sense IB must have cut their budget for the lounge.

Raffles

Ms Raffles brought me back an Economist last Wednesday so they do still exist!

BahrainLad

Referring to the OP, it sounds a little odd. I was in there a few weeks ago and there were plenty of periodicals - all the UK nationals, the FT, IHT completing the newspaper contingent accompanied by the Economist, Prospect (I distinctly remember picking up a copy as I recall reading it in my hotel in Zurich, and I never buy it...far too expensive!)

So maybe this was a blip? I always find the lounge staff have trouble fighting against the tide of human mess...maybe the lounge was, or had recently been, very busy in your case?

BA1A

I have noticed the cakes and gateaux seem to have disappeared from GF as well

As for magazines they always have lots of copies of Hello and Elite Traveler plus there are normally a few copies of Business Traveller knocking about. I suspect all the others are just taken from the lounge as soon as they are put out and not replaced.

LeisureFirst

When precisely? There were tons when I was there in mid-December. Far fewer in mid-February.

I'm not referring to newspapers - there were still plenty of those - just magazines. The selection in December really was outstanding - almost as good as the CCR - whereas in February I really could only see a single CNT on the central stand (in front of you when you walk in) and a handful of other mags (including, I think, one copy of Prospect, it is true, but really just one) on the table to the left just past and sort of behind the Customer Service desk. Everywhere else there were just heaps and heaps of BA's own house journals and that's all.

If it really was just a one-off blip, I'd be delighted to hear it.

mad_rich

Lucky you. What was his name?

BahrainLad

Actually having just checked my calendar it was February 6, so slightly longer than "a few weeks."

The lounge was stiff as it was the week of the Great British Blizzard, but I do remember the table to which you refer.

Cupart

And that's why there are no magazines left

EuropeanPete

There have been some really nice vintage (late 90s - '96/'99) wines served in Galleries Club this year - first time I saw one around Christmas I thought it was a random, but it's definitely relatively common nowadays.

On the magazine front, it sounds to me like there might be once a day deliveries - I rarely rock up at Galleries Club before 6pm, and there's never anything but Elite Traveller, which is so not en vogue with the whole credit-crunchiness of the moment.

BA1A

I mentioned Elite Traveler (note spelling ) in post #5. I can't believe they put them in Galleries Club as well, that's shocking, when surely their target audience is only GF and CCR customers

HIDDY

Maybe something to do with the time of day?

Knowing when the 247 leaves probably not too surprising the place was a bit grubby looking and the lack of reading material due to the days stock having already been taken.

awm

I was in the T5 Flounge the week before last at about 3pm and there was Pol Roger on ice and a catering lady came round offering everyone canapés at their seats. I was most impressed.

LeisureFirst

But when I was there in December it was for BA59, leaving at 1920 - not so different a time of day as to account for the differences I observed. Indeed, just before I left the lounge on that occasion, I ran into some friends of mine (details previously reported in the Celebrities on BA thread ) arriving for BA247.

But even if that is the case, it still means they are putting out far fewer than they used to. The CCR (which I saw twice before I visited the T5 GC) impressed me with its huge range of magazines including back issues. But the first couple of times I saw T5 Galleries Club South, it impressed me even more that the selection was almost as good as the CCR.


Now, yes, I'm only comparing two data points. It could all have been a blip. Anyone able to report from a recent (last three weeks) trip to T5 GC to re-assure me that all is tickety-boo?

HIDDY

2 hours difference? - I've seen kids trash a room in five minutes.