Aisle Seat H

No idea if anyone is actually reading/using this Thread, but what the hell...

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Lounge name and type - Oslo BA Terraces (One single lounge, no F lounge).

Access rules - Standard access rules.

Facilities – What a lovely little lounge ! ^ As nice a space as you get for its size, Terraces format at its best.

Lots of different seating options with various table types, separate/secluded area with work stations/desks etc for working in private (though no computers there sadly, you have to use your own), and nice long bar with all the drinks etc (though very little food).

Simple but very nice toilet facilities - no showers however

Other info - Access for KLM/AF and CO pax too it seems. (But was however half empty when I was there, as only a few BA flights etc from there).

Lounge is on domestic side of airport (you go through to Int. area when you go to gate), so lounge can be used if you then have a domestic connection (if for e.g. you are on a flight you don't otherwise get lounge access with).

Why the BA lounge here is so nice, but ones of similar size like AMS are so bad is beyond me.

number_6

I wondered about that too (not the Oslo lounge, but various outstations), and I've been told that the station manager controls the budget and decides how much to allocate to the lounge vs. other aspects of the operation. Some decide they really need 3 secretarys, and others decide to buy furniture for the lounge. The branded Terraces lounges are all of the same standard (layout and furnishings, but not size); however some key amenities, such as a PC for checking email, are optional and many lounges choose not to have any (even big busy lounges like SFO, which even chose to leave some of the lounge construction half-finished when they changed their mind, leaving it that way for years). I never realized that BA gives so much authority to their station managers.

Aisle Seat H

I missed this when you posted it somehow number_6 ! i didn't know that either. Wonder if station manager or BA was behind these changes is BRU -

New lounge concept - Brussels - with photos!

May be a local thing, or a sign of how all (shorthaul Terrace) BA lounges will look in the near future.

thadocta

How much patronage does BA actually get out of Brussels these days?I wouldn't imagine there would be much O-D traffic to London, with EuroStar holding the lions share of the market (far more convenient as well). I imagine there would have to be a fair bit of traffic connecting through London, or going to other UK ports (such as MAN) where rail would be impractical, to justify the sort of investment which went into that lung (which is better - by an order of magnitude - than when I was last there in 2004).

Dave

Aisle Seat H

I see your point Dave, but I guess BA must be getting a lot of use out of the place to justify such investment. They still have a few flights a day from there, and many of them indeed are not to/from London but direct to UK regional centres inc. BHX, NCL, BRS (codeshare), MAN (BA Connect and codeshare), plus all the connections through London to numerous other UK destinations etc (and to the US etc with AA ?). I can't remember but maybe the lounge is shared with other OW and other carriers too.

Lounge has always been reasonably busy when I have been there, but tends to clear each time a flight is called !

NM

The new BRU lounge looks 100 times better than the old FRA lounge. Larger, brighter, fresher, food!, computers ...

Aisle Seat H

Yep, BA FRA lounge still is a pretty spartan, tired and small facility - possibly even worse than the aforedetailed AMS lounge. The new BRU one looks vastly better as you say, and a big improvement on its predecessor (though it wasn't at all bad before).

number_6

BRU probably has the highest density of Premier traffic on the BA network, thus hardly a surprise that BA would take special care of BRU. Nice of BA to make it a gnerally accessible lounge, though they probably had no choice in the matter due to space availability. Now that the dust has settled from Sabena and the chunnel, BA obviously decided that business is good and justified the investment. Lots of UK citizens commute to BRU for various reasons, maybe more than from other EU countries.

spotwelder

Remember the outpost of LGW has the SN codeshare as well. Book on the BA half and get full rewards, but you cannot redeem on it, or at least I have never been able to.

I have visited Accra, JNB, TIP, BOG, MIA, ARN, CX LHR T3, and a stack of others in the last few months. I will try to write down relevant stuff soon.

Note: Copenhagen's code is CPH. Manchester is Terraces style, because it was the first one, and looking out of the big window about 45 degrees to the left is where I grew up.

I am glad that QFs are now getting into LGW OK, I did have an altercation with the top level management. Remember that the BA lounge dragons like to see your QF cards and you will have difficulty without them. Photocopy/print out of the website personal stuff does not wear with them. I will try to dig out the keystrokes that the lounge dragons have to put in to check your status. Bloody stupid, as the BA boarding card computer has already checked your status prior to printing. If you are going to change status between BP print out and lounge access.....

Aisle Seat H

Thanks ! I have never even been to Cape Rodney Airport, Papua New Guinea (CPN), so no idea why I wrote that ! (Thread edited accordingly !).
And thanks, look forward to reading those ^ .

Dave Noble

But you could easily have changed status between making the booking and the time at which the boarding pass is issued.

I don't see any issue with them requiring the membership cards; this is exaclty the sort of reason for having them issued in the 1st place

Dave

Aisle Seat H

Lounge name and type - Madrid T4 : Velazquez one, at T4S, one of the new lounges in the new domestic, shorthaul, longhaul lounge concept at the new IB Madrid Terminal 4.

Access rules - Standard access rules.

Facilities – Great lounge ! ^ Yes its brand new so it should be, but it really is very very nice. (Or maybe it just seemed that way cos just got off an IB flight ! )

Huge, long space, with a wide variety of (comfy, and some quite luxurious) seating options, with separate TV area with lots of comfy chairs, relaxation area, etc, etc. (3/4 of the lounge regular, final 1/4 [to right end of lounge] a smoking area that is a mini version of the main lounge with many of same options).

Big open bar area with lots and lots of spirits, liquers etc, plus cava (see photos in the OW link above), a food bar with sandwiches etc (not great food options, but vast improvement on previous Madrid lounge), and a smaller wine tasting bar area with some good red and white wines.

(Quite private) computer area (but not individual cubicles like the previous lounge) with a few terminals, plus printers and scanner.

Very nice toilet and shower facilities - showers 'self-service' but otherwise very similar to BA Terrace lounge ones (with the extra jets etc). Towels and some toiletries etc provided of course too.

Lots of big screens advising of flight departures etc. Flights also called in the lounge.

Other info - 'Pre-flight dining for overnight intercontinental flights', in separate glassed-in dining room at the far right end of the lounge, for those flying IB J longhaul.

Excellent facillity. Shame same standard not evident on IB flights.

number_6

It is a separate locked glassed-in dining room at the far right end of the lounge. Opens quite late and only for J pax on the IB flights leaving after 9 pm (it is exactly the same as the BA pre-flight dining, offered for the late flights which have reduced in-air meal service).

Not to be picky, but all of the champers is cava (in fact all wines are spanish). While Codorniu can be quite good, it isn't champagne. The best drink is the fabulous spanish brandies (duca di alba, mendoza, etc. are all offered). In fact the lounge has much of the same wine and liquor selection that IB offered in F when they had an F service.

The new MAD lounges are really well done, considering there is not an F lounge (they are J+ lounges). A huge change from the old IB.

Aisle Seat H

Thanks, my post adjusted accordingly.

Not picky at all, there is a BIG difference. I did not try it, just saw it in an ice-bucket and assumed champers, but should indeed have guessed it was the 'Spanish equiv.' !

Absolutely. What a difference, a view only reinforced by spending time on the trip in one of the (old type/much more threadbare) Barcelona lounges !

Tyrolean

Lounge name and type - Delta Crown Room
Access rules - The Lounge is used by BA. You only have access if you are a OneWorld Elite (QF Gold gets access).
If you fly European Business Class you have no access. If you connect CW you have access.
If you have no status and fly in CE dont forget to ask for a 5 Euro Voucher to get a coffee!

Facilities - Some Drinks, nearly no food (some dry cake), Newspapers, German and English magazines. If you get no access you dont miss much.