Nov 28, 13, 3:21 pm
Last edit by: mikebg
Master thread: List of lounges with kosher food.
Any input of more lounges appreciated.
- TLV
All lounges - LHR
ELAL - KDL (T4)
BA -
Terminal 3: Full KSMLs available in the First lounge. Bagels and soup in Business lounge. [It would seem that there are no KSMLs available currently in the T3 lounges]
Terminal 5A: KSMLs available in all lounges. Soup (vegetable/chicken) and bagels in the Club lounges and full meals (Breakfast - omelette / baked beans / mushrooms / grilled tomato / sauted potatoes. Rest of day - meat balls / chicken / salmon / (often also a vegetarian option)) in Galleries First and Concorde Room. Soup available on request in the Concorde Room (they may say there is no soup but if asked they will bring it from the Club lounge).
Terminal 5B: Soup, but generally no bagels.
Terminal 5C: No BA lounge! You can get up to 15 of stuff from Starbucks if you show then a Club or First boarding pass. They might have Walkers Crisps (check for LBD Hechsher) - plus soft drinks and tea/coffee.
CX - Frozen Kosher meals
VS - Frozen kosher meals - JFK
ELAL - KDL (T4)
Virgin - Clubhouse (T4)
BA - I believe you need a reservation with a kosher meal ordered - EWR
ELAL - Art Lounge (TB) - MAN
BA - T3 - Kettle chips under KLBD - FRA/MUC
LH - KSML available with pre-request - ZRH
LX - Only fruit, chocolate and (in the summer) yummy icecream - WAW
kosher sandwiches and snacks.Available on their own shelf in the food chiller cabinet - HKG
CX - Available on request. - SYD
QF - Available on request - SIN
SQ - Private room, available on request - LAX
international lounge has kosher foods around the time of Elal flights This lounge no longer exists. - HKG
LY - JNB
Bidvest Lounge - Kosher cheeses, and kosher crisps.
Any input of more lounges appreciated.
Master thread: List of lounges with kosher food.
Mar 17, 19, 2:12 pm
#77
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Gateshead
Programs: BA Gold, ELAL Top Platinum, Lufthansa and Virgin
Posts: 799
May 23, 19, 2:16 am
#78
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: EL AL Matmid, BA Executive Club GfL, GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,021
Serious kashrus problem at EL AL KDL in Heathrow T4
It would seem that EL AL use food from a kosher caterer which is then served and sometimes reheated at the lounge by a non Jewish catering company with no supervision whatsoever. However, they have been misleading the public by displaying the kashrut certificate of the catering company, without any mention that there is no actual supervision in the lounge itself.
The following link from the London Beth Din kashrut page on facebook gives more information:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/klbd...6894064175831/
The only way things stand any chance of changing is if enough passengers contact EL AL about it. It would make sense to CC any correspondence also to Rav Hayut, the Rav of EL AL. His email is: [email protected]
I would have written to then myself, but it is a long time since I flew to/from London with EL AL ...
The following link from the London Beth Din kashrut page on facebook gives more information:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/klbd...6894064175831/
The only way things stand any chance of changing is if enough passengers contact EL AL about it. It would make sense to CC any correspondence also to Rav Hayut, the Rav of EL AL. His email is: [email protected]
I would have written to then myself, but it is a long time since I flew to/from London with EL AL ...
May 25, 19, 3:15 am
#80
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: AMS / DUS / DXB
Programs: BAEC Silver | Flying Blue Gold | Accor Gold
Posts: 107
It would seem that EL AL use food from a kosher caterer which is then served and sometimes reheated at the lounge by a non Jewish catering company with no supervision whatsoever. However, they have been misleading the public by displaying the kashrut certificate of the catering company, without any mention that there is no actual supervision in the lounge itself.
The following link from the London Beth Din kashrut page on facebook gives more information:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/klbd...6894064175831/
The only way things stand any chance of changing is if enough passengers contact EL AL about it. It would make sense to CC any correspondence also to Rav Hayut, the Rav of EL AL. His email is: [email protected]
I would have written to then myself, but it is a long time since I flew to/from London with EL AL ...
The following link from the London Beth Din kashrut page on facebook gives more information:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/klbd...6894064175831/
The only way things stand any chance of changing is if enough passengers contact EL AL about it. It would make sense to CC any correspondence also to Rav Hayut, the Rav of EL AL. His email is: [email protected]
I would have written to then myself, but it is a long time since I flew to/from London with EL AL ...
May 25, 19, 6:46 am
#81
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,001
Originally Posted by mikebg
It would seem that EL AL use food from a kosher caterer which is then served and sometimes reheated at the lounge by a non Jewish catering company with no supervision whatsoever.
May 25, 19, 1:26 pm
#82
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: EL AL Matmid, BA Executive Club GfL, GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,021
With EL AL, everything is open. One ASSUMES it is probably kosher ...
May 26, 19, 2:07 am
#83
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,001
In my mind the parallel would be the difference between attending a kosher supervised function and one where a kosher caterer supplied the food and the host then arranged their own waitresses etc
I agree it's not ideal and I really would expect better of ElAl.
May 26, 19, 2:40 am
#84
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: EL AL Matmid, BA Executive Club GfL, GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,021
That is precisely the problem. If there is no supervision at all in the lounge itself, there is no guarantee that if they are short of something in the lounge some employee of Baxter Storey will not bring a non kosher item from outside.
Sep 26, 19, 2:43 am
#85
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,001
An update:
"PSA - This is not a Halachic ruling. Please consult your local Rabbi for personal ruling...
El Al lounge update: After some productive and positive discussions with El Al, I can now confirm the following:
1. Signage has been changed in the lounge to better represent the Kashrut status of the food in the lounge rather than the lounge itself (i.e. the lounge is not supervised even though the food is Kosher).
2. I expressed concerns to the Rabbi of El Al regarding the staff in the lounge (some raised by others to me).
-Will the staff use other lounge's food and crockery if something runs out?
-Will the staff use the crockery and kitchen in the El Al lounge for their own food during the day rendering the crockery and even the kitchen itself not kosher to use
His response:
-The food is delivered sealed with a numbered seal that is checked upon arrival at the airport
- The staff are from a company that does not have any other lounges in terminal 4 so they wouldn't be able to cross contaminate (the company were chosen specifically for this reason)
- The staff have been trained on what is and isn't allowed and have all signed contracts that detail termination of their work in the lounge and for the company if they break the rules
- There are cameras in the lounge and kitchen that are checked daily and are accessible 24/7
- He made it clear he eats all the food in the lounge as do the many Poskim that he checked everything with. (He gave me names but I don't have them now. I am sure they would be happy to share if you asked).
To be clear El Al have been very helpful throughout when discussing the issues raised a few months ago and were committed to finding the best solution for all their passengers."
Source: This is a copy of someone called Josh Pomerance who has made this a public post on his facebook page.
"PSA - This is not a Halachic ruling. Please consult your local Rabbi for personal ruling...
El Al lounge update: After some productive and positive discussions with El Al, I can now confirm the following:
1. Signage has been changed in the lounge to better represent the Kashrut status of the food in the lounge rather than the lounge itself (i.e. the lounge is not supervised even though the food is Kosher).
2. I expressed concerns to the Rabbi of El Al regarding the staff in the lounge (some raised by others to me).
-Will the staff use other lounge's food and crockery if something runs out?
-Will the staff use the crockery and kitchen in the El Al lounge for their own food during the day rendering the crockery and even the kitchen itself not kosher to use
His response:
-The food is delivered sealed with a numbered seal that is checked upon arrival at the airport
- The staff are from a company that does not have any other lounges in terminal 4 so they wouldn't be able to cross contaminate (the company were chosen specifically for this reason)
- The staff have been trained on what is and isn't allowed and have all signed contracts that detail termination of their work in the lounge and for the company if they break the rules
- There are cameras in the lounge and kitchen that are checked daily and are accessible 24/7
- He made it clear he eats all the food in the lounge as do the many Poskim that he checked everything with. (He gave me names but I don't have them now. I am sure they would be happy to share if you asked).
To be clear El Al have been very helpful throughout when discussing the issues raised a few months ago and were committed to finding the best solution for all their passengers."
Source: This is a copy of someone called Josh Pomerance who has made this a public post on his facebook page.
Oct 1, 19, 6:50 pm
#86
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 235
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse update
I saw the most recent posts were from a few years back, so just to bring the information up to date, I just DMd them on Twitter, and the representative contacted the JFK and LHR Clubhouses and confirmed that kosher food is available at each, with no need to order/arrange in advance. Flying JFK-LHR-TLV in Z mid-November, so I can report back then.
Feb 25, 20, 10:11 am
#87
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 336
Hello lovely people
A friend of mine with his wife is travelling tomrrow morning from lhr to jfk in J with BA
since they have access to the lounge they wanna know is there any kosher food available and if yes in which lounge
Can anyone help pls?
TIA
A friend of mine with his wife is travelling tomrrow morning from lhr to jfk in J with BA
since they have access to the lounge they wanna know is there any kosher food available and if yes in which lounge
Can anyone help pls?
TIA
Feb 25, 20, 4:59 pm
#88
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: EL AL Matmid, BA Executive Club GfL, GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,021
In the Galleries Lounge at LHR T5 they can get a kosher soup and/or filled bagel/baguette. On entering the lounge they should get the attention of one of the servers and ask them about kosher options. As far as I am aware this is definitely the case in the main South lounge. I am not sure if there is kosher food in the north lounge or in the T5B lounge, but maybe someone else can help out with that.
Mar 2, 20, 1:27 pm
#89
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,554
In the Galleries Lounge at LHR T5 they can get a kosher soup and/or filled bagel/baguette. On entering the lounge they should get the attention of one of the servers and ask them about kosher options. As far as I am aware this is definitely the case in the main South lounge. I am not sure if there is kosher food in the north lounge or in the T5B lounge, but maybe someone else can help out with that.
