How early can I access the lounge?
May 21, 2019, 12:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 21
How early can I access the lounge?
I'm a silver member and flying to Munich tomorrow at 8pm from LHR T5. I can see bag drop opens at 5am, but realistically how early could I enter the lounge? I'm planning on arriving 6-8 hours before, and working from there until my flight. Is this possible?
May 21, 2019, 12:26 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
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From 5am ( plus any time needed to clear security) BA lounges at LHR do not have a time limit on them ( except perhaps in extradordinary circumstances)
Regards
TBS
May 21, 2019, 1:56 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,808
As mentioned by many on here before, the lounges aren't 'all that' so you'll often do better to go to one of the bars or restaurants if you have a chunk of time. Even the first lounge at T5 is packed and uncomfortable a lot of the time although the CCR is probably better than sitting outside. So I wouldn't worry about it. B.t.w. I have been 'notified' of the 3 hour limit in lounges that have it, but I have never seen it enforced (has anyone else?). Unless you get wasted and make a plank of yourself I don't see why\how they're going to enforce it. You don't get coloured wristbands like at the swimming pool.
May 21, 2019, 2:01 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,808
An additional datapoint. I ended up using the free heathrow wifi rather than the BA lounge wifi the other day because it was giving me better connectivity and speed. No idea whether that's usual or not, but might be relevant if your main interest is working.
May 21, 2019, 2:28 pm
#7
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May 21, 2019, 2:40 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: BA Bronze, Hilton Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 454
At Gatwick, has anyone had recent experience of whether LGW very very early for flight.... [Can't go airside 6+ hours before flight] is still a risk?
Last edited by ianwall; May 21, 2019 at 3:29 pm Reason: Typo
May 21, 2019, 3:17 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,644
The lounge in T5B is probably going to be quieter than either lounge in T5A, especially the area on the left as you walk in towards the washrooms. You can use the walkway on -4 to walk back to A (where your MUC flight will probably leave from).
May 21, 2019, 4:51 pm
#11
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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The new wifi at Heathrow gets to 100 mb/s in quiet areas such as T5C, it was announced on 5 April but installed a few days before then. Boingo is the new provider, and they are using Passpoint and Hotspot 2.0 technology to make the connection much more speedy than the previous login process.
May 22, 2019, 12:28 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
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At Gatwick, has anyone had recent experience of whether LGW very very early for flight.... [Can't go airside 6+ hours before flight] is still a risk?
May 22, 2019, 1:24 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: MAN
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 351
For that amount of time, a trip to the T5B lounge is essential. Easy to walk back to A gates through the tunnel.
May 22, 2019, 11:01 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,808