If youโre travelling through Heathrow Terminal 5 and are flying in First, youโll no doubt be heading to the โConcorde Roomโ โ BAโs real First Class lounge. Failing this, anyone holding a British Airways Gold Card, or Oneworld Emerald status will be invited to use the British Airways First lounge. Itโs a more than adequate space to wait for your flight. Sadly though it falls short of the standard youโd expect from BAโs home-hub.
Access
Since the opening of the โFirst Wingโ checking in at Terminal 5 has been genuinely enhanced. The dedicated security channel for passengers in First and Emerald Card Holders has made travelling through Heathrow significantly less stressful. I have always found the staff managing the security here to be far more pleasant than the often abrupt service offered in the general security area. After passing security and a thirty-second through a dedicated corridor, youโll find yourself in the British Airways First Lounge.
The Space
The lounge is split into four areas. The largest greets you upon arrival and is a large open space with various seating areas. Thereโs a dining area featuring tables and a self-service food station, a terrace space, as well as a champagne bar.
Unfortunately, my experience of this lounge on multiple occasions has been mediocre at best and disappointing at worst. To begin with, itโs invariably crowded depending on the time of day. This often makes it hard to find somewhere to sit. Secondly, especially during these times, it is incredibly dirty. It’s not unusual to see used plates and glasses scattered about, often taking a long time to be cleared.
If you do find somewhere to sit, the next challenge is finding a charging point. When you do find one, youโll often find it isnโt working.
I find the best places to sit to be either the terrace or the champagne bar. Adjacent to the champagne bar is a business centre, as well as printing facilities (which have come in handy on a number of occasions).
Food and Drinks
Champagne is self-pour in Galleries First, as opposed to Galleries Club where it is on request only. Elsewhere in the lounge, there is a good selection of wines, as well as spirits. Indeed the drinks selection tends to be of a far higher standard than the catering.
If youโre in the mood to dine you can choose either from a self-serve buffet, or order from the menu (although these are often hidden or hard to find). The menu tends to change monthly, and the quality and selection can vary quite considerably as a result. Iโve never been particularly impressed with any of the food Iโve ordered (which can be a mission in itself which involves managing to flag someone down, as orders are rarely taken proactively). A safer bet tends to be eating from the buffet, which does usually have a more than adequate selection for an airport lounge.
Hot food is served all day, ranging from a fully cooked breakfast in the morning, to a hot selection for the rest of the day. During the afternoon there is also an afternoon tea selection. Youโll also find a variety of snacks, such as olives and crisps.
Conclusions
The Galleries First lounge certainly doesnโt necessitate getting to the airport early. Although itโs a spacious enough area itโs often crowded, and as such fails to be particularly relaxing. If youโre just looking to grab something to eat or drink before heading for your flight it meets its purpose. If youโre expecting a genuine First Class lounge though, youโre likely to leave somewhat disappointed. Indeed, as Iโve written previously, I far prefer Iberiaโs Business Class lounge in Madrid (open to both OneWorld Sapphire and Emerald members).
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