British Airways have two lounges at Gatwick Airport, both opened shortly after their move to the South Terminal in 2017. Although I personally prefer travelling through Heathrow, BA have done a good job. In this review I’ll focus on the First lounge, which is available to those travelling in First, or oneworld Emerald members and above flying on a oneworld operated flight.
Watch our video tour of this lounge
Location
If you have access to the British Airways First lounge Gatwick, you’ll also be able to use priority security. This is one thing Gatwick does particularly well. The process tends to be fast and you can expect to get through security fairly quickly. The Business and First lounges are located next to each other. Once through security it’s around a 6 minute walk. When you arrive in the lounge you’ll be directed left for the First lounge, and right for the Club lounge.
The Space
The British Airways First Class lounge Gatwick is fairly small. It is made up of a larger seating area, a dining area with a self-serve champagne bar and finally a business centre. The lounge has great panoramic views of the airport, so it’s great if you enjoy a bit of pre-flight plane spotting. In the dining area you’ll find a menu and you can order dishes from any member of staff. Alternatively there is a self-service food area. This has a number of hot food options, as well as an afternoon tea set-up after breakfast.
At peak times the lounge can get fairly busy, and because of the relatively small size this can be a distinct disadvantage. Although I have never struggled to get a seat, if you’re travelling solo there aren’t many areas that feel particularly private to sit. If you need to work, wifi works efficiently and there are also plenty of charging points. Alternatively, the business area has PCs available, as well as printing facilities, although I’ve never seen this area particularly well utilised.
Unlike the lounges at Heathrow there is no Elemis Spa provision, however, it’s often difficult to get a slot even if travelling through Heathrow, so I don’t see this as a particularly great problem.
Food and Drinks
The food selection is better than the Club lounge, it’s also nice having the addition of being able to order from a menu. The menu changes frequently. Usually it includes a burger, a couple of other meat options as well as a vegetarian dish. Service is fast, so if you are rushed for time it shouldn’t be a problem ordering. On my last occasion at the lounge the food at the buffet was lukewarm at best, so I’d generally advise ordering from the menu.
The drinks provision is also of a higher quality than the Club lounge, with a number of different self-serve options available. There’s also a central champagne bar. Drinks tend to be replenished fast when running low, and the service in the lounge tends to be good.
Conclusions
The British Airways First Class lounge Gatwick offers a nice space to relax prior to flying. Although the area is small, the design is good. The ability to order from a menu is a distinct advantage. Generally speaking I prefer the design of the business lounge though. The Club lounge is built over a much larger space and tends to feel more relaxed. As such, if you have First lounge access I’d generally advise eating there, and heading over to the Club Lounge for a drink afterwards.
