T5 Galleries Arrivals Lounge if transiting to Milan?

[vetrade]

Mrs V and I will have a 3hr transit at LHR T5 after flying BA J from JNB, arriving at 7.20am. Onward flight is BA Y to LIN. Would like to freshen up at the BA Galleries Arrivals Lounge (now called the Elemis Travel Spa, it seems) which is land-side on the 1st Floor.
How "do-able" would it be for us to exit into the public area on arrival, use the arrivals lounge for a shower and then head back to departures for our onward flight? Any logistical problems with that?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Your inbound J boarding pass should give you access to Galleries Club lounges for the onward flight even though the onward flight is in Y. This is assuming you have no Sapphire/Emerald Oneworld status that will grant access anyway. Does the LIN flight depart T5?

 

[vetrade]

Your inbound J boarding pass should give you access to Galleries Club lounges for the onward flight even though the onward flight is in Y. This is assuming you have no Sapphire/Emerald Oneworld status that will grant access anyway. Does the LIN flight depart T5?

Obviously either of the T5 Galleries Club Lounges would be preferable (which would mean we could remain air-side and avoid the possible delays of having to come back through security), but I thought our Y tickets for the onward leg would have shut the door on that idea, especially as our flights are on different PNRs. Having been in similar situations in the past (admittedly not with BA) where we were denied access because our onward leg wasn't in J, I thought the arrivals lounge would be a good "fall-back" position. I guess we'll have to see how accommodating (or not) the lounge staff are.
Yes, the LHR - LIN flight departs T5. I know we wouldn't have a problem if we had status, but we don't.

 

[dajop]

especially as our flights are on different PNRs.

Will you have checked luggage? If so, in all likelihood you will need to go through immigration, collect your luggage, exit and re-check anyway, as BA do not , as a general rule, through check luggage on separate PNR's. If not, with fast track (I assume) exit from the airport to use the arrivals lounge should be relatively speedy.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Ah yes the separate PNR will probably be an issue. It was BA that drove oneworld carriers to stop through checking on separate bookings, even though some (CX mainly) are more lenient. There's a fair chance any checked luggage will only go as far as LHR and you'll have to recheck to LIN.

 

[serfty]

@vetrade Generally separate bookings should not be an issue; but it is BA here who have a "computer says no" mentality.

The oneworld rules have no caveat re separate tickets:
Lounge access - over 600 lounges , multi destination flights

oneworld lounge access for First Class or Business Class customers
Indulge yourself before departure in a wider range of airport lounges when you fly First Class or Business Class with any oneworld member airline.

• Customers flying First or Business Class have access to the equivalent class of lounge regardless of their frequent flyer status. First Class passengers may use a Business Class or frequent flyer lounge if a First Class lounge is not available.
• First Class passengers may invite one guest to join them in the lounge. The guest must also be travelling on a flight operated and marketed by a oneworld airline.
• Connecting between oneworld marketed and operated flights:
  • First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
  • Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
  • You must be prepared to show your boarding pass or itinerary showing travel in First or Business class on the international long haul flight, in order to access the lounge before your international short haul or domestic flight.

 

[vetrade]

@vetrade Generally separate bookings should not be an issue; but it is BA here who have a "computer says no" mentality.

The oneworld rules have no caveat re separate tickets:
Lounge access - over 600 lounges , multi destination flights

Thanks Serfty - it's great to have it in writing.