BA First Lounge in Sydney?

[jamesatfish]

G'day all,

Long time lurker, first time poster - you know how it is...

I'm just wondering if one of the expert travellers here could help me out with a query regarding lounge access in Sydney when flying BA.

I'm travelling SYD-LHR First on British Airways later in the year (holiday travel booked using points so I couldn't get a Qantas flight), but I can't figure out what lounge access applies in Sydney:

* Does BA have their own First lounge in Sydney?
* If not, does a First ticket on BA grant access to the new Qantas First lounge?
* If BA has their own lounge, is the Qantas First lounge a nicer place to spend 6 hours?

I'm currently a Gold FF but I know that means nothing in terms of the First lounge.

Any comments from someone who knows far more than I would be most appreciated.

Regards,

James

 

[NM]

BA passengers are invited to use the QF F Lounge at Sydney.

 

[Mal]

Hi, and welcome to AFF!

In Sydney, there is no seperate BA lounge. Guests travelling on BA First get invited into the Qantas First Lounge. A pretty good set of information about the lounge is located here: Flying with Us - Travel Classes - First - First Lounges

During your stopover in Singapore (or Bangkok), you'll get access to the First Lounge there as well. At Heathrow, you'll also get access to the Arrivals Lounge.

 

[cjg]

Hi and welcome.

BA doesn't have their own lounges in Sydney, they use the Qantas lounges. Which means as a BA First passenger you can use the new Qantas First lounge. It's a nice lounge and I would recommend spending a few hours there to have a meal, a spa treatment or just relax (although it can get pretty busy between mid morning and mid afternoon).

 

[jamesatfish]

Thanks to all for your very prompt and informative replies - your help is very much appreciated!

I'm pleased to hear that our BA flight still gives access to the Qantas First lounge in Sydney - I'm not really concerned about the stop-overs in Singapore but I really wanted to try that new lounge!

Sounds like another thing to look forward to when that trip gets closer.

Thanks again!

 

[simongr]

Interesting one of my US colleagues was adamant that the QF F lounge was a BA F lounge - no mater how many times I corrected her..

Enjoy the lounge - it's great

 

[moa999]

Slight difference in that BA F (nor any other OW F) does not get the ability to prebook the massage service

 

[Reggie]

Slight difference in that BA F (nor any other OW F) does not get the ability to prebook the massage service

Nor should they, QF F are not given the ability in LHR.

I know its off topic, but it p#sses me off that all and sundry get free use of QC wifi, but in the AC only AA members get free use, and BA lounges all have to pay, and dont even get me started on the food.

 

[Danger]

On a side issue, do OWEs get access to the BA arrivals lounge when travelling in Y (longhaul (eg. SYD-SIN-LHR))? If so, does it matter which OW airline you're flying?

 

[serfty]

...do OWEs get access to the BA arrivals lounge when travelling in Y ...

Yes, but inbound on BA/QF via the Kangaroo Route only. From N/A or Europe- no.

This is via the QF/BA JSA*. The arrivals lounges are NOT a oneworld specific benefit.

*JSA: Joint Services Agreement

 

[Keith009]

I know its off topic, but it p#sses me off that all and sundry get free use of QC wifi, but in the AC only AA members get free use, and BA lounges all have to pay, and dont even get me started on the food.

Only paid up members of the AC get free use - 'mere' AA elites don't.

BA is introducing free wifi in all its UK lounges soon (maybe European too but I can't remember).

 

[Reggie]

Only paid up members of the AC get free use - 'mere' AA elites don't.

I didn't think mere AA elites got access to the domestic AC lounges.

 

[Dave Noble]

On a side issue, do OWEs get access to the BA arrivals lounge when travelling in Y (longhaul (eg. SYD-SIN-LHR))? If so, does it matter which OW airline you're flying?

Only if the OWE is Emerald with BA or QF schemes plus must be arriving longhaul BA or QF

Dave

 

[Danger]

I'm pretty sure I read in the latest 'Australian Way' that all OW carriers (except BA) are moving to T3 at LHR over the next few months, including Qantas next January. I assume then that QF flights into LHR will then arrive into T3. That might be the end of QF OWEs accessing an arrivals lounge there.

 

[jamesatfish]

I'm pretty sure I read in the latest 'Australian Way' that all OW carriers (except BA) are moving to T3 at LHR over the next few months, including Qantas next January. I assume then that QF flights into LHR will then arrive into T3. That might be the end of QF OWEs accessing an arrivals lounge there.

From what I read, BA now flies into T5 (even if your bags don't), so flying BA in F or J should give access to an arrivals lounge, whether coming from Australia or the US?

In that light, and given that the Sydney First departure lounge access is the same whether flying BA or Qantas, would it make more sense to choose to fly BA for future Sydney - London flights to guarantee arrivals lounge access?

I'm now looking at booking a paid *ONE4 trip in a few months and tossing up whether to fly Business or First - in light of these arrivals lounge changes perhaps it's best to also choose BA rather than Qantas for the SYD-LHR leg?

Thanks again to all for your help!

 

[Keith009]

I didn't think mere AA elites got access to the domestic AC lounges.

When on an 'international' itinerary we do - ie when a domestic flight is connecting to an 'international' flight and is hence part of an 'international' itinerary. I don't think there's a delineation between 'domestic' and 'international' ACs though since they're sometimes used for both like at LAX T4. But anyway there's only free wifi for paid up AC members in every AC.

 

[serfty]

From what I read, BA now flies into T5 (even if your bags don't), so flying BA in F or J should give access to an arrivals lounge, whether coming from Australia or the US?

In that light, and given that the Sydney First departure lounge access is the same whether flying BA or Qantas, would it make more sense to choose to fly BA for future Sydney - London flights to guarantee arrivals lounge access?

I'm now looking at booking a paid *ONE4 trip in a few months and tossing up whether to fly Business or First - in light of these arrivals lounge changes perhaps it's best to also choose BA rather than Qantas for the SYD-LHR leg?

Thanks again to all for your help!

Maybe not.

Unless you're travelling via HKG, BA flights to/from SIN/BKK and SYD will continue to operate from/to T4 until January 2009 when they will move to T3.

More here: British Airways - Latest News

...
Will all long haul flights stay in Terminal 4?

...

We will move the majority of our longhaul flights from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5. However, a small number of flights will move to Terminal 3 in January 2009 with our oneworld partners These are:

Bangkok
Singapore
Sydney

 

[aus_flyer]

Slight difference in that BA F (nor any other OW F) does not get the ability to prebook the massage service

But what annoys me is that even if you book F on a QF flight number but it's a non-Qantas operated flight, you can't pre-book!