LHR Lounges

[madrooster]

I don't normally travel to LHR - I'm largely a LAX flyer. I have the following lounges to pick from ex-LHR T3:

EK
CX F/J
BA Galleries Club/First
AA Admirals/Flagship

I understand the AA lounges are not worth visiting unless you're mostly interested in downloading a movie before your flight. What's everyone's opinion on the other 3 (EK/CX/BA)?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Never been to EK, Galleries F is the best of the others

 

[TonyHancock]

Agree with Princess Fiona, Galleries F is the best of the OW lounges.

 

[Boris spatsky]

+1 for Galleries F, but never been to the EK one.

 

[sdmcd]

Agree - Galleries F is good

 

[Skyring]

I'll be there in a few weeks. The thing about AA is that I always remember with some fondness my similar situation in Frankfurt in 2006. I had no status, just a DONE4 ticket, and I'd headed into the AA lounge - which wasn't too bad, but not as well-stocked with food and drink as the BA one. I was doing some browsing on my dinky little ultralight when I got a call to come to the front desk. Uh-oh, I thought, that goon in the security line wants to ask a few more questions about why a second-hand bookseller in cargo pants and a pre-dawn shave is flying J.

But no. The guy smiled at me, asked if it was alright if they bumped me into F, and gave me a new boarding pass. "You have the best job in the world!" I blurted out, "Making people happy!"

I could have kissed him, and I floated on air for the rest of the day until I put my head down in a small town in Texas that night, still smiling.

That wouldn't have happened in the BA lounge. I might have gotten a muffin to go with the plastic coffee, but I preferred the AA approach.

 

[madrooster]

Thanks all - I figured from Googling for photos that Galleries F would be the choice (without knowing what the EK lounge is like that is). As I'm flying less than a week into the new partnership, I might need to visit the EK lounge and take a look.

That wouldn't have happened in the BA lounge. I might have gotten a muffin to go with the plastic coffee, but I preferred the AA approach.

Well that depends on who you are flying - being in whichever airline you are flying next's lounge is sure to increase those chances.

 

[moa999]

take a look and take copious photos comparing the EK and BA lounges !!

 

[Skyring]

Well that depends on who you are flying - being in whichever airline you are flying next's lounge is sure to increase those chances.

I try to avoid BA flights whenever possible... Their J product always seems to be mean and grudging. Better than Y, to be sure, but the other OW J flights I've taken have always been pleasant and often well over my expectations, with smiles and little freebies and kindnesses. BA, they almost seem to be grudging the passengers for spoiling their holiday.

OTOH, AA lounges are not quite the thing. There's no food except for salty snacks, you've got to tip the barman, they have some odd access rules... I tried the Flagship Lounge in ORD in 2010 and was quite disappointed. The Galleries Lounge in LHR T3 was OK. Full of Australians, but.

Pete, whinging

 

[madrooster]

take a look and take copious photos comparing the EK and BA lounges !!

Will do. Time permitting I might go to all 4...

 

[elbarto]

I try to avoid BA flights whenever possible... Their J product always seems to be mean and grudging. Better than Y, to be sure, but the other OW J flights I've taken have always been pleasant and often well over my expectations, with smiles and little freebies and kindnesses. BA, they almost seem to be grudging the passengers for spoiling their holiday.

Ahh the old LHR Long Haul Crew.. They're being phased out the more upbeat mixed fleet crew, so your future flights might be nicer depending on where you're heading to.

 

[TonyHancock]

Ahh the old LHR Long Haul Crew.. They're being phased out the more upbeat mixed fleet crew, so your future flights might be nicer depending on where you're heading to.

Based on my experience last week they seemed to have been employed by QF.