QP complimentary invitation access at LHR

[dede]

I'm travelling out of LHR T5 tomorrow with 2 guests on a BA flight. I have a QP Complimentary Invitation as well as being WP. I've been searching through threads and seem to think that I can can only get 1 guest into the Galleries lounge at T5. What are our best options for getting lounge access for all 3 of us? Should we check in at T5 then pop over to the new QF lounge at T3? How long does it take to get from T5 to T3? Is the Galleries lounge the same as a Terraces lounge?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Mal]

Not going to work... expect one guest to sit outside.

BA are very strict on their guest policy - even to the extent of denying entry to some parents with 1 child (ie 2 adults, 1 child) for example.

There is also no way between T5 and T3 without a boarding pass for T3.

You can always try and get your 2nd guest in, but expect to be refused.

Qantas Club guest passes also aren't valid at the T5 lounge, and I'm not sure if they are accepted at T3.

 

[NM]

If your boarding pass is for a departure from Terminal 5, then you will not be permitted access to Terminal 3 and hence no access to the lounges at Terminal 3.

You can only use a Qantas Club complimentary pass for access to a Qantas Club lounge when departing on a QF flight number. There is no Qantas Club lounge at Terminal 5 at LHR.

So you really are limited to the access rules for OneWorld Emerald member access to a OneWorld lounge, which is limited to one guest travelling with you.

 

[Mal]

Another thought: BA might let you 'rotate' your guests, although I'm not sure how that is handled in practice.

 

[dede]

I'm happy to report that I am now sitting in Galleries South with my two guests courtesy of a lovely BA person on the front desk. We were told that I was only supposed to have one guest in and NOT to leave! What a lovely attitude! It will make the flight all the more memorable.

 

[Mal]

I'm happy to report that I am now sitting in Galleries South with my two guests courtesy of a lovely BA person on the front desk.

Wow that is impressive. The Lounge Dragons must be off chasing Knights or something today

 

[Moody]

Wow that is impressive. The Lounge Dragons must be off chasing Knights or something today

Yep - and that particular Lounge Princess will be summarily sacked once the Dragons hear about this from the QFF stool-pidgeons. Pity.

 

[Dave Noble]

Yep - and that particular Lounge Princess will be summarily sacked once the Dragons hear about this from the QFF stool-pidgeons. Pity.

Having 1 agent allowing it does make life harder for others. if most agents are doing their job correctly, their job is made harder when people start using the whine of "but I was allowed last time" and people just trying it on and having to decline access

A policy , whatever it is, consistently applied is imo the best approach

Dave

 

[Mrmaxwell]

A policy , whatever it is, consistently applied is imo the best approach

Dave

You're no fun Dave!!!

 

[Mal]

Yep - and that particular Lounge Princess will be summarily sacked once the Dragons hear about this from the QFF stool-pidgeons. Pity.

Actually, in T5 they rotate staff around all functions. So you're lucky to see the same staffers twice in a short period of time doing the same role. There's at least 2 staffers on the T5 Galleries First door, and they are also rotated at several times per day. Very little proof that anything did occur, and who was the one on the door at the time !

 

[Moody]

A policy , whatever it is, consistently applied is imo the best approach

Dave

So I presume you will in future graciously knock back any complimentary status qualifications, operational upgrades, or compensation for delays not strictly required? And of course you will find the time to lecture the airline about sticking to policy and the letter of the law in the name of consistency.

 

[Dave Noble]

So I presume you will in future graciously knock back any complimentary status qualifications, operational upgrades, or compensation for delays not strictly required? And of course you will find the time to lecture the airline about sticking to policy and the letter of the law in the name of consistency.

Actually having having consistency is a good thing

That is quite different to their doing involuntary upgrades which they do to assist themselves in dealing with oversales

Dave

 

[ellen10]

We flew home to Sydney from LHR with Qantas from T3 on their first day in the new terminal. I had 2 complimentary passes that I had been saving for this flight and in preparation I phoned Qantas before leaving Australia to enquire whether I could use these passes. She consulted another person and then advised that yes indeed we could use the passes at LHR.

When checking in (we flew Premium Economy) the rather rude check in clerk stated that we certainly would not be allowed into the lounge even though we had complimentary passes because it was a BA lounge and that we had 'no status'! I said that I had checked before leaving Australia but she wasn't interested and just said a flat no. We were quite disappointed as we had about 4 hours to kill, and she treated us with a certain amount of disdain. It left a bad taste.

Being usually a person who doesn't put complaints in writing I did email Qantas on returning about 3 weeks ago but I have not received a reply.

 

[BlueAU]

Being usually a person who doesn't put complaints in writing I did email Qantas on returning about 3 weeks ago but I have not received a reply.

I would chase it up.... sorry it left you with a bad feeling, it would have to me too, if I was in your situation. Keep chasing them! If they offer you a bunch of flowers or a bottle of wine, tell them a travel voucher is more useful.

 

[Dave Noble]

We flew home to Sydney from LHR with Qantas from T3 on their first day in the new terminal. I had 2 complimentary passes that I had been saving for this flight and in preparation I phoned Qantas before leaving Australia to enquire whether I could use these passes. She consulted another person and then advised that yes indeed we could use the passes at LHR.

I am surprised that they would have made the mistake of saying that they could be used given that QF does not have a lounge at Heathrow . The check in agent sounds like they may have been rather direct but quite accurate.

Dave

 

[ellen10]

Before flying I had viewed some mixed answers to lounge access so that is why I sat on a phone for 20 mins waiting to speak to someone who then checked with a supervisor who told me that I could use the passes. I am a little disappointed as I could have used them on several other flights but I saved them specifically for the long haul. I know we did not have "status" (just short I might add). But it was the rudness in the way she almost laughed in our face that was the most disappointing.

I might add that we did have a lovely trip home on the A380 with excellent Qantas Flight Attendants which I did note in my email to Qantas - which of course I have had no reply. I work in the customer service industry and I would not treat people in this way nor would I be allowed to ignore an email. Maybe thats my training and view on things. But I'm a glass half full type of person and as I said before I very rarely send any form of complaint.

But all in all we had a great holiday!

 

[Moody]

I'm glad the holiday was overall a good one and its unreasonable to expect that nothing at all will go wrong when travelling.

Just like it is unreasonable to complain about receiving the wrong advice and being treated rudely by the check-in agent because the RULES clearly state that the passes can only be used in Qantas lounges. I mean - what were you thinking when you had the temerity to ask the agent why you were advised by Qantas that it would be OK. It's no wonder she(?) treated you with disdain and I'm surprised security wasn't called so they could rough you up a bit for your troubles.

Sorry about that last paragraph - I must have been channelling the AFF thought police! Good luck getting a sorry from Qantas, because you deserve at least that.

 

[serfty]

... When checking in (we flew Premium Economy) the rather rude check in clerk stated that we certainly would not be allowed into the lounge even though we had complimentary passes because it was a BA lounge and that we had 'no status'! I said that I had checked before leaving Australia but she wasn't interested and just said a flat no. We were quite disappointed as we had about 4 hours to kill, and she treated us with a certain amount of disdain. It left a bad taste. ...

... I am a little disappointed as I could have used them on several other flights but I saved them specifically for the long haul. I know we did not have "status" (just short I might add). But it was the rudness in the way she almost laughed in our face that was the most disappointing. ...

Did you even try to use them to access the lounge? I am here to say that not all airline staff know all the ins and outs.

I would have at least gone to the lounge and tried nicely - the worst that could have happened is a polite refusal - unlike the response from the check-in agent.

TBH, I would not have even asked the check-in agent if the passes could be used.

 

[ellen10]

Yes in hindsight I guess we should have tried at the lounge, but we were so taken aback by her attitude that I didn't want to risk another knockback. My husband was keen to try but for me once bitten twice shy. He was annoyed with me because we forwent breakfast at the hotel in favour of getting to the airport with plenty of time, of course I placated him with a dry muffin and a cup of awful coffee. ha ha

 

[dede]

Yep - and that particular Lounge Princess will be summarily sacked once the Dragons hear about this from the QFF stool-pidgeons. Pity.

Note that I didn't state when I was allowed in or even the sex of the Lounge Prince/Princess (collective noun = dragons). The person in particular fumbled the boarding passes and dropped them on the floor and told us that once we were in we shouldn't leave. There were two other Lounge Dragons on the door at the time but I gravitated towards the one that I thought would be most amenable to our situation.
And yes, one of the guests was prepared to sit outside.