[Tom Otley]

Repeat of what happened over the Christmas Holidays.

“From March 26th to April 15th, British Airways will bend their airport lounge rules in response to customer feedback. During these peak times of leisure and family travel, the airline will allow Gold and above Executive Club frequent flyers the privilege of bringing in up to five additional guests. At London Heathrow, guests will also be able to experience the First Wing. This additional access applies to British Airways lounges only, and only for customers traveling on British Airways flights.”

Courtesy of GodSaveThePoints.

[MartynSinclair]

“in response to customer feedback” – what a load of nonsense (I couldnt spell boll**ks). Since when do BA listen to customer feedback??

There have been more requests for passengers allowing just one extra guest (when travelling with wife and child) that has been totally ignored… now they allow 5 extra guests…

A bit like the police turning a blind eye to driving double the speed limit, but ticketing you for going 10% over….

[capetonianm]

Oh whopee do! How incredibly magnanimous of them. I shall now be switching all travel to BA, mine, the family and others whose travel needs I take care of. We will fly on BA in F, or C when F is not available, just for the sake of getting all those lovely shiny status miles and attaining the hallowed heights of gold membership so we can use their lounges.

As an example, I have to go to Jersey next week. I was going to go my preferred and civilised way, hop on a ferry at Portsmouth or Poole and hop off in Jersey in the evening. I am now about to go on BA’s wonderful, superbly designed app, or website, and book the longest routing I can find on BA, perhaps a few hours in some hellhole like LAX or DXB or LOS, then straight back again, a short bus ride to LGW and the to JER on BA. It will be worth it just to use one of their wonderful lounges.

Who do they think they are fooling?

[TominScotland]

I really don’t see the issue here. Holiday periods are low demand from mainstream business travellers so there is greater capacity in the lounges. Its a small thing to offer Gold and above members when they are travelling with family. Why the hyperbole?

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=858541]I really don’t see the issue here. Holiday periods are low demand from mainstream business travellers so there is greater capacity in the lounges. Its a small thing to offer Gold and above members when they are travelling with family. Why the hyperbole?[/quote]

You never do, Tom 😉

[TravelEnthusiast]

Good evening

I do not usually make posts here but I read the forum with great interest. Here I must agree with TominScotland and actually repeat his question. If BA makes this extension of lounge access for a specific time period I am sure it is because they do have more space due to reduced business travel and in order to give Gold members an extra perk when they think they can do so. Why would this initiative deserve two sarcastic comments in a row…? To my mind it makes more sense to be critical when airlines reduce benefits rather than when they extend them. Perhaps I am missing something here, for example from an old debate I have not seen.

[MartynSinclair]

@TravelEnthusiast – I would agree with your comment had BA not stated this perk was “in response to customer feedback”. I cannot believe that any BAEC member with lounge access privileges would have fed back to the airline that they would like to bring 5 additional guests into any lounge. That would be 100% chutzpah.

The customer feedback I have read and heard (through this Forum and elsewhere) is customers would like the rules relaxed (or perhaps on a voucher system) to allow even 1 additional guest (for example, Gold + partner + child) travelling together to have lounge access and not just over the Easter / Christmas period.

I believe this lounge perk would have been presented in a far more gracious manner, had the airline not stated the perk was due to customer feedback….

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=858574]Good evening

I do not usually make posts here but I read the forum with great interest. Here I must agree with TominScotland and actually repeat his question. If BA makes this extension of lounge access for a specific time period I am sure it is because they do have more space due to reduced business travel and in order to give Gold members an extra perk when they think they can do so. Why would this initiative deserve two sarcastic comments in a row…? To my mind it makes more sense to be critical when airlines reduce benefits rather than when they extend them. Perhaps I am missing something here, for example from an old debate I have not seen.[/quote]

Given the regular overcrowding in the lounges, one can argue that this act of generosity is reducing benefits for those business travellers now sharing the environment with lots of families.

[AlanOrton1]

I suspect there are many business travellers who do all they can not to travel overseas with work during school holidays.
I doubt I’m the only one who acts this way.
It seems entirely reasonable that lounges are less busy at this time.
I see it as pleasant gesture, that said they’ll be those that take umbrage with it.

[TravelEnthusiast]

Thank you MS, I can see your point. I have one practical question about this campaign also: There is reference to the First Wing being accessible for those whole families during the relevant period. Given the way the Wing is structured, this leads directly into the First lounge. However, last time around Christmas, I tried to enter the First lounge with my family from airside (transferring at T5) I was told that this temporary perk only applies to the Club lounge. Do you know which is true?

[MartynSinclair]

On the basis that the perk is for golds and above and the First Wing leads directly into the F lounge, I think the answer is there to be seen.

I would be interested to hear if anyone travels with 5 guests.. OK, it happens, i am sure, but wonder if any Forum contributor has been able to take advantage of this perk for the 5 guests.

[FlightDoctor]

I’m Gold and travelling with family (2 adults and 2 kids) in Club Europe in the early morning on Monday 2nd April. Will see if they let me use the First Wing and hence the First lounge, as opposed to the Galleries lounge which would be the default. The BA Future Lab ran a discussion on this topic a few months ago and I guess it was feedback from this that led to the change in policy. Personally I’d have preferred to have seen BA issue a number of lounge passes (as Martyn has stated above) that could be used more flexibly.

[TravelEnthusiast]

I just got a response from BA on this and they are saying that the extended benefit – both this time and last time – only includes the first aspect of the First Wing with the check-in desks and not the dedicated security lane into the First lounge. So after using the First Wing check-in one would have to backtrack to the regular fast-track security entrance in the main terminal. So in practice not a very useful benefit….

[NTarrant]

Don’t know what happened over Christmas and new year then, my wife (silver) and I and my sister and her friend checked in at the First wing but was told that I could only take one through the First security so all of us used the general priority Lane then went to the Galleries lounge

[fatbear]

BA describe their Business Lounges as “calm and tranquil surroundings” and a “haven of peace and quiet”.

With families with 3 or 4 young children being allowed in it is unlikely to always be like that during this period…………

[Author]

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