[TheMidasGold]

So, for all your busy business travellers out there, here is BA’s response to my e-mail about appointments at the Elemis Spa.

All you need to do is get there 4-5 hours before your flights…and this is the official response from BA. Absolutely extraordinary.

Dear Mr …

Thank you for your email. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your complaint. I am sorry to hear you have had problems with booking an appointment with our Elemis Travel Spa.

I have spoken to the Elemis Travel Spa who have confirmed there has been an unprecedented response to the complimentary treatments and they are aware they are having to turn passengers away on a daily basis. However, they do advise getting to the airport 4 or 5 hours in advance to ensure you have more chance of getting an appointment. However, I do appreciate that not all of our passengers can do this.

The Elemis Travel Spa do appreciate your feedback, especially as a valued Gold Executive Club member and they are looking in to putting measures in place to rectify this problem.

Once again, my sincere apologies for not being able to use our complimentary facilities and I do hope the next time you fly you will be able to make full use of them.

Best regards

[MartynSinclair]

The relationship between Elemis and BA is probably along the lines of, how much Elemis pay for the space, how much advertising area they have and what services they provide to BA customers. For from it costing BA, it is probably an income generator.

I believe that the Virgin lounge beauty parlour is a fully owned and costed Virgin expense.

So do BA really care, probably not as much as Virgin care about their style of offering.

What would be interesting to hear is if there was no spa – how could the space be used more benefically for the card holders who are able to access the lounge??????

**A larger lounge area

**Business services

**Gym and fitness area + showers

and I am sure the list will continue……………….

[Swissdiver]

Clearly I preferred the times when Molton Brown were operating the less known spas… But this is the past. Elemis came with the machines which I guess led to a better deal for BA.

At T5, there is in general 1 and sometimes 2 therapists. The rest of the “rooms” are fitted with machines. So the odds to get a human treatment are rather small. If lucky you’ll have a chair. I usually have 2 to 2 1/2 hours transit time at T5. Roughly I would say that I have access to a therapist in about 1 out of 20 passages and a machine in about 1 out of 4. Quite low but still better than nothing…

I fully agree meanwhile with the fact that First customers should be able to book…

[AnnetteTilbury]

I Totally agree, we tried to pre-book as were told this stopped some time ago just turn up early, 4 Hours before the flight and nothing available so very disappointed when you dont get to travel first often and want to make the most of the experience, they must end up with far more disappointed customers over this so whats the point!

[RichHI1]

My cynical side tells me that the marketing of free spa services is probably more important than the level of delivery (albeit the valid reasons mentioned above).
I remember a few years back when Virgin flew 744’s I used them a number of times and there was always a Masseuse on board. They would tour the plane at the beginning fo flight to take requests for appointments and explain they could not get round to everyone and then I never saw them again. Happened 10-20 times. I then presumed they focused on Virgin elites but a picture is emerging here on the level of resourcing needed to offer a real service and the investment that is available.
If someone really wants to spend 5 hours at Heathrow I think they deserve a medal not just a massage.

[Binman62]

Themidasgold……interesting response from BA. In particular their ref to complimentary facilities. This is a very cynical way of telling you that these services are not part of the offering in their eyes and I can only read into this that neither do they care!
it is further evidence that BA have no interest in being the best any longer and the 4-5 hour suggestion confirms my long tandinG belief that they have abandoned the UK Market and are entirely focused on transit passengers. Shame really.

[batraveller2]

I have always been accommodated at the B lounge which is generally very quiet and a great alternative if you know you are flying from B gates, and they can usually advise you of this quite a bit in advance.

[kin3kin]

yes,i have same problem,even i tried to arrive at lounge few hours before so i thought i will enjoy this *elemis* treatment,the spa is empty,staff are not busy[or not there]have not manage to get appointment,so whats the big tempting idea ?or just an empting idea ??

[TheMidasGold]

Good old BA Elemis Spa. Flying Club World, arrived at 3.30pm and first available appointment at 7pm. What a load of bollocks!

[Land-of-Miles]

Why does everyone get so worked up about the Elemis “Spa”? It is utterly pointless and offers pathetic treatments you would barely break into £10 for. I can see the interest if you have never tried it but it really isn’t worth getting worked up over. The 20 minutes spent receiving treatment are a waste of time that might have been better spent polishing off a couple of glasses of fizz.

[Swissdiver]

@Land-of-Miles: while I agree we put too much emphasis on the Spa if the value is the only criteria, it remains 20 minutes of relaxation. Too often though, we end up with a chair massage (I mean non-human). In fairness to Elemis however, these are the best chairs I’ve ever tried. And sometimes, out of luck, we have access to a human massage… Finally 20 minutes without booze is not that challenging :-). Actually I tend to have a glass of Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé before the massage: it improves the relaxation 🙂

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Try flying Eithad from T4.

Yesterday morning, their spa had the press gang out, looking for people for free treatments.

[kin3kin]

yes,very annoying and just wonder why they have the facilities/services and not provoiding it

[NNoah16]

Absolute rubbish. Never been able to book a treatment. No preference for First / Gold. Gave up now, never even try anymore. I guess that is what they want other than arriving at the airport 6 hours before the flight…

[LPPSKrisflyer]

The Etihad spa is indeed excellent and I’ve always been able to book anything I wanted there not more than two hours before departure. It puts the BA offering to shame.

[Author]

Posts