[FormerlyDoS]

Papilion

If this is not a personal attack, could you explain what it is?

“Stephenlondon – sadly some of those on here have been poo-pooing Becky’s suggestion to visit. The main culprit being the one who thinks everything is not rocket science, particularly when it’s something …… Well you can fill in the rest yourself.”

“a rather misogynistic attitude to the female posters”

I don’t suffer fools gladly, don’t confuse the two things and furthermore, I have no idea which posters are male or female and neither do you.

http://jehanara.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/nobodyknowsyoureadogontheinternet.jpg

[Be_Nice]

Hello Papillion

Pleased you had a surprise last weekend, it was glorious weather.

Don’t take notice, I don’t and I don’t have time to play twisting words about or trying to impress, in fact I think it’s pathetic, as is the link. I do think its amusing the struggle to have a private forum when this is an open forum. I seem to think anything is possible if you do it yourself and then invite members.

Take care

Marlene

[Henkel.Trocken]

My goodness, they are all popping out of the woodwork this afternoon!

[FormerlyDoS]

Yes, they are.

[cityprofessional]

Puh-lease, kids, can we get back on topic??? We are talking about the T5 First Lounge, not the internet, or the gender of posters, or Taste for London, or anything else

rferguson. Good point. Perhaps the First lounge should be re-branded the Gold (or Gold and Silver) lounge, and kept for status passengers flying economy – and the offering downgraded accordingly. Then more investment could be made into the lounges where the real fare-paying F and J pax are – much like Singapore or Qantas do at their home bases

What do people think – would that solve the problem?

[Henkel.Trocken]

The difference is that SQ only allow Solitaire PPS members or higher in the F lounge if they are flying SIA. All the *G cards in the world will not get you in there.

To qualify as a Solitaire PPS you need to make a minimum spend of SGD250K over the previous five years with not less than SGD50K in each year and keep your spend at SGD50K a year to maintain membership.

So their F lounge is more exclusive. To access TPR you need an F ticket and again, no other way in there.

[lloydah]

Agree about the CCR. I use it for my trans Atlantic flights, which are about the only ones I make now in F and as my status since 75% retirement has left me with Bronze on BA, it is to me anyway more or less what an F lounge should be. I find I use Galleries most of the time as they often are less packed out than the First lounge. The times I used the F lounge it was quite full and hardly a haven of peace and quiet.

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

The First Lounge is the only lounge I have frequented at T5. I find it far too bright on a sunny day, but I have never seen it overcrowded. The only reason I go there is for the Taittinger On Tap plus I find it very relaxing.

[SimonS1]

BeckyBoop – 07/05/2013 13:16 GMT
HT, you know absolute jack about me or my working situation so stop making out that you do.

But you seem to know jack about anything but it doesn’t stop you posting drivel all the time?

Pot, kettle etc.

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

Calm down Simon

On the subject of Simons I watched Simon Reeve’s Indian Ocean on BBC World News last night. A bit brief but I learned something new: a growing addiction to tik in Cape Town, a drug I had never heard of.

BTW, what’s Dubai like in July?

[Inquisitive]

As HT wrote, SQ truly take care of paying F passengers. Singapore flagship lounge is among the best for both F and business class. I was PPS Solitaire member for about 5 years traveling mainly on business and occasional F through upgrade and I have acess to F lounge. However when for the first time, I was a paid F passenger in SQ, I was taken by a concierge right from check in desk through immigration (Changi has a special immigration desk for SQ F passengers) and to a special section in the F lounge that I never noticed during my earlier 30+ visit. It is secluded, peaceful, sit-in dining, order taken and fulfilled for all kind of demand.
That is I called a true F lounge experience. BA T5 F lounge expeiencebis no where near that.
I believe most F passengers (and many business passengers like me) are not so much worried about what food and drinks are available, unless he/she wants to sleep the whole journey, the main expectation is a peaceful place to rest before a long haul journey avoiding the chaos of the airport especially Heathrow.

[Tirana1]

CCR experience this morning:

1) lounge messy with uncleared breakfast, coffee cups etc – explanation given by “lounge dragon” is that new staff are still learning

2) just one person serving at bar who seems to have no clue as to what to do – just a single cup of coffee takes 3 requests of different people

3) no choice of crisps available any longer – plain or plain

A visit to First Lounge (in search of a copy of The Economist – without success) shows that muffins and packets of biscuits have disappeared and that indeed only plain crisps are now stocked. The manager explains that this is a deliberate move by BA. All in all, catering choice has been significantly restricted and service levels have plummeted. To what end ? The choice of packaged snacks (invaluable as emergency supplies when travelling to far flung spots) has been diminshed to one flavour of crisps and nothing else. Surely, this must be an oversight on BA’s part, not a deliberate cost-saving ploy ?

The flight that followed was on a decrepit 767 long haul, 20 year old specimen with gaffer tape repairs to seat surrounds and grimy carpets. All in all, a long way from a “premium” BA experience.

[FormerlyDoS]

“BTW, what’s Dubai like in July?”

– wall to wall sun
– 42-45 degrees C high, 30-35 low
– very high humidity
– hazy

Can be quieter than winter time, as tourists avoid the heat

[Senator]

Trying to get back on track for a moment….

I’ve yet to sample the new catering in Galleries First. I would however, like to perhaps offer a table of comparison with the competition, with focus on the European competition in the name of AF/KLM and LH Group as I believe this is more relative than bringing the likes of SQ, TG and CX in the discussion:

True First Class lounges:
BA offers the CCR: I’ve been in there a few times. Like most of BA; excellent when excellent, poor when poor.

AF has The La Première lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Whilst my one personal encounter with AF F was in 2005, prior to this and an overall dreadful experience due to the building site called CDG, I have two contacts that rave about the experience, and one in particular has sampled most products including SQ Private Room in SIN. He said it left nothing to be desired, it was downright the best he had sampled.

LH FCT and FCL in FRA/MUC: I’ve sampled both FCT and FCL, and the LH ground experience is truly stellar.

LX FCL in ZRH and GVA: not LH level, but far superior to the CCR.

In summary, BA CCR and F ground experience compared to European competition is far behind…

However, we are here talking about the experience for Gold Card holders, and the picture is very different (IMHO):

BA Galleries First T5: open space, newer too crowded (in my experience), great selection of F&B, Champagne Bar etc.

AF or KLM in AMS/CDG: no separate Flying Blue Platinum Lounge. Specially the AF offering within Europe is dreadful. Long haul lounge ok, but no separation of C/J and top status members.

LH Senator Lounges MUC/FRA: despite the recent investments in new facilities, I find the lounges crowded and nowhere near the BA Galleries First Lounge.

LX Senator Lounges ZRH/GVA: as much as I like Swiss, I find these lounges very crowded and food offers so poor.

If you step one level down to Business Class and Silver Cards, the BA Galleries lounges are a haven in comparison.

So perhaps crisps are down to one selection, biscuits have been changed, but it is still downright excellent and competitive offer compared to the European competition.

[SimonS1]

Alexpo – pretty much echo what FDoS says. Hot but fairly empty as people start to drift away for vacations.

Also this year Ramadan starts around 9th/10th July so the exodus will start earlier.

[Author]

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