[Anonymous]

[inthelounge]

We flew for half term to Delhi on British Airways.

I’m gold card but that only allows one guest into the lounge and there wasn’t even a hint of wavering from the receptionist in the lounge at T5, so instead we were condemned to be loungeless in the main cavern that is T5.

We were bussed out to the aircraft from Gate A. We had booked four seats to be together (a row of three including a window seat 31A-C and 31D).

Despite the children being clearly marked as children, you have to order children’s meals, and because we hadn’t, they basically had nothing to eat for the seven and a half hour flight.

We had two meal services, one a hot meal where the choice was chickpea curry or chicken with celeriac mash, and the second a choice of vegetarian flatbread sandwich or a vegetarian sandwich.

Drinks were offered several times during the flight. What was interesting is that in just the few rows around us the crew had to refuse to continue to serve three different Indian men (not travelling together) because they were either drinking too much or were already drunk. I thought the staff handled this very well, especially after one of the men swore at her.

The seat was very tired, with the fabric almost worn through, but the IFE system (AVOD) worked fine, especially since I had brought my own headphones.

We arrived on time in Delhi, but then waited nearly one hour for our bags to appear, which was strange, because some bags came out almost immediately (including the flight crew’s) while ours were very delayed.

[MartynSinclair]

the T5 lounge entry rules have been publised frequently on various threads. In the past I have asked for an exception to be made if I am travelling a few days before hand to avoid any embarassment on the day. I have had a variety of answers. The lounge staff, unfortunately, in the main, do not have any discretion on the entrance policy – so to avoid any embarassment, suggest you make arrangements before the day of travel.

[NTarrant]

That is probably a good idea Martyn to ask a few days before, if you get the okay you have it in writing. Personally I tend not to ask, the rules are quite clear. I have seen some people ask and a refusal often offends.

We had a bit of a possible awkward situation when returning from HKG last week. Mrs T and I were in Club World, my sister and her friend in World Traveller. As Gold Exec, we would head for the QF First lounge, but would not be able to get them in, could have got one in at the Business lounge on the basis Mrs T in her own right as CW passenger and one of the others as my companion. Lucky they were more interested in looking at shops, so Mrs T and I said “see you at LHR baggage claim” and headed for the QF First lounge!

[wingcommander]

I couldn’t agree more. The T5 staff are sticklers for this rule despite a more relaxed approach elsewhere. On a recent trip GLA-LHR-DXB and return I travelled with my wife and two kids. I am a silver card holder and found staff at GLA DXB and LHR (on the return) very welcoming. I normally ask beforehand but a polite approach at the time often works, although less so at LHR.

[Binman62]

Sorry I just do not get this. The rule is 1 guest so thats it why does everyone try to get around this. I am sick and tired of over crowded lounges and work hard to ensure that my wife and I have silver cards as do my kids.

Leave the lounge staff alone, pay for ticket or get some status but please end this demand for access when it is clearly not allowed.

[NTarrant]

I do agree with you Binman, I don’t think you will find that anyone on this particular thread has demanded access. When one is travelling as my wife and I were with my sister and her friend, it could be difficult to say we are off o the lounge and you can do what you like. Or why should my wife and I sit in the terminal area when we are entitled to use the lounge.

Not an easy situation in that case, but essentially I am with you

[MartynSinclair]

I will admit to having asked in the past, but not on the day and it was through through Customer Services.

I was transiting Heathrow (US to Asia) in the middle of a 4 week trip and my wife and son happened to be going off to Europe for the weekend. I had 30 minutes of family time available and on the basis that it was mid afternoon, the lounges were not due to be overcrowded, BA agreed for the short family get together in the upstairs lounge on the T5 complex. Just for the record, I am gold level and was travelling F.

I asked as a favour not as a right and if the answer had been no, I would have accepted it.

To ask for something like this on the day, however, insigificant it may seem to the passenger, is a non starter.

I agree with Binman rules are rules, but all business’s need to take a view now and again, expecially for their so called CVIP’s.

[wingcommander]

Binman, I don’t think anyone is too far away from your position. Rules are rules and can be bent of course. Politeness and civility cost nothing on my part and if a refusal is forthcoming I accept it in the same way.

[NTarrant]

Here is an example of people just being stupid. Friday evening BA lounge JER. Guy comes in and shows his Gold BA Exec card and asks if he can bring in his wife and their four friends as they have been celebrating his wife’s 40th birthday.

The lady on the desk phones through to supervisor and recevies a decline. The guy was not happy with that and whilst not making a scene asked to speak to the supervisor. The discussion was about five minutes but clearly and quite correctly it made no difference he was still declined access.

[stevescoots]

I dont even ask, rules are clear. I am taking my son and son in law to San diego in acouple of months, they are in WT and I am in CW, I shall use my priority pass card and we all use that or stay with them in the terminal

[dndrw16]

I flew with my family to Mallorca via Madrid from LHR. BA refused to let me in the T3 lounge with the family – Iberia were more than welcoming in Madrid to me and the family. I travel a lot on business but get fed up with the business traveller who thinks that they are better than a family and that the lounge is their own domain. I appreciate that rules are rules but it would be nice for BA to be more accomodating to their FF’s since the only perk of flying BA these days is the lounge!

[MartynSinclair]

dndrw16

My best suggestion to avoid htese embarassing situations is to speak to Customer Relations a few days before hand. The lounge staff have their rule book and fortunately or unfortunately, whichever side of the fence you sit on, they have NO DISCRETION. In fact, ask them the meaning of the word and you will probably get an equally blank look.

Its really quite simple, read the rule book that comes with your card and take up the issues with CR before the day of travel.

[LuganoPirate]

Swiss and LH will allow their Gold / Senator’s to take in one guest and kids under 18. Even if all are flying Economy.

[IanFromHKG]

I experience this issue sometimes – as CX Platinum/Emerald I am allowed two guests in the F lounge, but we are a family of four. When she was much littler I always regarded my younger daughter as being “hand luggage” for lounge entry purposes but to be fair, CX have *NEVER* – not once in ten years – even hinted at the idea that we couldn’t all go into the lounge together, they just treat us as a family and let us all in (sounds like Lugano’s experience with LH and Swiss). When we are traveling BA, however, the same story doesn’t apply and we effectively get downgraded to the business class lounge (which we can access as my wife is CX gold). However, even this approach doesn’t work when my wife is traveling without me but with my daughters because she is only allowed one guest – which is doubly irritating because my older daughter (14) is at boarding school, commutes between HKG and LHR six times a year plus other travel and would comfortably qualify for lounge access in her own right if they let her join the programme – which they don’t, because she is under 18, even though she has to pay full adult fares. Grrrrr

I often toy with the idea of enrolling my older daughter in the Qantas programme, because they don’t have an age limit, but we have to get her onto a Qantas flight to start her off, plus it messes up our Asia Miles accumulation because she would be locked into the Qantas miles programme as well

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