[Anonymous]

[Bullfrog]

Flew back Saturday night. Check in was a breeze & spent some time in the dreadful shared American Airlines lounge. Flight crew back were most efficient & friendly, and the old seat was very comfortable so I managed 5 hours sleep.

My two course meal started with a delicious lentil soup but the miso cod with noodles was rather bland.

Arrival into LHR was delayed by about 40 minutes due to the thick zero visibility fog, and we waited a further 20 minutes to disembark by stairs & a bus ride. All very civilised, so full marks to BA.

[First-Pax]

I agree Bullfrog. I have to suffer that dreadful lounge at Miami nearly every month. Does anybody know when/if BA are going to move back to something half decent?

[jasonr01]

Agreed, I had the misfortune of spending just under 9 hours in the lounge for a connection from Bogota to Montreal
Mind it could of been worse at least I got the chance to use the lounge as I can not imagine what it would have been like without it.

[InterContinentalFlyer]

@jasonr1 a few hours on South Beach…….;-))

[dutchyankee]

The AA lounge in Miami is dreadful and far from being up to a BA standard. Absolute same situation in the shared lounge in Buenos Aires, another AA dump, and completely too small for the number of passengers it serves; dirty, ill equipped, and very poor F&B selection. How many other cities is this the case where BA passengers are forced to endure a sub-standard facilitiy of a BA partner? At least at my most frequent destination outside of Europe, MCO, BA uses the Delta Lounge which is very good.

[First-Pax]

One can only hope that AA will improve their standards to mirror BA’s – rather than BA lower theirs. Or is that too much to ask for?

[jasonr01]

InterContinental Flyer,
Passport almost full after having for only 4 years (48 page one at that).
Certainly will consider for next time but what happens about luggage. I was checked through to Montreal but had to collect luggage and go through the transfer security so not sure how I could have got round this if i had thought about it.

Dutchyankee I agree the F&B very poor.
On the same business trip heading out of DFW to El salvador the AA lounge would only allow one drink and then you had to pay. (Not sure if I was in the correct lounge as a BA Gold card holder though)

[Ardmarnoch]

…and if this is turning into comment on poor BA lounges… what about the pathetic First lounge at Vancouver? Cheapest possible wines, really no food, generally about six newspapers, cramped uncomfortable seating and no facilites. Bad enough when you are on business, but what about the poor souls buying a First ticket for thier “trip of a lifetime” cruise up tthe inside passage to Alaska? will really make them wonder what they paid for….

[First-Pax]

It does make you wonder what ‘standard’ BA are working to and whether anybody has been assigned the task to check all the lounges out regularly and improve where needed?

[dutchyankee]

If BT Admin are reading this, it might be an idea of a review of these ‘derelict’ partner lounges that are a far cry from what BA operates themselves. Seems there are quite a few lounges out there that simply do not match up, and even some of BA’s like the one mentioned at YVR by Ardmarnoch, that do not live up to the promise.

[VintageKrug]

In large part, BA’s own lounges are superb.

The airline does strive for excellence, but when you’re only operating 14 F seats per day (plus tens of Gold card holders) it rarely makes sense to operate a dedicated BA lounge, and so BA is forced to operate from partner lounges.

There are certain standards which must be adhered to, including the serving of sandwiches etc.

The best way to address such shortcomings is to write in to BA using the online form and let them know the expected standards are not being met:

https://www.britishairways.com/travel/custrelform/public/en_us

[dutchyankee]

VK, come on now! I think we all realise the economics of operating proper lounges, but these lounges can likewise be a good business, and BA certainly makes money from a number of their out-of-station lounges around the world! Your comment does not address the fact that BA premium passengers in certain locations have to put up with pathetic, sub-standard lounges, that, as in the case of EZE and a few others, are actually worse than sitting in the general seats at the gate. MIA is of course a huge AA hub, and as such one should be able to expect a superb lounge on par with BA’s at their hubs, but sadly, not the case. Writing to BA will only get you the usual apology note, and perhaps some miles (sorry, avios) which quite frankly I have enough of. I certainly agree, most BA lounges are fantastic, and beat anything any US based carrier has to offer, but that does not excuse the poor ones!

[First-Pax]

Thank you, as always, VK.

There’s a distinct lack of standards though.

Would you happen to know whether BA themselves regularly review their and their partner’s lounges, or do they just sit back and wait for complaints?

[First-Pax]

My sentiments exactly dutchyankee.!

(and would Happy Thanksgiving be in order?)

[Author]

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