More BA T5 lounge experiences (formerly disasters)*
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at 13:53 by Tom Otley.
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PatJordanParticipantI write from BA’s First Lounge in LHR T5, the subject of much criticism on foot of the new catering contract.
It is 10.30am and the hot breakfast buffet is much improved since my last visit (about one month ago). A chef is constantly checking the food and adding replenishments where necessary.
There is also a much improved range of fresh fruit, cold cuts, cheeses, breads, preserves, pastries.
There are now additional flavours of crisps, as well as rice crackers and other high quality savoury snacks.
12 noon, and the lunch buffet appears: an improvement since last month. I had a taste of beef ribs and Chilli & Rice. Both were excellent, and in addtion to this there was Pasta, Baked Potato, a variety of hot dishes, enhanced salads.
The lounge staff were very soliticious, and noticing that I had cleared my plate, I was offered cheesecake with strawberries & cream. I gratefully accepted this, and thoroughly enjojey me decadent dessert!
It seems that BA have indeed listened to customer feedback and acted in positively. Well done to all concerned.
5 Jul 2013
at 09:41
Tom OtleyKeymasterI had a quick walk around the lounge a few days ago at lunchtime and was very impressed.
Then yesterday I spoke with Frank van der Post about it (Brand and Customer Experience at British Airways).
He said it was a 12 week transition between the suppliers, and they were now 9 weeks into it and things had improved a lot and they were pleased with the way things were going.
He admitted that there had been challenges to begin with, since there were so many lounges involved in the transition and several hundred staff, but most of the lounges were quickly up to speed, though the First and Concorde lounges took longer, for various reasons.
He also said that one measure of success (as well as more positive customer feedback), is that food consumption has gone up 70 per cent !
5 Jul 2013
at 11:41
HamewilldaymeParticipantMy experience last week not so good.
I arrived in Club World (so not in the First lounge) and had 3 hours to kill before my connecting flight to Edinburgh.
All hot food or what was left of it was removed. I asked a staff member if they were replenishing it and told no, not until 6pm. The only options were soup and sandwiches. Enough perhaps but what was available was not acceptable. Extremely poor offerings.
I appreciate at the time of the afternoon not everybody wants bowl of pasta but if you are connecting from a different time zone it would be appreciated.
I then left the lounge and headed to Wagamama for food. This seems like blatant cost cutting masked by some PR bull about improved catering.
I personally have not seen any improvements at all.
A down grade to be honest. I can’t comment on the First lounge as its been 6 weeks since I last visited and only had breakfast then.
5 Jul 2013
at 12:25
BalliolParticipantI also would say that things are getting better in the T5 lounges. The quality of food is better and I also saw the 100% increase in the choice of crisps! Goodness only knows why they had only one flavour initially, it really can’t have been any cheaper to have a single flavour and it seemed designed just to annoy people by also saying at the same time that they were responding because people wanted more variety.
6 Jul 2013
at 17:14
MartynSinclairParticipantThe salmon and crushed potatoes off the menu is top quality grub. Was served this in T3 last week pre BA9.
If the presentation of the self service area was cleaned up a little, i.e. attention to detail in terms of food splash’s, bits of food laying around, it would look far more appetising.
The evening I was in the F lounge, there was a large ice bucket to cool the water down, every single bottle felt warm.
Get the attention to detail right with what they have to work with and it will be alright!
6 Jul 2013
at 17:19
DiaMan43ParticipantYes Balliol, it struck me as strange until I found out the reason. I was advised by one of the lounge staff that too many people were taking bags of crisps and biscuits away in their bags which was hugely increasing usage and cost.
They seem to have solved it with their jars of biscuits which I think are really tasty but it e-number savoury cardboard snacks are not working as lots of people are ignoring the tongs and putting their hands in the jars – not very hygienic…..7 Jul 2013
at 06:35
AnthonyDunnParticipant@ DiaMan43 – 07/07/2013 06:35 GMT
Perhaps someone should suggest that the lounge operator installs some of those hospital style hand-disinfectant dispensers immediately adjacent to the entrance and the cookie jars… And on the top of the jars: “Have you hand sterilised yet?” Additional Avios for those who hand clean?
It really does beggar belief though that in this day and age, some people can display such a cavalier attitude to their own personal hygiene and towards others.
7 Jul 2013
at 10:06
openflyParticipantIn the T5 First lounge, they have a curry slop, a chilli slop and a meaty slop on the buffet. I asked one of the lovely attendants when they are totally fresh? She did not know. I get the impression that the leftovers at the end of the day are put in the fridge and then heated up again and added to the next day. Its the same dish day after day. This means that there could be food in the dishes going back to May 2nd! Mmmm nice….
7 Jul 2013
at 16:13
millionsofmilesParticipant@openfly
Wouldnt that be an enhancement, according to customers wishes?It offers a consistency of the offerings.
7 Jul 2013
at 18:06
TominScotlandParticipantopenfly, good to see such positive comments about the food in the First Lounge . Evidently, you don’t enjoy slop (I guess that was clear). As a matter of interest and given the numbers who pass through the First Lounge in T5, what would you serve as an ideal (and realistic) menu for travellers?
As a final thought, I’m a wee bit concerned about the validity of the ‘impression’ you trundle out here for which you have absolutely zero evidence – I think it is highly unlikely that this actually happens and your allegation really does not add anything to the debate here.
7 Jul 2013
at 18:13
MartynSinclairParticipantWhilst I have absolutely no way of knowing whether the second part of openfly’s comments are true or not (regarding the leftovers being put in the fridge overnight and used the next day) – I do agree that the buffet food looks like a runny liquid slop and certainly more attention to detail over the food splashes and general appearance / presentation of the food needs to have some focus.
HOWEVER – as I have also stated, the salmon and crushed potato dish of the menu is absolutely top class and will not get any complaints from me….
In answer to Tom in Scotland, about what food choices should be given in the lounge, without taking away your thunder, I think that would make an excellent thread heading. A lot of moaning, so what kind of food would we fussy so and so’s like to be seen in the lounges.
I will leave it to TominScotland to design the question….:)
7 Jul 2013
at 19:22 -
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