More BA T5 lounge experiences (formerly disasters)*

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Viewing 15 posts - 766 through 780 (of 803 total)

  • IanFromHKG
    Participant

    Regular is not the same as frequent… How OFTEN do they review them, and more importantly, how often do they change them?

    At the CX F lounge in HK they change the a la carte menu every week, I am told. From personal observation onlyt, buffet items change every day.

    My sister was a chef and ran the directors’ kitchen for a well-known bank in London – which involved devising the menus, ordering food, etc etc. All the administration, with just one person to do it. Much smaller scale, of course. However, from speaking to her, I do have some idea of the logistics involved. And when you have an organisation the size of Baxter Storey behind you, it just shouldn’t be that hard to come up with good, healthy, appetising food even on a limited budget. And although buffet style food presents challenges (because it needs to be kept hot without drying out), plenty of hotels manage to do this without relying on the cop-out of “splashy” food. Because that is what it is – a cop-out. Particularly since it really wouldn’t be that hard to have an on-demand menu that is actually less labour-intensive than the existing one. And on that point, I recall a former (not-very-lamented) poster on this forum blathering on with excuses about how limited the catering facilities at T5 are and the inability to use open flames blah blah, and a load of other excuses for the poor catering. Well, pardon me, but given that those limitations are present, only exponentially greater, in an aircraft cabin – where truly excellent food can be served on demand, and also to a limited budget – I just can’t understand why BA/BS can’t do a better job in the First Class Lounge


    TominScotland
    Participant

    Ian, in my experience, particularly in Asia, hotel buffets do reply very heavily on ‘splashy’ dishes, whether Western or Eastern. What they do have in addition, though, are hot food stations and that does make a big difference.

    Question is, do passengers deserve much better? In the Galleries Lounge North yesterday morning and some ‘gentleman’ is standing by the bacon rolls, carefully removing any fat from the bacon, placing selected bacon in his chosen roll, depositing other (baconless) rolls back in the serving tray and leaving residual fat in a pile on the side – all by hand!! The only term for it is one beloved by Americans, gross!!


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    Tom, you’re obviously going to the wrong hotels!! The last few hotel buffets I have been to in Asia were decidedly short on splashiness…


    TominScotland
    Participant

    Ian, against my better judgement ended up in buffets in KL, KK and Singapore over the past couple of weeks – but then I am not a great fan of them anywhere!!


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    First visit for a few weeks, the slop food still remains, but there is a new star of the buffet… Spicy cauliflower pie….. oh yes….. thank you….


    JamesBAgold
    Participant

    I visited the “First” lounge yesterday between 5pm and 6.30pm. I was shocked at how its standards have plummeted. It was like a bombsight.

    There were countless numbers of dirty, uncleared tables with half eaten food and drink all over the lounge. Staff numbers seemed low an nobody came around to clear anything in the vicinity I was in for the 90 minute duration of my stay.

    Worse still, 50% of the already dreadful loos were out of order. Every female loo in the corridor to the Champagne bar was sealed off and 50% of the male loos there were as well.

    Outside of the lounge there was also one hour waiting list for showers.

    BA really do need to pull their finger out.


    CXDiamond
    Participant

    Is the malodorous stench which flows from the men’s lavatories in the north lounge a permanent feature or do they switch it on when I’m visiting?

    IIRC it has been a problem for at least two years.


    icenspice
    Participant

    Do they serve asparagus in North lounge?


    stevescoots
    Participant

    Used first south on Wednesday and the standard could best be described as poor. Used plates and empty cups everywhere, what little staff was visible were more interested in hoovering the carpets than clearing tables. As usual it was full and after finally getting a seat i asked the table to be cleared, waited 10 minutes and eventually cleared it myself. I have used the CX,QR and Skyteam lounges in LHR and BA has always been the worst. The food was Motorway services standard, the toilets not much better either.

    I think most of us can accept a lounge not being up to scratch if the inflight product is good, or vice versa, but with BA its all too often the same. funny that its the first time i have flown them in about 6 months and it was the same week i got one of their “golden tickets”, me thinks i will be holding onto it for some time.


    YellowBelly
    Participant

    I guess you are all flying from the main ‘A’ gates on shorthaul? Otherwise why would you use the substandard and busy longes in the main terminal building? I flew out of Terminal 5 on Thursday and my flight departed the C satillite so I headed straight for the lounge in the B satillite. As usual this was quiet with lots of seats and clean tables, a good selection of drinks and toilets that worked. The only downside I was there between the breakfast and lunch food servings (between about 10.40 and 11.50) but there was porridge, toast, pastries, biscuits, etc.
    Please continue to flight over the lounges in the main terminal and leave the B satillite lounge peaceful.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    BA lounge dragons were certainly BA lounge angels this morning. Thank you..


    stevescoots
    Participant

    I was in Galleries north this morning from approx 5.30am to 6.30 am Transfer from HKG to DUB. It was at about 50% capacity, entrance staff were ok. however I sat on one of the large group lables and in teh hour I was there no-one came to clear the plates and glasses from the previous occupants


    esselle
    Participant

    A service enhancement designed not to disturb you……………


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Flight is now delayed… shame !


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Is it my imagination or have a load of additional leather chairs been added at the far right end of the lounge to cope with additional passengers???

Viewing 15 posts - 766 through 780 (of 803 total)
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