[Cantona07]

I would like to add my comments to this interesting thread. I am a BA & Emirates Gold Card Holder and travel in excess of 150 business flights per year, several times each year I bring my wife along and a couple of times per year my 15 year old daughter as well (neither of who hold any airline privileges) my last joint trip was to Abu Dhabi during the October holidays last year, I did what the forum suggests, called the BA guest relations team first to ask if it would be possible, subject to the lounge being quiet if we could bring my daughter into the lounge prior to the flight, this was noted on my file. On arrival in Manchester and Heathrow, no notes on my file and I was turned away, in Manchester as the lounge was totally empty I tried but the male member of BA was no having any of it and we simply went and found a quiet spot in the terminal and waited for the shuttle. At Heathrow we went out to the B gates and again asked the same question, this time a fellow passenger was trying the ‘I am a Gold Card Holder’ line in front of his wife and two teenage sons, the poor girl was under major pressure and simply held her line, a passing CSD asked to help me, again she could not find any notes on file but I decided to play along with her and be extra polite, bingo, please enjoy our facilities sir, enjoy your flight, if that was not good enough, 10 minuets later I got a private visit by the same member of staff asking me to return to the desk, low and behold we then all got upgraded into Club! – This was a one off I guess but it does show BA can accommodate the requests for lounge access, the only other time this worked was during the snow disruption in December, two guests were allowed during this period of chaos.

[VintageKrug]

You will not be surprised to learn that I disagree with most of the people who believe BA should open the doors of its lounges to anyone’s retinue of bag carriers.

BA already has a very generous guest policy for Silver and Golds (and oneworld partner airlines’ Elite status passengers); that is clear and unequivocal – one guest per passenger, no ifs, and or buts. Its lounges remain of a consistently high quality, and are rightly seen as the jewel in the crown of the BA offering.

That makes it simple for passengers to understand, and simple for lounge staff to enforce. The expectations of others are also managed, and it goes some way to preserving the exclusivity of what remains a premium offering.

Having a more generous policy might seem fine as it suits your pupose for that once a year trip with the family – but what about that family with more than one child, which holidays every two months, should they be permitted access? People travelling with elderly parents? Teams of sportspeople? Nannies? Maiden aunts? Those travelling from smaller outstation lounges where space is a premium, or a delay means the sanctuary of the lounge is a welcome respite from a crowded terminal?

“Putting a note in the booking” to permit lounge access for children is not something which should happen, and there I think is a flaw as I rather think that was a callcentre agent fobbing you off with something which is not within their power – or the system’s power – to deliver.

As we have seen in the thread on US First Class tickets not permitting lounge access even on paid F fares, BAEC’s lounge access policy, where a Gold card holder can get access to the BA First lounge for both themselves and a guest even when flying on a deep discount economy ticket is extraordinarily generous, especially when you realise the range of food, drink and other perks on offer.

It is quite clearly against the rules to permit more than one additional guest to a BA premium lounge.

There is already a simple way to gain lounge access for those travelling with you.

Pay for it.

This can be done either using your miles in advance or with cash on the day/through Manage My Booking, booking you into a cabin which permits such access.

An alternative would be to have your travelling companion earn BAEC status themselves – easily earned with just one exEUR trip to NYC aboard Club World London City), and if you are truly valuable/loyal to BA, that should be easily accomplished within your annual travel planning.

Alternatives include the Priority Pass lounge access scheme (though not very useful at T5, admittedly) or to go and sit in one of the many restaurants within T5 and set up camp there.

The status quo has worked well for decades, and is already very generous. There is no justification for changing it.

[LuganoPirate]

BlackTower, whatever the reason for not allowing family or friends into the lounge, I don’t think the fact you only take a coffee and a biscuit is really relevant. The fact is all the other F & B and services are available whether you use them or not.

Reading through this thread it seems BA and others do make exceptions and I can understand you being miffed if an exception is made for one and not another, but the fact remains that the rules are there and the staff have to abide by them.

I do think Martyn brings up a good idea about a family area, and this is done by Qatar in Doha, but until it’s rolled out by BA and their ilk worldwide I’m afraid we’ll just have to put up with the rules laid down by the airlines and bear it.

[MartynSinclair]

“the status quo has worked well for decades”

not quite true VK – things have moved forward, travel has become far more economically available and requirements for customers and clients alike change. You cant live in past glories.

I agree totally with your comments about a retinue of bag carriers, but l also believe that BA should recognize the fact that gold card holders do at times travel with their family and it would be nice for the family to enjoy the benefits.

The upstairs club exec lounge (T5) is large enough to allow an area that could be used for family and guests.

The point about a gold card holder travelling on a discounted economy ticket, is ridiculous. End of the day, he has earned his Gold card status, stop being so pompus!

[LuganoPirate]

Cantona, maybe it’s time to change loyalties and consider Star Alliance. With that number of flights you would be Gold, if not Platinum, and just being Gold allows you to take your children under 18 into the lounge, no matter the class any of you are flying.

As stated before, I can understand the frustration and you were fortunate, but surely with all that travel you would have more than enough points to splash out on Business tickets (or upgrade) for the family which would then give you all lounge access?

[Tristar1979]

Is it not the case that Gold Card holders get to nominate a household account member to receive Silver ststus? So would it not make sense to nominate your Wife, thus you can both take a guset into the lounge gaining access for the family!

[LondonAndy70]

Tristar1979 – you only get the Silver Partner Card after collecting 4,500 tier points, versus a “mere” 1,500 for regular Gold – that’s a heck of a lot of flying (for example 38 Club World flights from the UK to the USA).

[Binman62]

Tristar1979. The comp silver card is indeed only given to those who accrue 4500 points but as things stand this would not get a family of 4 into the first lounge as it is not available to silver card holders. As a result the gold card guests the si
Ver but not the rest of the family.
Of course they can all get on up stairs in club.
As a gold card holder with a silver card carrying wife and 2 silver card carrying kids I can can confirm that this still will not get us all into the first lounge, unless flying first.
Given that I cannot do this despite the level of spend required to achieve these cards I see no reason why the rules should be relaxed. I fear I must agree with vi on this

[Binman62]

Tristar1979. The comp silver card is indeed only given to those who accrue 4500 points but as things stand this would not get a family of 4 into the first lounge as it is not available to silver card holders. As a result the gold card guests the si
Ver but not the rest of the family.
Of course they can all get on up stairs in club.
As a gold card holder with a silver card carrying wife and 2 silver card carrying kids I can can confirm that this still will not get us all into the first lounge, unless flying first.
Given that I cannot do this despite the level of spend required to achieve these cards I see no reason why the rules should be relaxed. I fear I must agree with vi on this

[MartynSinclair]

Binman, I do not beleive the suggestion is to allow family entrance into the First lounge, just a lounge (besides the departure lounge).

[VintageKrug]

There’s too much of the culture of entitlement shining through some of these responses.

BA isn’t a charity.

Its Lounge Offering is a key differentiating factor between Economy and Premium Cabins.

If you want additional guests, beyond the already generous allowance of one accompanying guest, you need to book into a cabin which allows lounge access, or ensure you have sufficient elite status oneworld members in your party to “sponsor” your guests.

If it’s not possible for you to do that, upgrade using miles, join the Priority Pass lounge scheme (where available) or simply set up camp in a restaurant within the terminal complex.

Honestly, not that complicated.

[MartynSinclair]

VK – the lounge is not an “offering”.

The lounge complex is there for two reasons:

1. To provide a place for premium paying passengers to relax pre flight

2. To reward loyal customers which includes economy passengers, with comfortable pre flight surrounds.

You are absolutely right that BA is not a charity, it is a business which rewards loyalty. The partners left behind and the children that miss parents whilst they are away on business trips should also (very occassionaly) be rewarded too. My son loves to come to see where his dad works. I do not think that it is asking too much to enable partners and children of gold card holders to enjoy the lounge once or twice a year.

The main hotels I use always lay the red carpet out when my wife and son travel with me and they appreciate it as I do.

Its called rewarding loyalty – I am sure that when family Krug travels, you appreciate the service providers going that extra mile, especially with your family.

Its called rewarding loyalty.

[NTarrant]

Martyn, whilst I agree with your suggestion of asking in advance, I also agree with what VK is saying.

What you are now suggesting “The partners left behind and the children that miss parents whilst they are away on business trips should also (very occassionaly) be rewarded too” is saying that BA should reward their customers children because the parent(s) have chosen a particular job or business that involves taking time away.

Sorry Martyn but that is taking it too far, as VK says “culture of entitlement shining through”, the I travel alot and my family are entitled. Whatever next!

[MartynSinclair]

Evening Mr T

I am absolutely not saying that my family are “entitled” – I belong to the camp that says my family should be “occasionaly rewarded”, perhaps somewhere within the T5 lounge complex.

I am not sure if BA still do, but there was a time I recall where secretaries and/or PA’s were rewarded for booking their bosses flights. I just think that it is a nice reward touch/loyalty to enable partners / child(ren) an occasional glimpse of what life is like on the road.

Its not as if there isnt the room.

Just to be clear, I am not supporting for one minute an all in family voucher, 12 times a year.

[VintageKrug]

Erm…this is getting circular.

BA allows ONE guest per entitled passenger.

Them’s the rules.

As I outlined above, it is easy for additional people beyond that single guest to gain access; simply demonstrate your loyalty to BA by ensuring your guest purchases a lounge access-entitled fare or upgrades using miles.

I don’t want the lounge overrun with the multiple nannies/aged parents/children of oneworld elites and like many other frequent travellers would strongly object to any change in the current simple and well-understood lounge access policy.

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