British Airways First Lounge (T5) — Attraction in London

What can I say about this lounge… well when compared to other lounges, even in other parts of Heathrow, it’s not that great. It can’t hold a candle to the Cathay or Qantas lounge in T3, It’s a little dated and I wouldn’t say it’s overly luxurious. However the main selling point of this lounge is that it is not a pay to use lounge and the connectivity of the First Wing in general. It’s the best lounge in T5 and it beats any lounge that isn’t ab airline status lounge .

Firstly you can only get access if you are BA Gold or OneWorld equivalent (OneWorld Emerald) or you are flying first class. However if you are flying first you get access to the Concorde Room so wouldn’t use this lounge anyway. The access to the lounge is its main selling point as you go to the separate “First Wing” that has its own check in desks and security, and after security you walk down a short corridor and right into the lounge. This is fantastic as it means you come directly into the lounge without a long walk through the general terminal area.

The size of the lounge is pretty big but with only a few drink stations positioned apart from the main food and beverage area. Plenty of seats in various configurations and a few work places. Throughout the pandemic, for food and beverage it was order only through barcode and phone, and at the time writing this is still available but there is a small, ever growing buffet coming back. This phone ordering was actually quite good but the selection could vary. Currently the buffet at breakfast has a decent selection of hot English breakfast, as well as fruit, pastries, cereal and other cold items. There are a few juices available and three coffee machines, that can get quite crowded during peak times. The food selection is good but it’s nothing to shout about, however it is recovering and getting better as time goes on.

In terms of seating the furniture is quite old and tired but comfortable enough. It would be good if there was more charging points but if you are really desperate you will find one. I enjoy the Concorde terrace at the end of the lounge as it is usually quieter and offers runway views as well as feels much more open. The staff are always hard working and friendly and keep the lounge generally clean. As is the case with any lounge, how busy it gets really really affects the experience. When it’s busy it’s unpleasant but when empty (very very early in the morning) it can be quite nice. The lounge will fill up quite quickly after opening and usually there is a queue waiting to get in.

But toilet facilities are however appalling. While located within the lounge, they are quite dated and usually have a queue of people waiting to get in the 6 or so cubicles available. This is just not good enough for a first class lounge. They are individual stalls which is nice and are generally quite clean but in major need of an upgrade and in need of more!

All in all the major selling point of this lounge is its position in relation to the terminal and your route from taxi to plane. It very nice to have you’re own private section of the terminal which usually guarantees no check-in and security queues, and a very short walk from there to a comfy chair and coffee in the lounge. The facilities could use a face lift and if they continue improvement on the food section it will be good but all in all, to even be able to use this lounge you have to travel a lot. This means though you might be a discerning customer when it comes to airline lounges, you will use this place frequently and grow to like it a little bit. You will appreciate its layout in relation to the terminal and your travel experience, you will get to know it’s quirks, it’s up and downs and it will become like a mini...

I visited this lounge as soon as I achieved the hallowed Gold status on the BAEC, and to be honest I felt a little bit "flat" by the experience. Compared to the Silver lounge upstairs (why is the "better" lounge not the highest located one in the building?) I went away feeling was it really that much better?? Given the eyewatering amounts of money you have to spend on flights to gain access to it - I was expecting a bit more. Yes, the decor is a lot posher, but the food isn't startlingly better that what is served in the Silver lounge. There IS a nicer choice of drinks - mostly champagnes of course, which are excellent. This is probably where most of the budget goes given how much of the stuff I witnessed being consumed. Very busy and noisy in the main area at peak times, and I had difficulty in finding a seat and wandered around for ages before one became available. There are more "snug" areas in the corners of the lounge that are quieter, but those are a good walk away from the bar or the food area. The staff are very attentive and friendly, and that's a credit to them and if you order a drink via your phone (you scan the QR code on your table), it does appear very quickly.

The open area which looks out onto the T5 apron does have a stunning view of the entire airfield so planespotters will have a ball! But few of the seats in this area I could find had charging points or electric sockets near them. This area also has a self-service champagne bar.

But being brutally honest maybe I can see the reason why BA are making it much harder to gain Gold/Silver status with the new rules coming in this April as the lounge to me anyway didn't feel exclusive enough to warrant the hype surrounding Gold status. With so many people benefitting from the lounge gravy train something has to give,...

My recent three hour layover in this lounge gave me a lot of time to consider its myriad flaws and disappointments. The customer is definitely not at the center of what they do in this lounge:

SEATING/SERVICE Good luck finding a clean spot to sit. Glasses and plates strewn everywhere. Passengers were having to clear tables themselves. Meanwhile staff were hanging around TV monitors watching either the soccer or cricket games that were playing at the time.

FOOD This is bad people. BA is not the "world's airline" it claims to be when it comes to food. The buffet is a sad, sub-standard, sloppy, unappealing carb-dense array of tired old British fare. A world away from the high quality offered by Qantas and Cathay in their First Class Lounges. American Airlines Flagship Lounges are 3 or 4 times better than BA First. Staff also fed from the buffet whisking their plates off to a nearby office to watch the soccer with their manager. Coffee machines were out of order, glasses were not restocked, everything was messy.

RESTROOMS/SHOWERS The number of showers and toilets is woefully deficient for the number of customers. Expect long waits for both.

OVERALL British Airways cost-cutting and outsourcing measures are on full display to its clientele at this location. Once again they miss the opportunity to surprise and delight their customers. Expect a low-quality experience with cheap, bulky,...