Access to BA lounge at Heathrow?

[Jenelle]

Hi all!

I am a QC member and am flying from Melbourne to Edinburgh on Qantas and land at Heathrow at 6.30am.

My flight to Edinburgh is with BA and isn't until 10.30am.

Will I have access to a BA lounge for that time or will I have to just wait in the normal area?

 

[Dave Noble]

As a Qantas Club member, you will be entitled to access the BA Domestic lounge in Terminal 1 prior to the departure of your domestic service

Dave

 

[Jenelle]

Thank you!

I am hoping they have showers there - I have a feeling I may not get into my accomm. until later in Edinburgh!

 

[Dave Noble]

Thank you!

I am hoping they have showers there - I have a feeling I may not get into my accomm. until later in Edinburgh!

There are showers there

Dave

 

[bravoecho1]

You'll find the T1 BA lounge just as good (some say better) than the T4 lounge.

Its been a year or so since I was last there but no problems at all getting in.

Now the EI lounge (was travelling to Cork on a BA codeshare) in T1, that is another story :shock:

 

[NM]

You'll find the T1 BA lounge just as good (some say better) than the T4 lounge.

Its been a year or so since I was last there but no problems at all getting in.

Now the EI lounge (was travelling to Cork on a BA codeshare) in T1, that is another story :shock:

While I agree the T1 International lounge is very good, and indeed possibly better than T4's equiv lounge, the T1 Domestic lounge is not quite so flash. It is a standard Terraces lounge and hence no F section like in the International lounge. But it is very adequate for a domestic departure to EDI. Certainly up the standard of any Australian domestic Qantas Club lounge.

 

[d15.in.oz]

I have to agree/disagree with NM… BA T1 Pavilions International is absolutely great [I enjoyed a smorgasbord dinner there, few months ago, before a flight to JNB]. Plus, let me say the “dragons” at T1 Domestic make the term obsolete, they were absolute “angels” - with advice on “security processing wait times” via the connections centre vs exiting T1 domestic and re-entering T1 international…plus, they took a seat preference (different to that allocated by ba.com MMB) and by the (extensive, but shorter than connections centre) time I reached the customer service person at Pavillions T1 International, I had my BP re-issued and allocated the seat I wanted.

In regards to QP standards, QP Sydney Domestic is hands and feet above QP International (removing the obvious advantage of a 24hr help your-self bar…but who needs a drink before 1pm). There is more space, more views with large, extensive windows and more general ambience (I guess that’s a personal thing). [Beats the construction site view out of QP SYD T1.] In EDI, it’s strange how there is – “like a beer garden section”, where you can go out of the lounge, into the main terminal area, but still be ‘roped’ off. But, as you would expect with Terraces, you get 24hr comp bar and heaps of snacks, plus in peak departure time it’s full but not overly so.

As for T4 BA lounges, unless you are in 1st class, don’t proceed beyond gate 1… gate 10 is designed with one principle in mind – BA Business & OW Sapphire don’t mean a damn! [On a different note, interesting to see if QF Emerald gets Concorde Room access, as per “OW website advertised” lounge access agreement!?!?]

Interesting to see if BA is prepared to accept other OW airline priority (Access.All.Areas. - Emerald) customers into it’s own privileged zones!

 

[NM]

[On a different note, interesting to see if QF Emerald gets Concorde Room access, as per “OW website advertised” lounge access agreement!?!?][/COLOR][/FONT]

Interesting to see if BA is prepared to accept other OW airline priority (Access.All.Areas. - Emerald) customers into it’s own privileged zones!

No I don't expect BA will "honour" what is published on the OneWorld web site. I don't believe it is their intention to offer Concirde room access to anyone other than BA/QF F passengers. Even if the specific wording on the OneWorld web site means it should be available, I do not believe that was the intention of the statement nor the way it will be interpreted by the BA lounge staff. By all means try for yourself, but I won't be trying to use that one.

 

[d15.in.oz]

I do not believe that was the intention of the statement

perhaps BA needs to realise that it is part of an alliance! And that the alliance "statements" matter!

 

[NM]

perhaps BA needs to realise that it is part of an alliance! And that the alliance "statements" matter!

I don't believe that even the OneWorld Alliance expects BA to offer Emeralds access to the Conrorde Room and QF to offer Emeralds access to the Chairmans Lounges. I don't believe that was ever the intent of the statement. But if you want to try to hold them to it, then go ahead and try. You might just manage to convince them otherwise.

 

[d15.in.oz]

I don't believe that even the OneWorld Alliance expects BA to offer Emeralds access to the Concorde Room and QF to offer Emeralds access to the Chairman’s Lounges.

So OW is about a exceptional level of service for BA/QF “privileged” (i.e. not Platinum or Emerald) customers and a lesser level for American, Cathay, Iberia, LAN, and any other new entrants' priority customers!?!?!

 

[Dave Noble]

So OW is about a exceptional level of service for BA/QF “privileged” (i.e. not Platinum or Emerald) customers and a lesser level for American, Cathay, Iberia, LAN, and any other new entrants' priority customers!?!?!

The Concorde Room is a restricted access lounge as are the QF Chairman's Lounges. I would not expect that QF would allow a BA Gold member into the CL just because of an error on a website. The terms have always been that a OW Emerald gets Flounge access and Business lounge access and that OW Sapphire gets Business Lounge access. I doubt v much that OW have changed the actual terms, just that the latest version of the OW site is incorrect

Dave

 

[NM]

So OW is about a exceptional level of service for BA/QF “privileged” (i.e. not Platinum or Emerald) customers and a lesser level for American, Cathay, Iberia, LAN, and any other new entrants' priority customers!?!?!

I don't understand your comment in relation to my posting? I certainly was not trying imply what you have stated.

My comment was intended to say that all OneWorld Emerald members are intended to be granted access to all OneWorld lounges. The Corcorde Room and QF Chairmans Lounges are not OneWorld Lounges. They are lounges operated by BA and QF for special invitation-only customers (CL members in the case of QF, F passengers in the case of BA and possible BA Prem members also but I don't know for sure).

In a similar way, CX may have a lounge at HKG that is specifically and exclusively for their pilots to use. In the same way as the Concorde Room is not a OneWorld Lounge, so would such as CX Pilots Lounge not be a OneWorld Lounge. And as such I would not expect OneWorld Emerald members to be granted access to the CX Pilots Lounge just because the OneWorld Web Site says that OneWorld Emerald members can use any lounge operated by a OneWorld Airline.

Just because a lounge is operated by a OneWorld airline does not automatically make it a OneWorld lounge. This would be similar to the fact that just because an airline is owned by a OneWorld airline (such as JQ is owned by QF), it does not automatically make it a OneWorld Airline.

While these examples use QF Chairmans Lounge, BA Concorde Room, and a fictitious CX Pilots Lounge, it could just as easily relate to any OneWorld airline that operates an exclusive invitation-only lounge that it does not consider a OneWorld Lounge.

 

[d15.in.oz]

The terms have always been that a OW Emerald gets Flounge access and Business lounge access and that OW Sapphire gets Business Lounge access.

I totally respect your opinion Dave Noble (and possibly the individual airline’s - inference of previous rule applications), but... the terms ARE as they ARE - http://www.oneworld.com/ow/ffp/lounge-access

Lounge access benefits: When travelling on any of the oneworld member airlines, regardless of the class of service, an Emerald equivalent member and one guest will be welcome in any of the exclusive airline pre-flight lounges, including First Class, Business Class and Frequent Flyer lounges.

To spell out the inference – “any” = “ANY & ALL”, “including” = “INCLUDING but NOT LIMITED TO” and “exclusive airline pre-flight lounges” = a departure lounge operated by an airline signature to the OW agreement!

 

[NM]

I totally respect your opinion Dave Noble (and possibly the individual airline’s - inference of previous rule applications), but... the terms ARE as they ARE - http://www.oneworld.com/ow/ffp/lounge-access

To spell out the inference – “any” = “ANY & ALL”, “including” = “INCLUDING but NOT LIMITED TO” and “exclusive airline pre-flight lounges” = a departure lounge operated by an airline signature to the OW agreement!

What the OW web site says is very clear. But I do not believe it is the intention of the alliance to have BA open the Concorde Room and QF open its Chairmans Lounges to all OneWorld Emerald passengers.

Feel free to take a printed copy of the web site wording with you to the BA Concorde Room or a Chairmans Lounge and agrue for your entitlement to enter. You are perfectly entitled to try. But I expect your efforts will be in vain. But don't let my expectation dampen your enthusiasm to try.

Now if you were take QF or BA to court over their refusal to grant you access to their "exclusive" lounge, you may well be able to convince a judge that the legal interpretation is as you indicate. But I suggest you seek independent legal advice first as you may be spending a lot of money to defend your right to take advantage of a poorly worded web site published benefit.

 

[d15.in.oz]

you may be spending a lot of money to defend your right to take advantage of a poorly worded web site published benefit.

Again, QF needs to take heed of “consistency” and “clarity”

Plus, BA needs to drop the “holier than thou” attitude!

Not to mention AA’s requirement not to provide “complimentary service”!

NM, who wants to spend a “lot of money” anytime, anywhere!?!?!

U’ know… service!

 

[straitman]

Again, QF needs to take heed of “consistency” and “clarity”

Plus, BA needs to drop the “holier than thou” attitude!

Not to mention AA’s requirement not to provide “complimentary service”!

NM, who wants to spend a “lot of money” anytime, anywhere!?!?!

U’ know… service!

d15.in.oz,

I think most of us understand the point you are making however the reality is that they won't give you the access whether you are right or wrong. Is it really worth the agro :?:

Sometimes you just have to accept how big business treats you. (I know as I work for the biggest!)