Heathrow T5 (BA Galleries South Lounge)
Although I’ve been to this lounge many times before, I usually go straight to the B Gates lounge as it’s quieter. I wasn’t sure if that one was open at the moment, as Galleries North is closed, so I went to the large Galleries South complex. The lounge was spotless, there’s a real effort to ensure that there are sufficient staff available and everything looked ordered and well managed. I didn’t meander around the lounge this time, but it was quiet and easy to socially distance.
The usual food and drink counters have been shut down, meaning that table service is offered. This has made the lounge a rather more upmarket affair, more akin to the First Class lounge on the floor below. There are a number of breakfast options available until 12:00 and I went for the club breakfast.
The beer options, which are Heineken for those who don’t like beer, as well as two more interesting choices, namely Brewdog Speedbird and St Austell Tribute. I’m a huge fan of the Brewdog beer and it’s good to have it again after several months of not flying.
The club breakfast of a bacon roll and potato rosti. OK, it’s not spectacular in its appearance, but the bacon wasn’t too fatty so it didn’t take me long to remove that fat. The roll is soft and it’s all perfectly adequate.
Here’s the beer….. The food and drink was brought over within a few minutes each time and is ordered via a QR code. There were a couple of customers struggling with the concept, but the staff members were pro-active in helping them. There is a range of different seating types in the lounge, but I went with my preferred high seating and was able to plug my devices in.
At 12:00 the menu switches to lunch and these are the hot options. There are also salads and cake options available for those who want that. As usual with British Airways, everything is free of charge, nothing is surcharged or limited.
And here’s the Thai green chicken curry, which I think is way above what someone could expect in an airport lounge. Tender chicken and a richness to the sauce, it’s a perfectly acceptable dish.
I was very controlled in the lounge, limiting myself to just ordering the breakfast and lunch options, as well as two Speedbirds. I haven’t seen the lounge in this good a state before, perhaps it’s just because it’s quieter. British Airways have done a quite marvellous job here in what are clearly trying times.
