Review: British Airways Galleries First Lounge London Heathrow (LHR)

"this offers a significantly less nice experience than the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse London, which is just a plain old business class lounge"

We have different definitions of "plain" and "old" I think, aha...

Honestly, if originating in Heathrow, I would take the convenience of the First Wing and an average lounge over a better lounge and normal security any day… Especially given that the current trend seems to be to force you through more and more miles of duty free before you can get to a lounge.

A fair review. This lounge is functional, and certainly not aspirational. Shrewd travellers eschew it and head for the Club lounge in Satellite B, even if departing from an A gate (but don't take the train back or you have to go back through security).

You omitted the single most disappointing feature of the lounge, though: the watery, tasteless orange juice that would disgrace a budget suoermarket.

There are most definitely bartenders in this lounge. Even one of the photos in this article are of a full service bar. I visited this lounge in December. Ask for assistance with directions once thru security ; it involved going down an escalator , swinging around and then going up an elevator. Tough review score here and I think what’s coming later on today is a tough review of BA First.

Yes. There was a lot of duty free and I did some shopping during the short but confusing walk over to this lounge. As an American I’m not going to pass Harrods and Fortnum & Mason without taking a look inside especially over the holiday season.

I've come to actually prefer the Galleries Club lounge in the 5B concourse, even though that's only a business class lounge. It's worth the detour. The food offering is largely similar but 5B is much quieter. Galleries First is just always absolutely slammed with Emeralds and guests (and, at least in my experience, a significant chunk of those are AA elites who somehow bring in their whole families).

When comparing to the Virgin lounge at LHR, and the others you note, it's definitely not at the same level. It's a solid but unremarkable business lounge, which has amazing, fast access from curbside which I think Ben undervalues here. It's also better than American's flagship first lounges which, given Ben's rating would make them a 3 and makes me wonder how many stars a regular Delta or American US lounge would get 🙂

Emeralds can bring one guest. BA gatekeeper is quite strict about that.

The first lounge is huge, so while there are a lot of people, it never felt crowded to me,

CX lounge in T3 may be worth the 30 minute trek if there's a long layover.

I find the ratings here so odd, and think there is a pervasive anti-BA sentiment. Love your reviews Ben, but BA vs Lufthansa is becoming a visibly biased.

I am looking a 3 lounges reviewed in past year that I know well
- LAX Qantas first 5*
- FRA Maple Leaf 4*
- BA First LHR T5 3.5*

I don't see that spread at all. Yes the toilets are hospital like. Breakfast is rather British. But it's a massive lounge at a home hub and it's really comfortable, with high quality drinks and perfectly good food. Internet performance is off the scale amazing. Tons of natural light. Staff are lovely.

To say this is worse than the tiny crowded dirty FRA Maple Leaf... And Qantas in LAX is nice, but no windows, no snacks, no extra amenities.

@ JT -- Thanks for the feedback. The intent of the ratings is to compare it to comparable lounges, which in this case would be other lounges at Heathrow, other oneworld Emerald lounges, or other better-than-business-class lounge.

I'd argue that the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, and Qantas Lounge Heathrow, are all better, even though they're just standard business class lounges. Would you disagree on that? Totally fair if you do, I'm just curious.

Also, if you're talking about a British Airways vs. Lufthansa bias, keep in mind what I recently rated Lufthansa's better-than-business-class lounge. I reviewed the Senator Lounge Frankfurt, and gave it 2.5 stars.
https://onemileatatime.com/reviews/lufthansa-senator-lounge-frankfurt/

@ Khatl -- You're talking about the American International First Lounge Heathrow, or the Flagship Lounges back in the US? The former would definitely be ranked lower than this, while I think most Flagship Lounges in the US are a step above this. As far as your run of the mill lounges in the US go, I judge those on a different scale, given that they're domestic membership lounges, and not lounges that are purporting to be superior to business class lounges.

Switching terminals (T5/T3) at LHR just for lounge access is a terrible idea. In fact airport management is actively discouraging/preventing access to the airside areas of terminals if not departing on a flight from that terminal,

Just note that the First Wing Security checkpoint will be closed from sometime in January 24 (so maybe even now) until sometime in April 24 for installation of new scanners. So the direct access to the lounge from security is not available for awhile.

Well, in case of the Qantas Lounge I have to disagree after my last visit. It was downright dirty. No one cared. Elevator out of order. Really bad food and restaurant closed. I had a better time at the AA Lounge.

I have quite a soft spot for the First Lounge and with the the First Wing it is great.
By the way, it looks like the new furniture arrived. Didn't Look live that when I was there the last time.

I completely agree with your review, although I'd personally bump it up half a star because of the unbeatable convenience of not having to actually enter the terminal until it's time to go to your departure gate. The "private" security to lounge pipeline is an amazing lounge feature (in my mind on par with free spa treatments).

My wife and I visited the American International First Lounge last summer. It was hugely disappointing. The adjacent Admiral's Club provides a better experience.

The Flagship lounges we've visited are far better than LHR's American International First Lounge.

You have not been there very often. It can get very very full at times and nowadays overcrowding is by fair the biggest complaint with the lounge. Advising to visit CX lounge in T3 is crazy and as Bob is saying, likely not possible if you are actually not transiting (Never tried myself or anyone I know, as why you would people try doing it, so not 100% sure)

If you're going to judge like for like I don't really think it's fair to compare small outstation lounges to the main hub lounge of a large carrier. It's just tougher to do things at scale when you have many multiples of eligible passengers compared to the CX or QF lounge. The BA lounge is fine for what it is, convenient with reasonable food and drink and some nice natural light. I agree that the Virgin lounge is better but other than that I think BA is in the middle to upper end of hub lounges.

Looks like you were there early Ben, did you get a chance to see any of their famous rats around? In early November, I reported the unsettling sighting a little after 5am and the staff just said, verbatim, "Oh we know all about them". I relocated to a more brightly lit and busy area. Maybe it is not such a bad idea that the lounge is overcrowded so much of the day to scare away the critters.

@ Andrew M -- I'm open to comparing it to any metric others would like. As we agree, the Virgin Clubhouse is better than this, despite "just" being a business class lounge. The only other comparable lounges in Europe (intended to be above business class, but not "true" first class) are Lufthansa Senator Lounges, and I don't consider those to be particularly great either.

However, on balance I'd say the KLM Lounge Amsterdam and most Air France Lounges in Paris are better than the British Airways Galleries First Lounge.

@ SeaFreq -- Oh my! Well, I'm at least grateful I missed those. That's not pleasant.

You could say I am a bit of a BA fanboy. Only slightly.

However, if people criticise things, I want them to explain why that is, it doesn't matter if the criticism is silly, as long as they can backup their claims and offer suggestions.

I thought Ben's criticisms were fair and spot on, they were balanced, tried when possible to give BA slack, but there is only so much slack you can give.

Essentially, BA doesn't really care if their hard and soft products are industry leading, BA has found a niche: offering reasonable J and F fares, without all the perks. They don't have to worry about competition due their dominance at Heathrow and the rest of the UK.

Ben's review reflects BA's attitude of mediocre.

I think this lounge deserves 4*. I'm here quite often and I really enjoy it. I appreciate what little is left of the QR Code ordering system. I enjoy sitting out on the terrace, and I think the champagne and bar is of pretty darn high quality. Aside from barista coffee, I don't think it is materially worse than the QF Lounge in T3. The CX lounge really is something special, but considering the high volume that goes through this lounge, I think they do a great job. The service is generally very good, and outside of Asia, few lounges have fantastic showers. At least here you can join the queue from your seat.

I was in transit from FRA, arrived in T5 with a departure in T5, but 5hr between flights. I followed FT instructions and got to T3 with no issues, whether it's worth it to is completely up to the individual traveler.

It's a difficult lounge to compare. It is not BA's first club lounge, thats the Concorde lounge. It's really the Gold card club. I think it is best to compare to other business lounges. The majority of passengers are probably flying to Europe. For them is a great lounge because on a short flight you get special check-in and security, direct access to the lounge, high quality alcohol, including champagne, competitive food, good wifi, and outdoor space. Beats most other European lounges you can access with emerald or Star Alliance Gold or Skyteam gold.
For food, and only if you are on a OneWorld flight leaving from T3, the Cathay Pacific First lounge, assuming you have Emerald status, is better at Heathrow.

I went to this lounge last November after having gone to the Galleries South Lounge in T5. Other than the First Lounge serving champagne there is really no difference between the two lounges otherwise. The food is the same in both lounges but I must say that the lunch buffet is very good and far better than their breakfast offering.

I seriously think you’re missing the point here. BA Executive Club Gold Members access this lounge and they do so via a private security channel which takes them curbside, through check-in and directly into the lounge within minutes. They get a lounge with a proper buffet, premium alcohol including champagne. They get that benefit every time they fly BA regardless of if that’s a £30 short haul economy ticket or they’ve spent £ks on long haul. Tell me the US airline that offers their OWE’s/ OWE equivalent the same- the answer is none. Tell me also the ME3 or Asian carriers who offer the same to their elites with tickets that also sell fares at this price point- there’s none. This lounge plus the First Wing is an incredible benefit for BAEC members and I imagine any US based OWE would be amazed in comparison to what AA and AS offer them when they pass through.

As someone who is supposed to be a fan of coffee I’m surprised at the value you’re attributing to a barista when the milk they are foaming actually masks the taste of the coffee. If you have an amerciano or espresso from these machines it’ll be better than most cafes with the bespoke Union blend that has been sourced for BA

These photos are pretty wild. I've never been in there and it hasn't been bursting at the seams. What time did you visit?

Personally I am not a big fan of CR or First Lounge - both are quite busy, sometimes it's difficult to find a seat in First lounge, it is impossible to have rest/relax; I agree food selection and quality is not great - OK but nothing special. In the past menu a la carte and buffet were far better. Unfortunately BA deteriorated dramatically and we can not compare it with CX, SQ, QR etc - it is pointless. I avoid BA whenever I can, I fly with them only to USA - as it is often more convenient ( I live in London - direct flight ) but I don't expect anything exciting. On the other hand - in my opinion - all American airlines are far worse including lounges.

We were there during the summer heatwave of 2022. The lounge was incredibly hot and packed to the gills. Definitely did not feel luxurious! The main terminal became more appealing simply due to the heat. 🙁

Agree with your assessment. I like the spaciousness of the lounge and compare the food and wash room experience to a business class lounge. The food in particular is underwhelming and is the same whenever I visit which is typical English breakfast and/or pasta and Indian food for lunch. All other first and business lounges I've been too have far greater experiences, menus and options. The wash room is nice for being private however is outdated and feels stuck in the 80s. I hope they improve in the future and compare themselves to rivals to create a better food and wash room experience.

To be fair, context is needed. The Concorde Room is the "real" first class lounge and this lounge is the One World Emerald lounge. At JFK, Chelsea is the "real" first class lounge and Soho is the One World Emerald lounge. Do we recognize that One World has alliance first class lounges within: 1) proprietary first class lounges, 2) alliance first class lounges, and 3) business class lounges? Or, shall we now berate the Cathay Pacific first class lounge in T3 (which I love)?

As someone who always tries to figure out the magician's trick, I ask ...

How do you get human-free photos of BOTH Galleries First and Concorde Room at opening time before other passengers flood at least one of them?

Keep up the great work! I, for one, wouldn't mind seeing photos with people in them if it let you sleep more. Faces are easy to blur.

I don't know the Clubhouse (not a Virgin fan). In terms of the others, I would rank this lounge equivalent to Qantas and better than Cathay Business (too low ceilings, too little light). But. Qantas is also their first class lounge for now (not 'standard' business), where this lounge is not for first class passengers at all. In fact many in this lounge is flying short haul, and probably economy. If you're a first class passenger you're in the Concorde room, and if you are a long haul business passenger you can use the (nice, quieter) Satellite lounge. In terms of OneWorld, the best lounge at LHR is the Qatar Premium (which I recently used again for a Malaysian flight). It's great.

As others have said, what's being missed is that this might be called a 'First lounge' but everyone in London considers it the Gold Card holder lounge. BA treat their Gold card holder fantastically. Dedicated security, straight into a lounge where you can get a full meal and high quality drinks... Load of natural light. And all that when paying £90 for a 50 min flight to Belfast. I am a very happy customer.

This is not where people flying First Class to New York go.

Incidentally, I went to the equivalent lounge for Qantas in Sydney recent (their gold card lounge). Huge. I would say that the BA one (comparing hub for hub, like for like) is better.

Completely agree with James here. I have used BA first wing multiple times since Covid and it is great. What do business travelers want when traveling through airports? Predictability. Comfort yes, but predictability is most important. If I am transiting airside or coming to Terminal 5 I know my check in and security experience will take no more than 10 min. Lines just for security in terminal 5 can easily be 5 times that long or more. The first lounge can be crowded sometimes but I have never had to look for long to find a seat. Ben seems to write for the 1% who probably should be flying private if they need the kind of experience Ben wants.

My perspective on the BA lounges varies depending on the trip I’m on and what I’ve paid. When I’m travelling short haul I actually think they offer a solid experience and good value for money. Access to a decent (albeit not amazing) lounge on cheap/economy tickets is one of the reasons I continue to hold BA status. If I’m travelling long-haul business class, I agree they are fine but somewhat lacking.

I agree with others that the toilets and showers are both worn and outdated and need to be urgently refurbished.

Is it much worse than the Platnium Lounge in Doha? I don’t think so. The BA First Lounge has a much better alcohol selection of alcohol. Both can get very busy and crowded. Of course the Doha PL has far superior toilet and shower facilities. I think it depends on what you want.

Highly unlikely an actual rat, more likely a mouse. Mice infestation is common in all large airports. The earlier or later you are at an airport the more likely they will be seen. Schiphol's mice are a friendly bunch.

It’s certainly a huge step up from the BA lounge in Seattle, but I do love the Concorde Room.

I've read this has been banned and you can't access T3 without a T3 departure.

Thank you for your review Ben. I have one question: I have booked a business class ticket from London to hong kong on Qatar airways website and this flight will be opearted by BA. I have oneworld emerald status from Qatar airways, will I be able to use BA first class lounge at T5? Thank you.