Summary
- British Airways has upgraded its lounge at London Heathrow’s T5B terminal, focusing on improving the culinary experience with live food preparation and seasonal menus.
- The lounge also features a quiet zone for relaxation and new flooring and furniture to enhance the customer experience.
- This is part of a larger upgrade investment, with improvements made to lounges at Terminal 5 and Terminal 3, with plans for upgrades in Edinburgh and Seattle-Tacoma airports.
- Economy and premium economy passengers will also receive new snack boxes on long-haul flights.
Passengers flying with oneworld alliance carriers out of London Heathrow are up for a treat. British Airways announced today that it has put the finishing touches on its latest lounge refresh. The airline has installed new furniture and upgraded the meal selection at the lounge next to Heathrow Terminal 5’s B gates, among others across the network.
Focusing on food
The culinary experience at the airline’s London Heathrow T5B lounge received the most significant upgrades. New features include a live food preparation area, which allows waiting passengers to watch their food being prepared and garnished with locally sourced ingredients. The menus have also been updated with fresh seasonal options to highlight the best of British cuisine.
Photo: British Airways
The airline also redesigned the deli area to display a range of hot and cold dishes available for passengers looking for a quick snack. The new station features a selection of breakfast items, sandwiches, snacks, and light bites.
In addition to the food, the airline also rolled out new flooring and specially designed furniture to improve the customer experience. For those working or looking for some peace and quiet before a flight, there is now a quiet zone in the lounge to encourage relaxation. British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, Calum Laming, commented on how the lounge is key to providing an elevated customer service experience:
“We know that the airport experience is an important part of the journey for our customers, especially our premium customers, and we’re always listening to their feedback.
“We want to ensure we offer something for everyone using our lounges, whether that’s providing an area for those who wish to relax, catch up on work or somewhere for our customers to enjoy our British Original-inspired dishes. We hope these changes go a long way in making a difference to our customers’ experience before their flight.”
The space is available to passengers traveling in First and business class (Club World and Club Europe), as well as Silver or Gold Executive Club members in the airline’s frequent flyer program. Travelers on other oneworld carriers, including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas, can also use the airline’s Club lounges, provided they are Sapphire or Emerald members of their respective partner frequent flyer programs.
Where else is getting upgrades?
This is the final step of a significant upgrade investment across the British Airways network of lounges. In Terminal 5, the airline added new furniture to its Concorde Room and Arrivals lounge. One of the highlights is the addition of Day beds, which will be coming to the Concorde Room later this year.
Terminal 5 is not the only one getting lounge upgrades in recent months. The carrier also recently refreshed its First and Club lounges at London Heathrow’s Terminal 3. British Airways’ first class lounge now features customers an exclusive Concorde Bar and dining area, while its Club lounge for business class passengers now includes a new bar and fresh furniture.
Elsewhere, British Airways is implementing new touches to its lounge in Edinburgh in the coming months. Next year, the carrier will add a brand-new bar and an enhanced menu offering to its lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Photo: British Airways
In addition to the lounge updates, British Airways introduced brand-new snack boxes for its passengers flying in economy and premium economy on long-haul flights. The “tuck box’ will be offered to passengers as a mid-flight snack containing sweet and savory snacks, including chocolates, cookies, and popcorn.
