Review: the new British Airways Galleries First lounge in Houston
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This is our review of the new British Airways Galleries First lounge in Houston.
British Airways recently refurbished its two lounges in Houston to the modern Galleries format.
Reader Nick was there a couple of weeks ago and sent me a short review on the Galleries First lounge. This used by British Airways Executive Gold members and oneworld equivalents and passengers holding a First Class ticket. Silver members and Club World ticket holders must use the separate Galleries lounge which is not pictured.
British Airways flies from Terminal D of IAH, and the First Class lounge is situated near the bridge that connects Terminal C.
Nick wrote:
Beverage wise there are two self-service bars, which are stocked with USA wines and a selection of soft drinks; there is also a selection of spirits, ranging from Bourbon, Grey Goose vodka, Tia Maria, Baileys, and some blended whiskies as well as champagne, but it wasn’t a brand I’d ever heard of and no where near as good as the Laurent Perrier that’s on offer in the Concorde Lounge at LHR.
The food offer was limited, hot options consisted of a large bowl of chilli (no rice though); otherwise it was a selection of freshly made sandwiches, which were actually pretty good, and the normal crisps/nuts/biscuits and cheeses but , sadly, no á la carte option!
The chairs were comfortable and each had power sockets next to them, with the ubiquitous BA Lounge wi-fi also on offer. There were no printing or business centre type facilities which seemed odd given that the location.
The other thing that was lacking (apart from sufficient seating) were the bathroom facilities. Restricted to just one urinal and a single disabled cubicle there was no where to freshen up with a shower or hot towel, or a quiet room to rest!
The view was restricted to the approach road and entrance to the terminal so; not horrendous, but neither interesting!
Overall although the lounge would be acceptable for a Business/Club facility but, to be honest, I did expect a little more from BA for a First Class lounge.
British Airways has also relaunched its lounge in Washington in recent weeks. This operates on a slightly different model. There is one combined Club World and First Class lounge but there are two separate private dining rooms – one for ticketed Club World passengers and one for ticketed First Class passengers. You cannot get into these areas using a Gold or Silver BAEC card if flying in World Traveller or World Traveller Plus.
Slightly oddly, the new BA lounge in Washington operates as a Priority Pass lounge during the morning! With no British Airways flights until the evening, it operates as a third-party lounge (with no access to the private dining areas) until early afternoon at which point it is only accessible to British Airways passengers.
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
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Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
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There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
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British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
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Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.
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You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
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American Express Business Gold
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Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
Frankie 
Rob 
Paul 
Waribai 
Andy 
asjg 
IMH 
danksy 
Freebies 
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