Farce as new BA Gatwick South lounge remains closed due to failed ‘life safety’ test
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Wednesday was the day that British Airways moved its Gatwick operations over to the South Terminal.
The good news is that check in seemed to be working fine when I was there, with no sign of delays. To be honest, using a bit of wood to separate the Club World and First Class check-in desks is not the most elegant solution but it does the job (and, in truth, it looks better than my photo suggests!):
What I didn’t like is that BA has taken over the ‘A-C’ desk area. It is quite a walk from the train station to those desks, and you have to pass the huge number of Thomson, Norwegian etc desks on the way. More annoyingly, once you’ve dropped your bag, you need to double-back on yourself to take the escalator up to departures. Anyone with just hand baggage doesn’t need to go anywhere near the BA check-in area.
Security was also swift. The Premium line merges into the front of the standard line, so there should not be any chance of finding that the main line is quicker!
The bad news is that the British Airways Gatwick South lounges have failed their ‘life safety’ electrical tests and have not been allowed to open. A staff member told me that this was apparently known a few days ago but the news was not released. There is no timetable yet for their opening.
A number of contingency plans are in place:
First and Gold passengers on all flights and premium ticketed passengers on the Bermuda, New York and Jersey services are using the Gatwick South No 1 Clubrooms which I reviewed here. I should warn you, however, that they were already restricting access due to overcrowding when I was there and I had to use my press clout to get in.
All other eligible passengers are using the old Virgin Atlantic lounge in Gatwick South which has been renamed Speedbird Lounge but otherwise is as Virgin left it last night!
There is also the very impressive new No 1 Lounge which Anika reviewed here and which, if you have a Priority Pass, may be a better bet
As my tour of the BA Gatwick South lounge wasn’t going to happen, I ended up in the Clubrooms. This is an impressive facility when used for small groups, which is its intended purpose, but is not ideal for business travellers as there is no solo seating.
The food and drink remains excellent, however, with Eggs Royale and champagne promptly delivered to my table:
A separate article on Thursday covers the Speedbird Lounge.
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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
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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.
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