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Airport lounges – what do you get?

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  • 12th October 2023 at 08:10
    #549328
    #549328
    jamesturk 49 posts

    Hi all, I’ve been on the site for nearly a year now, and it’s been super helpful.

    I’m looking to know a bit more about Airport Lounges as I’ve never been to one before. Through the 2for1 voucher and avios, i’ve booked a trip from Belfast to Dubai via Heathrow for me and my wife. It’s business class with BA.

    What lounges can we visit, across Belfast City, LHR Terminal 5 and Dubai?

    Belfast City only has an Aspire Lounge so assume we can’t go there, unless we pay on the day?

    What about Heathrow Terminal 5 and Dubai?

    12th October 2023 at 10:36
    #549388
    #549388
    The real Swiss Tony 662 posts

    This would probably have been better asked (or faster responded to) in the BA forum, but not to worry.

    This is the website you need – https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges

    So you will get access to the Aspire lounge at Belfast by virtue of your business class ticket.

    At Heathrow, you’re limited to the Club lounges. I would make for the B gates as it’s 95% certain you’ll be leaving from a B or C gate for Dubai and the B lounge is usually the quietest. If you end up with an A gate follow the walkways back to the A terminal, don’t get the train. You’ll have plenty of notice of this.

    In Dubai, again there are BA lounges but I recall that non status Club passengers were being shunted off to a 3rd party lounge owing to space limitations. You’ll be advised of this at check in.

    And on your return home, your flight will most likely depart from the A gates at Heathrow. The North lounge (right next to where you come out of transit security) will be closest, although does at times get very busy.

    12th October 2023 at 12:44
    #549442
    #549442
    jamesturk 49 posts

    Thanks for this Tony, great info.

    At Heathrow, as I’m only travelling through Terminal 5, I take it I can’t go to Lounges airside in other terminals? (e.g. Cathay Pacific in terminal 3, or I’m potentially going to sign up for a Platinum Card, so couldn’t visit the Centurion Lounge in Terminal 3 either?)

    Re: 3rd party lounges in Dubai, does that include the Marhaba & Ahlan lounges? They look to accept OneWorld passengers per the link you sent, and don’t look too bad from the pics! I take it I can choose any of these given they’re OneWorld? What’s the best in your opinion?

    Thanks again!

    12th October 2023 at 15:42
    #549503
    #549503
    The real Swiss Tony 662 posts

    In my mind you really don’t want to be messing with a trip to T3 and back. The lounges are better, but it’s not a quick process and there are rules that may or may not be applied. I’ve never tried it, others have, but in short just don’t bother.

    At Dubai, this thread did the rounds a year ago https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/ba-pre-warning-not-to-use-their-lounge/. It hasn’t impacted me as I’ve never flown BA ex-DXB. But you won’t get to pick from the 3rd party lounges on the web link I provided. There are carrier specific agreements in place.

    12th October 2023 at 17:29
    #549580
    #549580
    SBIre 161 posts
    jamesturk wrote:

    Hi all, I’ve been on the site for nearly a year now, and it’s been super helpful.

    I’m looking to know a bit more about Airport Lounges as I’ve never been to one before. Through the 2for1 voucher and avios, i’ve booked a trip from Belfast to Dubai via Heathrow for me and my wife. It’s business class with BA.

    What lounges can we visit, across Belfast City, LHR Terminal 5 and Dubai?

    Belfast City only has an Aspire Lounge so assume we can’t go there, unless we pay on the day?

    What about Heathrow Terminal 5 and Dubai?

    I definitely recommend the LoungeBuddy app. You tell it what credit cards, lounge passes and airline statuses you hold (just the types of cards and status levels, not the actual details, so there are no data security issues). You then create a trip and tell it what flights and classes you have booked, and it tell you what lounges you can access for free and by paying, usually with some discount for paying (though I doubt it is the best deal!). The directions are usually super useful too. The reviews and pics are a bit less reliable post pandemic, and once it sent me to a closed lounge in Sofia, but overall it is a very useful tool.

    It was bought by Amex a while back I believe, but seems to be run separately

    12th October 2023 at 20:06
    #549640
    #549640
    jamesturk 49 posts

    Brilliant – thanks all for the guidance. Much appreciated

    12th October 2023 at 20:10
    #549643
    #549643
    Royback 115 posts
    SBIre wrote:
    jamesturk wrote:

    Hi all, I’ve been on the site for nearly a year now, and it’s been super helpful.

    I’m looking to know a bit more about Airport Lounges as I’ve never been to one before. Through the 2for1 voucher and avios, i’ve booked a trip from Belfast to Dubai via Heathrow for me and my wife. It’s business class with BA.

    What lounges can we visit, across Belfast City, LHR Terminal 5 and Dubai?

    Belfast City only has an Aspire Lounge so assume we can’t go there, unless we pay on the day?

    What about Heathrow Terminal 5 and Dubai?

    I definitely recommend the LoungeBuddy app. You tell it what credit cards, lounge passes and airline statuses you hold (just the types of cards and status levels, not the actual details, so there are no data security issues). You then create a trip and tell it what flights and classes you have booked, and it tell you what lounges you can access for free and by paying, usually with some discount for paying (though I doubt it is the best deal!). The directions are usually super useful too. The reviews and pics are a bit less reliable post pandemic, and once it sent me to a closed lounge in Sofia, but overall it is a very useful tool.

    It was bought by Amex a while back I believe, but seems to be run separately

    Thanks for the tip. Downloaded. Excellent.

    12th October 2023 at 22:48
    #549731
    #549731
    FFoxSake 217 posts
    SBIre wrote:

    I definitely recommend the LoungeBuddy app.

    No good for Android users. It’s iOS only…

    13th October 2023 at 01:27
    #549753
    #549753
    Blair Waldorf Salad 1,098 posts

    Re DXB T1, Ahlan first class lounge is the best option. And is available on Dragonpass.

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