Back in August I wrote about ‘The Concorde Bar’. This is the new British Airways First Class lounge concept which is being rolled out across the network.
It isn’t actually a First Class lounge. It is a separate room with ticketed First Class passengers only – you cannot enter with a British Airways Gold card.
The first one has just opened in Singapore. The second is due to open in Dubai very shortly and it is rumoured that there will be one in Gatwick South next year when British Airways switches terminals, replacing a dedicated First Class lounge.
My original article did not have any photographs of ‘The Concorde Bar’ in it, only the main lounge. A HFP reader has now sent me a couple along with this not-very-complimentary review:
“I was travelling through Singapore a couple of weeks ago and remembered your article on their new Concorde Bar.
My wife and I were travelling First to return to London and the check-in staff had not even introduced us to the Concorde Bar. When I asked if there were a First Class lounge, they simply said there was no distinction and I could sit anywhere.
I happened to find the Concorde Bar just after the check-in desk. It was an open door and anyone could just wander in. The room is mediocre with no windows. The foods were not impressive and most the warm foods were too dry, having left in there for too long.
There was champagne but no Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle [as served in London].
The staff, uniformed and non-uniformed, walked through The Concorde Bar to go to their back room! Once in a while, a uniformed staff would walk around, checked on the counters before walking away. I had to signal one of them to clear my table otherwise they would not have done so. I am not impressed.”
Annoyingly, due to construction delays, it looks as if I will miss out on the new Dubai ‘Concorde Bar’ when I fly though there in BA First in a couple of weeks. With my usual excellent timing, it seems I will also miss – by a matter of days – the opening of the new Emirates lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3 as well!
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About Head for Points
If BA actually stopped doing avios and reward flights I think it would disappear like Caledonian and Britannia airways.
BA is like the SportsDirect of the airline world – I still use both, the basis product can be good, but my view on their customer satisfaction is a swear word. But then again how many national carriers are equally bad, a fair few I would say.
Am I in a minority or am I just looking at this from a different viewpoint.
I got into points collection from an incident my wife had on a Miami to LHR flight on BA a few years ago when travelling economy. The crew were brilliant and we got off the plane quickly and there was a waiting ambulance.
Anyhow after this I decided we want comfort and leg room etc so a friend had just started with points and so I started collecting. My view is based on value. I don’t see how any First product is value for cash but £1000/£1150 in First to USA return for two (BA Amex) to me that amounts to outstanding value.
We like the Concorde Lounge at LHR. Have now done 4 First flights from LHR. Our last LHR/JFK flight in April was amazing as the crew were brilliant and we had two well known celebs on the flight who were incredibly friendly with us. I would say that JFK Concorde we had a really great meal.
We have 2 Etihad 380 First from Abu Dhabi to London next March and I know this will be much better than BA First but those rewards are almost impossible to obtain whereas BA First to New York (we are doing Boston next April) are obtainable providing you have some flexibility.
Rob, you may not make it to the new Emirates lounge, but here’s their new ad (previous reports said she was being paid $5 million to promote the airline, but doesn’t she look good – and the bar man if you like that sort of thing, too. The aircraft interior is pretty impressive, as well.
http://www.justjared.com/2015/10/06/jennifer-aniston-has-a-nightmare-about-flying-coach-in-emirates-commercial/