New British Airways business class lounge at New York JFK airport about to open

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• Wally1976 says:

  26 Apr26 April 08:34

  Just a note that I googled and did a first order through BA wine club at the end of March, there was no mention of free Avios but I put my BAEC number in the box and 1000 Avios duly arrived! I got 12 bottles + 2 tumblers + 1000 Avios for £49.99.

• AndyK says:

  26 Apr26 April 08:54

  OT. If I want to use Virgin 2-4-1 do I book outbound and wait for inbound to open as with BA? Or both legs need to be available to book?

• Michael says:

  26 Apr26 April 09:01

  Activating Companion card (amex) – Can I do it or does the companion have to do it? Need to activate it, they don’t know how and I’m not with the card or person.

  • john says:

    26 Apr26 April 09:36

    There’s probably nothing in particular stopping you from doing it if they give you the details from the card.

    amex.co.uk/activate

    Not sure whether it’s within amex’s t&c’s or not though..?

  • Mark2 says:

    26 Apr26 April 09:38

    I always activate my wife’s; and apply for it.

    • Binks says:

      26 Apr26 April 11:52

      +1

  • Anna says:

    26 Apr26 April 09:51

    It’s very easy to do but Amex don’t know who’s activating it. It might not be possible to link the companion card to your account straight away, it seems to be that you have to wait a few days or set up a new account.

    • Michael says:

      26 Apr26 April 10:06

      Thanks guys – done it now, I just used their log in details and managed it online.

• WW says:

  26 Apr26 April 09:37

  Any news on the SFO BA lounge? It’s been closed for about 4 months now.

• Kathy says:

  26 Apr26 April 09:54

  OT as bits!
  I am off to New York next week with a friend, in economy, flying LHR-EWR-LHR. I have 2 free lounge club passes from my Gold Amex to use – question is, which end to use them at, LHR on the way out or EWR on the way back?

  We fly from LHR wednesday morning at 10.50, so will be aiming to arrive about 8am ish and have breakfast at the airport.

  We fly back from EWR at 18.05 on sunday, will aim to have lunch in the city and get to the airport mid-afternoon.

  It looks like Lounge Club gets access to the Virgin Clubhouse at EWR – but with a much reduced offering. Is it worth using them there just for a look-see?

  • Kathy says:

    26 Apr26 April 09:55

    Flying from Terminal 5 at LHR and Terminal B at EWR, I should add.

    • Michael says:

      26 Apr26 April 10:12

      The virgin club house closes at 5pm to Lounge Club holders as it reverts back to a Virgin lounge ready for the evening departures. So depends what time you arrive at EWR. There’s also another lounge club eligible lounge in Terminal B but I’m not sure what it’s like.

      I have been in the aspire lounge in T5 however – while not the quality of the BA lounge, it’s solid enough to use your passes on providing it’s not too busy. Drinks will be plentiful and the food offerings aren’t too bad.

      • Kathy says:

        26 Apr26 April 10:32

        The other lounge club lounge at EWR is before security, which makes me nervous about leaving enough time to get through and reach the gate.

    • Michael C says:

      26 Apr26 April 10:50

      Kathy, I recently did this trip with BA – the Newark lounge I saw was very underwhelming. But having said that, so is the airport itself, so you wouldn’t want to be delayed there!

      On the upside, total breeze to travel to/from.

      • Anna says:

        26 Apr26 April 12:32

        I recall it being a very expensive cab ride (nearly $100 six years ago), they said it was because we were going from one state into another! If I didn’t have much luggage I would try and get there on public transport if practicable.

      • Kathy says:

        26 Apr26 April 14:16

        We flew in and out of there a couple of years ago and found public transport an absolute breeze and (crucially) security much quicker than JFK. May have just been lucky!

  • memesweeper says:

    26 Apr26 April 13:25

    I’d rate the Aspire T5 as the most disappointing in Heathrow. Not the worst in the world by any means, but poor by comparison. No experience of EWR.

    • Kathy says:

      26 Apr26 April 14:20

      My friend has never had a lounge experience, being strictly an economy flyer despite my evangelising about miles collecting, before so won’t be making comparisons either way!
      I wouldn’t pay for either of them, but since I have the free passes we may as well use them.

  • Allycat says:

    26 Apr26 April 13:28

    I sampled the EWR Virgin lounge mid-afternoon Sept last year using Priority Pass access just to see what it was like and was very under-whelmed. Usual Virgin colours but no windows, very quiet, staff attentive enough but not providing the “Virgin Experience” that you might get after 5/6pm when it is only for Virgin customers. Food & drink options much reduced. Poor mobile signal. After about 40 minutes I went next door to the BA lounge (flying J on Aer Lingus) and was much more impressed. Food and drink were fine, lots of windows, a bit of a buzz. Got quite busy with Aer Lingus then BA customers coming in. The Virgin lounge would beat the general seating area where you board the plane from, but not by much. I didn’t try the pre-security lounge so can’t comment. The entrance to it seemed to be off a busy corridor parallel to the front of the terminal but before security or check-in. Would speculate no windows there either.

    • Kathy says:

      26 Apr26 April 14:27

      Thanks. Yes, we were unimpressed by the general seating area at EWR and if I recall correctly had trouble just finding a seat.

      T5 has much better general facilities and we’re normally quite happy paying for breakfast in one of the restaurants there. Using the Aspire lounge would save us buying breakfast, and if not too busy would get the trip off to a nice start, but we might regret it on the way back if we can’t even find a seat at EWR…..

      Decisions, decisions!

      Thanks all for your input.

      • Lady London says:

        26 Apr26 April 20:52

        If you really must blow them (and assuming Pl P doesn;t take these particular passes) then there is only the Aspire at T5. Which I’ll pay for either Gordon Ramsay’s, or even Pret a Manger on the ground floor, to avoid.

        Personally Kathy have you looked into other ways of getting into Pl P at T5? I think I would go that way. Then you could keep the passes in case you got stuck at EWR. But faced with the Aspire, or a lackluster experience at EWR, I might be tempted to forgo use of the passes and work out another way to get decent lounge, airport hotel bar/restaurant, or other similar access at either end.

      • Kathy says:

        28 Apr28 April 10:42

        My only other flights before I’ll be cancelling the gold card are in business class anyway. May as well use them!

        Think we’ve decided to go with EWR, since we’re happy enough buying brekky in T5 and remember finding it overcrowded and stressful flying back from there. We’ll have been in our feet all morning so a quiet place to sit and relax and have a drink will do us nicely.

• Scottydogg says:

  26 Apr26 April 10:06

  Just took out the Wine deal , got 20 bottles on the way , working out at 3.85 per bottle

  I dont think you get the 2 free bottle as stated in your article as is has a note to say it cant be claiming in conjunction with any other deal , and the wine case is in the deal ?
  Still good deal , plus 2 free wine glasses

  • jane says:

    26 Apr26 April 12:10

    sounds like a good deal, what did you get ?

• KBuffett says:

  26 Apr26 April 10:29

  OT – Can I self refer from my Amex Platinum Charge card for a business charge card and receive bonuses on both sides?

  • Rob says:

    26 Apr26 April 10:36

    You won’t get a bonus on the Business card, because you have a Membership Rewards account already.

    You CAN do this in reverse, from Business to a personal card, because the new rules on personal cards only ask about other personal cards you’ve had.

    • Will Avery says:

      26 Apr26 April 11:29

      So with a business it probably makes sense to use the business cards on a cycle and then refer to a personal once the 24 months is up?

      With Capital on Tap, the business community is now much better served. The categorisation as a debit card element is a real winner though Curve also does this so can link to a personal VA card.

      • KBuffett says:

        26 Apr26 April 12:52

        Does Capital on Tap have a feed available for use with Concur?

• Duncan Stevenson-Price says:

  26 Apr26 April 11:07

  OT: Is it impossible to use a BA 241 voucher on a flight originating outside of the UK, or can you call and make this happen?

  Thinking about flying back from the US after a transatlantic cruise, but the website says no.

  • Grant says:

    26 Apr26 April 11:13

    If you were awarded the voucher on a UK card then it can only be used on ex-UK flights.

    • Mark2 says:

      26 Apr26 April 12:12

      and Jersey

      • David says:

        26 Apr26 April 13:12

        Are the TFC’s lower ex-JER?

      • memesweeper says:

        26 Apr26 April 13:27

        the actual taxes are lower, for sure

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