British Airways improves lounge benefits for Silver, Gold and GGL Executive Club members

Alongside the extension of Executive Club status for 25% of members announced today, British Airways has also tweaked its rules on lounge access.

Whilst this won’t impact most status members directly, it will indirectly improve the experience of Executive Club Gold members by reducing the numbers in the Galleries First lounge at Heathrow.

What is changing with British Airways lounge access rules?

Are you Executive Club Silver or Gold?

With immediate effect, all Executive Silver and Gold members can use the pre-flight dining facility at North American lounges.

The major British Airways lounges in the United States contain a restaurant. The idea is that customers can eat a full meal and then maximise their sleep on what is often a very short flight back to the UK.

Historically, pre-flight dining required you to hold a ticket for Club World or First. Anyone who was flying in World Traveller or World Traveller Plus, and who was in the lounge on the back of their Executive Club status or because they had been guested in, did not qualify.

This has now changed. Anyone with access to a lounge with pre-flight dining, which includes New York JFK, Boston, Chicago and Washington, will be allowed to eat in the restaurant.

Are you Executive Club Gold Guest List?

From today, all Executive Club Gold Guest List members can use the Concorde Room lounges.

These are located in Heathrow Terminal 5 and New York JFK.

This change will impact anyone who earns more than 3,000, but fewer than 5,000, Executive Club tier points per year.

To join Gold Guest List – we outline the benefits of BA Gold Guest List here – initially requires you to earn 5,000 tier points in a year, currently reduced to 3,750 tier points. 5,000 tier points is also the threshold to receive Concorde Room access, so all new Gold Guest List members can access it in their first year.

After your first year of Gold Guest List, renewal is easier. You only need to earn 3,000 tier points, currently reduced to 2,250 tier points. However, the threshold for a Concorde Room card remains at 5,000 tier points. This creates a tier of Gold Guest List members who earn between 3,000 and 4,999 tier points who do not receive Concorde Room access.

From today, this distinction is removed. Concorde Room access will be available to all Executive Club Gold Guest List members.

You should receive details of these changes from British Airways during Monday.

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