British Airways Terminal 5B lounge refresh: details of Phase Two revealed

Back in July, British Airways teased that it was ‘refreshing’ the Galleries lounge at Terminal 5B.

Phase One of this process was the installation of a Whispering Angel bar (below) forming a new centre-piece to the lounge – well, perhaps not ‘centre-piece’ as it’s tucked away near the play room!

This coincided with the rollout of LVMH’s Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel rose in the lounges as well as Rock Angel onboard in First.

Furniture was also replaced and reupholstered. You can see more photos of it in Rob’s recent review from an early morning trip.

What is coming in Phase Two?

Phase Two is now in full swing, with a significant chunk of the lounge temporarily closed as the works take place.

Whilst this is not the full refurbishment that the lounge arguably needs, it will revitalise the space until that does, eventually, happen.

We received a number of reports on the changes from readers, and BA has confirmed to us that it will include:

• A new live preparation / cooking area for made to order items
• A new buffet servery for hot and cold food (this is now open)
• The installation of a new floor around the Whispering Angel bar
• A new ‘quiet space’ where the Elemis spa used to be

Rumours of a new, dedicated space for Gold members or First customers are unfounded, with British Airways confirming that 5B will continue to operate as a solely business class lounge.

The floor around the Whispering Angel bar was looking tired so this should freshen up the space, whilst the new live preparation station sounds intriguing. If it offers a made-to-order menu it would be a significant upgrade on the current food offering and a step up when compared to the Galleries South First lounge.

Work on the lounge should be completed in the next few weeks.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

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, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

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Capital on Tap Pro Visa

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There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

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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.