Lhr T5 7 Hr Layover/no Access 2 Lounges

[rpinphx1]

I am flying World Traveler Plus on BA from Phx to Athens. A step up from economy.

After 10 hrs flying I have in past @ T1, went to spa/shower etc. It was great.

 

In T5 unless you are Club World or lst class you can't pay your way if you wanted to into ANY lounge, shower etc. Club World is $5300 per person R/T

 

Just want anyone going to T5 to know there is a class system @ T5.

[Globaliser]

The BA lounge system at T5 is exactly the same as it was at T1 and T4.

 

So I don't know what your complaint is.

 

For other readers: It remains possible to get access to BA lounges by virtue of oneworld status and at least one reciprocal airline lounge membership scheme.

[rpinphx1]

Clarification

 

T1 has access to go to Urban Retreat, yes there is a fee. However, T5 has no facility to go to even if you want to pay for it.

[Globaliser]

Well, then that is correct. There are no pay-on-entry lounges at T5 because the only lounges there are BA.

 

But there is no "class system" in operation, as you allege.

[rpinphx1]

ok, class system via the ticket you buy..

 

economy, world traveler plus doesn't get you into the BA lounge

club and first class do

 

In the big picture, the point is that the new T5 doesn't accomodate passengers with the options other terminals do. Surprising since it is new.

 

The End

[Globaliser]

ok, class system via the ticket you buy..

 

economy, world traveler plus doesn't get you into the BA lounge

club and first class do

Economy and World Traveller Plus also don't get you access to Fast Track immigration, they don't get you flat beds on board, they don't get you free champagne, etc etc etc.

 

And this has always been the case, and this is the same at T5 as it was at T1 and T4.

 

So there is no more "class system @ T5" than there is at any other terminal. Or, for that matter, with any other airline that has premium cabins. So that's just a bogus whinge.

 

It's also not in the least bit surprising that there are no lounges other than BA's at T5. It may be unfortunate and irritating, but it's not surprising. If there were any money to be made from a lounge that allowed pay-on-entry, I'm sure there would be one. But there isn't, because there aren't any other airlines there.

[Globaliser]

In the big picture, the point is that the new T5 doesn't accomodate passengers with the options other terminals do.

I had to check this, which is largely incorrect.

 

The other terminals also do not accommodate passengers with pay-on-entry lounges with a spa or showers.

 

The only exception is T1, which has the Urban Retreat.

 

If you have to pay for entry to a lounge in T2, T3 or T4, you will not get shower facilities in any of them.

 

Thus further underlining what a bogus whinge this is.

[fbgd]

ok, class system via the ticket you buy..

 

Your point being? That is how commerical flying has worked since the invention of a second class of travel. This is not isolated to BA, Terminal 5, Britain or Europe.

 

If it makes you feel better, even Air Koryo, the state airline of North Korea has a second class of travel too ;)

[6rugrats]

I am flying World Traveler Plus on BA from Phx to Athens. A step up from economy.

After 10 hrs flying I have in past @ T1, went to spa/shower etc. It was great.

 

In T5 unless you are Club World or lst class you can't pay your way if you wanted to into ANY lounge, shower etc. Club World is $5300 per person R/T

 

Just want anyone going to T5 to know there is a class system @ T5.

 

Welcome to the real world; you get what you pay for.

[FlyerTalker]

If it makes you feel better, even Air Koryo, the state airline of North Korea has a second class of travel too ;)

 

Are those the "Kim Jong-il" class and the "proletarian rabble" class??

[MMDown Under]

When I travel on my own, on long haul flights, I fly business class on a secondary level airline for the use of the lounges. The cost is similiar to Economy Plus, but much better value.

 

I miss my husband's work related membership of the Qantas Club, which allowed us to use lounge facilities on economy flights.

 

BTW I have paid a small amount to use shower, hairdryer, etc. at Singapore's Changi Airport en route from UK to Australia, and will do so on our next trip - heaven!

[greatam]

You can always buy a Priority Pass membership. Granted, the lounge is not in T-5, but they do have showers, booze, food and internet access at the lounge in T-4. It is airside, so you will have to make arrangements to enter the lounge (or maybe you will get lucky and your onward ticket to Athens will suffice).

 

Priority Pass has worked very well for some of my employees worldwide in some truly unusual places.

 

http://www.prioritypass.com/index.cfm

[fbgd]

You can always buy a Priority Pass membership. Granted, the lounge is not in T-5, but they do have showers, booze, food and internet access at the lounge in T-4. It is airside, so you will have to make arrangements to enter the lounge (or maybe you will get lucky and your onward ticket to Athens will suffice).

 

Priority Pass has worked very well for some of my employees worldwide in some truly unusual places.

 

http://www.prioritypass.com/index.cfm

 

At LHR you can only access the terminal you are departing from, so in this case it wouldn't work for the OP to rely upon Priority Pass.

[greatam]

At LHR you can only access the terminal you are departing from, so in this case it wouldn't work for the OP to rely upon Priority Pass.

 

You are supposed to be allowed into ALL Priority Pass lounges IF you make ADVANCE "reservations" and your name is put on the security list. Much like access to Admiral's Clubs if you are not flying. Haven't tried it myself because I have AC membership and OneWorld status, but business associates have. IT DOES take the co-operation of the lounge, which may not be forthcoming at LHR. So I guess this is one of those YMMV.

[Globaliser]

You are supposed to be allowed into ALL Priority Pass lounges IF you make ADVANCE "reservations" and your name is put on the security list.

It won't work at LHR, because there is no "security list".

 

You are not really supposed to be allowed into the airside area of a terminal from which you are not departing (although if you're already airside, there are ways of subverting this). If you try to cross landside --> airside at a terminal but your boarding pass is for another terminal, you may have some difficulty getting through. I have not tried this for some time now, and I imagine that it has got stricter rather than less strict over time.

 

But, on top of that, all airside departure lounges are required by the airport to enforce the airport's rule that you can only use a departure lounge in the terminal from which you are departing. So the lounge dragons' job includes saying "no" to you, even if you manage to get past security at that terminal.

 

These rules should override any access provisions in the Priority Pass scheme, which are anyway probably expressly subject to the rules of the airport about where you are allowed access.

[TRacanoUK]

I had to check this, which is largely incorrect.

 

The other terminals also do not accommodate passengers with pay-on-entry lounges with a spa or showers.

 

The only exception is T1, which has the Urban Retreat.

 

If you have to pay for entry to a lounge in T2, T3 or T4, you will not get shower facilities in any of them.

 

Thus further underlining what a bogus whinge this is.

 

T4 has the Holideck lounge, which is KLM (and certain SkyTeam) affiliated and is also available as a pay lounge. Sorry -- don't mean to correct you, otherwise everything's on point!

[fbgd]

T4 has the Holideck lounge, which is KLM (and certain SkyTeam) affiliated and is also available as a pay lounge. Sorry -- don't mean to correct you, otherwise everything's on point!

 

Globaliser's point is that only the Urban Retreat has showers, the Holideck lounge and the others in T2-4 don't.