British Airways Lounges

[JustAnotherVictim]

Hi

Can somebody please explain to me the difference between a normal British Airways Executive Club Lounge and a British Airways Terraces Lounge?! I seem to be admitted to the Terraces lounge because I use full price tickets-does this mean I could also get into an Executive Club lounge which are only open to Silver/Gold cardholders?! Seems strange to have different sets of rules at different airports?

MTIA

JAV

[Globaliser]

I think the BA Executive Club lounges are business class lounges, as are the Terraces lounges which seem to be progressively replacing them across the network. If you have access to business class lounges, you should be able to get into either type, depending on what is at a particular airport. BA Silver/Gold and OW Sapphire/Emerald cardholders ought to have access to both, although the Golds and Emeralds can access the first class lounge if there is one. (If you're flying First from LHR T4, you get access to the Concorde Room and don't actually have to slum it with the Golds in the First lounge!)

I have heard that on domestic flights in the UK, there are some lounges that are now also admitting pax who are on full fare tickets. This will be noted on the boarding pass with "UK Business" or something like that. But as I understand it this doesn't (or doesn't yet) apply to all domestic airports. I'm not sure that it's a difference between Executive Club and Terraces lounges as such, just a question of which airport you're at.

[Gaza]

There is no real difference between Exec Club lounges and Terraces. BA began to "brand" their lounges as "Terraces" 3 or 4 years ago. As lounges come up for refurbishment they are converted to the Terraces format.

As Globalisers says, access to lounges is driven by status (Gold/Silver) or the class of ticket you have. At LHR T1 for example, the loinge in the International part id for Gold, Silver (and their oneworld equivalents) card holders plus those flying in Club Europe. In domestic T1 the lounge is again available to Gold, Silver (and their oneworld equivalents) card holders plus those flying on full fare tickets (BusinessUK).

Due to size constraints at certain airports some lounges are only available to Gold, Silver and their oneworld equivalents card holders. Until recently EDI fell in to this category. The lounge could be packed at certain times of the day with EC members so Business UK ticket holders were not permitted. The lounge has now been extended so Business UK ticket holders are allowed access.

It is not only the UK that has this rule. It may have chenged now but the lounge at ZRH was very small. Club Europe ticket holders were not allowed access; only Gold and Silver members.

[BahrainLad]

Yes, "Terraces" is a concept rather than another BA class/FFP level etc.

The idea being that "Terrace" lounges are fully feng-shuiised, with babbling water, warbling birds on the audio and some quite funky furniture.

Bit like Waterside really.

[Final 3 Greens]

Priority Pass makes a lot of sense when considering C class pax being excluded from airline lounges.

The full year costs £269, but is worth every penny.