BA continues lounge openings
British Airways today announced that it would move to the next phase of its lounge reopening plan, as it is set to once again open the doors to its Concorde Room (specifically for those flying in First) at JFK and Heathrow on September 1, with a number of other enhancements in store for customers.
The reopening of the airline’s two exclusive lounges, both of which have remained closed since March 2020, follows in the footsteps of the airline’s flagship US lounge that started to welcome the eligible from the start of August.
To coincide with both Concorde Rooms opening their doors once again, British Airways will be introducing a new cocktail menu, created exclusively for the airline by Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana. Driven by sustainability and his love for experimenting with new ingredients, Mr Lyan has created an array seven cocktails, who unique to British Airways.
The two special cocktails are named the Barton and Lawford after Lynne Barton, the first female British Airways pilot, and Bill Lawford, the first ever British Airways pilot in 1919. The menu has been designed with a focus on the best of British seasonal ingredients that specifically embrace ‘in-flight’ and wind pollinated flavors. The Barton and Lawford will also be available in the Galleries Club lounges and First lounge.
Passengers relaxing in the Concorde Room will continue to receive table service across the whole lounge, but visitors to other lounges will also benefit from using the airline’s new digital Your Menu service which allows them to order food from the menu directly to their seat in the lounge with the use of a QR code close to them.
Elsewhere, the airline will also be surprising a number of its Bronze Executive card holders on a daily basis in September and October with the taste of Silver Card benefits. British Airways will be inviting those who are close to the next threshold to use one of the airline’s lounge at Heathrow with a guest.
“As we start to gradually welcome back customers, we want to ensure that they have the best experience possible with British Airways,” said Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience in today's announcement. “We are looking at every element of the customer experience, from sleep pods and signatures cocktails in our newly reopened lounges, to roast dinners onboard and additional benefits for our card holders - we want flying with British Airways to be memorable. Our teams will continue to innovate, and we look forward to sharing more exciting developments with our customers over the coming months.”
British Airways passengers using the airline’s Concorde Room will also have access to the new Forty Winks EnergyPods, to get some pre-flight shuteye. Concorde Room customers will beable book an EnergyPod via dedicated hosts, request a time to be woken and choose a hot beverageto enjoy after their rest. Water and hot towels will be provided to add to the refreshing awakeningexperience.