Gallery First lounge, London Heathrow : Sober decoration but high quality services

As part of my last business trip of 2021, I am in extremis awarded a Gold qualification to the British Airways frequent flyer program, also giving access to the highest status in the OneWorld alliance, the coveted Emerald.

This status gives access to all First Class lounges of the alliance.

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Since the flights and the hotel are usual, I will only report the lounge.

Location

The lounge is located in the main satellite of Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5. It is accessible from inside the terminal through a series of escalators, but it is also accessible directly from outside through the very exclusive First check-in area, called The First Wing.

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Having recently achieved the status, it does not appear on the boarding pass and I have to validate at the check-in counter to validate my passage.

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This was done very quickly and I was escorted to the dedicated security checkpoint.

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Lounge design

The design of the lounge is very similar to the Galleries Business lounges, but with more different types of spaces are offered.

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A relaxation area is available with dedicated pods.

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The buffet areas are replaced by a completely à la carte offer served at the table.

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Catering

The catering offer is completely replaced by an à la carte menu. Strange because the self-service beverages are back in the Business lounges.

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The menu is rather extensive,especially on alcoholic drinks.

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I will drink some Lanson Rosé Extra Age before my flight, and choose to customize my English Breakfast.

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Bottom line

An excellent lounge, with an excellent catering service.

Olivier Delestre-Levai
Olivier Delestre-Levai
Olivier has been into airline blogging since 2010. First a major contributor to the FlyerTalk forum, he created the FlyerPlan website in July 2012, and writes articles with a major echo among airline specialists. He now co-runs the TravelGuys blog with Bertrand, focusing on travel experience and loyalty programs.
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