Viva Las BAcon! The DAA Lounge, Dublin Airport
Trip Report Index (it’s long):
- Viva Las BACon! The second spin of the roulette wheel
- Heading to Birmingham Airport, EI277 Birmingham Airport – Dublin Airport
- HOTEL: Bewleys Hotel, Dublin Airport
- The DAA Lounge, Dublin Airport
- BA831 Dublin Airport – London Heathrow Terminal 1
- An Easy Heathrow Transit and the British Airways Galleries First Lounge
- BA295 London Heathrow Terminal 5 to Chicago O’Hare International
- Tick Tock, Tick Tock – an express connection in Chicago
- AA55 Chicago O’Hare International T3 to Las Vegas McCarran International
- HOTEL: MGM Grand
- HOTEL: Mandalay Bay and BAcon
- One Time Exception: The High Roller
- HOTEL: Luxor
- One Time Exception: A Nighttime walk down an every changing strip
- Back to McCarran Airport, The American Express Centurion Lounge
- AA1239 Las Vegas McCarran International – Dallas Fort Worth
- A quick rush across Dallas Fort Worth
- AA78 Dallas Fort Worth – London Heathrow Terminal 3
- Transit again, The British Airways Terminal 1 Domestic Lounge
- BA831 London Heathrow Terminal 1 – Dublin Airport
- Irish Transit, The Aer Lingus Gold Circle Lounge
- EI276 Dublin Airport to Birmingham Airport
- Another lovely slice of BAcon
After getting off the shuttle bus, it was time to exercise the leg muscles – and head to Terminal 1 where I would be departing today.
Dublin T2 in the distance
T1 thataway.
Another Airport, another hike.
With British Airways based in the old terminal, it was a matter of heading for the entrance, and locating the check in desks.
A relatively quick check-in at the desk spat out two boarding passes for me, with the AA segment not printing. I was told to collect this in London. With the possibility of a rushed connection in London, this was unwelcome news.
None the less, I was directed to security, and which lounge I should use. With that, I was on my way – on hand luggage only.
Little did I know how much this would play to my advantage later on that day…
With the formalities completed, it was time to go through Irish security. This was handled with the minimum of fuss, and soon enough, I was out in the secure area, which seems to be a focus of construction work.
As they said on may a website in the past – Under Construction
A good idea – water honesty box at Dublin Airport.
Still, I wasn’t awake, so after doing a couple of laps, I headed for The DAA Lounge (the contract lounge for British Airways).
Hey… this is familiar…
The every man and his dog lounge.
The Dublin Airport Authority Lounge (Terminal 1)
Heading upstairs, it was a very familiar feeling – as this area was the old Anna Liva Lounge, and the BMI lounge.
I was welcomed to the lounge, and after my credentials were checked, I was invited in. When I was last here – it was red and blue. Now, it focuses on Dublin Airports Authority colours of green and grey.
Seating.
Food and drink items
`
These were moorish.
Alcohol offerings
2 Drinks per person. Riiiighhhttt.
The lounge itself was quiet, this being first thing in the morning. All the usual facilities were to hand (coffee, wifi, drinks).
It wasn’t a bad lounge per-say, and it is a major step up from the old BMI lounge (which was in desperate need of refurbishment towards the end), but it did feel more clinical than not, with little soul or anything.
However, as a place to rest before a flight, and have some very strong coffee, it did the job.
With the clock counting down, I grabbed my bags and headed down back into the terminal. This morning, it seemed that the morning plane was parked over the 200 gates as opposed to the 300 gates
With a morning hike ahead, it was time to head to the gate. And that in itself is a small challenge – mainly as you do pass a “point of no return”.
Preparing to pass the point of no return…
The 200 gates… its still a building yard.
Once past this, its wandering into the very old part of Dublin Airport (what was the A gates many moons ago), with limited facilities beyond that point. Soon I found myself at the gate (and this gate is familiar as I fell asleep here once whilst waiting for a flight home from the USA).
I spent far too much time sleeping here in the past.
Outside, the plane to take me to London was waiting.
British Airways “Dove”… or in Shooting Stars style – The Dove From Above… for those confused see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT_0_NsZ6nc
Boarding was called, as I made myself present, heading out to meet The Dove from Above, and to head to London.
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