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TRIP REPORT: Back to Innovation, Back to Hamburg – British Airways Galleries South Lounge

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British Airways Galleries South Lounge
To Aircraft Interiors Expo with British Airways 

a collage of food and a bed

It’s time to explore whats new (or not) in the South Club Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5. And what lunch looks like too.

In this trip report:

British Airways Galleries South Lounge

people walking around a building
up we go

Heading up to the Club lounge, it was a case of passing all the things you’d normally see – as well as the forbidden zones for the Gold and First Lounges.

a large object with circles from the ceiling

a sign with information on it
The biggest lounge innovation at Heathrow Terminal 5 – is the sign that tells you which lounge its at capacity..

As I headed to the Club Lounge, where Horselamp was very resplendent in a jacket.

a horse wearing a blanket in a building

I buzzed myself in using the self-service kiosks and headed to find one of the rarer things in this lounge – a Window seat. With that, I decided to get settled in with a breakfast service.

Because sometimes an army marches on its stomach.

For the most part, for those who have been to a British Airways lounge since most of the pandemic limits have been lifted, it is pretty much the same service as always – a mixture of cold things, cereals and reliable hot items.

a group of bowls of fruit and spoons on a table a row of bowls of food a person serving food at a buffet

It might have been past 11 am when I got to the lounge, but I was welcome for the breakfast nibbles. Always a good thing.

I sat back and did what I enjoy best at an airport – enjoying watching aircraft take off and grazing on the food offerings.

a group of airplanes on a runway
BA 777-300ER and A320

an airplane on the runway
Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 and a cheeky Aer Lingus A320. 

an airplane on a runway
Iberia A320neo and Delta A330-300

an airplane on the runway
Delta Breast Cancer Foundation Boeing 767-400ER 

an airplane on a runway
Singapore Airlines Airbus A380

two airplanes on a runway
British Airways Airbus A350-1000 and Kuwait Airways Boeing 777

a group of airplanes on a runway
My god. It’s full of NEOs.

two airplanes on a runway
And a pair of Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9s

Well, I was in no rush to move my ass anywhere.

I did take the opportunity to settle in and relax. After all, that’s one of the points of a lounge – even if it seems British Airways always seems to be the space of the Siver lounge – even with the extra capacity of the North Lounge.

Time moved along, as well as me getting rather warm from the sun.

I went to graze at the lunch offerings, noting that our flight to Hamburg was starting to be delayed.

a buffet with food in bowls a group of bowls of food on a table a buffet with food in bowls a group of pots of food

Well, I couldn’t see that coming five miles off. On-time performance at Heathrow doesn’t exist for British Airways as far as I’m concerned.

I had a look and grabbed a few things from the lunch offering, whilst keeping an eye on the app for when we went for “waiting” to “go to gate” (plus 10 minutes).

The lunch offerings would have made any school dinner lady happy – and it shows BA has a little bit of care for what they offer in the lounge.

a row of glass jars with different colored liquid in them

With the Gate status changing to “Go to Gate”, I decided to get my backside downstairs to the gate area. Thankfully, the aircraft would be departing from Gate A19 – directly under the lounge complex.

It makes a change when the lounge gamble pays off.

a sign in a building

Heading to the gate, there was a long queue. Unsurprising – given this was one of the main flights people were connecting to to travel to Hamburg.

a group of people waiting in a terminal

Boarding Groups were called forward, with Groups 1-3 called forward first. I made my way forward and was pulled aside for pre-boarding.

With a blip of my boarding pass, as well inspection of my passport, I was allowed to board early.

a man walking down a hallway with a backpack

Next: BA974 London Heathrow to Hamburg Airport in Club Europe

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