British Airways Galleries First
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To get to the Galleries First Lounge, follow the signs to the South Lounges and look for the signature (and odd!) British Airways horse-shaped lamps.
British Airways Galleries First – London Heathrow (LHR) Terminal 5
British Airways Galleries First LHR design
The humongous British Airways Galleries First lounge at London Heathrow is broken into multiple areas with slightly different vibes, color tones, and seating arrangements. In the center of the lounge is a seating area with partitions which provide some privacy – though incidentally it is probably one of the busier parts of the lounge. To the right when entering is a large open area with lighter color tones, hardwood floors, and glorious views on the tarmac. On the opposite side is an “open air” terrace which also boasts terrific views on the tarmac. While noise from the terminal bleeds in, the space feels very open and sees less traffic than other areas.
In January 2016, British Airways refurbished the Galleries First Lounge and replaced the legacy old-fashioned British style seats with modern and comfortable furniture, with side tables and power outlets at most seats.
British Airways Galleries First LHR amenities
A highlight of the British Airways Galleries First lounge at London Heathrow is the dining area, called “Refectory.” While physically, the space isn’t particularly attractive and is often busy and noisy (for an experience with far more cachet, check out the Concorde Room dining room), patrons may enjoy a full meal on the ground, with an extensive array of snacks, hot and cold entrees, desserts, and drinks. The generous buffet is complemented by a number of cooked-to-order options. The food is tasty and well presented, and we appreciate the dual buffet/cooked-to-order setup – incidentally, the posh Concorde Room doesn’t have a buffet, and while the formal dining experience is a treat, the buffet is convenient for travelers in a rush.
British Airways Galleries First – London Heathrow (LHR) Terminal 5
Drinks are widely available from several bars and self-serve areas throughout the lounge. On the lighter side, patrons will find an extensive selection of soft drinks as well as numerous espresso machines (in the clearly marked “coffee house” sections.) But alcoholic beverages steal the show – a broad array of wines, liqueurs and spirits is available. The highlight is the elegant and serene Champagne bar room, where the striking design complements a fine Champagne selection which includes Taittinger.
Showers at located near the lounge, in the footprint of the now-defunct Elemis Spa. The shower facilities are hardly luxurious, and there is often a waitlist, so be sure to inquire as early as possible.
British Airways Galleries First – London Heathrow (LHR) Terminal 5
Other amenities include a comfortable and well-appointed business center with self-service PCs, printers and numerous power outlets, a fun family room with an aviation theme, a convenient manned baggage storage facility, and an impressive selection of newspapers and magazines.
British Airways Galleries First LHR bottom line
Overall, the British Airways Galleries First lounge at London Heathrow airport is a high-end, perhaps outstanding facility for oneworld Emerald members, with a wide range of amenities and cooked-to-order food. As a First Class lounge, though, it falls a bit short of our expectations for calm, privacy and attentive service. Since our readers are unlikely to always fly first class, perhaps that’s a fair trade-off. Also note that if your flight departs from remote concourses A, B, or C, you will need to leave early.
- The buffet selection and cooked to order food.
- The elegant self-service Champagne bar.
- The wait for showers and the design of the facilities.
- The crowds.
You may have access to British Airways Galleries First as a premium customer of one of the following airlines, or as an elite member of their frequent flyer program. Check the Access rules tab for more details, or use our lounge access wizard to find out if you have access.
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Access for eligible customers traveling on any oneworld member airline.
 | Alaska Airlines (AS) |  | American Airlines (AA) |  | British Airways (BA) |
 | Cathay Pacific (CX) |  | Finnair (AY) |  | Iberia (IB) |
 | Japan Airlines (JL) |  | Malaysia Airlines (MH) |  | Qantas (QF) |
 | Qatar Airways (QR) |  | Royal Air Maroc (AT) |  | Royal Jordanian (RJ) |
 | SriLankan (UL) |
3.5 / 5, based on 10 reviews
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© British Airways
© British Airways
Overall ratings
My husband is gold member. When we were last time flying as a whole family (13th December) a receptionist lady at this lounge quite rudely said the can’t allow our kids in. I find it utterly ridiculous we were not able to enter with 3 kids. She said” if you had a one kid maybe but you have “ looking at my kids..”2,3”. I found it very impolite and unprofessional. Very disappointed with BA policy that is discriminating families. What is the point than having gold membership. I think I am going to do my research and look at other big airlines’ benefits.
Huge lounge with plenty of seating in many different areas including a great indoor terrace. The whole place fells spacious and bright, however it can get quite crowded at times.
Very nice breakfast buffet and great choice of beverages including 2 champagne-bars and lots of self-service stations throughout the lounge.
Free WIFI, newspapers and magazines, large Business centre, playroom for Kids. Elemis travel spa offering free massages and showers. Restrooms are sub-standard.
This is not really BA’s First class Lounge. That is the Concorde Room.
Firstly before you get to the lounge the dedicated security line for the lounge is very good and fast. On the rare occassions it has had a queue it clears very quickly as most people using the lounge are frequent flyers.
The lounge itself is very good, with both an A La Cart menu and plenty of tasty buffet food as well as lots of beers/wines/champagnes to choose from.
The main drawback is how busy the lounge gets, BA gold card holders have access which means this lounge can be busy and finding a seat is not always easy.
This really is one of my favourite lounges. Enormous amounts of seats in different areas. Most of the time this place is crowded but somehow you always find a seat. The apron and runway view from the terrace area is as good as it gets. Sitting there with a burger and a glas of champagne is one of the nicest things to do in this world.
Very good selection of food including a warm buffet and an a la carte menue you can order from. Choice of beverages is also close to perfect with several self service bars across the lounge including 2 champagne bars.
Tons of things to do when not watching planes taking off. There is a Spa, a huge business centre, playroom for kids, free WIFI, newspapers and magazines and much more..
Even more crowded than usual, but we were still able to find a seat. No real first class feeling however because the facility is very large and there are many, many passengers at nearly any given time. A big plus is the fantasic apron view, especially from the terrace section where you have a magnificient runway view.
Very nice selection of food, including many warm dishes, at the buffet. You can also order something from the a la carte menu. Many self-service bars throughout the lounge including champagne bars – was told that they are serving up to a 1.000 bottles a day!! Also beer, wines, spirits and of course lots of other beverages and juices.
Free WIFI, Kids room, large business center, lots of newspapers and magazines. Plenty of restrooms available, also showers and spa treatments at the Elemis Travel Spa.
A spacious lounge with good drinks, and lots of food including cooked to order options. Just way too crowded for a first class lounge…
Excellent Food and Ambience. It is a sheer pleasure to enjoy some quality time at this lounge.
Excellent
Good
Huge lounge with plenty of seating in many different areas – some are kind of crowded some empty. Depending on where you sit, you can have fantastic views of the apron or, even better, the beginning of the runway where all the jets line up and you can watch the take-off. The lounge is full of bright light from the outside. Just a great place with unbelievable views of the airport action.
There is a huge food-buffet which offers a wide selection of warm food all day long. You can also order something from the menu. Also several self-service bars offer snacks, sandwiches, cookies, cakes, fruits and more. Choice of beverages is quite sensational including 2 Champagne-bars with self service (one in the main lounge and one in the quieter part of ths place) and several other outlets for cold and warm beverages. Also wines and spirits available in a good variety.
Free Wifi, huge office area with plenty of workstations and printer/copymachine. Big selection of national and international newspapers available. Also magazines and flight information displays all over the lounge. Many restrooms are available within the lounge area. Dedicated play-room for kids. Guest can also use the ELEMIS Travel Spa that is located outside the lounge and is shared with the Concorde Room.
Huge lounge with tons of seating in many different areas. Enormous amount of daylight since there is glas everywhere, which also means great view of the airport and runway.
Very good choice of food at different buffets and bars. Nice selection of warm food, salads, sandwiches, cakes etc . Same goes for beverages where you can help yourself at many bars: good selection of warm beverages like tea and coffee as well as plenty of cold beverages including several spirits, wine and champagne. Perfect!
Free WIFI, big selection of local and international newspapers and magazines. Spa-Area with massages free of charge is shared with the Concorde Room. Kids-corner to keep the little ones busy.