British Airways Old And Cozy Galleries Club Lounge South at London Heathrow Airport
by Krish Patel
On a recent trip to London, I had the chance to fly round-trip with British Airways in their Club Suites Business Class. When flying back home from LHR, I was able to fly from Terminal 5 and pass through the Galleries Club Lounge South before my flight. To make the most of my visit to this old yet cozy space, I arrived at the airport early.
Location, Hours, and Access
The BA Galleries Lounge South is located in the A Gates of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at the southern end and is open from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Once you’ve cleared security, you’ll notice boards that display information about the lounge capacity. Take the escalator down one level from the checkpoint and walk towards the right end of the building. You’ll come across a set of escalators that you can take to get up to the lounges. The Business Lounge is one level above the Galleries First Lounge. Found at the entrance of the Business Lounge is the sculpture of a horse and a model of a British Airways A380.
The Galleries South Lounge is accessible to British Airways Club World and Club Europe passengers, as well as those with Executive Club Silver (OneWorld Sapphire) status. In addition, Business Class passengers flying on a OneWorld airline (Iberia, American, etc.) can gain entry.
Seating, Layout, Ambiance, and Amenities
At the lounge’s front desk space, you’ll notice that the space isn’t very modern thanks to the older wallpaper and dark color palette.
At both the left and right ends of the lounge are several comfortable seats. There are many seating variants to choose from such as lounge chairs, plush armchairs, high-top stools, and sofas. It wasn’t very difficult to find a seat, despite the fact that the lounge was over 60% full.
For views overlooking the apron, I’d recommend finding a seat on the left end of the lounge. A lot of the seating options conveniently feature table space and outlets for charging. The seats at the left end adopt a gray and blue color palette.
There’s also a kids play area adjacent to the seating area, however, it’s not very big. You’ll find several toys, a PlayStation, and airport-themed wallpaper.
The bathrooms are located next to the seating area and are quite clean and spacious. BA partners with Elemis to offer skincare products and soap in their bathrooms. In addition, the South Lounge features shower suites, however, I wasn’t lucky enough to reserve one or get a peak.
The right end of the lounge features a TV room with lounge chairs. In addition, there are more cozy seating options to enjoy. The upholstery adopts a gray, blue, and brown color scheme. Found above some of the seats are lamps to enhance the coziness of the lounge.
At the right end of the lounge are high-top barlike seats. It’s a very quiet and chilled-out space, making it a great spot to get some work done.
Food and Drink
As far as the food and drink situation in the lounge, there is one large buffet spread, as well as a selection of various beverages. You’ll find a selection of wines near the buffet, as well as a fridge with soft drinks and a coffee and tea machine.
There’s a pretty decent selection of foods available at the buffet, including both hot and cold options. You’ll find the typical fixings for a salad, a selection of soups, hot meats, and roasted vegetables. The selection isn’t the most extensive, but is sure not to disappoint. However, the selection of foods is slightly more impressive in the B Gates Lounge.
As far as desserts, there’s a selection of scones and pastries, as well as fruits. During my visit to the lounge, afternoon tea was also available, which meant that I was able to enjoy the scones with jam and clotted cream, as well as finger sandwiches.
Found throughout the lounge are Union Coffee and Twinings Tea stations that feature an espresso machine and selection of beverages. How convenient!
At the left end of the lounge is a self-serve wine table, as well as a small bar with top-shelf liquor and spirits. Hanging above the wine table is a stunning chandelier.
Overall Thoughts
The British Airways Galleries Lounge South at Heathrow is a cozy and comfortable space, however, it’s certainly not super modern. I’m a fan of the comfortable seating and the fact that there are showers, however, this isn’t the best flagship lounge of an airline. Even BA’s Greenwich Lounge at JFK (also run by American) is more modern and has elevated food offerings compared to the Galleries Club. It’s fair to say that this lounge is the definition of a pretty typical Business Class Lounge.