Thanksgiving 2023 EuroTrip: Part 8-1 London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 Galleries First Lounge

My primary airline status is Gold Status through British Airways. This status provides me with Oneworld Emerald status when flying on any Oneworld airline. The two big perks of Oneworld Emerald status are access to First Class check-ins and First Class lounges. These are incremental perks over the lower Oneworld Sapphire perks that include access to Business Class check-ins and Business Class lounges when flying Oneworld.

What several Oneworld airlines do (including British Airways, Qatar, and American) is that they have special lounges for Oneworld Emerald status holders that are called “First Class” lounges but are in fact separate from the lounge perks reserved for those actually flying in First Class. British Airways’ Oneworld Emerald lounge is called the “Galleries First” Lounge and the lounge for people actually flying in BA First Class is the Concorde Room. In this post, we will be checking out the Galleries First lounge now that it’s back to it’s pre/post-pandemic normal.

Given the number of British Airways flights that I have taken from Heathrow over the years, I’ve used their First Class check-in and Galleries First lounge many times. However, it’s been a long time since I had a smooth journey to Heathrow. Today’s fiasco was that the Elizabeth line wasn’t running to Heathrow, so I had to get an Uber from Hayes & Harlington.

I was dropped off right outside entrance J, which leads directly to the First Wing.

In classic BA fashion, sometimes they check if I am eligible to enter, but often, if I just walk by confidently, they don’t say anything.

I checked in my bag and then cleared security. The First Wing closed for part of early 2024 to install new scanners. By the time of posting, it has reopened, and the new scanners mean that the liquids restrictions have been lifted. But only for those using the First Wing, which a cool (but temporary) perk.

After clearing security, there’s a special walkway that you go through that drops you off right into the Galleries First lounge. It’s nice that it keeps you away from all the hustle and bustle of Heathrow for as long as possible.

At the end of the hallway is a horse lamp and a BA welcome sign. Since this flight was in November, there was also a tree.

Upon walking around the welcome wall, you’re greeted with a self-serve champagne bar:

And then some high-top tables:

Followed by a coffee/tea station:

And a quiet area in the back corner, behind the business work area.

In the middle of the main room of the lounge is a sign for the Concorde Room (First Class only), as well as the luggage storage and shower area. Both of these are shared with the Concorde Room.

In the direction of the washrooms is also the main buffet area

With a big coffee station that also has pastries

Then a drinks area

Then fruit

And then finally the buffet. Since this flight was scheduled to be at 11 am, the buffet was a standard Full English Breakfast buffet. This is the same type of buffet you’ll find at most any hotel buffet breakfast in the UK. I’ve also heard that this buffet has the same food you’ll find in the Galleries Business Lounge.

I got my favorite parks of a Full English, along with a pancake.

During the pandemic, when this lounge was open, all food was ordered using QR codes at your seat. Everyone loved that, but I imagine it was too slow and expensive when the lounge went back to actually being busy. But you can still order drinks off that menu:

I ordered some tea and a Buck’s Fizz (which is like a mimosa).

It was at this point that I learned my flight was delayed. So, I decided to head to the terrace. I hadn’t been to the terrace since my pandemic flight to Dallas, when the terrace was branded as the “Concorde Terrace”.

From the terrace, you did have some decent views of the terminal and the BA planes.

Even if this lounge isn’t really the lounge for BA’s First Class passengers, it’s still a good status lounge, especially when combined with the First Wing.