British Airways Galleries First Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5 Review

After arriving at London Heathrow from Lagos in British Airways Boeing 787-10 Business Class, we had about a 10-hour layover before continuing to Newark in British Airways Club World. Our original plan was to leave the airport and spend a few hours in London. But eventually, that plan did not occur.

We were a bit tired after the overnight flight, so we decided to skip going into London and spend most of our layover at the British Airways Galleries First Lounge in Terminal 5 South. The British Airways Galleries First Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 South offers a more elevated place to spend time before a flight, with dedicated areas for dining, drinks, work, and relaxation.

Flying Business Class, But Using the First Lounge

Although we were flying Club World to Newark, my oneworld Emerald status gave us access to the British Airways Galleries First Lounge. British Airways currently allows oneworld Emerald members traveling on an eligible British Airways or oneworld flight to access its First lounges with one guest. That is an important distinction because Galleries First is not the Concorde Room. You can actually see both listed on the signage outside the South Lounges.

The Concorde Room is BA’s more exclusive lounge at Heathrow and is primarily reserved for eligible passengers traveling in First, along with a very limited group of high-tier BA members. Regular oneworld Emerald status gets you into Galleries First, but not the Concorde Room. So while the name says “First Lounge,” it isn’t quite the same thing as BA’s actual top lounge. And once you spend some time inside, that distinction makes a little more sense.

First Impressions

The lounge itself is quite large, with several different seating areas, dining sections, workspaces and quieter corners spread throughout.

My first impression was good. But also a little overwhelming. The lounge was very busy. And I mean busy enough that getting clean photos without other passengers in them was almost impossible in several areas. For something called a First Class lounge, that initially surprised me. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

This lounge isn’t reserved exclusively for First Class passengers. British Airways Gold members and oneworld Emerald members can also access it, so there are naturally far more eligible passengers than you would find in a lounge like Qatar Airways Al Safwa in Doha or the Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai. So while I would have preferred it to be quieter, I couldn’t really complain about the crowd.

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The Horse Sculptures

One thing that immediately stood out throughout the lounge was the horse-themed artwork.

There were horse sculptures placed in several areas of the lounge, and they became one of the more recognizable design features for me. In a lounge where there was already a lot happening visually, these were probably the one design feature that I kept noticing as I walked around.

Seating Areas

There are quite a few different seating styles throughout the lounge. You’ll find the usual lounge chairs and sofas, along with smaller tables, dining-style seating and areas more suitable for working.

There is also a quieter section if you’re looking to get away from some of the activity in the main lounge. With a 10-hour layover, having different places to sit was useful because we definitely weren’t staying in the same spot all day.

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Food and Beverage

We arrived during breakfast, and the food spread was pretty much what I would describe as a typical British breakfast buffet. There were hot and cold selections, including the usual breakfast items use as scrambled eggs, sausage, baked beans, hash browns, cereals, fruit, yogurt and pastries.

I honestly don’t remember exactly what we ate during this visit, which probably tells you that nothing particularly stood out. The breakfast was fine. Nothing bad. Nothing memorable either.

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Champagne Bar

One of the more noticeable parts of the lounge is the Champagne Bar. The area has its own seating and feels a little different from the more traditional lounge sections.

The Champagne Bar features a long gold-toned counter lined with bottles of champagne and sparkling wine, with glasses ready for self-service. It is one of the more eye-catching parts of the lounge and adds a more premium feel to the space.

The lounge also has a well-stocked bar. From the selection available, there was no shortage of alcohol.

There were also self-service stations stocked with liquor, wine and beer for passengers who preferred to make their own drink. The drinks selection was definitely stronger than the breakfast.

Spending 10 Hours at Heathrow

We eventually spent most of our 10-hour layover between this lounge and the rest of Terminal 5. Although that wasn’t our initial plan. I had fully intended to leave Heathrow and spend a few hours in London. But sometimes you have to know when to abandon the itinerary. My wife was tired, and dragging ourselves into London just to say we went into London didn’t make much sense. So we stayed put.

Complimentary Massage at Be Relax

We did eventually leave the lounge for a while, but not to go sightseeing. Instead, we headed to one of the Be Relax locations inside Heathrow for a complimentary massage using Priority Pass.

After spending several hours sitting around the airport, a massage sounded much better than fighting our way into central London and back.

Is This Really a First Class Lounge?

This is where the British Airways Galleries First Lounge gets a little difficult to judge. On one hand, it’s a good lounge. There is plenty of seating, food, Champagne, a well-stocked bar, quieter areas and places to work. On the other hand, if you walk in expecting something comparable to the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge or the Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden, you’re probably going to be disappointed.

This BA Galleries First Lounge doesn’t quite have that same exclusivity. The biggest reason is probably access. Galleries First isn’t only for passengers flying First. BA Gold members and oneworld Emerald members can also enter, which explains why the lounge can get so crowded. So I wouldn’t really compare it directly with lounges designed almost exclusively around First Class passengers like the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I had a good experience at the British Airways Galleries First Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5. Was I blown away? No. But it gave us a comfortable place to spend what turned into a very long 10-hour layover. There were plenty of different seating areas, the bar was well stocked, the Champagne area was a nice touch, and having both quieter spaces and work areas made it easier to spend several hours inside.

The lounge was definitely crowded, though. And while that isn’t exactly what I picture when I hear “First Class Lounge,” I also understand why. This isn’t the Concorde Room, and access isn’t restricted only to passengers traveling in First. As a oneworld Emerald flying Club World, I was able to bring my wife inside with me, and that’s exactly what makes this lounge useful.

Would I deliberately arrive at Heathrow several hours early just to spend more time here? Probably not. But on another long connection through Terminal 5, I’ll happily use it again. Especially if the alternative is spending 10 hours sitting around the terminal.

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