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British Airways has once again relaxed its lounge access rules for the Christmas and New Year period.
One of the biggest irritations for Executive Club members when travelling with their family on holiday is that cannot bring their whole family as guests into the lounges.
BA has sought to address last Christmas by allowing Gold cardholders to bring up to five guests into the Galleries Club lounges at Gatwick and Heathrow. It has now become a regular occurrence over Easter and the summer holidays.
BA has, once again, relaxed access lounge access rules for all BA lounges from Friday 14 December 2018 to Sunday 6 January 2019.
However, unlike last Christmas, the rules appear to have been relaxed for selected members on an invitation only basis. This is most likely for Gold cardholders with a very high number of annual tier points.
If you are a Gold member of the Executive Club it’s worth checking your e-mails to see whether this applies to you.
Unfortunately, if you have not received an invitation, then normal lounge guesting rules will apply.
A gentle reminder that it is not within the control of the lounge staff to flex the rules. Please do not pressure staff into doing so.
Having missed the previous relaxing of lounge rules due to timings but having been a loyal BA flyer for business for many years and a Gold Card Holder, I was excited to be able to not just check in using the first class facility with my family this Christmas but to go through security there too and avoid the busy terminal. However, after calling Gold Card services to double check on your point that it is invitation only and to ask for clarification on the criteria for invitation, I was eventually told that it is not for discussion. So, although I fully support the initiative, I am left wondering just how much money I have to spend with BA, and how many more trips I have to make a year (not that I travel for fun. I only fly when the business needs me to) to be able, one day to take my family through Heathrow in the same manner that I do when travelling alone. It seems that there are different levels of Gold (which is shameful) but no transparency by way of keeping me loyal as to what I have to do to achieve it.