The consideration of the merits of an airline’s business lounge can be done from two broad perspectives. The first is that of the seasoned upper class traveller that can distinguish the different types of spa experience and canapes on offer.
The second is that of your humble business journalist, used to travelling economy, who prays for the angel at check in to have mercy upon him and elevate him to the higher plane of the business lounge.
When adopting the latter perspective, which I was able to do on a recent flight to London, British Airways’ Galleries Club Lounge in Dubai International Airport is a perfectly decent experience, offering you a comfy chair, some free food and drink, and a little peace and quiet.
From the perspective of the seasoned business traveller however, there’s not that much to write home about.
Entering the BA lounge the business traveller is greeted by the sight of a stone effect fountain underneath a tasteful wooden canopy, water gently flowing over smoothed stones, promising relaxation and luxury by the bucket load.
Sadly such impressions do not last, with the remainder of the lounge a relatively plain if comfortable experience.
The lounge chairs are of a decent size and comfortable enough, but not sufficiently large for this tall journalist to curl up and get forty winks. Unlike many business class lounges there were no quiet rooms to get some sleep, with would-be nappers forced to leave the lounge and give Snoozecubes a visit.
Unusually for a business lounge, there’s no business centre containing printers and computers. In its favour however, it sports a decent number of charging points to give your various gadgets some juice before your flight. There’s also complimentary wifi, although it was pretty spotty during my sojourn.
For those who only occasionally dip their toes into the business traveller experience, the BA Club lounge is a pleasant if not overwhelming experience, with comfy chairs, a passable buffet and a bit of peace and quiet. For the more seasoned traveller however, it’s a pretty unremarkable experience.
Q&A
Right. Fountains and comfy chairs are all very well. What about the food?
I passed through the lounge at breakfast time, and was confronted with a decent enough hot and cold buffet. Coffee came from a bean to cup machine, which made a very passable latte, with a decent enough range of soft drinks, grain and grape available.
OK. Was there a sizeable range of reading material available?
If you’re interested in sailing (Yachting World), Kim Kardashian, (OK!), and the lifestyle of the rich and famous (various rich people titles). A couple of British newspapers were also available, but they lose points for not stocking The National.
And if I want to freshen up and have a spa or a shower before my long journey?
Then you’ll be disappointed again, sadly. The gents toilet in the lounge was indistinguishable from the standard airport toilet. If you want a shower or a bit of pampering, best take advantage of Dubai International Hotel’s excellent facilities.
Hmmm. So does this mean that British Airways have forgotten how to do quality business travel then?
Absolutely not. British Airways scored highly in this year’s World Airline Awards when it came to business class lounges. In London, for example, the Galleries lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5 was an absolute joy. Sadly the Dubai experience falls a little short in comparison.
jeverington@thenational.ae
Follow The National's Business section on Twitter
