British Airways T5B Satellite London Heathrow Lounge
The British Airways Terminal 5B Satellite lounge has always had a bit of a lost at the end of a long terminal feel, a pit stop before the main event: the flight.
The Terminal 5 Satellite is a combined Galleries Club and First Class lounge in one, but there are few first class facilities except for the excellent spirit selection, and slightly uprated seating.
However, because most passengers spend much of their time in the main lounges (Gold, South and North) and only make it to the Satellite when their flight is about to depart, popping into the lounge for another quick snifter to prep for the long long haul to New York.
However, other passengers play a different game, going to the B Satellite lounge first, and then looping back to the A or C parts of the terminal, if their flight departs from there. Despite signs to the contrary, if you take the lift to the lowest part of the terminal, you can walk back to the A gates in about 10 minutes.
You get to the lounge via the escalator in the middle of the terminal, or via the lift, for the lounge is long and thin, occupying much of the top floor of the satellite.
After you enter past the toll booth, on your right is a small dining and seating area, then further on there are computers and showers at the far end. Few passengers seem to use these showers, so you rarely have to wait.
To your left, is a small sub-work zone, with a printer and a small round table with two computers. Further on are some bench seats (which are great for a nap) then a bar area, and finally at the far end a children's playroom to the left, with two computers.
Or, if you go straight ahead, over the other side of the central divide is the food area, a bar, and on the far left, lovely squash seats overlooking the terminal below.
This is by far the most fun part of the lounge: you can look down on the main runways, and all the flights waiting to depart. Power sockets (including 110v ones on US plugs, and 240v on Euro sockets) are in the central island between the seats.
Noticeably there are excellent piles of magazines and newspapers, designed to be taken onto a flight, and also very good computer facilities, called W+EZ (the Work and Entertainment Zone), right by the entrance.
Because it's harder to get to, the British Airways Terminal 5B Satellite lounge always has a quieter more refined atmosphere, compared to the absolute chaos that can sometimes accompany the main Terminal 5 South lounge.
Food
There is an assumption that you'll already have eaten before you get to this lounge.
Sure, there is some food available, but it is nowhere near as good as that in the main lounges.
There are racks and racks of sandwiches. Lines of them, with six different types.
On the corner of the food counter there are typically cakes.
Further along is salad, with bowls of leaves, salad, and then cheeses and ham.
At the hot end are the troughs of hot food, with four bowls of meat, pasta and rice.
There are typipcally two bowls of soup here two, and lots of rolls.
Bar
There is a large silver bar in the main part of the lounge: to have some variety the lights here are square.
The bar however is superb: somewhat less wine than in T5 First, but more spirits: again, with the assumption that passengers here are in a rush.
There are the usual four types of red on the counter, and three whites plus a sparkling in the trough, plus Baileys.
The line up of spirits is worthy of note.
There is also a very good coffee bar, and although the machine that makes the coffee is quite noisy, it is very welcome before early morning flights.
Just press the button on the machine, and it makes a half way acceptable black coffee: alas the milk here comes from powder, but if you select no milk, you can then nip around to the fridge to put real milk in.
Bathrooms
There is a small Shower section, and there is rarely a queue here, if only because most people use the spa facilities in the main lounge.
Business Facilities
If you want a quiet place to work at LHR - head to the Satellite! The W+EZ (the Work and Entertainment Zone) has plenty of computers - which are almost always deserted.
Workstations include a fax, and photocopier.
There if free wifi.
The magazines in the satellite always seem to be a little better than in the main lounge.
Usual selection of most of the main UK daily papers.
Video: British Airways Lounge T5B Satellite
| British Airways Lounge T5B Satellite | ||
|---|---|---|
Loungeindex
rating:
6 out of
10
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| Location: | T5 Satellite B, Airside, Top level | |
| Open hours: | 0500-2230 | |
| Lounge for: | British Airways | |
| Access: | First & Business Class, oneworld Emerald & Sapphire, Gold and Platinum Qantas Frequent Flyers, British Airways Silver and Gold members. | |