Can a Qantas Platinum/Oneworld Emerald frequent flyer departing out of LHR T5, bound for mainland Europe, make use of the BA Galleries First (not Concorde Room) lounge?

Can a Qantas Platinum/Oneworld Emerald frequent flyer departing out of LHR T5, bound for mainland Europe, make use of the BA Galleries First (not Concorde Room) lounge? Or is it one of the Galleries Club lounges only? Thanks!

Yes, those are the passengers it caters for; oneworld Emeralds.

The CCR is for BA First passengers only, including the entrance right after security.

Just don't have high expectations.

Thanks, Peter.

Do you know whether I can take a guest (who is travelling on the same flight)?

In light of not having high expectations, am I better off/no worse off going to one of the Club lounges?

Yes, you can bring a guest in as per the standard oneworld lounge rules. 

The First lounge is still a slight step up from the BA Galleries lounge - the food is slightly better and there is a small selection of items you can order off the menu (e.g. the BA Burger and chips) as well as the standard buffet.  There's also a champagne bar with Taittinger in the First lounge that's not available in the Galleries lounges.  

So as long as you're not expecting the same as the QF First lounge in SYD or MEL - or CX First in HKG - then you'll find it to be ok.

Thank you for your detailed response :)

Agreed, I'd probably rate the Galleries First Lounge in T3 as being more or less similar in standard to the QF Business Lounge at SYD T1. 

One exception is that the Galleries First Lounge offers Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky, which I thoroughly enjoy.

Quite a few comments about the BA First lounge seem to me to be a bit negative.  Personnaly, I find it be an excellent lounge.  Great showers. Great views of the tatmac. Great full English breakfast including lovely bacon, good scrambled eggs and even proper Black Pudding - something you won't find in Sydney.  JW Blue - you don't often see that in other lounges, and a super breakfast Whisky to start the day. And best of all, the phones which are scattered around the lounge allow outside calls back to Australia! Nice for letting your loved ones know you've arrived safely.

Agreed. But where BA falls down is in the quality of its wait staff at Galleries First. Service is inconsistent at best. 

The extent and quality of food and drink is culturally subjective. But dour service, particularly when there is a table service offering is hard to excuse.

I wonder if Qantas/Sofitel train staff to engage in small talk? At London it seems that they've just roped in migrants with passable English and thrown them in the deep end.

Not sure about Gallery First, but I was really disappointed with Concorde room. Nothing wrongs with it really, perhaps just my expectation, but I did not found it  "streets ahead" of business lounge. At certain angle even tad worse - in business there was more food varieties (some may argue that food in Concord more “posh”, though) and worst things that you cannot serve yourself, but have to wait for servant and it could take ages! Next time if BA upgrades my business to First (not sure if I ever pay my own money for First, because I believe that one gain very little for substantial difference), I rather go to business lounge.

Serg, it sounds like the Qantas First lounge in Sydney is better than not only the Galleries First lounge but also the Concorde Room?

Sorry, cannot comment - never been in Sydney Qantas First :-)))

The BA F lounge is nowhere near as good as QF F lounge.  However, it is far better than the SYD International J class lounge.