BA's new Johannesburg lounge features a first class dining room
British Airways' Johannesburg lounge is the latest to get a mod make-over with "the best of British and South African design."
By David Flynn, November 9 2019
British Airways is closing out a busy year of lounge renovations with the re-opening of its lounge at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport, ahead of a new lounge at Geneva to open in the coming weeks. Both of these are along similar design lines as their siblings in New York, San Francisco, Rome, Milan and Aberdeen.
Jo'burg previously sported seperate business and first class lounges, however these have been combined into a single space for 'premium passengers' in both the first and business class cabins, along with BA Executive Club Gold and Silver card members and their Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire equivalents (a roster which includes Qantas Platinum and Gold card-holders).
But there's one additional perk for BA first class flyers: exclusive access to a "dedicated First Boutique dining area" with an à la carte menu complemented by an extensive wine list.
At 880 square metres, the lounge has room for almost 250 passengers ahead of BA's 11 hour flight to London.
BA describes the lounge's fresh look as featuring "the very best of British and South African design", with lighting carefully planned to suit each 'zone' within the lounge and dimmable to reflect the time of day, accompanied by a bespoke playlist.
The tended and amply-stocked lobby bar is a familiar hallmark of BA's latest lounge style, while the buffet will sport hot and cold options including Cape Malay curry, fresh seasonal salads, mezze, local charcuterie and Indezi river cheeses.
A separate seating area with a mix of armchairs and banquette seating offers a more peaceful respite, while travellers will appreciate the plentitude of AC and USB power outlets which pepper the lounge.
“We’re delighted to present the next step in our significant customer investment with the re-opening of the Johannesburg lounge," notes Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience.
"Every detail has been carefully designed and we’ve created a space to meet our customers’ needs – whether they want to relax with a hot meal, work in peace or enjoy a drink at the lobby bar, the lounge will get their travels off to the best start.”
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
08 Aug 2017
Total posts 42
Thanks David! I missed the opening by a day. I'll be delighted not to have return to that horrendous Sholongolo lounge again. So if I understand correctly they've joined what used to be separate First and Business lounges into one much larger lounge? That probably means except for the BA First private dining area, the rest of the amenities (e.g. Champagne selection) are from Business rather than First. That's a bit disapppointing, but will be good if it's not as crowded as it gets with the two BA A380s and Qantas' 747 and Qatar's 777 all with OW premium access rights....
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