British Airways upgrading their Heathrow lounges

All eight lounges at T3 and T5 will be improved.

UK British Airways travellers will – at some point in the next four years – have a much better experience when they fly through Heathrow. The airline is still on track to start upgrading their lounges, and they plan to include every lounge at T5 and T3.

What’s the latest on the lounge upgrades

BA has already announced “transformational changes” to all of its lounges at Heathrow. They operate a total of eight lounges spread across T3 and T5, including their flagship Concorde Room and the Concorde Dining Room.

This is much needed. Some of the lounges have had facelifts, but in general, they are borderline-acceptable and somewhat dated. They have certainly lost some of their sparkle and are now closer to standard paid-for airline lounges rather than the national carrier.

It pains me to say this, but I have been in contract lounges (outside of the UK) that have been better than some of BA’s Heathrow lounges.

BA has just (October 2025) launched their new Miami and Dubai lounges. Both have been mooted for a while, but they are finally open and accepting passengers. They are attractive spaces with similar design elements, and there’s a belief that the new lounges at Heathrow will look the same.

What’s interesting is looking at the previous lounge refreshes. Before Miami and Dubai, BA updated its lounges at Seattle and Singapore. The design principles are different: whiter, with less wood. Seattle looks cleaner and more modern than Dubai and Miami.

Singapore is more visually interesting than Seattle, but it still has a different look and feel from Dubai or Miami. My best guess is that the reason why those lounges took longer to launch was because BA changed its mind on how they would look. I still believe that the future will be based on Dubai and Miami, and not the previous refurbs.

What’s the wishlist for the lounges?

The T5 Galleries lounges (North and South) struggle with capacity. They are beyond busy at the best of times, and it can be difficult to find anywhere to sit. A few months ago, I analysed the data behind BA’s lounges at Heathrow, and during peak times, they are approaching 100% capacity, meaning zero seats.

How do you solve the overcapacity problem? One solution is already underway. The changes to the BA Executive Club in 2025 have made it harder to reach Silver status, the level that grants lounge access. As more travellers drop down to Bronze, the lounge should become quieter. It is still unclear how much of an impact this will have.

Both the North and South lounges are large spaces, but they could be divided more effectively.

The single, central space for food can become very busy. Splitting the food areas into two would help reduce some of the movement around the lounge and help create a more relaxing space.

There are also some spaces that feel underused, like the TV area in the South lounge.

The Concorde Room

BA’s flagship lounge is the Concorde Room at Heathrow T5. It has had some minor work done to it over the years, but it’s lagging behind other First Class lounges. This lounge is just for First Class passengers and those with select status, so it should, in theory, be the best British Airways can offer.

It is my favourite lounge at Heathrow for a simple reason. It’s attractive, has a sit-down restaurant, and it’s never that busy. The terrace is relaxing, and the drinks menu is extensive.

2026 is the perfect year to revamp this lounge and elevate the BA first experience. They already have the excellent First Wing in T5, which allows First Class passengers to check in away from the main desks, and it even has its own security. BA is also launching a new First suite, starting with the A380 in 2026. Combining the new suite, the First Wing and upgraded lounges will allow BA to compete more with Business and First on Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, etc al.

The cabanas, bless them, have always felt a little underdecorated. The concept is good: you can reserve a room, with a bed and a bathroom. Once inside, you might be a little disappointed. They are functional and clean, but they do not come across as luxurious. They can also be quite hard to get a reservation for.

Going back quite a few years, we used to have to ring the YouFirst call centre to manually book a cabana. From what I understand, now you need to have a long layover in order to be eligible. More cabanas and more capacity would open them up.

The Bathrooms

BA’s bathrooms are consistent across their T3 and T5 lounges, and by that I mean they are all equally sub-standard. Often described as being “hospital-like”, they are spacious but clinical, and in no way luxurious.

The problem isn’t that they aged poorly; they have never looked good. The hope is that the refurbishment will bring a whole new style to the bathrooms to the lounges.

Could that style be influenced by the new Dubai lounge? The bathrooms are certainly different.

When will BA’s lounge improvements at Heathrow begin?

There is no specific date for lounge refurbishment, but BA has said that work will commence in 2026. The work will be staggered, so as not to remove too much capacity at once.

This will work for the T5 Galleries lounges (T5 South, T5 North and T5B) because the remaining lounges can soak up capacity when one of them is closed. For the Concorde and First spaces in T3 and T5 it will be more challenging for passengers.

It is fundamentally difficult doing building work inside an airport, which is why lounge build, or refurbishment, takes time. Whilst we, as loyal BA passengers, want the change to be quick, we also want significant change, which takes time. A fast track refurb programme won’t deliver what we need at Heathrow.