Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport

Based on Visit: 20 March 2022 approx. 1:30pm to 2:00pm

Introduction

This is my review of British Airways Galleries North Lounge at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5.

Galleries North is relatively new for BA, with Galleries South having been the original.

Galleries North is rather easier to access than Galleries South. Where as with South it’s down an escalator, to the end of the terminal, and up two escalators – North is on the same level as Security, and a short walk!

My visit to this lounge was on a Sunday lunch time, it was rammed with people and with nowhere to sit, and boiling hot!

Opening Times

The lounge is open daily between 05:00 and 22:00.

Entry Conditions

Business Class passengers or Silver Members of British Airways can access the lounge – as well as Sapphire or Emerald members of OneWorld.

How to Get There

Unlike the Galleries South navigating to this Lounge is rather easy (assuming you don’t use the First Wing to check in) from Security.

Once you’re through Security turn left, and walk all the way to the end of the terminal (the north end, stay on the same level), you’ll see a currency exchange place, and the Lounge entrance is next door in the corner.

Layout

As you enter lounge you’ll see a bar on the left, and the food station on the right.

After that there is a variety of seating, which is a mixture of dining seating and lounge seating.

There is also an ‘outdoor’ gallery with a mixture of seating, similar to the First Lounge it is much quieter volume wise – less so in terms of numbers of people!

There is a food station, as I set out below, I wasn’t quite sure what the deal with the food was on this particular day.

Generally speaking, this lounge is modest in size!

Food and Drink

Food

I wasn’t quite sure what was happening with the food today. My prior visits to the Galleries lounges have had food ordered via a QR Code, however today was a paper menu and a served station.

This could have been due to IT issues BA were having with the system, as the First Lounge was also on paper and service at the hatch on this day.

I didn’t actually eat in the Lounge, as I couldn’t get a seat! So I headed to the South Lounge – which had an identical menu, and also service from the ‘service stations’. So in essence there is no difference in food or drink between North and South lounges!

The food menu had similar items to Galleries First (ie the Garlic and Pepper Chicken), and I was pretty impressed at the range of food available.

Drinks

Drinks are back to the ‘old way’ pre-Covid. There is a large bar as you walk in, if you want something from there.

Alternatively there are self-serve coffee stations, which have jars of biscuits.

Otherwise, there is self-serve soft and beers/wines/spirits on other self-serve stations, along with pretzels and nuts.

Wifi

As always, the BA lounge wifi was strong and stable, that’s of course once you’ve found the cards placed around the room!

Showers

Whilst showers were installed, they were closed – presumably due to Covid-19 restrictions (though South Galleries have them open). I’ll update if I see them re-open!

Conclusion

This lounge (compared to Galleries South) is modest in size, and whilst it does have the same facilities and food/drink available – it was hugely over-crowded when I attended, and there were no seats free. It was also boiling hot, and I was wearing a t-shirt!

It is, however, rather more convenient when leaving from Security than doing the down, across and up to get to Galleries South!