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tl;dr—Before departing London Heathrow, I stopped at the British Airways Galleries First Lounge. Though billed as first class, it feels more like a strong business class lounge.
The journey back to the United States from Brazil and South Africa took me through London, and before my flight from Heathrow, I had the chance to check out two lounges—British Airways Galleries First and The Concorde Room. The lounge is solid overall, with an abundance of seating, food and drink options, and modest amenities. However, despite its size, it can get busy quickly and, as a result, feel overwhelming. Let’s jump into it.
Location, Access Rules, and Getting In
The lounge is located in Terminal 5, and while you can access it from the terminal, the easiest way to get in is through the “The First Wing,” a dedicated check-in and adjoining lounge space for British Airways First Class passengers, Executive Club Gold members, and oneworld Emerald status holders at one end of the terminal. The First Wing – Source: British Airways
If you’re traveling first class on British Airways, first class on oneworld partner airline, are a British Airways Executive Club Gold member (flying in any cabin), or a oneworld Emerald (flying in any cabin), you can access the British Airways Galleries First Lounge.
Once you clear security, you’ll head down a long hallway that deposits you into the Galleries First Lounge next to an unnecessarily dramatic horse statue. You’re faced with a decision. Ride the horse or act natural and proceed into the lounge. Choose wisely. 
The lounge is open from 5 am to 10 pm daily.
Lounge Layout and Seating
As you enter the lounge, you’ll have your first two opportunities to grab some booze – a table bar with sparkling and still wines is to your right, and there’s a satellite snack station with a roster of hard spirits to your left.
Source: You Are Travel
Continuing forward, you’ll pass several two-top dining assortments. TVs hang from the ceiling, allowing you to watch CNBC show the latest meme coin crash in real time. There are lounge chairs throughout the central area (some grouped, others apart).
Source: You Are Travel
The entire room has unimpeded views of the tarmac to the right through the large glass windows.
View of the tarmac – Source: You Are Travel
The main bar is in the center of this area, and as you continue to the rear, you’ll find a balcony area that overlooks the terminal.
Within the balcony are more seating and another table bar full of champagne, sparkling wines, and still wines. Though this area is exposed to the noises of the terminal, I found it more peaceful than the rest of the lounge. Balcony area – Source: You Are Travel
If you head back inside towards the main bar and then turn right, you’ll see the main food buffets, a large wall filled with grab-and-go items, and a few more seating areas. Additional seating – Source: You Are Travel
There’s also a dedicated coffee bar with a few machines to make cappuccinos, ice coffees, and the like. Adjacent to one of the seating areas are the main bathrooms.
Finally, at this end of the lounge, you’ll find the entrance (or exit) from the terminal into a hallway. Across the hallway, you’ll find The Concorde Lounge. A helpful display in this hallway shows the current occupancy of each and which travelers can access it.
Dining and Service
I had plans to eat at the Concorde Lounge next door, so while I took a peek and snapped some photos, I didn’t sample the food. I did, however, have some Jude’s ice cream, which was pretty decent.
As far as hot entrees, there were several curry dishes, some stews, and pasta. They didn’t look too bad to me.
Main food display – Source: You Are Travel
Source: You Are Travel
You can grab soft drinks, fruit, chips, sandwiches, and pastries opposite the central food display.
Source: You Are Travel
The main bar is full, and many workers and bartenders are on hand to take your order.
And of course, you know I needed to scope out (and sample) what they were pouring:
Source: You Are Travel
Within the lounge, you’ll find a customer service desk. Two agents were working, which could be a small number for the amount of people currently in the lounge, but there didn’t seem to be much of a demand for any service, at least when I was there.
Facilities and Amenities
The bathrooms were fairly clean and industrial-like—they looked a bit like expanded versions of the bathrooms on a plane. The showers are shared with the Concord Room next door.
Source: You Are Travel
Conclusion
I spent about 45 minutes in total at the British Airways Galleries Lounge, so I didn’t get to put it to the test of a long layover or extended post-up session before your flight. Most of my pre-flight experience was spent in the Concorde Room. That said, this lounge is perfectly fine – it most definitely feels more ‘business class’ than ‘first’, but that matters little (or not at all) to me, and I enjoyed the little time I spent there. The food and beverage offerings were of good quality, varied, and plentiful, and one could make oneself comfortable for a more extended layover with ample seating. It’s worth the stop, IMO.
