British Airways will build a lounge at Heathrow's T5 C gates and rebuild its Arrivals lounge

British Airways has finally put details behind the Heathrow lounge overhaul it has been promising since last year. In its announcement on October 5, 2026, the airline called this the first phase of a program to redesign every lounge it runs at the airport over the next few years.

There are three projects in this first phase. Here is what each one means for you and when it arrives.

A lounge at the C gates, due in 2028#

The biggest project is a brand-new lounge at Terminal 5's C gates. This is the satellite building where many of BA's long-haul flights board. Today, all of BA's T5 lounges are in the main building or at the B gates. If your flight leaves from C, you have to leave the lounge early and take the train across.

BA says construction has already started. The lounge should open at the end of 2028. According to the airline, it will have:

• Views over the airfield and the terminal
• Showers
• Separate areas for dining, working and resting
• A 17-meter (56-foot) bar, which BA expects to be one of the longest in any airport lounge
• Materials and furniture made across the UK

Inside, a separate Concorde section will serve First passengers. It will have concierge service, its own dining and more privacy.

BA says the lounge will be open to business class passengers and to Silver members of The British Airways Club and above. First passengers can use the Concorde area. The release does not mention oneworld Sapphire or Emerald members from partner airlines. They can use BA's current Galleries Club lounges, so we'll wait for BA to confirm whether that carries over.

There is no BA lounge at the C gates today. The closest model is the Galleries Club B Gates lounge in the other satellite. That room is small, with two showers, but it is BA's best-rated Heathrow lounge with our readers at 4.8 out of 5. A C-gates lounge on the same idea, with a much bigger bar and a Concorde section, is what BA is describing.

A new Arrivals lounge by the end of 2027#

The T5 Arrivals lounge is where long-haul passengers shower and eat breakfast after an overnight flight. It is getting a complete rebuild. BA says work starts in early 2027, and the new lounge should open by the end of that year.

The plans include a coffee bar and deli, bigger dining areas, quiet zones and work booths. There will be 59 shower rooms, plus a set of larger premium shower suites. Club World passengers will be able to use it. First passengers get a separate Concorde Arrivals area with private cabanas.

The current lounge is landside. After immigration, baggage and customs, you take the lifts in the center of the terminal up one floor. It opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m., and our listing describes a large zone of shower pods, a full English breakfast until noon and an Elemis spa area. Access today goes to passengers arriving in First or Club World, BA Gold members on long-haul BA flights, and American Airlines top-tier members on qualifying long-haul flights. No guests are allowed. Our readers rate it 3.4, the lowest score among BA's T5 lounges, which is why a rebuild matters.

BA has not said whether the current Arrivals lounge will stay open during the work. It also has not said where arriving passengers will go if it closes.

First check-in at Terminal 3#

Over in Terminal 3, BA and American Airlines are opening a shared First check-in area this winter. It is for First passengers, British Airways Club Gold members and above, and the matching American Airlines elite members.

That should make a better start to the trip for T3 flyers. Once you pass security, though, the lounges are the same as before. The Galleries First and Galleries Club in T3 are among BA's lowest-rated lounges on Lounge Frog, at 3.3 and 2.9. Both have self-serve bars and no showers.

Outside Heathrow#

BA says lounge work is underway in Boston and Newark, which we covered in July. Geneva and San Francisco are next, in 2027. BA's newest lounges, like the one in Miami, show the design style BA says Heathrow will follow. Miami rates 4.6 with our readers and has two showers.

My take for you today#

For now, nothing changes at Heathrow. The Concorde Room, Galleries First and the three Galleries Club lounges in T5 are all open as usual. The Concorde Room, near gate A18, has six showers. Galleries First has eight. Galleries Club South has ten showers and Galleries Club North has six, so a shower before a long flight is not hard to find in the main building.

If your flight boards at the C gates before 2028, check the airport screens for how long the walk and train ride will take, and give yourself time. See every lounge at London Heathrow, or check ratings on our British Airways page.

Related reading#

• British Airways plans a big new Heathrow lounge in T5's C Gates and a rebuilt Arrivals lounge
• British Airways will finally build a Terminal 5C lounge at Heathrow, but not until late 2028
• The 12 best British Airways lounges, ranked: 2026

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