Here's How to Score a Private Cabana and Spa Treatments at British Airways' Most Exclusive Lounge
Quick summary
British Airways has its home base -- and largest hub -- at London's Heathrow Airport, so it's logical that the airline offers its most premium passenger experience there.
But though BA has business- and first-class lounges at Heathrow (LHR), it also offers an even more exclusive lounge in Terminal 5: the Concorde Room. This lounge is reserved for first-class passengers flying on a British Airways flight and holders of BA's highest-tier elite status who earn over 5,000 Tier Points in a given year.
Although the Concorde Room may not be the nicest first-class lounge in the world, it's certainly more than sufficient as a place to pass time at the airport. There's a Concorde dining area that offers a la carte meals and a top-shelf bar. There's also plenty of (rather outdated) seating inside the lounge and on the terrace overlooking Terminal 5.
The Concorde Room offers three private "cabanas" that can be reserved ahead of time for British Airways first-class passengers. Each of these is basically a small private room, with two chairs, a TV and a private bathroom with shower.
Even if you're not interested in the private room, reserving a cabana is the best way to guarantee a shower in the Concorde Room, since standby wait times for shower rooms can often exceed two hours.
In addition to the private cabanas, BA offers further pampering for its first- and business-class passengers (as well as Executive Club Gold members) in the form of complimentary 15-minute spa treatments from the Elemis Spa within the lounge complex in terminals 3 and 5 at LHR. However, the treatments are only offered on a first come, first served basis to eligible passengers, except for those flying in British Airways first class. These passengers can reserve their treatments from 28 days before departure until 48 hours before departure.
To make reservations for either the Concorde Room cabanas or Elemis Spa treatments, you can call the British Airways You First hotline at either (800) 331-1332 or +44 161 448 3013 or fill out this online form. Any British Airways first-class passenger is eligible for this service, regardless of whether you paid $10,000 (no judgment) or 70,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles for your ticket. The cabanas can be reserved for a block of time, usually in three-hour increments, while the spa treatments are booked in 20-minute intervals (to allow you time to fill out a spa intake form). One final tip: This hotline often has a very short wait queue, so you can also use the You First hotline to help with other travel needs, like seat assignments or handling travel disruptions.
Bottom Line
While British Airways may not offer world's most groundbreaking first-class product, it's the key to unlocking private cabanas and reservations for spa treatments when traveling with BA. Since most long-haul planes in the airline's fleet feature a first-class cabin, there are lots of passengers eligible to enter the British Airways Concorde Room and receive spa treatments. Make sure you book ahead of time in order to guarantee you get that coveted Jet Lag Eye Reviver facial before boarding a very long flight.