NEWS: British Airways celebrates reopening of Concorde Rooms & new cocktails in all 3 lounges

As we announced last week, BA will be finally reopening its iconic Concorde Room at Heathrow tomorrow.

British Airways has today also announced that it will open the doors to its Concorde Rooms (specifically for those flying in First) at both JFK and Heathrow on 1 September. The Heathrow CCR will be open 5am to 3pm and then it will revert to the Concorde Terrace in the First lounge. 

The reopening of the airline’s two exclusive lounges, both of which have remained closed since March 2020, follows the airline’s flagship US lounge at JFK, that started to welcome back customers from the start of August.

To celebrate both Concorde Rooms opening their doors once again, British Airways will be introducing a new cocktail menu, created exclusively for the airline by Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana),  the man behind White Lyan and Dandelyan bars. The new cocktails are focused on sustainability and innovative ingredient combinations.

The new menu contains seven cocktails, with two unique British Airways concoctions designed in celebration of the airline’s heritage and iconic colleagues. The two special cocktails are named the Barton and Lawford after Lynne Barton, the first female British Airways pilot, and Bill Lawford, the first ever British Airways pilot in 1919.

The menu has been designed with a focus on the best of British seasonal ingredients that “specifically embrace ‘in-flight’ and wind-pollinated flavours” (no idea what that means). The Barton and Lawford will also be available in the Galleries Club lounges and First lounge.

• THE BARTON
  • Tanqueray gin, Elderflower cordial, Dandelion & Burdock bitters, soda, rosemary
• THE LAWFORD (alcohol-free)
  • Seedlip Garden, Elderflower cordial, tonic water, mint

Here is the full Mr Lyan menu:

C&C NEGRONI
Tanqueray Gin, cedro, rosé vermouth, Campari,cassis
A summery take on the apertivio classic, layering citrus and dry currant notes. Bright, but still with the clean, bittersweet profile expected with a Negroni

SUMMER HIGHBALL
Johnnie Walker Black Label, elderflower, cacao, soda, mint
A clean and dry cocktail served long over ice – ideal as a sundowner, and perfect with snacks or catching up with friends.

RUM OLD FASHIONED
Zacapa Rum, demerara, aromatic and peychaud bitters
Rich evening sipper, with plenty of spice and depth.

PAMPLEMOUSSE SPRITZ
Ketel One Vodka, pink peppercorn, pamplemousse liqueur, grapefruit bitters, white wine, soda
Bright and zesty spritz with plenty of complexity to work alongside light bites

LIBECANS MARTINI
Tanqueray Gin, Martini extra dry, orange bitters, lemon, olive
A rich, bigger take on the Martini with extra everything. The ultimate aperitif and the perfect way to wrap the day.

You can accompany your drinks with some nibbles such as olives or truffle nuts. Customers in the Concorde Room will continue to receive table service across the whole lounge, but visitors to other lounges will still use from using the airline’s new digital ‘Your Menu’ service which allows them to order food from the menu directly to their seat in the lounge with the use of a QR code close to them.

Elsewhere the airline will also be surprising a number of its Bronze Executive cardholders on a daily basis in September and October with the taste of Silver Card benefits. British Airways will be inviting those who are close to the next threshold to use one of the airline’s lounge at Heathrow with a guest.

Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “As we start to gradually welcome back customers, we want to ensure that they have the best experience possible with British Airways. We are looking at every element of the customer experience, from sleep pods and signatures cocktails in our newly reopened lounges, to roast dinners onboard and additional benefits for our card holders – we want flying with British Airways to be memorable. Our teams will continue to innovate, and we look forward to sharing more exciting developments with our customers over the coming months.”

British Airways customers using the airline’s Concorde Room will also have access to the new ‘Forty Winks’EnergyPods which are now in what used to be the Boardroom. Concorde Room customers will be able book an EnergyPod via dedicated hosts, request a time to be woken and choose a hot drink to enjoy after their rest. Water and hot towels will also be provided. You can read my review of the sleep pods here.

I find it a bit of a shame that there is virtually nowhere to work now except a tiny number of desks near the terrace in the first lounge. While there are less business travellers, lots of people are doing “workcations” and want room to work. 

There have been a few other changes to the CCR as it’s known at Heathrow.

There are some new chairs on the terrace.

There is of course the Concorde nose cone…

And the bar has been changed slightly as well with new bar stools too. 

I fancy trying the Barton (or most of them to be honest). Which cocktail would you go for? Let us know in the comments below.