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British Airways Newark Lounge Closes for Major Refurbishment – A First Look
The Galleries lounge at New York’s Newark Liberty Airport is now closed until next summer for a $15 million refurbishment. When it reopens, it will have BA’s new Global Lounge concept, which debuted in Dubai and Miami last year.
Designed by architecture firm Gensler, the lounge will draw inspiration from New Jersey’s coastline and industrial heritage. There will be floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the runway and a fully redesigned bar area. There will also be BA’s signature touches such as herringbone wood flooring – a nod to BA’s Business Class seat design and a blue glazed-tile podium. The renders suggest a more contemporary design than the Miami and Dubai lounges.
There will be fully refurbished bathrooms and shower facilities, improved dining and food service areas, and a Concorde dining space.
It’s no wonder BA has decided to refurb the lounge with the Global Lounge concept. The lounge was starting to show its age, and New York is BA’s most important destination, with two flights per day from Newark, supplementing nine daily flights from JFK.
BA has also announced planned improvements for its Boston and San Francisco lounges. It’s difficult not to wonder when Heathrow’s lounges will finally receive the same treatment.
If you’re due to fly from Newark during this time, British Airways has yet to confirm the temporary lounge arrangements, though some recent passengers have reported receiving $45 meal vouchers instead.
Save £300 on United Flights with the Latest AMEX Offer
If you’re planning to book a United flight in the next few months, make sure you check your AMEX offers. United has brought back its fantastic AMEX offer of £300 statement credit when you spend £700 by 23rd October. Travel dates don’t matter, as long as you make the purchase by then.
The offer is targeted, but it’s available on a range of AMEX cards, excluding the BA ones. Before you spend anything with United, make sure you save the offer to your card first. It’s worth doing as soon as you see it, as the offer is capped at 30,000 people.
Your spend does not have to be all at once. Once you reach £700 spend, you will be eligible. You must spend via the United UK website. Phone bookings and other purchases such as from the United shop or packages will not count.
You can book partner flights via United, as long as they also depart from the UK, though they don’t have to return to the UK if you book an open-jaw ticket.
Not aiming for Star Alliance status? Aer Lingus has a special partnership with United so you can credit miles to your Aer Lingus account and move them over to BA.
You can save up to 43% depending on the cost of your flight!
United Extends MileagePlus Status Challenge
United has extended its MileagePlus® Premier® Status Match Challenge for applications until 21st December 2026. You can match your status from a variety of airlines including BA, Qantas, AA, Southwest and Delta. Plus, United may match status from other airlines at its discretion.
Approvals can take up to 14 business days. Temporary Premier status should be applied within five to seven business days and will be valid for 120 days, though some benefits are excluded.
You have 90 days to complete an eligible United or United Express flight and credit it to MileagePlus. If you’ve already flown within the previous 30 days, you can use that instead.
During the challenge, you must fly a set number of Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) to keep your matched status:
- PQP – The amount you spend on eligible flights. It’s usually 1 PQP for every US$1. The flight must be eligible to earn Premier Qualifying Points.
- PQF – The number of segments you fly on qualifying flights.
| United Premier Status | Qualification Requirement | Equivalent British Airways Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 5 PQF + 1,700 PQP | Bronze |
| Premier Gold | 10 PQF + 3,400 PQP | Silver |
| Premier Platinum | 15 PQF + 5,000 PQP + 20 PlusPoints | Gold |
| Premier 1K | 20 PQF + 7,500 PQP + 100 PlusPoints | N/A |
You can’t qualify for a higher Premier status than the level you were originally matched to. If you complete the challenge, your status will remain valid until 31st January 2028.
This match isn’t especially easy due to the spending target, but if you’re considering switching over to Star Alliance, United is a good option, and this status match is a great fast-track offer rather than earning status from scratch.
If you’ve participated in a United status match in the last three years, or received a Premier Status exception within the last five years, you won’t be eligible for the challenge. Only members with earned elite status are eligible, so status earned with status matches is not eligible.
To apply, submit your details, including proof of valid elite status, on United’s status match page.
