British Airways has officially opened its new lounge at the Cape Town International Airport.
The lounge, which cost R19.8 million, is twice the size of the previous BA lounge accommodating up to 148 travellers and is the first in South Africa to be modelled on the airline’s Galleries Lounges in Heathrow’s Terminal 5.
The larger lounge has opened just in time as BA will increase its Cape Town-London flights from seven to ten weekly.
Speaking at the event, Denize McGregor, head of customer service and operations at BA, says: “Lounges are an important part of our customer service experience for our premium customers and most loyal frequent flyers. In fact our Executive Club members rate lounges as one of the top benefits of the loyalty programme.”
The lounge at Cape Town International integrates both British and South African design. It features two large bathrooms each boasting a luxury shower, complimentary Wifi, an abundance of power-points and a new lounge menu and wine area similar to an upmarket wine bar.
Alan Winde, Western Cape mec for economic development and tourism, commends BA on the lounge as well as its increased frequencies to Cape Town. “When other airlines are ending their summer season flights as we head into winter, BA is doing the opposite,” he adds.
Alan says Cape Town is increasingly becoming a destination of choice from a tourism and business travel point of view. “The direct flights really mean a lot,” he says.
