Is British Airways closing the Newcastle lounge permanently?

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According to reports on Flyertalk, British Airways is to close its lounge at Newcastle Airport.

Staff have, reportedly, been put into consultation over redundancy.

Whilst I would normally urge caution over such rumours, I know the person who posted the story and he is probably the most regular user of the Newcastle lounge.

Is British Airways closing the Newcastle lounge permanently?

It is not clear if British Airways passengers will be able to use the Aspire lounge, or indeed if BA will let Aspire take over the space.

Regular readers will remember that Aspire took over management of the British Airways lounge at Belfast City Airport last year, with a medium term plan to combine the space with its own facility.

There do not appear to be any other lounge closures planned at present, although you need to question whether airports like Aberdeen can sustain both a British Airways lounge and an excellent independent lounge.

Getting airport lounge access for free from a credit card

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, here are the three options to get FREE airport lounge access via a credit or charge card:

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,300 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Plaza Premium, Delta and Eurostar lounges. Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with two free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £20. You get two more free visits for every year you keep the card.

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus. Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A huge bonus, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free LoungeKey card, allowing you access to the LoungeKey network. Guests are charged at £20 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £195 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer. Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.

Category

British Airways and Avios

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Save East Coast Rewards says:

10 Sep10 September 10:51

The BA lounge in NCL may not look special but it was very popular among the regulars as it was very well run and had excellent and friendly staff who remembered even people like me who tended to use it only a few times a year.

It will be a shame to see it go. If you use the lounge regularly then let them know what you think. After all if they can close this lounge without any resistance then they’ll start looking at other ones as well.
Simon says:

10 Sep10 September 13:09

I’m currently in Barbados- and lucky enough to. have been for the last 2 weeks.
The Fairmont is definitely closed- and will be for a while longer I think. Most of the other hotels are closed too around Holetown on the West Coast. The hotels which are open have very limited facilities- I’ve heard a few stories about the Hilton having very restricted F&B service.
Well known restaurants such as Cin-Cin and The Cliff, Pirates Cove Are also shut- and most beachside bars look like they won’t be open for a very long while.
The wearing of face masks is strictly enforced- people wear them everywhere- no half-hearted measures here! Your hands and even your bags get sanitised when you walk in to a supermarket. You get temperature checked every time you walk in to a bar/ restaurant (well the one which are open!)
Barbados is a very special place. Without doubt cruise ships and lots of flights unloading lots of passengers spending money have had A serious impact on the local economy, but the island is far quieter at the moment- we are usually the only people on the beach on a weekday. Carlisle Bay- which is cruise ship central- was full of locals having a swim on Tuesday- rather than thousands if people struggling to swim.
We have an apartment and a car. I would seriously recommend hiring an apartment or villa if you are visiting the island this winter- you will see Barbados is a very special place if you get out , explore and eat in the local restaurants!
- Simon says:
  
  10 Sep10 September 13:47
  
  Sorry- I hope this is helpful- when you arrive make sure all your Covid test results are on paper- it makes the process far easier- and make sure it highlights the date and time of the test- not just the date of the email. Those who don’t have this are re-tested.
  The new rules come in place tomorrow- Friday 11th- those staying over 7 days have to have another local test done.
  Also have a pen- there’s more paperwork to fill in and if you are at the back of the plane be prepared for a wait- have a bottle of water!
  Looking at the incidence of Covid in the U.K. I would not be surprised if the Bajan government puts the U.K. in the red category- reading the daily paper it seems I feel too S rise every time they test people on the incoming BA flight!
  - Simon says:
    
    10 Sep10 September 13:48
    
    https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/09/10/plans-for-scheme-to-test-travellers-before-they-board-plane/
  - evelyn thomas says:
    
    10 Sep10 September 19:10
    
    Hi Simon – and anyone else
    Please can you recommend an apartment – would need to be one where we could cancel if nec. Or best place to position ourselves for 10 days in March
    Thanks
    - Simon says:
      
      10 Sep10 September 23:21
      
      Hi Evelyn
      We are at Port St Charles- booked through BA- 4 nights free. It is stunning! Defo hire a car and explore! Had its own beach (though all beaches in Barbados are public). Close to supermarket in Holetown/ Speihhtstown- plus if you’re here in March maybe more places will be open
- Riccatti says:
  
  10 Sep10 September 15:49
  
  Full-scale paranoia then.
  
  Hot and humid climate, constant perspiration and touching your face all the time — in these circumstances the mask becomes a perfect incubator. No doubt the masks worn are not those N95 standard with multiple layers..