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Do I need my British Airways Executive Club membership card to get into a lounge?

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Do you need to have your British Airways Executive Club membership card with you to get into a lounge?

Access to departure and arrivals lounges is a benefit of British Airways Executive Club elite status. In this article we’ll look at what identification you need to enter a lounge.

Do I need my British Airways card to get into a lounge?

As you make your way up the tiers of Executive Club, which I outline here, you’ll be provided with new cards to match your status – Bronze, Silver or Gold. (Blue – the lowest status – does not come with a physical card but a copy you can print out yourself or download the BA app for a virtual card.)

However, you may sometimes find yourself without your Executive Club card – perhaps you have forgotten it, or it has not yet arrived since you crossed into a new tier.

Luckily, you do not need your card for access into lounges. If you are a Silver or Gold member (Bronze status does not qualify for lounge benefits), then simply associating your Executive Club number on your booking will enable you access, since your status will show on your boarding card and in your booking information.  This applies to oneworld partner lounges as well as British Airways lounges, so you should never find yourself unable to get in simply because you have not brought your card.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works.  You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

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