British Airways will finally build a Terminal 5C lounge at Heathrow, but not until late 2028

News and analysis · Sources checked October 6, 2026.

British Airways announced on October 5 that it will build a new lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5's C satellite, the first ever in that building, as part of a programme to renew every lounge it runs at the airport. The T5C lounge is due to open by the end of 2028 and will be reserved for First passengers and Gold members, with a bar BA says is 17 metres long and a dedicated Concorde space inside it, according to Head for Points.

Two other pieces come sooner. The landside T5 Arrivals Lounge will be rebuilt between early and late 2027 with 59 shower rooms, a coffee bar and deli, work booths and a Concorde Arrivals section with private cabanas. And this winter BA and American Airlines will open a shared First check-in area in Terminal 3. CAPA adds that Geneva and San Francisco lounges are due for refreshes in 2027.

What this means if you fly from T5C now

Nothing changes for two years. T5C still has no lounge, so if your flight boards there, use the Galleries Club in T5B, which is one stop closer on the transit and is our highest-rated BA room at Heathrow. Gold members and First passengers who want a quieter start can still use Galleries First or the Concorde Room in T5A and allow 25 minutes to reach the gate.

Our take

A lounge in T5C was being rumoured in 2019, so this is a seven-year promise finally turning into a date. The decision to make it First and Gold only is a telling one: it relieves the Concorde Room and Galleries First in T5A, but does nothing for the Club passengers who fill the B gates lounge every evening. One Mile at a Time is right that eight lounges refurbished one at a time will stretch into the 2030s. Expect closures along the way, and expect BA to announce each one at short notice.