Terminal 5 at London Heathrow is British Airways territory. If you fly BA regularly, you start to map the building in your head: the sweep of the check-in hall, the security lanes that move quickly until they do not, the transit to T5B that always seems longer on the return. And if you fly in Club Europe, Club World, or hold status with oneworld, the BA lounges become your anchor points. At T5, that usually means choosing between the Galleries North and Galleries South lounges. Both are open to the same crowd. Both promise a place to sit, eat, answer emails, and recalibrate before boarding. Yet they feel different in rhythm, in foot traffic, in the way sunlight hits a sofa at 10 a.m.
I have used both for years, sometimes on the same day when connections route me from a Schengen-adjacent corner of T5A to a mid-morning departure out of T5B. There are patterns to each space and some practical differences worth understanding before you pick a direction after security. If you know your flight time, your gate risk, and whether you want breakfast or a quiet desk, you will usually make a better choice.
Access, eligibility, and where they sit in the terminal
Both Galleries North and Galleries South serve a wide pool of travelers. The standard rules apply across Heathrow BA lounges: anyone flying in British Airways business class or First, Club Europe or Club World, plus those with oneworld Sapphire and Emerald status, can enter. If you are on a oneworld partner flight leaving T5, your status also gets you in. Guests are typically one per member for Sapphire and Emerald, space permitting. For the avoidance of doubt, the BA Arrivals Lounge at Heathrow is a different beast with its own purpose and opening hours; I will come back to that later.
The geography matters. Galleries North sits just past the North security checkpoint in T5A, near Gates A6 to A10. If you enter Terminal 5 and veer right at check-in, or use the First Wing then peel back toward the North, you can be in the lounge within a minute of clearing security. Galleries South lies at the opposite end of the main concourse, a walk of roughly seven minutes from North security if you are not window shopping. It sits above the A gates near A18 to A23. Both are in the main T5A building, not in the satellite piers. If your flight departs from T5B or T5C, either lounge still works, but you should plan for the transit time on the underground shuttle, plus a potential passport check at the B and C concourses if you wander back.
Many travelers default to whichever lounge is nearest the security lane they used. That is not a bad rule when time is short. With an hour or more, the differences matter.
The shape of the spaces: design and seating
Galleries North is compact by T5 standards. It has a central buffet with seating arranged in clusters that fan out toward windows on one side. The ceiling is low, which softens noise but can make the lounge feel busier than it is. There is a long bar zone in the middle that naturally divides the room into quieter and livelier halves. At peak times, the rhythm here feels like a busy coffee shop with suitcases. You will find armchairs, a few high-top tables, and a smattering of dining-height two-tops. Electrical outlets are decent but not universal. People circulate in short loops because everything is close at hand.
Galleries South is larger and more varied. You step into an open foyer with a staff desk, then the room splays out into several sub-areas. There is a buffet wing, a bar island, a quieter window stretch where solo travelers camp out with laptops, and a family-friendly corner near the television screens. The ceiling height and breadth give you sightlines across the lounge, which makes it easier to scan for empty seats. South also has more banquette seating and a few dedicated work benches with power strips. If you like to pick a corner and settle in, South gives you more corners.
https://soulfultravelguy.com/article/what-is-british-airways-club-europeThe furniture in both is BA standard: navy and grey fabrics, clean lines, nothing flashy. When the lounges were refreshed, BA kept the palette anchored to brand colors and added more charging points where they could. That refresh also brought in new coffee machines and modest improvements to lighting. Expect practical rather than indulgent.
Food and drink: breakfast wins, midday troughs, evening recovery
The food offer is similar across both lounges, but timing and throughput change the experience. Breakfast is when BA lounges shine. In both Galleries North and South, you will typically find scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, mushrooms or tomatoes, and sometimes hash browns. There will be pastries, yogurt, fruit, and cereals. Coffee machines pull a solid flat white. If you arrive at 6:30 a.m., the trays are hot and frequently replenished. The South lounge, with more space and higher turnover, tends to keep lines shorter at the buffet. North can bottleneck near the toaster and coffee machines because of its tighter footprint.
Late morning slides into a lighter lunch: soups, a couple of hot dishes like curry or pasta bake, and cold salads. This is the most inconsistent stretch. The food is fine, but not memorable, and by 1 p.m. in North the pasta tray can look tired if the staff falls behind. In South, the higher staff ratio usually holds the line better. Afternoon brings finger sandwiches, cakes, and scones with jam and clotted cream on good days. Evenings recover with another hot cycle, often a meat or vegetarian stew, rice or potatoes, and a second option like chicken with a sauce. You can eat properly, but it is still buffet quality. If you have flown long enough to remember the pre-2019 selection, the current standard is steadier yet more utilitarian.
Drinks are the same across both, at least in theory. Expect house red, white, and sparkling wines, a few spirits with mixers, beer taps that sometimes run dry during peaks, and fridges with soft drinks. Galleries South’s bar area is larger, which helps when a boarding call empties half the lounge and the other half decides to pour a gin and tonic. Coffee is self-serve in both, with machines that can produce a tolerable espresso shot if you double it. Tea drinkers get a proper kettle and a choice of bags.
If you need a special diet, both lounges can accommodate at a basic level. Vegetarian dishes are standard. Vegan options appear, but they can be sparse and often rely on salad plus bread. Gluten-free rolls are available if you ask. On allergy matters, staff will check ingredients, though the buffets are not designed for strict cross-contamination control.
Crowds and timing: when each lounge hits the wall
Crowding patterns at T5 shift with BA’s banked departures. Early morning is busy everywhere, but Galleries North hits capacity faster because it sits right by North security. From roughly 6:30 to 8:30 a.m., finding two seats together at North can be a scavenger hunt. South, with more square footage, absorbs the wave better. Mid-morning settles. Around 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., both lounges are manageable, with South feeling calmer because people spread out.
The late afternoon European wave, usually 4 to 6 p.m., brings a different pressure. Many Club Europe flights leave from the A gates, so both lounges fill again. Galleries South has the edge during these hours. North can feel cramped and echoing when every seat is claimed and rolling bags are tucked into aisles. If you need to make calls, South’s quieter corners near the windows by the far right of the lounge usually hold a seat.
The one wildcard is gate assignment. If your flight goes from T5B or T5C and it is boarding soon, neither North nor South will feel comfortable, because you will be watching the clock and the transit screen. In those cases, it is often better to head to the T5B Galleries lounge after a short hop on the transit. It has nearly the same offering, fewer people who are just passing time, and you are already at your satellite gates. For long-haul, BA sometimes holds boarding announcements until late, which can trap half a lounge into a sudden exit. You will see the tide turn, then the buffet will go empty, then staff will restock. If you can anticipate this rhythm, you can eat and leave before the wave.
Showers, workspaces, and little tics that matter on the day
Both Galleries North and South offer showers, but neither has a large inventory. During a peak bank, you may face a waitlist. The booking process at South tends to be more organized, with a dedicated attendant controlling access. At North, you sometimes need to ask twice. The rooms themselves are functional: private cubicles with a sink, shower, and toilet, plus towels and toiletries. Water pressure is good, temperature stable. If a shower is a priority, ask as soon as you enter.
For work, South gives you more options. The long workbench near the windows has reliable power, and there are tucked-away two-tops where you can hold a quiet call without feeling like you are in the walkway. North has fewer true work seats and more lounge chairs, which work for email triage but not for a 45‑minute deck review. Wi-Fi in both lounges uses the Heathrow free network, augmented by BA’s access points. Speeds vary. On a quiet morning, I have seen 50 Mbps down and 30 up. During a heavy wave, that can drop to single digits. If you need consistent bandwidth, tethering often works better.
Restrooms are roughly equivalent in quality and cleanliness, though South’s larger footprint means more capacity and shorter queues. Both lounges display flight information boards; South has more screens at sensible eye lines. The announcements are minimal, which is a blessing and a curse. You will not be bombarded by boarding calls, but you need to keep an eye on your app or the screen.
The people side: service, tone, and how problems get handled
Staff across both lounges range from efficient to personable. BA has tightened staffing since the pandemic, which means peak hours feel stretched. In South, where shifts are larger, you will see more staff clearing plates, checking the buffet, and restocking the bar. At North, the team does the same work across less space, and when they fall behind, tables sit with plates a little longer. Asking for help tends to go better at South simply because the desk is more visible and manned by more than one person. If you need help with a seat for a mobility issue or a quiet space for a call, the South team can usually find a solution faster.
When something goes wrong, like a coffee machine that flashes error codes or a wine run that empties an entire shelf, South recovers faster. That is partly infrastructure, partly load. You can expect the same policies in both places, including modest flexibility with guesting when the lounge is not at capacity.
North vs South by use case
If your morning flight leaves from the A gates and you prefer to minimize walking, Galleries North is perfectly workable. You will find a seat more often than not. If you enter early and pick a spot near the windows, you can build a calm bubble. The buffet is close, and you will be at your gate in minutes. When time is tight, proximity matters more than ambiance.
If you have two hours to spare, want to eat a proper breakfast or get real work done, Galleries South is the better bet. More seating, more variety, and a less compressed layout give you breathing room. The bar area, which feels like a central piazza, also makes it easier to meet a colleague traveling on the same PNR without texting pin drops.
For families, South offers a little more forgiveness. Strollers fit more easily between tables, and no one bats an eye if a toddler takes a lap around the central island. North’s narrow aisles can get tense when people are weaving through with plates and carry-ons.
For those with oneworld Emerald, the First lounge sits adjacent to Galleries South and changes the calculus altogether. If you have access, go there. It is quieter, the food is better, and you can still step back into Galleries South if you are meeting someone without Emerald. But for the majority of Club Europe and oneworld Sapphire travelers comparing the two, South scores more consistently.
Arrivals are different: BA’s Heathrow arrivals lounge
Many people ask whether the BA arrivals lounge at Heathrow, the one often called the Heathrow BA arrivals lounge or BA arrivals lounge LHR, sits within Terminal 5’s departures mix. It does not. The arrivals lounge is landside in the area below the T5 arrivals hall, accessible after you clear passport control and customs. It is designed for inbound long-haul passengers arriving in British Airways business class or higher, plus certain status holders on qualifying tickets. That space offers showers, a full breakfast spread in the morning, pressing services, and a calm environment to reset before heading into London. It closes in the early afternoon, usually around 2 p.m., because it is aimed at morning long-haul arrivals from North America, the Middle East, and Asia. If your question is whether a Club Europe passenger arriving from Madrid at 3 p.m. can pop into an arrivals lounge for a quick wash, the answer is no. The arrivals lounge is not designed for short-haul inbound traffic.
This difference matters because some travelers plan a shower between back-to-back tickets. If you arrive long-haul in the morning on BA Club World, use the arrivals lounge. If you then connect to an afternoon departure, your pre-flight options are the departures lounges in T5A or T5B, which include Galleries North, Galleries South, and their counterparts in the satellite. If you land midday and plan to depart in the evening, the arrivals lounge will not be open, so plan for a shower in the departures lounges instead, and ask early.
Gate strategy: when to stay put and when to move
Terminal 5 gates are notorious for appearing late on the screens. Many BA short-haul flights will hold gate assignment until about 45 minutes before departure, sometimes less. Long-haul can post earlier. If you are parked at Galleries South and your gate lights up as A7, that is a 7 to 10 minute walk through a crowd if the concourse is thick. Factor that into your timing. If your gate is B33 or any C gate, consider moving to the T5B lounge once the gate area opens. You will trade the broader amenities of South for proximity and a calmer wait.
For Club Europe travelers who prefer to board early for overhead space, staying in T5A can backfire if your B gate posts late. The transit run plus the queue at the satellite security barrier can chew up 12 to 15 minutes. I have missed early boarding while sauntering from South more than once. The flip side is that satellite lounges can feel dead between waves. If you care more about food and a wider seat choice, stay in South until your gate posts, then move promptly.
A realistic look at comfort and noise
Neither Galleries North nor Galleries South is a sanctuary in the way some Middle Eastern or Asian carrier lounges can be, and that is fine as long as you set expectations. They are busy, functional spaces designed to handle thousands of travelers daily. North has more ambient chatter because of the compact room and the constant flow past the bar. South has more people, but the sound disperses better. You can take a call in both, though South gives you more places to angle your laptop where the camera will not capture someone else’s back.
Seat comfort is middle of the road. The armchairs work for a couple of hours, less so for long sessions. If you need a nap, you will not find a nap room. If you want fresh air, you will not get it. If you want to charge everything, bring a compact adapter with multiple USB outputs. Some tables have power, many do not, and you do not want to play musical chairs while your phone flashes 3 percent.
BA lounge etiquette and small wins
A few small habits improve the experience for everyone. Clear your own plates to the tray stations when staff are slammed. Keep bags under tables rather than in aisles, especially in North where space is tight. Plug into a power bar only as long as you need to, then free it for the next person. If you see a staff member sprinting between the buffet and bar during the 7:30 a.m. rush, a simple thanks goes a long way.
Travelers new to BA lounges at Heathrow often miss the secondary seating zones in South. If the central area feels full, walk past the bar toward the far windows. There is usually space along the perimeter. In North, head left upon entry and check the tucked corner near the windows; it is the last area to fill.
The practical verdict
If you want the short version without losing the nuance:
- Choose Galleries North if time is tight, your gate is near the A6 to A10 range, or you prefer a compact space where every amenity is within a short walk. Choose Galleries South if you have at least an hour, want better odds of a seat, need to work, or prefer a more relaxed buffet and bar flow.
Neither choice is wrong. The two lounges exist to serve the same passenger group across a terminal that rarely sleeps. The British Airways lounge LHR scene is about matching your needs to the geography and timing. On a crisp winter morning with a 9 a.m. flight to Geneva in Club Europe, I walk to South, eat a proper breakfast, answer emails, then head back to A17 with ten minutes to spare. On a busy Thursday with a 5:20 p.m. hop to Amsterdam and a gate that likes to change, I pop into North, grab a coffee, and keep one eye on the screen. The small differences, repeated over dozens of journeys, add up to a personal routine.
A note on alternatives within T5
There is a third BA lounge in the T5B satellite. If your flight departs from B gates and you have more than 45 minutes, it is often the sweet spot. It sees fewer passengers than South, the food mirrors the main lounges, and your gate is downstairs. The Concorde Room and First lounge, both near Galleries South, serve those traveling First or holding BA Gold Guest List or Concorde Room Card. If that is you, the comparison shifts entirely. For everyone else looking at the BA lounges Heathrow Terminal 5 landscape, the real decision is between North and South, plus the occasional B lounge for satellite departures.
If you are connecting from a long-haul to short-haul and want a shower plus a quiet corner, South still edges North. If you are arriving into Heathrow and want to freshen up before heading into town, the Heathrow arrivals lounge British Airways runs in T5 is the right move, not the departures lounges upstairs. It opens early, closes early afternoon, and is meant for inbound premium passengers. Different door, different purpose.
Final thought
Airports reward those who pay attention to the small cycles. British Airways lounges at Heathrow do not change drastically from one month to the next, yet each hour has its own tempo. Learn when the bacon tray is freshest, when the Wi‑Fi works hardest, and how long the walk to your gate really takes. Then pick Galleries North or Galleries South accordingly. Your day improves by degrees, and on a busy travel schedule, that is the margin that matters.