British Airways has entered a new chapter of its ground experience, unveiling two entirely new lounges in Miami and Dubai that reimagine what passengers can expect before they fly. Created in partnership with design firm Gensler, these openings mark the debut of a new global lounge concept. The first of many to come as part of the airline’s £7 billion transformation programme.
For a brand so rooted in heritage, this is a surprisingly expressive evolution. The spaces balance British sensibility with local identity, embracing warmth, tactility and comfort in a way that feels both premium and unpretentious. It’s less the stoic, flock-laden British Airways of old, and more a contemporary expression of hospitality – thoughtful, elegant, and designed for how we travel now.
A New Tone on the Ground
Miami’s new lounge, spread across 13,000 square feet, is the largest BA-operated lounge outside London and arguably one of the airline’s most complete design statements to date. Located above the gates in Terminal E with panoramic views of the airfield, it’s cleverly zoned into a series of connected environments – from the central bar to the restaurant, quiet corners, work pods and the exclusive Concorde Dining Room reserved for First passengers.
The design is rich and layered, with a multitude of textures that immediately set it apart from the airline’s previous lounges. Polished marble, woven fabrics, ribbed timber and soft metallic finishes all compete for attention, creating what feels at times like a curated cacophony of styles. It’s visually stimulating – energetic, even – but with so many contrasting patterns and motifs, it can be difficult to trace a clear unifying thread beyond the on-trend arch concept that defines the spatial language. The arches, while elegant, feel of their moment and could risk dating quickly as design tastes evolve.
Still, there’s plenty to love. The mirrored ceiling reflecting a “London Calling” floor mural injects a playful British wink, while the bar serves up personality with signature cocktails and a gleaming sculptural presence. The food offering follows suit… bright, fresh and locally inspired, blending Miami’s coastal ingredients with a hint of London flair. There’s a confident energy to it all, an intentional departure from the corporate neutrality that has long defined BA’s ground presence.
Dubai’s new lounge takes a softer, more atmospheric approach. At 5,800 square feet, it draws on Middle Eastern influences through arched detailing, patterned metalwork and curved silhouettes that evoke a modern interpretation of regional architecture. Warm neutrals and mirrored surfaces give the lounge a sense of intimacy and glow, while the bar once again anchors the space. The dining area mixes à la carte service for First travellers with an open buffet offering Arabic breakfasts, mezze and European classics, creating a genuinely international experience.
Both lounges embody what BA calls “look-up moments”, small design surprises that reveal themselves as you move through the space, from reflected graphics to unexpected material shifts. It’s a concept that gives the brand new energy… less formal, more human, and more attuned to the emotional rhythms of travel.
A Question of Cohesion
These new lounges are, without doubt, triumphs of design and execution. They show British Airways rediscovering a sense of character and creativity long missing from its portfolio. They’re places you want to linger in, not just pass through,e a sign that the airline understands how premium travel has evolved from luxury to lifestyle.
Yet the bigger question is how this new aesthetic fits within the wider BA experience. Onboard, the airline’s cabins remain pared back, wrapped in deep navy and grey with little ornamentation – calm, efficient, and deliberately understated. The lounges, by contrast, are tactile and expressive, leaning into a palette and mood that feel worlds apart from the cabin environment. It’s more “Soho House meets Oliver Bonas” than corporate British formality, and while that contrast is refreshing, it also hints at a possible disconnect between touchpoints.
An airline must always ask, what ties these brand elements together? Colour, texture, form? Even a similar emotional reaction. There seems to be an evident disconnect, however that may be resolved by the release of further design updates in the near future.
British Airways is clearly embracing it’s primary flag-waving colours again from royal blues to reds and crisp whites – across experiential, uniforms and branding. But in a sea of airlines painted in similar hues, coherence will depend less on colour and more on how the airline uses pattern, texture and motif to connect the journey from lounge to seat.
If these new lounges are the start of a broader design renaissance that will eventually ripple through the cabins, then this is an exciting evolution. They could herald a more expressive, emotionally intelligent British Airways – one that understands that premium isn’t just comfort, it’s character. But if these remain isolated experiments, beautiful in their individuality yet disconnected from the rest of the brand story, the result could be a slightly fractured identity.
For now, though, it’s hard not to be impressed. Miami and Dubai represent a confident new chapter, showing British Airways at its most ambitious in years… creative, inviting and ready to be rediscovered. Whether this aesthetic confidence finds its way onboard will determine if the airline’s new design language truly takes flight.
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