As part of my tour of Southampton Airport last week, I got to spend some time in The Spitfire Lounge. This is run by the airport directly and not contracted out.

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

The lounge was last refurbished in 2018 when it became The Spitfire Lounge, before that it was called the Breeze Priority Lounge. It will look familiar to anyone who has been to the Northern Lights lounge in Aberdeen as both airports, as well as Glasgow, are owned by the same group.

The lounge was very quiet when I arrived at 2pm. The first guests started arriving around 2:30pm, ready for the next bank of flights around 4pm.

Who can use The Spitfire Lounge?

A sign just outside the lounge lists eligible passengers. This includes:

• British Airways Silver / Gold cardholders, when flying BA
• British Airways Club Europe passengers

The lounge can also be accessed with Priority Pass and DragonPass.

When is it open?

For the first time in a long time, the lounge is now open daily. The current hours are:

• Sunday to Friday: 05:00 – 19.30
• Saturday: 05:00 – 17:00

Where is The Spitfire Lounge at Southampton Airport?

The Spitfire Lounge is about as far as you can get from the terminal gates. That’s ok, though, because the airport is tiny!

Once you exit duty free, follow the signs and head up the stairs:

On your way, you’ll pass a Costa Coffee with views of the runway and the airport restaurant called The Olive Tree.

Walk through the restaurant to the doors at the back, and keep following the corridor until you reach the entrance:

It’s not the most luxurious arrival as you have to walk through what appears to be a service corridor.

Inside The Spitfire Lounge

It’s a different story as soon as you step in, however. There is a person at the entrance to check your boarding pass or scan your Priority Pass / DragonPass.

Beyond this the lounge is split into two rooms which are roughly identical:

The lounge has seating for approximately 50 people, largely across groups of armchairs such as this:

and

As you can see, the skylight in the terminal building floods the lounge with light, although you only get views of baggage reclaim down below – perfect for some people watching!

The first ‘room’ features a small buffet serving snacks, hot and cold drinks and some alcohol.

There is also a staffed bar, should you want anything more than a beer or some wine.

The second ‘room’ is virtually identical, but is a bit quieter because it’s not near the entrance and doesn’t have a servery or bar.

Food and drink in The Spitfire Lounge

The Spitfire Lounge operates on a hybrid buffet-a la carte system. The buffet features simple snacks such as bowls of crisps, olives and muffins:

There is table service for everything else, including more substantial meals and drinks. There is a breakfast menu and a lunch/dinner menu, although in reality you can order from either.

The breakfast menu includes:

• Artisan bacon roll
• Artisan sausage roll
• Artisan vegan sausage roll
• Porridge

The lunch menu features:

• Soup of the day
• Macaroni cheese
• Chili Con Carne
• Vegan Penang curry

Although it was lunch time I went for the bacon roll. I was surprised by the size of it:

The bacon was excellent – fresh and crispy. The food is all made freshly next door, in the kitchen of The Olive Tree restaurant.

When it comes to drinks, wines, beer and basic spirits are included, although you’ll have to pay for a glass of prosecco or premium gin (from £5, according to the menu).

Conclusion

Let’s be honest: you don’t expect a small airport like this to have a lounge as good as The Spitfire Lounge. In fact, I’ve been to many larger airports with significantly worse (or smaller) facilities.

Whilst the range of food on offer isn’t huge, the fact that it is a la carte and freshly prepared gets a big thumbs up from me, and my bacon roll was excellent.

One thing to note is that there are not a huge number of power points to charge devices – something to be aware of should you need a top up.

There are some unexpected gaps in our airport lounge reviews. We’ve been to every corner of the UK to review airport lounges but there are huge holes in our BA Terminal 5 coverage. The last time we looked at Galleries First was 2012 (not a typo) and it wasn’t even a proper review.

The reason is that the lounges are always so busy that it’s impossible to get the photos we need. However, two weeks I found myself on the last flight departing Terminal 5 and around 9pm I realised that I was virtually alone in the lounge.

This allowed me to get enough pictures to show you what you’re missing. It was obviously dark outside when I took the photos so the lighting could be better in places. Unfortunately the lack of people may give a false impression of how calm the lounge is during the day ….

Who can access the Galleries First lounge?

You do not need to be flying First Class to access the Galleries First lounge. In fact, if you are flying in First Class then you shouldn’t be here – you should head to The Concorde Room lounge next door instead.

The requirement for Galleries First is that you are flying on a oneworld carrier (as this is T5 it would only be British Airways or Iberia) either on a same-day First Class ticket or with oneworld Emerald status.

Anyone with oneworld Emerald status (ie. British Airways Executive Club Gold) can access the lounge, with one guest, even if you are flying on a hand-baggage-only economy flight. Separate guest rules apply to Gold Guest List and Premier members.

Entering the Galleries First lounge

There are two entrances into the lounge. Whilst the manned desks are still there, you are only likely to use them if connecting.

Anyone starting in London is likely to enter via the First Wing. This is the dedicated First Class / Gold card check-in and security area at the far south end of Terminal 5:

(Galleries First restricts you to one guest. If you are a BA Gold travelling with more than one other non-Gold, you can check in at the First Wing. However, you cannot use the private security lane or the Galleries First lounge. You need to go back out into the main terminal and use the main security line.)

Once you have cleared security you walk down a passage and you enter the Galleries First lounge here:

The layout is a bit tricky to explain. Entering via First Wing, if you keep walking you will go directly through the main seating area, past two bars, and eventually emerge on the far side on the terrace:

The terrace has a small self-serve wine and champagne bar, and you will occasionally find pop-ups here promoting various brands. The atmosphere is a lot different in daylight. There are around 40 seats out here although most are in groups of four.

You’ll see from the rack above that BA is in no rush to bring back newspapers or magazines, apart from High Life.

Let’s run all the way back to the entrance and do the full tour.

On your right as you enter is this self service bar. New furniture was being installed in this area when I was there, hence the lack of people below – the area was actually cordonned off.

More furniture in the lounge has been replaced in the last fortnight since my visit, so some of what you see below is already out of date.

To your left is another self-serve bar and snacks area:

It doesn’t scream ‘premium’ and that’s because it isn’t – Gordon’s, Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker Red and Black, Martini, Bacardi etc. There was a selection of Ciroc flavoured vodkas

The old business centre / champagne bar is now a ….

Immediately to your left is a corridor which leads down to what was originally the business centre and the champagne bar.

The business centre was ripped out post pandemic (fair enough, it wasn’t necessary in the 2020s) and replaced by sleep pods in May 2021. These seem to have been a flop and have also now gone.

The pods have been replaced by this uninspiring and windowless area of additional seating, although as few people know it exists it is probably quiet during the day.

As for the champagne bar? It’s now a hot desking area:

The bathrooms – now unisex – are also in this area. There are only cubicles, each containing its own sink.

and

I couldn’t access one of the showers. They are apparently in need of refurbishment but I don’t have any first hand experience of them.

The exit

Head back to the main area and continue walking towards the terrace, you come to the exit (the only exit – you can’t leave by the First Wing entrance). This is also the way in if you are in transit.

The dining area

Continue walking, past this group of monitors (PLEASE BA, convert one of these into a flight information screen!):

…. and you see a large area running off to your left. This contains the buffet and coffee stations.

During the pandemic, BA introduced ‘at seat’ food ordering in Galleries First. This was fantastic. Apart from the obvious benefit of not having to leave your seat and baggage to get supplies, the food you received was restaurant style, as a proper plated meal. Everyone loved it and declared it the way forward. So …. BA scrapped it.

You’re now back to the buffet only. You can still order drinks via a QR code from your seat but that’s it. I honestly don’t get it – a new system was developed which everyone agreed was a huge improvement in every way (except possibly the cost) from the old one, and it was dropped.

The first area contains a number of Union Coffee-branded drinks stations. If you like stocking up on clasic British biscuits, as my son does, you’ll be very happy here!

Before you get to the buffet you’ve got sandwiches and cake:

…. a salad bar:

… and, erm, the kids play room!

Here is half of the hot food area. Late at night, it was an odd mix of pies, fishcakes, pasta, curry, rice etc. The quality is not bad, to be honest – I don’t want to give the impression that it’s just ‘slop’ because it isn’t. However, it is fundamentally the same food that is served in the two Galleries Club lounges in Terminal 5A.

In terms of seating you’ve got a variety of options, assuming you don’t want to carry it back to your lounge chair. This is behind the buffet:

There are long tables like this:

…. and some standard cafe-style seating:

I haven’t shown you much of the main seating area. This is mainly because, at 9pm, it was very dark. It also gets a bit dull showing lines of leather armchairs!

It’s worth highlighting this staffed bar – the only staffed bar in the whole lounge – which has had a facelift recently. This is meant to be a ‘premium’ bar, stocked with products chosen by BA’s Master of Wine. I’m not sure what champagne is currently available but you should approach with modest expectations.

Here is one run of seating to give you a feel:

and

As I said above, a lot of the furniture in the lounge was changed in the week after I was there. Here is a shot of the same wine cooler above showing the new-style chairs (thanks to Shane for this):

Whilst the main business centre disappeared a couple of years ago, there are still a couple of terminals and a printer in a small area near the entrance to the balcony.

Conclusion

I use the Galleries First lounge a lot, and have come to accept its various quirks. If you look at it as what it realistically is for most users – a space for Gold card holders to use before catching a short haul flight – it does the job.

The food and drink, and the general overcrowding (unless you’re on the last flight out as I was!) are arguably acceptable for this ‘Gold card member flying to Milan’ market.

It’s a quirk of the BA structure that a non-status member on a £4,000 Club World ticket will be sent to the inferior Galleries Club lounges, whilst a Gold on a £39 one way economy ticket to Amsterdam can come here. Remember that anyone with a First Class ticket won’t be in Galleries First – they will be in The Concorde Room next door with proper restaurant-style food and service.

It is also worth stressing – because I think many forget this – that the ability for a BA Gold to get from a taxi to Galleries First via the First Wing in under 10 minutes is a real perk, unmatched at any other European terminal.

Of course, the best British Airways lounge in Terminal 5 is probably the mixed Business / First Galleries lounge in the 5B satellite which we recently reviewed here. It has now finished its upgrade with a new hot food live cooking area.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

Did you know United Airlines has an arrivals lounge at Heathrow, shared with Air Canada? Because I certainly didn’t!

It wasn’t until I departed customs after my Polaris flight from San Francisco that I saw some signs for a United Airlines and Air Canada Arrivals Lounge that I never even knew existed. Instead of rushing for a train, I thought I’d take a quick look inside to see what it had to offer.

Who can use United’s Heathrow Arrivals Lounge?

According to United’s website, the Arrivals Lounge is exclusively for Polaris business class customers only:

“Eligible travelers must be flying on a same-day ticket arriving before noon and cannot bring guests. Additionally, United Club memberships and one-time passes don’t grant access to this lounge.”

The lounge also appears to be used by United’s Star Alliance partner Air Canada and is open to the following passengers:

• Business Class customers arriving on an Air Canada international flight
• Super Elite 100K members (including one guest) arriving on an Air Canada international flight

As far as I can tell there is no other way to access the Arrivals Lounge. Whilst South African Airways offered access in the past, it no longer flies to London so we can scratch that one off the list. Singapore Airlines does not appear to use it.

You cannot get access via Star Alliance Gold status. To quote the Star Alliance website lounge directory: “ARRIVAL lounge access is not a Star Alliance benefit. If you are looking for information on arrival lounges, please consult the airline that is operating your flight.”

Where is the United Arrivals Lounge in London?

It is immediately to the left when you exit the baggage hall through customs. Just follow the signs for the Arrivals Lounge.

Oddly, there is no airline branding on the lounge. It is simply called the ‘Arrivals Lounge’, albeit it is exclusively for United Airlines and Air Canada passengers.

The lounge is open from 6am until 2pm daily.

Inside the United & Air Canada London Arrivals Lounge

The facility is not huge. It is about as big as Virgin Atlantic’s Revivals lounge in Terminal 3 (review here).

You need to show your boarding pass for scanning on arrival. I was immediately asked if I wanted a shower or not. I said yes and was shown straight to a shower suite.

In total, there are 17 of these which is far more than I was expecting given the lounge frontage. The shower suites extend a little further back and are fairly compact, which helps:

and

Toiletries are provided by Sunday Riley, which also stocks United’s Premium Plus and Polaris amenity kits. There are also a range of other amenities such as a shower cap, nail kit, dental kit and other bits and bobs:

After finishing my shower I moved to the main lounge. This is a square space, probably less than 100 square metres in size. Most of the seating is taken up by dining chairs and tables:

and

…. but there is also a row of bar stools by the frosted glass window:

…. as well as a couple of sofas, which were occupied during my visit.

A lot of magazines were available, although none that particularly interested me. There were copies of Vogue and Wired amongst the many copies of Spears. There were no newspapers.

Food and drink in United’s Arrivals Lounge

You can choose from a buffet or an a la carte menu (or both). The buffet, as you would expect, is fairly basic and contains mostly cold items: for something more hot and substantial you need to order from the menu.

There are a range of smoothies, fruit, yoghurt and chia puddings:

Pastries are available:

You can also help yourself to soft and hot drinks:

When it comes to a la carte dining, the following options were available:

• Amaranth & oat porridge
• Full English breakfast
• Smoked salmon & cream cheese rye bread
• Sausage & avocado muffin
• Shakshouka
• Green hummus & vegan sausage crumb on toast
• Sweet waffles with coconut yoghurt, berry compote, agave syrup

Conclusion

The United Airlines and Air Canada Arrivals Lounge at Heathrow is worth a visit.

If I had known there was an arrivals lounge I would probably have spared myself the in-flight breakfast – it’s undoubtedly going to be better than anything you’d get in the air.

When I arrived, around 7am, there were almost more staff than guests – mostly around the showers, waiting to clean them ready for the next guests. Given that a big peak for US arrivals is around 7am – 8am I’m not sure if it ever gets crowded.

It is worth stopping by if you need to fresh up or a bite to eat or drink after landing.

This article concludes our United Airlines series. I’d like to thank the United team in London for putting it together, especially for getting you see the Global Services lounge on the way out.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our collection of UK airport lounge reviews.  You can see our full list of UK airport lounge reviews here.

Formerly a First Class lounge, it was rebranded once United dropped First Class. It now acts as a tranquil haven for United’s invite-only Global Services members as well as an overflow space for United MileagePlus Premier 1K. In British Airways parlance, that would effectively be Executive Club Premier (invite only, rules here) and Gold Guest List members only – an exclusive group.

Having never been inside this part of the lounge before I was surprised by its size – it is much bigger than I expected. This is part of the attraction, as it never feels full, no matter how busy the United Club lounge next door is.

You can’t normally access the lounge unless you meet the criteria above, but United allowed me to visit as part of my review series. Our first article, on the United Club lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2, is here.

Where is the United Global Services Lounge at Heathrow?

The United Global Services lounge is in the same location as the United Club, out in the 2B satellite terminal.

That means it’s a bit of a walk from security (and you have to walk – Terminal 2 has no shuttle train) although as all United flights depart from 2B this is not a problem. You need to make the trek eventually, and once you are in the lounge you are close to your gate. It is probably about a 10 minute walk – simply follow the signs for B gates:

Once you emerge in Terminal 2B from the concourse level turn right. The lounge entrance is just opposite Gate 46:

Take the lift or the stairs up and you are greeted with the United Club reception. Ignore this and turn 180 degrees to your right and you’ll see a small corridor and another smaller reception desk:

This is the United Global Services Lounge. It is open from 5am until 6pm daily.

Inside the United Global Services Lounge in London

Like the United Club and the other airline lounges at Heathrow T2B, the Global Services Lounge stretches across a large span of windows with views across the tarmac towards the main terminal building.

It is probably half as big as the United Club lounge (reviewed here), which is itself probably the largest lounge in the terminal. There are a number of different spaces, including this sort of ‘indoor’ room:

On the other side you have a series of booths with heritage photos from United’s history:

…. and, by the window, plenty of armchairs:

In the centre of the lounge is this funky round wine room:

and

To the right of this you have another few rows of armchairs, as well as (in the distance) the dining area with the Big Ben clock face:

Here is a closer look:

To be honest, having a giant replica of the Big Ben clock would not have been my design choice but I think it works very well. It gives the lounge some character and local flair without going all Cool Britannia.

This area also features the buffet, drinks selection and restaurant-style seating.

Food and drink in the United Global Services Lounge at Heathrow

Speaking of the buffet, it’s a relatively compact offering with a far smaller selection than the United Club next door. If you are hungry, you may want to head in there first.

The United First lounge used to offer table service with an a la carte menu. I’m told this has become a covid casualty and I’m not certain they will ever bring it back, which seems a shame.

I was in the lounge for the breakfast service, so hot items included scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, baked beans and mushrooms:

There was also a selection of cheese and cold cuts:

…. plus a handful of pastries / muffins:

Despite being a small selection, I thought the food was good.

The offering is better when it comes to drinks, with all spirits and wines available for self-pour, unlike in the United Club where you need to ask at the bar.

A selection of wines were open in an ice bucket, including a bottle of prosecco:

…. for some reason, the Champagne (Rodier) is in a separate fridge together with the beers and ciders.

If that didn’t tickle your fancy, you could also pour yourself a mixed drink with some of the spirits available:

Conclusion

In the grand scheme of things, the United Global Services Lounge is one that very few people have the chance to see inside thanks to its particularly restrictive entry requirements. Most people will be in the United Club next door.

Pulling back the curtain, it is clear that the attraction of the lounge is not necessarily in its food or drinks offering, which whilst good is small. Rather, it is the amount of space per passenger, and the relative quietness compared to next door, which makes it so pleasant.

I think I counted about 10 people when I left the lounge at 9:30am – for a space with 50+ seats. I can’t imagine it ever gets busy, even when the United Club is absolutely heaving. In contrast, this is the picture of tranquillity.

It would be good if United brought back the a la carte menu and perhaps opened it up to a few more status cardholders. In some ways this is a fabulous space that feels underutilised, which is a shame.

Travelling from Heathrow Terminal 2? Here are your lounge options ….

At Heathrow’s Terminal 2 you currently have eight lounges to choose from.

Our overview of the best airline lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2 is here, or you can read individual reviews of all the lounges here:

• Aer Lingus Lounge review
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Lufthansa Business Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Plaza Premium Lounge review
• Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Club lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Global Services Lounge review (Star Alliance)

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our collection of UK airport lounge reviews.  You can see our full list of UK airport lounge reviews here.

You can use this lounge if you have a qualifying flight ticket for any Star Alliance carrier operating from Terminal 2, so this review should be of interest even if United is not currently part of your travel plans.

The United Club is just one of a handful of international Club lounges offered by United, with the others being in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Mexico City.

With 23 daily departures from Heathrow, it makes sense to have one here. I believe United Airlines operates the most flights to London of any US carrier; both Delta and American rely on their joint venture partners Virgin Atlantic and BA respectively to operate the lions share of transatlantic routes.

The article is the first part of a United Airlines series which will run over the next week or so, at roughly one article every two days. We’ll be looking at their Polaris business class and premium economy product as well as a number of lounges.

The trip was kindly arranged for us by United Airlines but HfP paid for all of its other costs.

I was on my way to San Francisco on the first of United’s three daily departures to the city. This is one of the earliest flights of the day, departing at 10:30.

This isn’t your normal United Club

Before I start, it is worth taking a quick look at what a United Club is, as the US airline lounge system is a bit different to that in other countries.

This is because the US airlines have a two-tier lounge system. ‘Club’ lounges are mass market lounges that are widely accessible through credit card perks, subscriptions and other benefits packages. You rarely need status or a business class ticket to get in.

Because access is easy, the offering is a bit simpler and you usually end up paying extra for alcohol and better food options.

Complementing United Clubs are six United Polaris lounges. These are more premium and limited to passengers who are flying Polaris on international business class tickets. They often feature a la carte dining rooms and a larger selection of free drinks.

Bizarrely, the United Club in London does not conform to this structure. It is more premium than the average domestic United Club but not quite as premium as United’s Polaris lounges. In other words, food and drinks are free but you won’t get a la carte dining. It is also open to anyone with access to United Clubs, rather than just those flying in Polaris business class.

If you think this doesn’t make much sense, that’s because it doesn’t!

Who gets access to the London United Club lounge?

As mentioned above, the access eligibility for the United Club is expansive. You can get into the United Club at Heathrow if any of the following apply:

• You are flying in business or First Class on United Airlines or another Star Alliance airline
• You are Star Alliance Gold and are flying on a Star Alliance airline
• You have United Club membership
• You have a United Club pass
• Active members of the US military flying United Airlines
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Club membership flying on a Star Alliance airline
• Virgin Australia Velocity Gold, Platinum and VIP members flying on United Airlines

Where is the United Club at Heathrow Terminal 2?

The United Club is in the 2B satellite terminal at Heathrow’s Terminal 2.

That means it’s a bit of a walk from security, although as all United flights depart from 2B this is not a problem. You need to make the trek eventually, and once you are in the lounge you are close to your gate. It is probably about a 10 minute walk – simply follow the signs for B gates. Unlike Terminal 5, there is no shuttle train to the satellite terminal – you must go on foot.

Once you emerge in Terminal 2B from the concourse level turn right. The lounge entrance is just opposite Gate 46:

Take the lift or the stairs up and you are greeted with the United Club reception where they will scan your boarding pass and confirm your eligibility.

The lounge is open from 5am until 10pm daily.

Inside the United Club at Heathrow Terminal 2

The United Club is by far the largest of the lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2. The interior is largely a single space. You can get a sense of the scale here:

In the centre of the lounge you’ll find blue glass dividers with some interesting driftwood trees:

and

The blue glass feels a little noughties but on the whole the lounge is in very good condition

On either side of this little installation you’ll also see large high tables which are ideal for getting some work done:

At the window is a lonnnnng desk, as well as what is, apparently, Heathrow’s longest bar:

At one end of the lounge is a large oval room which houses the buffet, whilst at the other you’ll find the same space but with additional lounge seating:

The lounge also features a number of showers.

Food and drink in the United Club at Heathrow

Food is all self-serve in the United Club. It is a very good selection. In the mornings there is a breakfast service. You can choose from a range of pastries including a bagel wall:

For hot food, you have scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, beaked beans, hash browns and mushrooms:

There’s also a selection of cold cuts as well as cereals, fruit and yoghurt:

and

From lunchtime, the choice is a little different. The last time I was there over lunch, a few months ago, they had tacos, fajitas, dauphinoise potatoes, vegetable masala and pie on offer:

There is always an excellent selection of sandwiches too:

…. plus a handful of creative salads:

Soft drinks are self-serve throughout the lounge whilst alcohol is only available from the staffed bar.

Prosecco as well as various wines and spirits are available, and the bar staff can make mixed drinks and cocktails too.

Conclusion

In many ways, the United Club at Heathrow is a victim of its own success. The sheer amount of people who are eligible to use it means that, for most of the day, the lounge can be very busy. In fact, this is the first time I’ve seen it relatively quiet, and I imagine that’s only because I was on one of the first United Airlines flights of the day.

Nonetheless, it is a very good lounge with a good selection of food and drinks if Western food is more to your taste. (If it’s not, then the Singapore Airlines lounge next door may be your preference.)

It is a long walk from the main terminal and back again, so it is not necessarily worth it if you are on a short haul flight from Terminal 2 unless you have a couple of hours to kill.

United did a good job here – check it out if you can.

Travelling from Heathrow Terminal 2? Here are your lounge options ….

At Heathrow’s Terminal 2 you currently have eight lounges to choose from.

Our overview of the best airline lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2 is here, or you can read individual reviews of all the lounges here:

• Aer Lingus Lounge review
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Lufthansa Business Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Plaza Premium Lounge review
• Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Club lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Global Services Lounge review (Star Alliance)

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

Blush Lounge is a new lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4, operated by Plaza Premium. It supplements the existing Plaza Premium-branded lounge at Terminal 4 (review here).

It is part of our collection of UK airport lounge reviews.  You can see our full list of UK airport lounge reviews here.

Why is Plaza Premium operating another lounge in the terminal? Well, it’s complicated.

The Blush Lounge website is here.

The Blush Lounge has a colourful history:

• In 2016, EL AL opened the King David lounge when it moved in to Terminal 4. It was managed by Plaza Premium, which manages a number of airline lounges in addition to its own-branded ones.
• In 2019, EL AL quietly divested of the King David lounge, and operations were taken over by a new company which rebranded the facility ‘ART&LOUNGE’. Whilst still catering to EL AL’s passengers, it was a bizarre concept with, it turned out, no art …. You can read our review here.
• In 2022, management of the lounge was handed back to Plaza Premium. It continues to cater to EL AL passengers.

It seems that EL AL is not keen on having an own-branded lounge at Heathrow. As there is already a Plaza Premium lounge in Heathrow Terminal 4, Plaza decided to rename it the ‘Blush Lounge by Plaza Premium Group’.

This is a brand new lounge brand from Plaza Premium – it isn’t clear if it will be rolled out elsewhere.

How to access the Blush Lounge

Although it still caters to EL AL passengers, the Blush Lounge is now open to lounge membership holders including Priority Pass.

Anyone travelling under the following is eligible:

• EL AL business class passengers
• EL AL Top Platinum, Platinum and Gold Matmid frequent flyer club members
• EL AL King David Club members
• Priority Pass holders
• DragonPass holders
• LoungeKey holders

If don’t have any of the above then you can also pay cash to access the Blush Lounge – it costs £44 for two hours on the Plaza Premium website. One reason you may want to use this lounge above any other is that Kosher food is available.

Where is the Blush Lounge in Heathrow Terminal 4?

The Blush Lounge isn’t difficult to find, although it is a bit of a walk. It is next to Gate 2 in Heathrow Terminal 4.

You want to turn left and walk down the long terminal building as you exit security. You will, eventually, get to it.

The location does mean that it’s a bit of a trek if your flight is departing from a higher-numbered gate. That said, Terminal 4 isn’t the biggest terminal in the world (or even at Heathrow).

Inside the Blush Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4

Very little has changed since Plaza Premium reclaimed management of the lounge. The fixtures and fittings are still in excellent condition so it wasn’t necessary to carry out a refurbishment.

At around 340 sqm. the Blush Lounge has capacity for around 105 guests, although I’d imagine it would be pretty crowded with that many people.

First up in the lounge is a circular dining and buffet area. There are four of five round dining tables here:

After this you have the main area of the lounge:

This features a range of more casual seating in the form of armchairs:

The lounge is very light thanks to the big windows along its length:

On the left you’ll find another room with the drinks buffet and some more glass dining tables:

There are not, unfortunately, charging sockets at every seat, although I did see a number throughout during my visit.

Note that there are no showers or toilets in the lounge.

Food and drink in the Blush Lounge

Breakfast service was in full steam when I popped in at around 7:30am. With only two other guests in the lounge, the food was virtually untouched.

The hot buffet included scrambled eggs, mushroom florentine, ‘breakfast potatoes’ and some baked beans with basil, which is something I’ve noticed Plaza Premium trying recently.

and

A range of fruits, yoghurts and cheese was also available:

…. as were pastries and cereals:

There is also a salad bar:

Kosher meals are available on request, although if you’re in the lounge on the back of your Priority Pass or other lounge membership then you will apparently need to pay extra.

When it comes to drinks, hot and soft drinks are available:

The alcohol selection is, shall we say, limited. There are house red and white wines, whilst Carlsberg is the only beer on offer:

A tiny selection of bottom-shelf spirits are tucked away in the corner, almost as an afterthought:

Conclusion

The Blush Lounge is a comfortable, quiet place to relax before a flight – at least in the morning, when I went. I thought the wood panelling and leather furniture looked stylish and the floor-to-ceiling windows really help to keep you awake if you’ve been on the go since 5am.

It’s a slightly different story when it comes to food and drink, with a fairly limited selection of both. It’s for this reason that I wouldn’t pay the £44 entry charge, although I feel less hard-done by using Priority Pass via my Amex Business Platinum card. You will get a better selection in the main Plaza Premium lounge in Terminal 4, reviewed here.

Overall, the Blush Lounge a decent experience and far better than I was expecting given the lounge’s history of changing ownership, although the lack of toilets and departure boards is frustrating.

You can book for cash on the Plaza Premium website here.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our collection of UK airport lounge reviews.  You can see our full list of UK airport lounge reviews here.

If you do look at the list, you’ll see that our coverage of the British Airways Terminal 5 lounges is poor. This is because they are always busy and – short of arriving at 5am when they open – we can’t get the photos we need.

Luckily, a surprise visit to the Terminal 5B satellite lounge at 6.30am last week allowed me to see it with virtually no other passengers. Only three short haul flights were due to depart and as these normally use the main building (Hamburg, Munich, Lisbon) I think the few passengers who could have got in were still in 5A and hadn’t checked their boarding passes. Our last review of this lounge was in 2017.

You don’t need to be flying from Terminal 5B to use this lounge. You can go there from 5A via the transfer train or the walkable tunnel. You can ONLY get back to 5A departures by walking at Level -4. You can’t take the train back to Terminal 5A as this would force you into Arrivals and then you’re stuck!

Anyone flying from Terminal 5C is encouraged to use this lounge and then hop back on the transfer train for a further stop to 5C. There are no lounges in 5C.

How do you get into the British Airways lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 (Satellite B)?

The lounge operates the standard British Airways policies.  To get in you must either:

• be flying in Business Class or First Class on a British Airways or oneworld alliance partner airline from Terminal 5
• hold Silver or Gold status in British Airways Executive Club
• hold comparable status with another oneworld alliance airline

It is NOT possible to get into British Airways lounges for cash, and you cannot use lounge club cards such as Priority Pass. 

There are two lounges in the main part of Heathrow Terminal 5 which accept lounge club cards – Club Aspire (review here) and Plaza Premium (review here).

The Terminal 5B lounge is open from 5am to 10pm, seven days per week.

How is the BA Galleries lounge in the Terminal 5 satellite terminals?

The lounge is NOT on the same level as the departure gates. You need to take an escalator or stairs up to the mezzanine.

Confusingly you will see a reception desk and entrance on both sides of you. Both lead to the same lounge space – there is no dedicated First Class area – but if you want food quickly you should enter via the desk on the right!

Here is the food selection for breakfast – basically cereals, fruit, yoghurt:

and

Slightly randomly, hot food had been set up opposite on this temporary table which looked a little cheap:

We had been in Galleries First in the main terminal before coming here. The food was virtually identical. Galleries First has scrapped QR-code ‘at seat’ food ordering – all you can now order to your seat is coffee – so all you have is the buffet, and the buffet is very close to this one.

(Unless I was mistaken, there was no menu-based food ordering available from the tables near the buffet in Galleries First. If this has gone then it is a retrograde step with the food offering now worse than pre-covid.)

The main bar is by one wall in the main area of lounge. There was no champagne out but I imagine there would have been some on request – at 6.30am I wasn’t in a rush to find out. This is a very classy space though.

Walk past the bar and you get to the coffee station and some formal tables. My only criticism is that you have to walk across the lounge from the food area to get to these tables, and if you want food and coffee you need to visit both sides.

Tucked away (luckily) is the pop-up Whispering Angel bar. You may have seen PR photos of this as I had. What they don’t convey is how flippin’ huge it is. I used the photo below rather than a ‘straight on’ shot to give you the scale.

It would be huge anywhere, but in the relatively tight confines of the 5B lounge it is totally unnecessary.

and

Just behind the Whispering Angel bar is a decent kids play area which will keep (very) littles ones amused whilst the parents sit outside knocking back the rose ….

Here are a few random shots of the furnishings. As you can see, it’s looking good after a recent upgrade.

The lounge is also very bright, sitting as it does on the mezzanine so you get a clear view out towards the aircraft gates:

and

and

Conclusion

The British Airways Galleries lounge at Terminal 5B has always been an oasis of calm compared to any of the other BA facilities in Terminal 5 or Terminal 3.

The recent refresh has left it looking good, and the breakfast offering is on a par with Galleries First, for better or worse.

You’d need to be pretty deperate for some peace and quiet to come here and walk back via the tunnel if your flight goes from the main building.

If you are leaving from 5B or 5C, however, you should definitely head out here. Just remember that the shopping options are limited in 5B and 5C so, for safety, pick up anything you need in 5A first.

We’d love to do similar updated reviews of Galleries First, Galleries Club North and Gallieries Club South in Terminal 5 but we’d need to be there at 5am (and only in the summer months) to get enough light and so few people to make it possible!

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You can see all of the reviews here.

Tuesday was an exciting day for Etihad as it welcomed the return of its first A380 to passenger service after a 40-month hiatus. If you haven’t already, it is worth reading my first-hand experience of the celebrations where I dig a little deeper into why the A380 is such an excellent aircraft.

This is the first of my ‘formal’ reviews from the trip. We will be following it with a review of the Business Studio on Etihad’s A380 fleet on Monday.

Etihad is now the only direct way of flying to Abu Dhabi from the UK since British Airways permanently axed its flights during the pandemic. Etihad currently flies four times a day with departures ranging from 9am all the way until 9pm.

The good thing about getting the 9am Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi is that you arrive in the Middle East at a fairly sensible time – around 7pm during BST. That gives you enough time to check in to your hotel and have dinner before calling it a night.

The downside, of course, is that you need to be up early to get to Heathrow in the first place. I would normally aim to be at the airport around two hours in advance. As this was a special flight and I was keen to experience as much of the celebrations as possible I got up at 5am and arrived at 6am, just in time for the Etihad check-in counters and lounge to open.

How to access the Etihad Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4

After dabbling with outsourcing its lounge operation in London to No1 back in 2018/2019, at the height of Etihad’s cost-cutting phase, a decision was made in late 2019 to bring it back in-house and operate it exclusively for Etihad passengers.

That means that the Etihad Lounge is no longer available for Priority Pass or other lounge access programs. As far as I can tell, Etihad isn’t hosting any other Terminal 4 airlines either, although this could be an attractive revenue stream at quiet times of day.

You need to be flying in Business Class or First Class, or have Etihad Guest Gold or Platinum status, to get access. Etihad is not part of any airline alliance so you won’t get in by waving a oneworld, SkyTeam or Star Alliance top tier card. Some codeshare deals on specific routes may allow access for elites of particular airlines.

It seems to be possible to pay for entry although I’m confirming the exact price with Etihad!

The Etihad Lounge is open from 6am until 10pm daily.

Where is the Etihad Lounge in Heathrow?

Unlike Terminal 3, where Heathrow uses an alphabetic labelling system for the lounges, Terminal 4 uses standard signage which makes it easy to locate.

There is also no duty free maze to contend with at Terminal 4. Another benefit!

If you don’t know Terminal 4, it is effectively one long concourse with security popping you out in the middle. All that matters is that you turn the right way! For Etihad, turn right down the main concourse toward Gate 10. You’ll find the entrance to the Etihad Lounge directly opposite:

Either take the stairs or one of the lifts down to the lower floor, where you’ll be greeted by the lounge reception:

As it turns out, we were first people in the lounge which made it possible to take lots of photos.

Inside the Etihad London Lounge

This was my first time in the lounge and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find the lounge wasn’t just well furnished but also featured a dedicated dining room and a la carte menu. It certainly feels more First Class than Business Class.

The lounge is broken up by several large monuments which help to make it feel small and private, although it helps that it isn’t huge to begin with.

Around the edges you’ll find large sofa-walls with armchairs facing them:

In the open spaces and along the window you’ll find these Eames-inspired armchairs:

Unfortunately, there is no real view from the windows; all it looks out on is a passenger corridor.

If you’re looking for a quieter spot there are a few areas that are tucked away:

Bigger groups can make use of this large set of sofas around the TV:

A dedicated children’s room is tucked away in a circular room with a closing door, which should keep any noise down for other passengers:

Given the overall size of the lounge, this is pretty good. On the left hand side of the lounge you’ll find the bar:

If you turn left after the bar, you are greeted with the dining room:

There is seating for just over 30 people in the dining room. Whilst the lounge did fill up as our departure neared it was never full.

Showers in the Etihad Lounge

There are, I think, three shower suites in the lounge, although I can’t imagine they get a huge amount of use given there probably aren’t a lot of connecting passengers in London.

Whilst I didn’t have a shower myself, I did have a look inside:

They were perfectly respectable with a rainfall and normal shower head:

The toilet is uniquely egg-shaped (and is also in Etihad’s lounges in Abu Dhabi) which, whilst looking cool, means it’s not a great place to put your clothes whilst you shower!

Shower gel, shampoo and conditioner were supplied although I didn’t see any other amenities such as shaving or dental kits. These may be available on request.

Food and drink in the Etihad Lounge London Heathrow

You won’t be going hungry or thirsty in the Etihad Lounge, that’s for sure.

There is an extensive selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available from the bar, including Layton’s Rose Champagne:

In terms of spirits, you have your choice of the following, including 12/18 year aged Whiskies:

When it comes to food, the majority of it is available in the dining room with snacks spread out throughout the rest of the lounge.

I was there for breakfast and the self-serve buffet featured full English breakfast items (in halal, non-pork formats).

There is also a selection of cereals, pastries, yoghurts and cold cuts:

and

You are not restricted to what is available in the buffet. There is also a made-to-order a la carte menu. For breakfast, that includes:

• Arabic shakshuka
• Omelettes
• Eggs benedict / florentine / royale
• Belgian waffles

I had a quick look at the lunch and dinner menu too, available later in the day, and that included:

• Truffle soup
• Beef burger
• Methi chicken curry
• Pan fried seabass
• Pea and shallott tortellini
• Eton mess

…. which sounded delicious too.

I want for my usual eggs royale and was very happy I did:

Whilst the menus are available via QR codes, it is all table service and the staff were very attentive.

Conclusion

There’s no two ways about it: the Etihad Lounge at Heathrow Airport is an excellent lounge.

The staff were very welcoming and it’s great to have a dining room with full table service should you want it. These days that’s getting rarer and rarer except for First Class lounges so it’s good that business class passengers can enjoy this as well.

The loss of the Six Senses Spa (removed during Etihad’s cost cutting phase, and free treatments were scrapped some years earlier) is a small price to pay for what is otherwise an impressive facility.

With better food and excellent service it is better than any British Airways lounge except, perhaps, the Concorde Room in Terminal 5. It holds its own with some of the best lounges at Heathrow including the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge in Terminal 3 which is my personal favourite.

Even better, the A380 gates that Etihad uses are just opposite, meaning that you don’t have far to walk.

A review of my A380 Business Suite flight will follow on Monday.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

This lounge opened in 2014 when it was branded as My Lounge and had a hipster aesthetic, which extended to wooden cutlery and cardboard bowls. This was done to create a point of difference with No1 Lounge next door, which has the same ownership.

Towards the end of the pandemic, the lounge took an interesting shift. It became ‘The Gateway by easyJet’ and offers free entry to anyone on a fully flexible easyJet ticket. Other entry routes (cash, Priority Pass, DragonPass etc) remain. The second My Lounge at Gatwick South remains open under the original brand and is reviewed here.

All of the lounges at Gatwick North are in the same area, so follow the big ‘Lounges’ sign as you clear security and duty free. It is situated immediately to your left as you turn into the corridor which ends in the No1 Lounge.

The My Lounge look is best described as ‘industrial shabby chic’.  The entire lounge is glass fronted so anyone passing can see the whole space – although you would only pass the lounge if you were on the way to one of the other lounges.

The ‘shabby chic / hipster’ ethos has softened over the years. Real cutlery, real plates and real glassware are now available and a few orange cushions purchased. The street art in the games room has been replaced by a beach scene. Apart from that, little has changed since the 2014 opening.

It is a small space so it only takes a few photos to give you a full overview.

The main feature is a 15 foot long wooden table with 12 or so yellow chairs around it. This is the best place to work. Standing behind it with my back to the window, you get a view of the buffet and the dining tables:

Here’s a view from the buffet, looking towards the entrance:

Whilst there are floor to ceiling windows, there is no view as you are looking directly back at the terminal. However, these chairs and tables are attractive. Each table has a letter as a base which spells out L-O-U-N-G-E (there may have been eight originally to spell ‘My Lounge’!):

At the back are a couple of sofas (not pictured as they were occupied) and two private rooms. One has a large leather sofa in it:

It was marked ‘Reserved’ when I arrived and a family group took it later on. I am guessing it was held back for them after they booked a large number of slots.

Next door is a small room with table football:

Food and drink at The Gateway lounge

Food was never a strong point here although what is available isn’t actually bad at all. Your options at breakfast are either a sausage / eggs / bacon / beans buffet:

…. or croissants / mini muffins / fruit / yoghurt:

There is a pancake machine but it was broken.

I was also there as breakfast morphed into lunch. There was a choice of a salad bar:

…. and a mix of chicken or pasta with rice as hot items:

As well as the usual soft drinks and coffee machines, alchol options included a surprisingly varied selection of wine (nothing sparkling) plus standard spirits – Jim Beam, Bacardi, Famous Grouse, Beefeater etc.

One thing worth noting is that there is a major lack of plugs in the lounge. It’s all very well having huge wooden tables and leather sofas but they are not ideal for integrating electrical sockets. There are some scattered around but your options are limited.

Getting in

If you were planning to pay to visit The Gateway lounge, you should note that pricing is all over the place.

On the No1 Lounges website it is £32 (my 2015 review notes it was £16 …. lounge inflation has been steep).

Over at Holiday Extras it is £29 for two hours or £32 for three hours. However, click through to Holiday Extras via the easyJet site and you can pay £23 for two hours.

You can also get access via Priority Pass or other lounge club cards. You can pay £6 to pre-book The Gateway or the No1 Lounge next door if you want to ensure access. No1 is by far the bigger space but can be very chaotic. Even as The Gateway lounge got busier there were still plenty of seats, although it was turning away Priority Pass cardholders without reservations around 1pm.

Opening hours are currently 4am to 9pm.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is our review of the Clubrooms lounge at London Gatwick’s North Terminal.

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

Clubrooms is the top-tier lounge offering from No1, which also operates the No1 Lounge and budget MyLounge brands. After a challenging pandemic, No1 was jointly bought out by Priority Pass owner Collinson and Swissport, which operates Aspire lounges.

Originally launched in 2015, the Clubrooms business model has been tweaked since the first one opened in Gatwick South. At that point, it was genuinely a series of separate rooms, hence the name, with families or small groups being able to book one outright.

Today, a Clubrooms lounge is laid out like any other airport lounge.  The difference is the extra money poured in to decoration and and service and, by virtue of high pricing, the lack of other guests.

This was certainly true on my visit mid-morning on a Tuesday when there were only three of us there. Only another three other people arrived during my visit. This is a big contrast to my recent Gatwick lounge experiences, with crowds and queues out the door being common.

Children under 12 are banned from Clubrooms lounges leading to additional peace and quiet!

Of course, you are paying for the privilege. There is an additional £15 charge when using a Priority Pass card or a £42 charge if paying cash.

You can find out more, and buy entry for cash, on this page of the No1 website..

Where is the Clubrooms lounge at Gatwick North?

It’s been some time since I travelled from Gatwick North, but I have to admit it is a much more pleasant experience than at the South Terminal, used by British Airways.

The entire terminal was very quiet and I made it through security without having to queue at all. It was, quite possibly, the quickest airport experience I’ve had in some time – even at London City Airport you can expect to wait for a couple of minutes.

Of course, the illusion is shattered when you have to walk through a particularly aggressive duty free maze that twists and turns multiple times with no easy shortcuts ….

Even the terminal concourse was a paragon of tranquillity, with wide open spaces and people few and far between.

Clubrooms is co-located with all the other lounges at Gatwick North, so it is easy to find. Simply follow the signs to Gates 45-55 and 101-113 by turning left from Duty Free:

After this, the signage gets a little confusing. Do not go up the escalators, but follow the corridor underneath:

…. then turn to your right and you’ll see the signage for all the lounges:

In addition to the Clubrooms you also have the easyJet Gateway lounge, No1 Lounge, Emirates lounge and the Plaza Premium lounge.

The Clubrooms are on the first floor, two floors down from where you enter. There are a couple of lifts to take you down. The entrance to the lounge is very dark and moody – it could do with lightening up, as it almost looks closed.

Inside the Clubrooms lounge at Gatwick North

It’s clear as soon as you enter that the Clubrooms is more premium than most lounges thanks to the service from staff.

I was immediately welcomed by the reception attendant who scanned my boarding pass and Priority Pass card and explained how the lounge worked. She walked me to where I wanted to sit and where my waitress introduced herself. It felt more like I was at a restaurant than in an airport.

Just inside you’ll find a couple of newspapers – in this case the Financial Times, New York Times and London Metro. Newspapers are liberally available for free across both Gatwick terminals, however, so this doesn’t add much.

As I mentioned above, the lounge was exceptionally quiet when I arrived so I had free choice where to sit. The lounge isn’t huge, with around 64 seats. The majority are more casual armchairs around coffee tables:

and

If you want to work, as I did, your only real choice is the large dining / boardroom table in the centre of the lounge. This is the only place with a full height table:

The wifi is generally good, although there’s a bit of lag. Speeds were 13mbps up / 5.6mbps down.

Like other Clubrooms, the lounge features a series of blue toned armchairs, with walls featuring geometric wallpaper or classy wooden boarding:

Two unisex toilet cubicles were also classily done, with marble tiling:

The only thing missing from this lounge, at least for me, was natural light. Whilst there are windows, these are frosted over and hidden behind translucent curtains as they overlook a covered loading bay.

Food and drink at the Gatwick North Clubrooms lounge

Another feature of the Clubrooms brand is that it is all table service with an a la carte menu. The only items out on display were a small selection of pastries, muffins and yoghurt:

Everything else was available to order. For breakfast, this includes full English or brunch rolls (including a veggie options) as well as cereals or porridge. It would have been nice to offer some poached eggs in the form of eggs benedict or eggs royale, which I think would’ve elevated the experience, but alas. I went for the full English:

This was decent, although with most lounges offering a self-serve buffet of full English items it didn’t feel all that special, and I would’ve preferred an egg dish.

Drinks are table service too, with the usual selection of hot drinks, soft drinks and juices. In addition, there is also a complimentary cocktail menu including classics such as espresso martini, bucks fizz (with prosecco), bloody mary, kir royale (again prosecco), mojitos and more.

If you want champagne you need to cough up, with a glass of Baron de Beaupre house champagne costing £9. Bottles of Moet or Veuve Cliquot can be had for £50. Given the entry cost it should not be impossible to offer a single glass of house champagne for free.

The bucks fizz comes with a sugared rim, which I haven’t seen before:

Conclusion

Anyone complaining about the overcrowded state of Gatwick Airport’s lounges will be delighted to find that the Clubrooms are virtually empty. Admittedly I was on a late morning flight on a Tuesday in March – not exactly a peak period.

Nonetheless, the Clubrooms offer a comfortable place to relax whilst you wait for your flight. I was particularly impressed by the service, with the staff extremely attentive. I think during my hour or so there I was asked four or five times after I had eaten whether I wanted anything else to eat or drink – it really is a big step up from a standard No1 Lounge.

I also liked that that the food was a la carte with a full cocktail menu, which makes a big difference from having to self pour a gin and tonic. The only thing I would add is that it would be nice to have some poached eggs on the menu as well as the option to have a fried egg with the full English.

Is it worth paying the £15 supplement over a standard Priority Pass lounge? Overall, I think yes, as you already need to pay £6 simply to reserve a spot at the No1 Lounge upstairs if you don’t want to take your chances on the door. For an additional £9 you get table service, bottomless cocktails and a quiet place to relax or work. Just don’t come with any children under 12 ….

You can check current opening hours and other information on this page of the Priority Pass website, which also contains information on all of the other London Gatwick lounge options.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

The flight back from Gleaneagles Townhouse yesterday (review to come) gave me a chance to complete our re-reviews of the Edinburgh Airport lounges. This one had been tricky to do because it closes at 5pm and we normally travel later.

You can learn more about the Aspire Lounge, and pre-book cash visits, on the Lounge Pass website here.

The Aspire lounge is located next to the British Airways lounge at the far end of the shopping precinct by Gate 4. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the most convenient one for British Airways passengers – my flight to London City left from Gate 11 and a Heathrow flight was next to it on Gate 10.

I got in using my Priority Pass, which comes with my American Express Platinum card (or you can buy one) and allows unlimited free lounge visits.  You also get four free lounge visits per year with American Express Preferred Rewards Gold, which itself is free for your first year.

There was no problem getting in via Priority Pass at 2.30pm – the lounge was busy but certainly not rammed. It was busier than the photos here imply because I would jump up to take one whenever someone got up to leave.

I can’t easily compare this with the other Aspire lounge by Gate 16 because I haven’t been there for some years but it is substantially more modern and spacious than this one at Gate 4.

The Plaza Premium lounge (review here) is light years head of Aspire Gate 4. If you have an American Express Platinum card or a DragonPass card you should head straight to Plaza Premium. Unfortunately Plaza Premium does not accept Priority Pass.

Inside the Aspire lounge at Edinburgh Airport (Gate 4)

The lounge is an odd shape.  As you enter there are a few cubicles on the right hand side, which makes this a decent option if you want to work in semi-privacy:

You then enter a fairly small but pleasant space with both cubicle, booth and bar stool seating:

and

Initially, you think this is it.  Eventually you spot that, behind the buffet and bar, the lounge snakes away around the corner. You find yourself in a bigger space with a lot of light and views of the airport car park.

I’ve always found that this space gives off a bad vibe but it’s not clear why.

I think it is partly because it is quite dark (bizarre, given the huge floor to ceiling windows at the back) and the use of grey sofas, grey and burgundy chairs, grey walls and black tables.

It is also quite a tight space with a lot of furniture. The trend these days is towards brighter, lighter colour schemes – the only bit of brightness here is on the seating by the entrance.

Heading to the loo is tricky.  You let yourself out into the main corridor via a one way fire door, and then walk around the corner.  On your return, you need to head back to the main entrance and see the reception staff.

Food and drink in the Aspire lounge at Edinburgh Airport (Gate 4)

The food here has always been OK. At 2.30pm, so not exactly peak eating time, there were two hot options, including a chicken curry with rice and naan bread (it tasted better than it looks):

…. a fair salad selection:

…. and scones, jam and cream plus some packaged cakes.

There’s also a pancake machine:

You need to ask for alcohol but they are generous with their wine pours – I see that I made the same comment when I last reviewed this lounge six years ago! Coffee is self serve from a machine.

As I said above, if you look at my pictures you might wonder why I wasn’t full of enthusiasm.  It is hard to put my finger on it myself.  Aspire is certainly a good place if you want some privacy or are worried about your kids making a noise, as you can tuck yourself away in a corner or a booth.

Plaza Premium should be your first choice if you can get in (DragonPass or American Express Platinum required). To be honest, I’d probably try the Aspire lounge at Gate 16 second (review here) which does take Priority Pass. If you end up in the Aspire lounge at Gate 4, however, it isn’t a total disaster.

You can book for cash via the Lounge Pass website here.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

The AA First Class lounge is the last of the airline lounges to reopen at Heathrow (the rest that are shut will remain shut, we believe) and opened a full year later than virtually all the other lounges. The American Airlines Admirals Club lounge (review) has been open since late 2022.

Better late than never, I popped in on my way to visit family in Stuttgart last week as BA has recently moved those flights to Terminal 3. You can see a full list of BA’s short haul flights from Heathrow T3 here.

Note that this is a First Class lounge, not a Flagship First lounge. AA has been upgrading its top lounges for five years now, and whilst Heathrow was originally on the list to undergo refurbishment it has yet to happen. It’s not clear if the whole project has been dropped.

How to access the AA First Class lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3

You do not need to be flying American Airlines to access their lounges.

The only requirement is that you are flying a oneworld carrier (such as Finnair, American Airlines, Iberia, Qantas or British Airways), either on a business class ticket or First Class ticket – depending on lounge – or with the relevant status.

That means anyone with oneworld Emerald (ie. British Airways Executive Club Gold) can access the First Class lounge, even if you are flying an a hand-baggage-only British Airways economy flight. Unlike The Concorde Room in Terminal 5, you do not need to be flying in First Class.

If you have a British Airways Silver card or oneworld equivalent, or are travelling in business class on a oneworld airline, you could use the American Airlines Admirals Club lounge reviewed here – although we don’t recommend it.

You are allowed to bring one guest if you are entering via your frequent flyer status. If you are entering via your ticket class, you must be flying in First Class to bring a guest, who must be travelling on the same flight.

Where is the American Airlines First Class lounge at Heathrow?

Terminal 3 uses an alphabetic labelling system for the nine lounges that are now available at the airport. The First Class lounge is designated as ‘Lounge H’ (together with the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and AA Admiral’s Club) when you exit security.

The majority of the lounges are all along one corridor. The Admirals Club / First Class lounge is just to the right of the Cathay Pacific and Qantas lounges, and is slap bang in the middle of the corridors to the majority of gates.

The First Class lounge is open from 5:30am until 7pm daily.

Inside the American Airlines First Class lounge at Heathrow

The good news is that, whilst a full conversion to Flagship First is still on hold, AA did at least use some of the downtime whilst the lounge was closed to refresh it. That includes:

“The revamped space saw the install of a new fully fire-rated professional kitchen, providing American’s chefs with the capacity to produce an extensive buffet offering and a premium á la carte menu. The reopening also sees the return of American’s Champagne station, alongside top-of-the-range bean to cup coffee machines and an extensive wine and spirits list.”

Chairs and soft furnishings have also been replaced, which means it no longer looks as much like an old people’s home as it used to.

You check in in the same (large) lobby as for the Admiral’s Club:

…. but instead of proceeding ahead, turn around to your right and you’ll see the entrance to the First Class lounge:

I was surprised by the size of the lounge, which can seat up to 120. Immediately as you enter is a little sweets station:

If you prefer something a bit harder, a champagne station is also immediately available, stocked with bottles of Moet (white and rose):

The lounge is split into a handful of sections. Broadly speaking there is ground level at the front with a mezzanine level at the rear. The ground level section features a large bar-height dining / working area:

Opposite, you’ll find a row of armchairs:

To the far right is the buffet area, and adjacent to this you’ll find the dining room. This looked particularly dated previously so the addition of new tables and chairs makes a big difference, although the wall photograph of the Houses of Parliament still feels very noughties!

In front of the buffet are more dining tables and chairs, in a more casual set up:

The main difference is that staff will come and take your order in the dining room, and you also have access to an a la carte menu. That said, it was extremely quiet during my visit and the staff were happy to take orders from other areas too if you waived them over.

Towards the windows and the mezzanine you have another large area of casual seating with lots of armchairs and plenty of charging sockets.

and

Food and drink in the American Airlines First Class lounge

As mentioned, there’s a small buffet section as well as an a la carte menu. The buffet was fairly basic and featured chicken tikka masala, mac n cheese, steamed vegetables, soup and vegan mushroom stew:

Let’s be honest, it isn’t the most exciting offering:

You also have a choice of some pre-made salads and various mezze including hummus:

The a la carte menu is significantly more inspiring. It features an all-day breakfast and lunch menu so you can eat whatever you fancy. Choices are:

• Eggs benedict
• Eggs florentine
• Eggs royale
• Smashed avocado on toast
• American pancakes
• Waffles

Whilst on the lunch side of the menu:

• Cured pork
• Pan-fried cod
• Polenta cake
• Baked fennel citrus and pistachio salad

I wasn’t totally enamoured with any of the choices – in fact, I almost ordered my usual eggs royale at 4pm – but I decided to settle on the cured pork.

Top marks for presentation, although the meat did topple over as it was put down on the table:

Visually, this was much higher-end than I expected. Unfortunately the impression didn’t hold up as the meat was a little on the tough side, which was a shame.

I also wanted to try the apple crumble for dessert but sadly that was unavailable.

Conclusion

Overall, the American Airlines First Class lounge at Heathrow is a surprisingly big space although it can feel cramped thanks to the low-ish ceilings and lack of natural light.

The addition of new furniture has helped to modernise the space a bit but it’s a far cry from AA’s latest Flagship First lounges in the US and even its latest generation of Admirals Clubs. In comparison, the First Class lounge looks like a lounge from yesteryear thanks to its sea of beige and brown.

When it comes to the buffet, I would be tempted to simplify the offering to high-quality sandwiches and other cold items rather than offer hot items in addition to the a la carte menu.

I wouldn’t mind trying the breakfast items on the a la carte menu next time. If they can pull off a proper poached egg then I might pop in here more regularly in the mornings.

For now, however, you can still sit and eat in much more style in the Cathay Pacific First lounge next door – with no need to stare at a sea of beige.

Travelling from Heathrow Terminal 3? Here are your lounge options ….

Heathrow’s Terminal 3 has one of the highest concentration of premium lounges of any terminal in the world.

Our overview of the best airline lounges at Heathrow Terminal 3 is here, or you can read individual reviews of all the lounges here:

• American Express Centurion lounge review
• American Airlines Admirals Club lounge review (oneworld)
• American Airlines First Class lounge review (oneworld)
• British Airways Galleries First lounge review (oneworld)
• British Airways Galleries Club (business class) lounge review (oneworld)
• Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge review (oneworld)
• Cathay Pacific First Class lounge review (oneworld)
• Club Aspire lounge review
• Emirates lounge review
• No1 Lounge review
• Qantas London Lounge review (oneworld)
• Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse review

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

Formerly the London Gatwick outpost of Virgin Clubhouse, Plaza Premium took over the space after Virgin Atlantic stopped flying from Gatwick in September 2021. It is the only Plaza Premium lounge at Gatwick.

Now that the lounge is owned and managed by Plaza Premium it is open to all. Free access is granted to anyone with an American Express Platinum credit card or a DragonPass membership. Plaza Premium is NOT available through Priority Pass.

You can also pay cash on the door or book in advance via this link – the rate is currently £44 per person.

The Plaza Premium lounge in Gatwick North is open from 4am until 8pm daily.

Where is the Plaza Premium lounge in Gatwick North?

Getting to the Plaza Premium lounge is pretty easy, as Gatwick Airport has smartly grouped all of the North Terminal lounges together. The four other lounges are the No1 Lounge, the No1 Clubrooms, the Gateway Lounge by easyJet and the Emirates lounge. See our lounge reviews page here for details of those.

To find the lounges, simply follow the directions towards gates 45-55 and 101-113 by turning left from duty free:

As you can see, the terminal was remarkably quiet on a Tuesday morning and a far cry from the crowds you often see at Gatwick South. The North Terminal generally seems to be a bit less jam-packed.

Do not go up the escalators, but follow the corridor underneath:

Then turn to your right and you’ll see the signage for all the lounges:

The Plaza Premium lounge is on the top (4th) floor, so head straight to the lifts and take them one floor up.

Inside the London Gatwick Plaza Premium lounge

As this is a converted lounge, it doesn’t feature Plaza Premium’s traditional design or colour scheme. Instead, the Plaza Premium Gatwick lounge benefits from Virgin Atlantic’s previous investment in materials and design, with the layout and furniture almost identical to how it was as a Clubhouse.

It is a very clean, white design. Here is the lounge reception:

To the left is where the former Clubhouse Spa used to be, but is currently blocked off by a tensabarrier. Opposite, I was pleased to see the magazine rack fully stocked with copies of the Financial Times, New York Times, City AM and Metro:

Of all the lounges in Gatwick North, Plaza Premium has the best location. Being on the top floor it is flooded with natural light and has floor to ceiling windows across two aspects. It is noticeably brighter than the rest, although No1 Lounge comes close.

On the right hand side you have one seating area, including three semi-circular sofas facing out. These were very popular and were occupied throughout my visit, so I wasn’t able to get a closer look.

In the centre is the buffet and bar, plus a few dining tables:

Again, the marble bar has been retained from the Virgin Atlantic days, as has the bird-like chandelier:

A curving wall creates interest with a row of stylish green booths:

In the corner you have more seating, ranging from a row of dining tables along the window to iconic red armchairs. The black and white tiled floor adds another layer of interest:

and

Finally, in the far corner, is the children’s section:

This was used by a couple of families whilst I was there, and it’s a great addition to the lounge. However, there is just one problem: there is no glass divider or anything else to separate it from the rest of the lounge. If a child decides to throw a tantrum, as one did when I was there, everyone knows about it.

That is – fundamentally – it. Plaza Premium benefits from the money Virgin Atlantic spent on the fittings, which are still in incredibly good condition. Even the toilets are smart, with black terrazzo tiles:

Food and drink in the Plaza Premium lounge

The buffet and bar are, unfortunately, less impressive and do not match the high standards of the hard product.

The buffet itself is relatively small, although it is conveniently located:

I arrived at around 11am when breakfast items were being replaced with lunch / all day dining options. The breakfast was not hugely inspiring – some eggs, hash browns and beans. Key items such as bacon seemed to be missing.

For lunch, hot options consisted of chicken tikka masala, Keralan chickpea curry or penne mac and cheese:

There is also a small salad bar:

Whilst cereals, yoghurts, fruit and bread and pastries rounded out the offering.

At the bar, you can get complimentary servings of house wine and beers, as well as basic spirits such as Gordon’s gin, Smirnoff vodka, Bacardi and Famous Grouse whisky.

Prosecco is considered ‘premium’ and charged at £5 a glass whilst a bottle of champagne will set you back £40. That’s not unusual for an independent lounge like this – No1 Lounge downstairs would also charge for these things.

One thing that didn’t escape my notice was the lack of a uniform cutlery set. Instead, Plaza Premium uses a range of different, cheap looking and cheap feeling cutlery that looked like it had been bought in a charity shop. This felt particularly downmarket and not in-keeping with the high standards of the rest of the lounge.

Conclusion

Despite strong competition, the Plaza Premium lounge at London Gatwick’s North Terminal is generally excellent.

It features, by far, the classiest design thanks to Virgin Atlantic which clearly spent a lot of money. The lounge is extremely bright and features a range of seating options depending on your mood, with luxury fittings such as the marble bar and colourful seating injecting a bit of fun into the space.

According to the lounge attendant it is also currently the quietest lounge at Gatwick North, something that certainly held true during my stay. (The No1 and Gateway lounges downstairs, on the other hand, were rammed.)

Whilst the hard product can’t be faulted, things start to fall down when it comes to both food and service. Despite signs to the contrary, the toilets were not particularly clean and did not appear to be checked very often.

The food offering is average, and the lack of proper cutlery cheapens the experience. I have seen both of these things done better at other Plaza Premium lounges, including the excellent one in Edinburgh (reviewed here) so I’m not sure why that’s the case at Gatwick.

Overall, the Plaza Premium Gatwick lounge gets top marks for design and comfort, but with marks knocked off for food and service. Despite that, this is still a quality lounge. I’d definitely come here first, if only because it is so light and airy compared to some of the alternatives.

You can book a visit for cash on the Plaza Premium website here.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

When Terminal 4 reopened last June, we were surprised to see that Qatar Airways had built a second lounge. What we thought was going to be an extension to the existing Premium lounge turned out to be a totally separate facility.

Before I get into the lounge review, I should mention that Qatar Airways has recently opened a premium check-in facility in Heathrow Terminal 4. It looks similar to the one operated by British Airways at Gatwick. I didn’t use it – I was only travelling with hand baggage – but it looks smart:

Why does Qatar Airways need two lounges?

The Qatar Airways Premium lounge in Terminal 4 is, arguably, the classiest airport lounge in Heathrow. It is a very smart and sophisticated place to spend your time, with a high quality restaurant.

Historically, Qatar Airways restricted access to its Premium lounge at Heathrow to anyone flying in Business or First Class.

Status passengers travelling in Economy were originally sent to the SkyTeam lounge (now permanently closed) and later to the Plaza Premium Terminal 4 lounge (review here) which sits directly above the Qatar Airways lounge.

Qatar Airways seems to have decided that it wanted to completely control the passenger experience at Heathrow Terminal 4 by opening its own ‘second’ lounge.

Who can access the new Qatar Airways Frequent Flyer lounge?

Acess to the lounge is as follows, as per the oneworld website:

• Open to: Business Class, First Class, oneworld Emerald (eg BA Gold), oneworld Sapphire (eg BA Silver), Qatar Privilege Club Silver members (but not oneworld Ruby equivalents)

• Guesting: You can only bring a guest if getting in via oneworld status, not by ticket class

• Which airlines?: The lounge can be accessed by Qatar Airways passengers as well as those flying on other oneworld airlines (primarily Malaysia Airlines now that it has closed its own lounge in Terminal 4, and Royal Air Maroc)

Both lounges share the same entrance, which is down by Gate 1. There is only one check in desk, with the staff directing you either to the right – to enter the Premium lounge – or towards the stairs or lift if you are heading to the Frequent Flyer lounge.

The staircase has been designed to add a touch of theatre to the lounge, and it opens out directly into the main seating area.

Whilst it looks as it I was given a private tour, I wasn’t. I arrived at Heathrow four hours before my flight and, with no other departures, I literally had the place to myself for 45 minutes. The whole terminal was empty at this point – I also had the Fast Track security line to myself, and even after I’d spend 2-3 minutes repacking my bags there was still no-one else behind me.

Qatar Airways has created a classy space with floor to ceiling windows running down one side. No aircraft were parked up outside however and it is literally a dead end so no aircraft cruise past. This is not the place to plane spot!

There are basically four seating zones. There are two circular areas with grey fabric armchairs at the bottom of the staircase (oddly without power outlets as far as I could tell):

Running along the window are a series of areas which are suitable for families, each containing at least four red seats (the tables here contain power sockets):

There is a small seating area with green, higher backed, chairs next to the two TVs:

Finally there is a seating by the buffet in the dining area:

Food and drink in the Qatar Airways Frequent Flyer lounge

I was there during breakfast and, just before I left, the lunch service was laid out. The quality of the food – with the exception of a pain au chocolat which was a bit dry – was very high.

It’s been a few years since I was in a British Airways business class lounge at Heathrow, but given that the quality of food in the Qatar Airways Frequent Flyer lounge is well above the Galleries First lounge, it must be light years ahead of what Galleries Club is currently serving up.

The hot lunch dishes which were coming out as I left were Sweetcorn Mousseline, Beef Short Ribs with Chimichurri, Chicken Makhani, Prawn Machboos with Raita, Broccolini with Fire Pepper and Mozzarella Ravioli with Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce. There was also a full salad bar laid out.

In terms of drinks, you have two options. Some French sparkling wine (not champagne) is laid out in an ice bucket:

…. together with a fridge of soft drinks below it.

There is also a QR-coded drinks menu although orders needed to be placed in person with the staff. This includes a wide list of teas, coffees, juices, soft drinks, basic spirits (Johnnie Walker Red, Baileys etc) and beers (Heineken, Stella Artois) and even non-alcoholic sparkling wine.

Conclusion

Whilst not huge (there are around 60 seats, excluding the dining area), the Qatar Airways Frequent Flyer lounge is a classy space with high quality food.

Whilst it may get busy at peak times, it was a haven of quiet in the late morning. The pinch point will be around 8pm, with both Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines having back-to-back departures around 9.20pm.

My only niggle is the lack of champagne, but to be honest it is very rare to see this on free pour in a business class lounge – and this, technically, is meant to be a step below a business class lounge. In reality, it is better than virtually all UK airport lounges outside London.

If you are travelling on Qatar Airways (or Malaysia Airlines, or Royal Air Maroc) in Economy but have British Airways Silver or Gold status, you will get a good start to your trip here.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

Full details of all of the Plaza Premium lounges in Heathrow including this one can be found on their site here. Note that this review is of the airside departures lounge – the Plaza Premium arrivals lounge in Terminal 4 is now permanently closed, as are the other Plaza Premium arrivals lounges at Heathrow.

I didn’t actually intend to review the lounge this week, although it is eight years since we last covered it and a re-review is well overdue. My plan was to visit the new ‘Blush by Plaza Premium’ lounge in Terminal 4, but it turns out that you cannot get access to this with an American Express Platinum card.

As a reminder, Plaza Premium lounges are no longer part of Priority Pass or LoungeKey. You can get access by booking for cash here, using an American Express Platinum card (show your card at reception, one free guest allowed) or using a DragonPass lounge club card.

I had no trouble getting in around noon on a Monday. The lounge was busy but certainly nowhere near full.

With the SkyTeam lounge now closed, there are no Priority Pass options in Heathrow Terminal 4.

Where is the Plaza Premium lounge in Heathrow Terminal 4?

The Plaza Premium lounge is situated directly above the Qatar Airways lounge facility which is to the left as you clear Terminal 4 security.  It is by Gate 1, which due to the weird gate numbering system in Terminal 4 is nowhere near the end of terminal!

The Etihad lounge and the Etihad gates are a fair walk away down at the other end, to your right.

You need to head up a quite a few stairs to get to the lounge, but a lift is available.

Because of the number of people about, there are fewer wide angle shots than usual in this review.

Inside the Plaza Premium lounge in Heathrow Terminal 4

The lounge has an odd layout driven – I think – by the fact that a number of Middle Eastern airlines use it, including Saudia.

To one side of reception you have a bar, with all drinks having to be ordered – there is no self pour alcohol. To the other side of reception is the dining area, which is completely dry with not a whiff of alcohol in sight.

Here is the main seating area facing the buffet, which is light and bright. You have two long communal tables nearest the food and then a number of tables for two directly behind.

This is helped by a large window (this is an old photo) but there isn’t much to see – this is a ‘dead end’ part of the apron and if the gate isn’t being used there will be no aircraft in sight. You don’t get aircraft passing you.

Slightly bizarrely, the lounge used to have a tree! Where the flowers are on the table below used to contain a tree, which stuck out of the table and stretched up to the skylight above it (not visible). The plug sockets built into this table have also been removed as you can see.

Getting rid of the tree has removed the main ‘feature item’ from the lounge, and removing plug sockets from this table doesn’t help either. Bring back the tree!

There are elements of Shoreditchy / warehousey styling but unlike, say, My Lounge at Gatwick South, these are only light touches.  The space is generally warm.

There is a large seating area behind the dining area and, slightly hidden away, a run of seats by the windows around the corner from the buffet:

Off to the side are a honeycomb of work pods, which are also quite cosy.  If you want to use a ‘house’ computer, however, you need to sit on a stool in the reception area.

There is no play area but little people have their own table with a view over the gates:

Food and drink at the Plaza Premium Terminal 4 lounge

In terms of food, you certainly won’t go hungry.  They were serving lunch when I arrived:

The hot dishes were definitely varied – chicken tikka masala, a chickpea tagine and mac ‘n’ cheese, with a very English apple crumble for dessert!

What is interesting is the bar.  As I mentioned earlier, Terminal 4 is home to many of the Middle Eastern airlines – not just Qatar Airways and Etihad but also Gulf Air and Saudia. There is also Royal Air Maroc and Malaysia Airlines in T4.  Possibly for this reason – or perhaps just for design reasons – the bar is in a totally different area on the other side of reception.

There is no self pour alcohol. Standard soft drinks, beer and wine are free. All other drinks must be paid for – prosecco is £5 per glass, champagne (Pannier) is £35 per bottle, non-house wines are £3 to £5 per glass, speciality beers are £4.50 per bottle, spirits are £3 to £6 for a 25ml shot.

It’s worth knowing that the bar has a lot more seating that you would guess if you just put your head around the door. There is an extra area tucked away after the bar.

Showers

The lounge does have showers available. These are not always included if you get free entry via a lounge club programme so do check with reception.

Conclusion

All in all, I’ve always had a soft spot for this lounge even though it’s a modest size – although losing the tree has taken away some of its character. Plaza Premium knows what it takes to run a good third party lounge.  You don’t get the same number of bells and whistle as a No1 Lounge (no cinema, no kids room, no library) but what you do get is well executed.

If you don’t get free access via American Express Platinum or DragonPass you can buy access via the Plaza Premium website.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

Earlier this year, I went on a lounge safari of all the oneworld lounges at Heathrow Terminal 3 to update our reviews.

One lounge I couldn’t get in was the American Airlines Admirals Club, as it was still shut, so I thought I’d make the effort on my recent flight to New York. A review of American Airlines’ Flagship business class will follow.

The Admirals Club was very lightly refreshed this year, although I challenge anyone to spot the difference.

How to access the AA Admirals Club at Heathrow T3

You do not need to be flying American Airlines to access the lounge.

The only requirement is that you are flying a oneworld carrier (such as Finnair, American Airlines, Qantas or British Airways), either on a business class ticket or First Class ticket – depending on lounge – or with the relevant status.

That means anyone with oneworld Sapphire (ie. British Airways Executive Club Silver) can access the Admirals Club, even if you are flying an a hand-baggage-only British Airways economy flight.

You are allowed to bring one guest if you are entering via your status. If you are entering via your ticket class, you should be able to bring a guest who is travelling in Economy or Premium Economy on the same flight.

How to find the Admirals Club lounge at Heathrow

Terminal 3 uses an alphabetic labelling system for the nine lounges that are now available at the airport. The Admirals Club is designated as ‘Lounge H’ (together with the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse) when you exit security.

The majority of the lounges are all along one corridor. The Admirals Club is just to the right of the Cathay Pacific and Qantas lounges, and is slap bang in the middle of the corridors to the majority of gates.

The Admirals Club is open from 6am until 7pm daily, except on Saturdays when it closes at 5pm.

Inside the Admirals Club lounge T3

I mentioned before that the Admirals Club shares the ‘Lounge H’ designation with the Virgin Clubhouse. That’s because the Clubhouse is upstairs whilst the Admirals Club occupies the ‘ground’ floor:

After having your boarding pass scanned you make your way down a corridor past the bathrooms and showers to the main seating area.

First up is a small area of seats which remained unused during my stay in the lounge, primarily I imagine because it’s attached to the corridor and feels very transitory:

The centrepiece of the lounge is a large round dining area:

The buffet is on the left (more on that later).

To the right you have more armchair-style seating. You do at least get some good views across the terminal:

There is also a decent light installation that turns a gloomy corner into something a bit more appealing and bright:

The Admirals Club is not quite as big as the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, but it is bigger than it looks. There is more seating behind the dining area, which is screened by a wall, including a small hot-desking area with a couple of TVs showing the World Cup (on mute):

There is also a ‘quiet’ area. I’m not sure it was any quieter than the rest of the lounge, which was fairly sedate at 4pm on a Monday.

Connectivity is very good throughout the lounge. There are an abundance of options, with sockets for both UK and US style plugs at most seats:

There are also seven or eight showers in the lounge. I had a quick peek, and found them to be very large and clean:

Food and drink in the Admirals Club lounge

A small buffet is provided. As the First dining room is still closed, all passengers will eat here:

When it comes to hot food you have a choice of three options: honey roasted gammon, potatoes and pasta. None of it looks particularly appealing:

Why is it that lounge caterers think that the perfect ratio of pasta to sauce is about 100:1?

On the other side of the table you have lighter options, including some sandwiches and a salad bar, which at least looked ok:

There are self-serve spirits and wines, plus soft and hot drinks. A prosecco is offered instead of champagne.

and

The highlight of the lounge dining is the freezer of Jude’s ice cream off to one side:

…. as well as a pick’n’mix style sweets station:

Conclusion

As the oldest oneworld lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3, the American Airlines Admirals Club lounge is showing its age. A light refresh earlier this year hasn’t done much to change that. If anything, the dark grey pleather armchairs make it feel even more like a depressing hospital waiting room, and the food isn’t much better.

This is now even more glaringly obvious given the brand new American Airlines and British Airways lounges in New York. Anyone flying from London to New York or vice versa would enjoy world-class lounges at JFK whilst slumming it at sub-par facilities in Heathrow. The difference between those lounges and this is night and day.

Will we see a refurbishment? Prior to covid, there were rumours that American Airlines was going to renovate and reopen the space as a Flagship lounge, which is meant to be better than an Admirals Club. That has not happened and from what I’ve heard appears to have been paused, at least for now, despite being long overdue.

My advice, for anyone with access to this lounge, is to skip it and head to the Qantas London Lounge or Cathay Pacific Lounges next door.

Travelling from Heathrow Terminal 3? Here are your lounge options ….

Heathrow’s Terminal 3 has one of the highest concentration of premium lounges of any terminal in the world.

Our overview of the best airline lounges at Heathrow Terminal 3 is here, or you can read individual reviews of all the lounges here:

• American Express Centurion lounge review
• American Airlines Admirals Club lounge review (oneworld)
• American Airlines First Class lounge review (oneworld)
• British Airways Galleries First lounge review (oneworld)
• British Airways Galleries Club (business class) lounge review (oneworld)
• Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge review (oneworld)
• Cathay Pacific First Class lounge review (oneworld)
• Club Aspire lounge review
• Emirates lounge review
• No1 Lounge review
• Qantas London Lounge review (oneworld)
• Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse review

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

I initially visited the lounge for a private party to interview Plaza Premium’s CEO Mr Song – this article will run later in the week. I returned to the lounge during normal hours before my BA CityFlyer flight back to London, as I wanted to see how the lounge worked with a full complement of paying guests.

It is great to finally see a Plaza Premium lounge in the Scottish capital and the first outside London.

How to access the Plaza Premium Edinburgh lounge

Now that Plaza Premium has severed all ties with Priority Pass, the only way to access the Edinburgh lounge is by booking a spot for cash, using a DragonPass lounge club card or by holding a credit card which gets access.

In my case, I gained entry using my American Express Platinum card, which gets you and a plus one entry into all Plaza Premium lounges worldwide. It is one of the best benefits of the Platinum Card in my view.

Cash bookings are available via the website, with a 2 hour slot costing £37.40.

The Plaza Premium lounge at Edinburgh is currently open from 4:30am until 5pm daily.

Where is the Plaza Premium lounge at Edinburgh Airport?

The Plaza Premium Edinburgh Lounge has taken over the space that was previously used by No1 Lounges by Gate 16. It is very close to the Domestic Arrivals exit.

This is a modern extension to the airport which opened in 2019 to accommodate two new lounges. The other lounge is the Aspire next door, which I have reviewed here.

The No1 Lounge was only open for about a year before it closed due to covid. When Collinson (the owners of Priority Pass) bought No1 Lounges during the pandemic they decided to close this site, at which point Plaza Premium swooped in to lease the space.

To find the lounge, turn right once you exit the duty free shop after security, and head down to Gate 13-16. The lounge is just by the Brewdog bar:

Access is via a stairs or lift:

Inside the Plaza Premium Lounge at Edinburgh Airport

Once up the stairs you head in via a shallow ramp to the check-in desks:

When I arrived at midday the lounge was closed to on-the-door arrivals: it seems that even Plaza Premium isn’t immune to the current issues plaguing airport lounges and restaurants, who are struggling to recruit staff. Luckily I had asked the staff to hold a slot for me when I was there for the party on the previous evening.

Given that the No1 Lounge was only open for just over a year it was in very good condition. Plaza Premium has kept a lot of the fixed furnishings, such as the bar and buffet area, whilst refreshing all the soft furnishings and other design elements such as the armchairs, tables, lighting etc.

It has also opened up two additional spaces in the lounge which were previously boarded up whilst No1 operated the lounge – it was space allocated for a Clubrooms premium zone – which almost doubles the usable space.

One of these spaces is a ‘VIP area’. Plaza Premium is hoping to offer to airlines as a dedicated space for their business class guests. Turkish Airlines was one of the guests at the lounge opening party so we may see them move in ….

For now, however, this space is available for pre-bookings and features a range of seating:

and

It definitely has a more exclusive feel to it thanks to its smaller size.

The other newly opened space is a kids’ playroom / games room. This is another fairly large space that straddles the right hand side of the lounge, and features a long shuffle puck table, table football, mini climbing wall, a TV, various activities for children and seating for parents.

This part is definitely one of the better kids’ areas I have seen at a lounge. It is big enough for parents and children to spend their entire time there thanks to the dedicated tables and seating areas, which gives families the freedom to be a bit noisier without disturbing other guests.

The remainder of the lounge is sandwiched between these two spaces, with the Edinburgh Gin Bar acting as an anchor for the lounge. There are over 10 different types of Edinburgh Gin on offer, more than any other airport lounge bar in the world (apparently!)

In front of the bar you’ll find a casual dining area:

To the right is more restaurant-style seating, plus the buffet (more on that in a bit).

The rest of the lounge is a couple of steps down, on a mezzanine level, which helps to break the space up. This part features a big hot-desking style table with lots of plug sockets as well as plenty of leather armchairs:

and

Connectivity is great throughout the lounge, with plenty of mains sockets throughout the lounge. The only notable exception is in the dining area.

Food and drink in the Plaza Premium lounge at Edinburgh Airport

For now, Plaza Premium is offering a self-serve buffet in the lounge. It plans to bring an a la carte service to Edinburgh, which would be a significant upgrade on the Heathrow lounges.

Morning service includes a full Scottish breakfast. I arrived during lunch hours and there was a decent hot selection available, including a range of curries, veggie lasagne, fish and chips and pie:

Cold items include finger sandwiches and a selection of salads:

When it comes to drinks, soft and hot drinks are available to grab from fridges and machines around the lounge. Alcohol is free from the bar, although you do have to pay a supplement for some premium drinks. House wines, beer, gins and spirits are all free, including cocktails using the Edinburgh Gins.

Conclusion

Last week, Plaza Premium won the Skytrax ‘Best Independent Airport Lounge’ award for the 6th year in a row for its Heathrow Terminal 2 lounge.

The Edinburgh Plaza Premium lounge is better than Heathrow Terminal 2. There is a huge amount of natural light and fantastic runway views thanks to its dual aspect location and wrap-around windows. The Heathrow T2 lounge, in contrast, has no natural light.

There is an excellent family room where children and parents will feel comfortable without being self-conscious about disturbing other guests, and the current buffet is impressive.

If and when Plaza Premium introduces an a la carte menu – which I’m told is very much on the cards – it will further elevate the lounge above its UK counterparts. I would be shocked if this lounge doesn’t win at next year’s Skytrax awards.

You can find out more about the Plaza Premium Lounge at Edinburgh Airport, and book cash tickets, on its website here.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

I was at Edinburgh Airport in order to review the brand new Plaza Premium lounge, coming soon. I had a bit more time than expected so I though would take a quick peek into the British Airways business class lounge too.

In recent years, BA has refurbished its Aberdeen lounge (review here), but the Edinburgh lounge has not been upgraded since British Airways took over the space from bmi back in 2012/3.

Where is the British Airways lounge at Edinburgh Airport?

The British Airways lounge is located opposite Gate 5, at the far end of the shopping precinct.  Turn left when exiting the duty free maze after security and you’ll eventually see it.

How can you get into the lounge?

The British Airways lounge at Edinburgh operates under standard BA lounge access rules.  That means you’ll get access if you are:

• a Silver or Gold Executive Club member
• travelling in Club Europe
• connecting to a long-haul Club World or First flight at Heathrow

oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members also get access, if flying on British Airways or another oneworld airline.

You cannot get in by paying or by showing any lounge access card. For that you’d need to head to the Club Aspire lounges or the brand new Edinburgh Plaza Premium lounge which we will review soon.

Inside the Edinburgh British Airways lounge

To get into the lounge all you need to do is scan your boarding pass with one of the lounge attendants.

You can then walk in, past the tragically empty magazine racks:

They really should do something about this, even if it is just printing a long banner with details of how to download magazines and newspapers digitally via Press Reader. It does not set a good first impression.

The British Airways Edinburgh lounge is triangular and fans out from the entrance. It is surprisingly big although it needs to be given the volume of flights and the number of travellers with status. On some flights to London City Airport virtually the entire flight is BA Silver or Gold!

First up is a high table and some dining tables:

and

After this is the buffet area, which is conveniently located slap bang in the middle of the lounge.

Don’t get too excited though, because the only things on offer were some sandwiches in creative flavours (no BLT, egg and mayo or tuna sandwich crowd pleasers here) and a miniscule cheese and cracker selection.

and

The drinks offering, at least, is slightly better, with self- pour wines, beers and spirits, including Aviation and Tanqueray gin, Ciroc vodka, Pimms and Red Label Johnnie Walker.

Round the corner are more empty magazine racks, albeit this time featuring copies of BA’s own High Life, which makes it look less barren:

The lounge does, at least, have a long wall of windows at its far end which overlooks the car park (no runway views sadly):

There is more seating away from the windows:

Plus a smaller room off the main space that’s been set up for people with laptops:

This is a key selling point.  Lots of space and lots of variety.  Whether you want a desk to work at, a communal eating table or sofa style seating, you are going to be OK. 

Conclusion

What lets the British Airways Edinburgh lounge down, at least mid afternoon, was the lack of hot food – or any decent food at all.  British Airways never seems to make a success of feeding people at its lounges outside London.

If you’re hungry, and you have an Amex Platinum card, I would be tempted to go to the Plaza Premium lounge instead – it is newer, nicer, and has a better food selection. It also has spectacular runway views.

If you are reading this and can access the British Airways lounge but do not have access to other lounges, the question isn’t really ‘which Edinburgh Airport lounge is best?’.  Your question will be ‘is it worth getting to the airport early to enjoy the BA lounge?’.  Food-wise, the answer is ‘No’.  Drinks-wise, I’d say yes.  Space-wise and comfort-wise, I’d say yes, although it does get busy.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

Overall, I was impressed, despite the capacity constraints.

If you are hoping to visit this lounge with a Priority Pass, your chance of entry without paying £6 to prebook via this link is not great at the moment. In recent weeks, it hasn’t even been possible to book at full price at short notice. Much of the capacity is being purchased in bulk by airlines who do not have their own lounges.

Remember that paying £6 to prebook also gets you free Fast Track Security access. It is a decent deal if you would otherwise have to queue for the main security line.

How to access the No1 Lounge at Gatwick South

As independent lounges, No1 Lounges are open to anyone willing to pay or with a lounge membership card, regardless of which airline you’re flying on.

In my case, I gained entry using the Priority Pass card which comes with my American Express Platinum card.   Amex Platinum comes with two Priority Pass cards, each of which also admits a guest for free, so in theory one Platinum card covers a family of four for unlimited visits.

No1 Lounges often refuse access to Priority Pass guests at peak times because the lounge gets overcrowded.  This has been particularly acute this year, with staffing issues forcing No1 to close the adjacent Clubrooms lounge and the nearby Club Aspire lounge (all three lounges have common ownership).

I did try to pre-book an entry slot for an extra £6 but the lounge had its pre-booking quota, so I tried my luck on the day instead.

I arrived around 9:30am and was told I had to join the online queue, which at that point was around 30 minutes long. In the end, I got a text around an hour later – about 40 minutes before my flight. I only made a passing stop to take some photos and enjoy a quick drink and snack before heading to the gate.

Where to find the No1 Lounge at Gatwick South

The first thing to remember is that you do NOT head down the escalators after you pass through Gatwick security.  There is a doorway to your left which is for anyone who is heading to the British Airways or No1 Lounge, or indeed any of the shops or restaurants on the mezzanine level.  If you go down the escalator, you have to come straight back up again ….

The No1 Lounge is down the same corridor you take when you head to the British Airways lounges at Gatwick (British Airways Business lounge review here, British Airways First lounge review here). It is on the same level, whilst you need to head up a floor for the BA lounges.

You’ll see a joint lobby for both No1 and Clubrooms:

Inside Gatwick South’s No1 Lounge

Once you’ve been checked in by the lounge staff you head up a small ramp into the lounge. It is not a particularly big lounge but it makes a very good first impression thanks to the huge amount of natural light streaming in from full width windows on two sides:

and

The flip side is that it is very open plan, with few places to hide out and work, for example. Off to the right you’ll find a few smaller rooms, including a business centre and ‘library’:

…. and a couple of booths (with a ‘reserved’ sign on them):

The rest of the lounge features a central section with a wrap-around mezzanine level:

and

and

The lounge has its own toilets, although I couldn’t find any showers.

Food and drink at the No1 Lounge Gatwick South

The food offering is spread out across the lounge, rather than in one specific area.

Pastries included croissants, pain au chocolats and muffins, whilst there was also a selection of two basic cereals and bread.

Hot food was limited to just three dishes: potato cubes, bacon and what Americans would call ‘sausage patties,’ which some guests were using to make burgers. This is a substantially reduced offering from pre-pandemic, when you would be given a paper menu on entry which could be exchanged for a hot item delivered to your seat.

There is also a selection of yoghurts and fruit available, plus porridge.

A couple of coffee and tea stations are located around the lounge whilst you’ll have to head to the bar for any alcohol. This is at the centre of the lounge, in a triangle shape:

House beers, wines etc are free although you’ll have to pay for champagne. Prices start at £8/glass and top out at £50 for a bottle of Veuve Cliquot or Moet.

Verdict – is the No1 Lounge at Gatwick South worth it?

All in all, the No1 Lounge at Gatwick South is an impressive lounge with stylish decor and a fantastic, open-plan design that’s flooded with natural light.

It is a much more pleasant place to spend a morning than the restaurants around the main concourse, which more often than not are dark and dingy with few or no windows.

The food offering was admittedly basic and was better before the pandemic. It doesn’t make it easy to justify the full cash rate which is £34.

The biggest issue, for now, remains the fact that it is difficult to get into the lounge in the first place due to the high level of demand, even at full rate. At the time of writing, for example, I could not book No1 or My Lounge in Gatwick South at full rate for, picking a time at random, 11.30 on Thursday 29th September. Clubrooms and Club Aspire remain closed.

This will hopefully ease somewhat once Clubrooms and the Club Aspire lounge re-open, as the terminal would then have four independent lounges. Rob’s recent review of My Lounge – the only other independent lounge which is currently open in Gatwick South – is here.

If you want to find out more, or pre-book entry for cash, you can do so on the No1 Lounges website here.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

Five years after the lounge complex first opened, and two years after the entire South Terminal was closed due to the pandemic, British Airways is back at Gatwick South with a new short haul operation flying alongside its long haul leisure routes.

On my way to Mauritius earlier this month, I thought I’d take another look.

Who can use the British Airways First lounge at Gatwick?

Despite being called the First lounge, British Airways doesn’t operate any flights with a First Class cabin from Gatwick. Instead, the BA First lounge at Gatwick is exclusively for British Airways Executive Club Gold cardholders and oneworld equivalents.

This means that any oneworld Emerald frequent flyers can also use the lounge, provided you are flying on a oneworld airline.

If you are BA Silver cardholder or a oneworld Sapphire member you can use the British Airways Club lounge next door, which we reviewed here.

The First lounge is open from 5am daily, with closing times between 8pm and 9:30pm depending on the flight schedule.

Getting to the British Airways First Class lounge at Gatwick

…. is a faff, and the airport tries to make it even harder.  When you come through security, there are escalators taking you down.  Do not go down the escalators.  It is a trick.

The escalators drop you in the duty free shop, through which you have to do a snake-like walk to reach the departure area. At this point you need to go back UP another escalator to get to the lounges.  Don’t do it.

Instead, to your left immediately before the down escalators after security, is a corridor. Take it.  You will realise that you were very close to the lounges all the time.  That’s two minutes of drinking time saved.

You come out next to Club Aspire and My Lounge. You need to walk across to the other side of the mezzanine floor where a tiny corridor in between two shops leads you to the No1 Lounge, No1 Clubrooms and the BA lounges.

Whilst the No1 facilities are on the same level as the mezzanine, BA passengers then need to head down another corridor, take a lift and then go down yet another corridor.  It is important that you leave the lounge in good time to get to your gate, which may take longer than it would in Terminal 5.

Inside the British Airways First Class lounge at Gatwick Airport

You check in for the BA lounges with the same staff. Turn left for the First lounge and right for Club:

To be honest, I have never been hugely impressed by the look and feel of the lounge.

If a random stranger walked in by mistake they would be hard-pressed to tell the difference from the Club lounge next door.

The furnishings are identical to the Business lounge.  The First area is also relatively small and I suspect, at certain times, it will be more crowded than the Business lounge. The main zone is a square, dual aspect space with double or triple heigh ceilings which adds a bit of scale.

Next to this you’ll find a tiny little nook:

Plus the buffet and self-serve drinks counter:

Behind this is a small working area with a printer and desks with plug sockets:

The Tracey Emin artwork which used to be here wasn’t visible – either I missed it or, more likely, it was sold off in BA’s lounge artwork sale during the pandemic.

On the other hand, you do get excellent views across the airport, including down the runway where you can watch aircraft take off and land:

Food and drink at the BA First lounge at Gatwick

One of the reasons to come to the First lounge would be for a slightly higher quality of drink and a higher quality food menu. During my visit this included English Sparkling Hattingley Valley Blanc de Noirs, Lanson Extra Age Rose and Palmers & Co Brut Reserve champagne. A few months ago we spotted Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé which was a pleasant surprise.

Spirits include Johnny Walker Red, Black and Blue label, Aviation, Gordon’s and Tanqueray gin and Ciroc vodka.

When it comes to hot drinks, you’ll recognise the Union-branded self-service zone from Heathrow:

British Airways has retained the QR-ordering for its First Class lounge. Apart from a few bar snacks and muffins it is the only way to order ‘proper’ food. This is, in my opinion, an upgrade.

Items include a barbacoa beef tortilla, ham hock salad and afternoon tea, with finger sandwiches and scones.

I had the tortilla and salad, which I enjoyed:

Conclusion

British Airways did a good job back in 2017 with its new lounges at London Gatwick’s South Terminal.

Whilst it isn’t the easiest place to find, it is a lovely space and the designers have done a good job in creating different styles of seating to serve the varying needs of travellers.

The food and drink is on a par with Heathrow and, given that Gatwick tends to play second fiddle to Heathrow, this is as good as you could have expected. In fact, I find the Gatwick lounges to be much better than their Heathrow counterparts, with far more natural light, fewer guests and generally more pleasant spaces to be in.

British Airways could do something slightly more with the First lounge, especially as it shares the exact same furniture as the Club lounge next door. Although there are no flights with First departing from Gatwick it would be nice to differentiate the space slightly.

I am not sure how busy the First lounge gets. When I was there, in the late evening, BA only had a handful of departures left. It may be that it gets more crowded at peak times than the Club lounge next door due to its significantly smaller size. You may want to take a look and decide for yourself – I know that Rob doesn’t hold the lounge in particularly high regard and prefers a quiet corner of the Club side, albeit he pops into the First side for some champagne first!

If you have access to British Airways lounges, it is worth giving Gatwick another look if you are on a route served by both of the major London airports. You will be pleasantly surprised. If only there were plans to upgrade the old Club World seats on the Gatwick fleet to Club Suite ….

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

This article is the start of a four part series following my trip to Oslo last week on Norse Atlantic. The rest of the coverage will appear over the next few days.

The My Lounge at Gatwick South takes up the rear part of what used to be the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. The other half became the Club Aspire lounge at Gatwick South, which we reviewed here, albeit that lounge remains closed.

My Lounge is a brand owned by SwissportALD (a joint venture between Airport Dimensions and Swissport) which also runs the No1 Lounge, Clubrooms and Club Aspire lounge brands – although, confusingly, not the Aspire brand which is solely controlled by Swissport.

Access to all of the lounges at Gatwick South is on the same level as security.  Whilst most passengers will take the escalators down to the main concourse level, there is an access corridor to the left – see my photo below – which takes you to all the lounges. Do not go down the escalators.

A couple of photographs in this review are from our previous review in 2019. It was very busy when I was there last week and I couldn’t get some of the shots I wanted.

My Lounge is reached through a further corridor and you finally end up here:

To ensure I got in, I paid £6 to guarantee entry with my Priority Pass via this page of the No1 Lounges website. The lady in front of me was desperate for a cigarette and had been attracted by the ‘outdoor terrace’ which is mentioned on the lounge signage – she ended up paying £35 to stand outside for a smoke.

My Lounge is the cheapest of No1 Lounges brands but that doesn’t mean that the company has cut costs on the design.  It looks trendy although the light levels are quite low.

It is not huge, but an effort has been made to partition it into a variety of ‘rooms’. There is one geared for children with a video games console, table football and some play items:

There is also an outdoor terrace, although it is very small and doesn’t overlook anything.  It does allow smoking, and I got to see a number of BA tailfins all lined up:

Whilst the main lounge area has large windows, the views from the lounge are towards jetbridges:

There is quite a lot of dining space, which was not heavily used. You’ve got these small tables plus a bar counter (not pictured):

…. and then a large wooden dining table with yellow chairs, which is very much a statement piece:

The dining area is flanked on one side by the buffet:

The buffet doesn’t have a huge amount of choice, but it was enough. I was there during breakfast. Off to the side was a separate area with cornflakes and bran flakes. The main buffet was offering the usual cooked options – here is part of it (the far left is potato):

I thought this honeycomb was a classy touch:

There is also a pancake machine to keep the kids entertained.

The ‘wine on ice’ feature is still there – totally unnecessary, as there are multiple fridges available, but it looks good:

If you want anything sparkling you will need to pay extra for it – £12.99 for a bottle of prosecco and ‘from £28’ for champagne. These certainly aren’t ludicrous prices but if I’d paid £35 on the door to get in I may be a bit annoyed.

Wi-fi was good, even out on the terrace.

The lounge has been stripped of all newspapers and magazines although you are given log-in details for PressReader if you want to download something. The airport itself went back to giving out free newspapers and magazines months ago and you will pass multiple racks of free Financial Times, New York Times, The Sun and Daily Mail on the way to your gate.

Conclusion

I like the My Lounge concept and I think this lounge works well.  The variety of seating, the outdoor terrace and the games room are good touches.

Whilst it is nowhere near as big as the No1, and on paper has far fewer facilities, it served me well. I had a quick breakfast at one of the tables, and then took a glass of wine out onto the terrace where I did some work. That was all I wanted to do and the lounge did the job.

You can argue whether it is ‘right’ that you should need to pay £6 to guarantee your entry when using a Priority Pass card, but I found it worthwhile. Remember that your £6 reservation fee includes fast track security at Gatwick which was, at 9.45am on a Wednesday, genuinely fast – I had just three people queuing in front of me.

If you don’t have a Priority Pass or similar lounge club card, access costs from £30 when booked in advance here.

The main My Lounge Gatwick South website is here. The reservation page for Priority Pass cardholders is here.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You can see all of the lounge reviews here.

It’s not often I use arrival lounges in London – more often than not, it’s easier just to head home and freshen up there, before working from home for the day. I imagine most people using arrivals lounges are either people visiting London or heading straight into meetings.

Occasionally, however, I do head straight to the HfP office in Bank after a long haul flight. I thought it would be worth updating our review of the British Airways arrivals lounge in their home terminal at Heathrow. The last time we reviewed the lounge was in 2016.

Who can use the British Airways Heathrow arrivals lounge?

Compared to BA’s other lounges at Heathrow, the arrivals lounge has a more restrictive entry policy. Fundamentally, you have to be flying in First or Club to qualify, or have top tier status. Here is the full eligibility criteria

• British Airways customers arriving in First
• British Airways customers arriving in Club World
• American Airlines customers arriving in First
• American Airlines customers arriving in business class
• British Airways Gold cardholders arriving on any long haul BA flight
• American Airlines Concierge Key cardholders arriving on a long haul AA flight

If you fall outside of these categories, you’re out of luck. Neither British Airways Silver members nor other oneworld flyers get access, and you won’t get access if you aren’t on a BA or AA flight, either. You can’t use the lounge if you’re on a short haul flight.

Guests are not permitted, unless you are BA Gold Guest List, in which case feedback is generally that you can take up to five guests, albeit as long as they travel on British Airways flights.

Given that American Airlines has consolidated at Heathrow T3 these access rules are largely academic, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see some flights back at T5 eventually.

Remember that the arrivals lounge is landside, past immigration and baggage reclaim. If you are connecting from a long haul flight onto a short haul connection, it is easier to use the airside Galleries and Galleries First lounges at Heathrow.

The lounge is open from 5am until 2pm daily. 2pm is not due to any post-pandemic staff shortages or similar – the lounge has always closed in the early afternoon.

Where is the British Airways arrivals lounge at Heathrow?

You need to exit the secure section of the airport to find the lounge. This means heading through immigration, baggage reclaim and customs and out of the ‘point of no return’ doors into the arrivals concourse.

Once you pass the throngs of Addison Lee drivers and welcoming families you need to look for the orange bank of lifts. The direction will depend which exit you used, but it is pretty much slap bang in the middle of the terminal:

Take the lift or escalators up one floor and you’ll see the lounge entrance:

Inside the British Airways arrivals lounge

Once you’ve scanned your boarding pass with the lounge attendants you have free roam of the space. Immediately as you enter is a dining area and kitchen. The buffet is pretty much empty, save for a few pastries and fruit, thanks to the new QR code lounge ordering system that BA has introduced.

The QR menu lets you order to your specific seat and is a big improvement in my opinion. That said, it isn’t quite as convenient if you’re in a rush as you have to wait for them to bring your food out.

You’ll also find the Concorde Dining Room here, which is for guests flying in First only, or anyone with a Concorde Room Card, one of the benefits of Gold Guest List.

To the right you’ll find a casual seating area, with various muted TV screens playing 24 hour news channels:

Underneath the TVs is a lot of glass shelving that, in a previous life, was probably fully stocked with magazines and papers. Unfortunately these appear to have become a casualty of covid because there were no physical papers to be found anywhere in the lounge, which I think is a real shame. You can of course read digitally via PressReader.

The only natural light the lounge gets is from the windows overlooking the arrivals hall on the right, so it isn’t the brightest space.

At the far end of this part of the lounge you’ll also find the showers (more on that below).

On the other side of the entrance you’ll find the Elemis Spa, although it is empty and unstaffed. I am guessing that, like the airside lounge spas, it will not reopen.

If you keep walking, you’ll also stumble into a small work area with bar seating and mains sockets at every seat:

Showers at the British Airways arrivals lounge

The one thing that the British Airways arrivals lounge does not have in short supply is showers, because there are 94 of them. This means you’ll never have to wait long, if at all.

All 94 showers are located in a screened off area euphemistically called the ‘Hydrotherapy Zone’. You need to check in with the attendant to be allocated a shower:

Showers are numbered and grouped into colour, so you’ll be assigned shower ‘Yellow 6’ or similar.

It’s a bit of a maze, because they have been organized into undulating corridors. There are a patchwork of interlocking corridors you can get lost in – the only things missing are the distorting mirrors!

The showers themselves appear to be self-contained pre-fabricated units. They’re pretty basic, with more of a youth hostel vibe than premium passenger experience thanks to the plastic lining and blue linoleum flooring:

They even come with those wall-affixed hairdryers:

And, not to be forgotten, the essential BA lounge facility – a sharps bin! I’m sure this comes in useful for some, but it does make me chuckle how religiously British Airways fit sharps bins in lounge toilets. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another lounge feature them.

Toiletries are by Elemis, and towels are of course provided.

The shower itself was fine – decent water pressure and temperature, although operation wasn’t totally intuitive, to the extent that BA had mounted an instruction manual on the wall. The shower featured a waterfall and handheld shower head, plus massage jets (!)

Unfortunately, the unit was starting to show its age and the waterproofing in the corner of the shower cubicle was starting to peel off, exposing the rather less waterproof materials underneath:

Food and drink in the British Airways arrivals lounge

One thing the lounge does get right is the food. Apart from a selection of pastries and biscuits, all food must be ordered via the QR ordering system.

British Airways has pretty much got all of the bases covered. You can choose from:

• full English
• veggie full English
• omelette
• bacon roll
• sausage pattie roll
• kipper and scrambled egg
• American pancakes with bacon and maple syrup
• porridge
• cereals

etc.

Around lunchtime the menu changes to a selection of sandwiches and soup.

As I had eaten on the plane I only went for a bacon roll to tide me over until dinner. Impressively, this was freshly prepared for me and much improved on the bacon rolls you can find airside in the departure lounges, which can often be a bit dry and tough.

Conclusion

Like the other British Airways lounges at Heathrow, the arrivals lounge is in need of a refit.

The sheer quantity of showers is impressive – it might even have the most showers in a single facility at any airport, globally – but the condition of the showers was less so. They are cheaply made and showing their age, and the undulating corridors also seem unnecessarily maze-like.

It’s a shame the Elemis Spa has not reopened. BA will have to make a decision on whether to reopen this facility or convert it to something else.

That said, the food offering was good and appears to be made-to-order, and I’m a big fan of the QR ordering system. One advantage of having the lounge is that you can refuse breakfast on the plane in order to get some extra sleep, knowing you can eat as soon as you land.

If you want to find out more, there is a special page dedicated to the lounge on ba.com which you will find here.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

Earlier this year, I spent a few hours at Heathrow Terminal 3 trotting round the lounges to update our reviews. In the spirit of equal opportunity, I thought I would do the same at Heathrow Terminal 2, home of the Star Alliance carriers.

There are four Star Alliance lounges at Heathrow T2 – Lufthansa, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines. The latter three are all in Terminal 2B, a short walk from the main terminal. There are two more lounges in Terminal 2 – the Aer Lingus lounge, which we reviewed a couple of weeks ago, and the Plaza Premium lounge (most recent review here).

Our most recent review of the Lufthansa lounge in the main terminal is here. Whilst I tried to review the United Club lounge on this visit, it was so overcrowded that I couldn’t get enough usable pictures – a 2016 review of Heathrow’s United Club by Rob is here.

After spending a couple of hours in the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (review here) I moved on to the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge just across the corridor.

How to access the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2

You do not need to be flying Singapore Airlines to access the SilverKris lounge. The only requirement is that you be flying a Star Alliance carrier (such as Lufthansa, SAS, United, Air Canada etc), either on a Business Class ticket or with the relevant status.

That means anyone with Star Alliance Gold can access the lounge, even if you are flying an a hand-baggage-only economy flight. Gold members can bring one guest for free.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members can also use the lounge, as long as you are flying Singapore Airlines.

I got in on the back of a short haul business class flight to Stockholm with SAS.

Where is the Singapore Airlines Heathrow lounge?

The Singapore Airlines Lounge at Heathrow is a bit more of a trot than the Lufthansa or Aer Lingus lounges in Terminal 2A. It is located in the satellite terminal at T2B.

The lounge is open from 5:30am until 10pm daily.

Unlike at T5 there is no air train – all passengers must take the underground tunnel, although there are some moving walkways. Note that you can also return to T2A from T2B this way, although there are unfortunately no travelator in that direction.

You then take two escalators up to get to departure level. Fortunately the lounge is in the central part of T2B. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is co-located with the Singapore Airlines lounge, whilst the United Club is on the other side of the escalators. You have to take the elevator or stairs up:

The SilverKris Lounge is on the right.

Inside the SilverKris Business Class Heathrow Lounge

The SilverKris Lounge is made up of two parts at Heathrow: a Business Class and First Class lounge. The First Class lounge did not appear to be open when I arrived around midday, although I may just have missed it.

You must check in to the lounge when you arrive, which involves a quick scan of your boarding pass:

When I arrived, at around noon, it was very quiet; the last Singapore Airlines flight had left just before and it was still a good six hours or so from the evening departures.

The complex is larger than the Air Canada lounge, although not as big as the United Club. It also has more of a complex layout than either of the other two Star Alliance lounges in Terminal 2B.

Immediately to the right of the reception is a small room. I’m not sure about the purpose of this although I suppose it does increase capacity slightly:

To get to the main part of the lounge you walk down a small corridor:

You pass the buffet (more on that later) plus some dining tables and bar stools:

and

…. before heading into the seating area of the lounge, which has been partitioned with various wooden screens to break up the space:

One ‘room’ features these pods which look perfect for business travellers working or on calls.

Each one includes dedicated power outlets:

Like the Air Canada Lounge, the Singapore Airlines lounge benefits from floor-to-ceiling windows. Unfortunately, much of the view is obscured by the blinds which were hanging at half-mast, despite there being no direct sun on that side of the terminal. It meant that the lounge felt smaller and more hemmed in than necessary.

Behind the row of high-backed armchairs along the window you’ll find a host of square armchairs, each with in-seat power supply thanks to the little table between each one.

They’ve certainly seen better days though:

The magazine rack, at the rear of the lounge, is empty, replaced with access to an app which in my opinion is a poor substitute for physical papers and magazines.

I do wish lounges would go back to offering real reading material, although the last time Rob was in this lounge he found it filled with ‘What Pool and Hot Tub?‘ magazine – it seems that who paid the most got the spot.

WiFi speeds were much better than in the Air Canada lounge next door, at 54mbps down and 28 up, so you should have no problems if you need to do heavy online lifting.

Food and drink in the Singapore Airlines Lounge at Heathrow

As mentioned above, the buffet area is pretty much the first thing you see when you enter the lounge. It is a fairly compact area, so I can imagine it gets crowded during busier periods, but the selection is good.

I arrived during lunch time and the lounge staff had just finished setting up all the food. The centre island features a choice of four salads:

…. plus a range of finger sandwiches, including coronation chicken and beetroot and chia wraps:

Hot options ranged from chicken sweetcorn soup and chicken congee all the way to chicken jalfrezi, mee goren and pasta and meatballs:

Two additional options were available via the QR-code menu: a sticky Korean chicken slider and breaded scampi.

Soft drinks and hot drinks were self service and available at various stations throughout the lounge.

If you want alcohol, you can only get this from the staffed bar just behind the buffet. I asked for champagne and was offered prosecco:

I know, I really do suffer for my art 😉

Showers in the Heathrow SilverKris lounge

Just like the Maple Leaf lounge, the SilverKris lounge has three showers available, plus an attendant to allocate and clean.

I’ll be honest – I was expecting more from the showers. Having seen the very nice showers in the Air Canada lounge I had high hopes for the Singapore Airlines lounge, which were quickly dashed as soon as I had a look in:

It was totally fine, but nothing special and certainly not as stylish. The toiletries were a no-name brand.

Conclusion

I expected more from the Singapore Airlines lounge at Heathrow. After the beautiful contemporary Air Canada lounge the decor in the SilverKris lounge feels more traditional and dated – you wouldn’t know that these lounges opened at roughly the same time.

I was also disappointed that the blinds obscured the view and the natural light from the big windows. It seems a shame to have such a view and then not make the most of it, and only makes the lounge feel more cramped than it is. A weird floor plan doesn’t exactly help.

That said, I was impressed with the selection of food, including a number of fresh salads and hot options, so I would definitely return to eat.

You can find out more about the lounge – and check the latest opening hours – on this page of the Singapore Airlines website.

Travelling from Heathrow Terminal 2? Here are your lounge options ….

At Heathrow’s Terminal 2 you currently have eight lounges to choose from.

Our overview of the best airline lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2 is here, or you can read individual reviews of all the lounges here:

• Aer Lingus Lounge review
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Lufthansa Business Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Plaza Premium Lounge review
• Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Club lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Global Services Lounge review (Star Alliance)

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

Earlier this year, I spent a few hours at Heathrow Terminal 3 trotting round the lounges to update our reviews. In the spirit of equal opportunity, I thought I would use my recent trip to Stockholm on SAS to update our Star Alliance reviews.

There are four Star Alliance business class lounges at Heathrow T2 – Lufthansa, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines. The latter three are all in Terminal 2B, a short walk from the main terminal. There are two more lounges in Terminal 2 – the Aer Lingus lounge, which Rob reviewed here a couple of weeks ago, and the Plaza Premium lounge (most recent review here).

My attempt to review the United Airlines lounge failed because it was so crowded that it was impossible to get any photographs. We will return to this at a later date, and our 2016 review is here. I did manage to visit the Air Canada and Singapore Airlines lounges. We did a Lufthansa Heathrow lounge review last October.

I started with the Air Canada lounge, which is currently open from 7am until 8pm.

How to access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2

You do not need to be flying Air Canada to access the lounge. The only requirement is that you are flying a Star Alliance carrier (such as Lufthansa, SAS, United, Singapore Airlines etc), either on a Business Class ticket or with the relevant status.

That means anyone with Star Alliance Gold can access the lounge, even if you are flying an a hand-baggage-only economy flight. Gold members can bring one guest for free. Additional guests are £25 per person.

Where is the Air Canada Heathrow lounge?

The Maple Leaf Lounge at Heathrow is a bit more of a trot than the Lufthansa or Aer Lingus lounges in Terminal 2A. It is located in the satellite terminal at T2B.

Unlike at T5, which was built with a far higher budget, there is no air train – all passengers must take the underground tunnel, although there are some moving walkways. Note that you can also return to T2A from T2B this way, although there is unfortunately no travelator in that direction.

You then take two escalators up to get to departure level. Fortunately the lounge is in the central part of T2B. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is co-located with the Singapore Airlines lounge, one floor up, whilst the United Club is on the other side of the escalators.

Air Canada is on the left:

Inside the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

You must check in to the lounge when you arrive, which involves a quick scan of your boarding pass:

The lounge is very attractive. I got chatting with the reception staff who told me that all of the wood and stone panelling in the lounge comes from Canada. It is probably the most aesthetically pleasing of the lounges at Terminal 2. The entrance way has a slight Maple Leaf logo in the slats, which you can just about see in this photo:

Turn to the right and you’re greeted by a length of floor-to-ceiling windows looking across the ramp towards T2A which fills the lounge with light:

There is a range of seating here, including a mezzanine level. This also features a pine cone artwork which looks a bit like a Christmas tree:

At the far end is a more casual area with some stand-alone chairs with leg rests plus a sort of sofa-thing:

Behind this are three nap nooks, each with a reclining chair and screen, although I’m not sure what the screen does. Each one is open to the lounge – there is no door – but suitably screened off to create a darker, private area. It is darker than it looks in the photo:

If you head back to the lounge entrance you’ll find a conference table and business centre in a round room behind the large Maple Leaf logo, including a printer:

Behind this is a row of bar stools, and a bare magazine rack with just a handful of notices to download the PressReader app:

Connectivity throughout the lounge appears good, with plug sockets in the floor between armchairs along the window and in other places.

WiFi speed wasn’t great, at 3mbps down and less than 1mbps up, although it was totally fine for light browsing, email and social media.

Food and drink in the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Heathrow

If you turn left from the lounge reception you’ll find the buffet, bar and small dining area, with a long bar table:

This is the smallest of the Star Alliance lounges at T2B and there are just a couple of restaurant-style dining tables.

At one end is a staffed bar (there is no self-pour alcohol here). There is no champagne, just prosecco, plus the normal range of typical spirits including Gordon’s Gin etc.

Along one length of the room is the buffet:

At breakfast, this features a range of mini pastries, cereals, cold cuts and a few hot stations featuring bacon, sausage, scrambled egg and baked beans:

and

For lunch, the pastries are replaced by brownies and other sweet items whilst the hot buffet is stocked with red Thai prawn curry, rice, and some very sad looking pasta:

and

I didn’t try the red Thai curry but it looked tasty and certainly the best hot option.

Soft and hot drinks are available at self-serve machines, including a sign commanding you to drink more water!

Showers in the Heathrow Maple Leaf Lounge

There are three showers in the Air Canada Lounge at Heathrow, including a disabled one. You need to pick up a key from reception to access these.

I was impressed. They are very attractive and quite possibly the nicest showers at Heathrow T2, although I haven’t seen those in the United Club. They are clad in the same brown Canadian stone as use in the main lounge, and reminded me a lot of the showers in the Cathay Pacific lounge over in Terminal 3:

Toiletries are Molton Brown.

Conclusion

The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge was the first stop on my Heathrow T2 lounge safari and I have to say I was very impressed with what I saw. Although one of the smaller lounges in the terminal, the space has been used efficiently and beautifully designed – it’s definitely the most attractive of all the lounges at Terminal 2.

I spent a good couple of hours here – from around 10:30am until midday or so – and found that it never got particularly busy. At one point the majority of seats were taken but it quickly emptied out again following the departure of one of the flights. It was exactly how a lounge should be – quiet and relaxing.

The food selection is the only thing that lets the lounge down. It’s passable – especially for breakfast – but the pasta dish over lunch was very, very sad.

That said, I would definitely come here again – it is well designed and quiet, with lots of natural light and views across the terminal. You can always nip next door into the Singapore Airlines lounge for food – which is what I did. A review will follow.

You can find out more about the lounge – and check the latest opening hours – on this page of the Air Canada website.

Our full guide to earning Air Canada Aeroplan miles from UK credit cards is here.

Travelling from Heathrow Terminal 2? Here are your lounge options ….

At Heathrow’s Terminal 2 you currently have eight lounges to choose from.

Our overview of the best airline lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2 is here, or you can read individual reviews of all the lounges here:

• Aer Lingus Lounge review
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Lufthansa Business Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Plaza Premium Lounge review
• Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Club lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Global Services Lounge review (Star Alliance)

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

It is, shockingly, almost five years since we last reviewed this lounge, and that piece was written by Anika. My last visit was even further back than that.

I was out in New York last week, getting my first experience of flying transatlantic on an A321LR aircraft. This aircraft, now being used by Aer Lingus, JetBlue and TAP Air Portugal amongst others, has larger fuel tanks than a standard A321 and is able to reach the US East Coast from Western Europe.

It is, of course, still a single aisle aircraft, despite having flat beds in Business Class. You’ll see how it turned out later this week.

My trip routed London Heathrow – Dublin (aircraft change) – New York Newark, although you can of course connect to Dublin from many airports in the UK.

I paid cash (£1,300 return) for my ticket with the UK to Dublin leg booked separately on Avios to avoid long haul premium Air Passenger Duty. Aer Lingus long haul flights are also bookable with Avios but Business Class seats between Dublin and New York appear hard to find.

My flight earned Avios but no British Airways Executive Club tier points – more on that in a later article.

Where is the Aer Lingus lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2?

Terminal 2 is the newest of the four Heathrow terminals (Terminal 1 closed when the new T2 opened) and, whilst not as expensively finished as Terminal 5, is bright and airy.

The layout is similar to Terminal 5, with the main shopping area down one level. The lower level is also where the independent Plaza Premium lounge sits – review here. 

The Aer Lingus lounge is located within the main departures area on the same level as security, so don’t head for the escalators.  Instead, head to your right. You will find it next to the Lufthansa lounge. All of the other Terminal 2 lounges – Singapore Airlines, United, Air Canada – are in the T2B satellite terminal.

There is technically no Business Class on Aer Lingus flights from Heathrow, although an ‘AerSpace’ ticket gets you most of the benefits with an empty middle seat, no charge for buy on board snacks and lounge access. Apart from that, the lounge is mainly for the benefit of passengers connecting to Business Class long haul flights or who get in via status.

British Airways Gold and Silver cardholders can access the Aer Lingus lounge at Heathrow when flying Aer Lingus, whether or not their ticket shows a British Airways codeshare flight number.  You cannot bring a guest if getting access via your BA status.  British Airways Gold and Silver cardholders are also allowed to access Aer Lingus lounges in Ireland but only when flying to London.

The first thing you notice when walking in are the large floor to ceiling windows. These run the full width of the lounge and flood the space with light. I’ve never been here in the evening so I don’t know how the atmosphere changes.

After many visits to the impressive Plaza Premium lounge downstairs – which is a windowless space – this lounge is a breath of fresh air.

Just after the reception and in front of the seating areas were the toilets and one shower facility. I’m not sure if the lack of more showers can become an issue at times, but the one shower they have looked impressive by airport lounge standards:

I was in the lounge around 7am, which meant that the breakfast buffet was out. This hasn’t changed from our last visit in 2017 – there is a selection of cereals, pastries, yoghurts, cheese and crackers as well as filter coffee, two coffee machines and juices:

and

No hot food is available. In general, the below-average quality of the food feels out of place given that the lounge operates at a high standard in all other areas.

The lounge was very quiet when I was there, with only around 10 guests. Irrespective of volumes, you are unlikely to ever struggle to find a table to eat at but, given the slim pickings available, you really don’t need to be sitting at a table anyway.

Whilst it is easy to miss behind the TV, there is a small private area with a meeting table and chairs for four people. This would also make a comfier place to eat, especially if you have small children.

The chill out zone!

Around a quarter of the space in the lounge is given over to a separate ‘relaxation area’. In terms of design, I’ve always found this quite impressive.

This area also has a row of five lounger-style seats facing the floor to ceiling window overlooking the tarmac. You get a good view of the aircraft parked at Terminal 4 from here, which included Etihad, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways when I was there.

The only other point worth mentioning is that, next to the buffet area and well hidden, is a small work area and a printer:

Is the Heathrow Aer Lingus lounge worth a visit?

The Aer Lingus lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2 is spacious and well lit with a large number of seats. The interior is contemporary, mirroring the Aer Lingus colours.

Whilst the food and drink has always been a bit of a let down, the Aer Lingus lounge is a good place to spend some time before a flight and arguably better than it needs to be.

I won’t review the short flight to Dublin. If you are unaware, there is a US Customs & Immigration base at Dublin and Shannon, meaning that you complete all formalities in Ireland. US-bound flights land at domestic gates and, after your long haul flight, you walk straight out of the airport.

The next part of this series will look at Dublin’s US Customs & Immigration system and ’51st & Green’, the US pre-clearance departure lounge in Dublin.

Travelling from Heathrow Terminal 2? Here are your lounge options ….

At Heathrow’s Terminal 2 you currently have eight lounges to choose from.

Our overview of the best airline lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2 is here, or you can read individual reviews of all the lounges here:

• Aer Lingus Lounge review
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Lufthansa Business Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Plaza Premium Lounge review
• Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Club lounge review (Star Alliance)
• United Global Services Lounge review (Star Alliance)

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

I rarely make use of arrivals lounges when flying home as I’m normally heading straight home and/or don’t need to change into a suit if I’m heading into the office. For once, though, I thought I’d pop my head in to see what on offer after my recent flight from Austin.

Who can use the Heathrow Revivals Lounge?

The Revivals Lounge is exclusively for Virgin Atlantic and Delta passengers. You can use the Revivals Lounge if you are:

• Travelling in Upper Class
• Travelling in Delta One
• Virgin Gold, Delta Diamond Medallion and Delta Platinum Medallion flying on a Delta or Virgin Atlantic flight
• Virgin Australia Platinum or The Club on a Virgin Atlantic flight.

No guests are allowed and you cannot pay for access.

The lounge is open from 5:30am to 12.30pm.

Where is the Virgin Revivals Lounge?

Getting to the Virgin Atlantic and Delta arrivals lounge is a little convoluted.  Once your enter the arrivals hall, you need to follow the signs to the lifts:

The Revivals Lounge is on the first floor:

Inside the Virgin Atlantic arrivals lounge

You have to walk down a long corridor before you get to the lounge proper:

I was greeted at the reception desk and asked my name and where I had just come from. You don’t need to show a boarding pass to enter – they will find you on their system.

I was also asked whether I wanted to have a shower, and whether I wanted to leave my bags with them.

To the right of the check-in desk is a newspaper and magazine rack. Unsurprisingly, the FT was the most popular, with a full rack of Daily Mails still available:

Here’s the magazine rack, although I wasn’t particularly enamoured with the selection:

The lounge itself is like a mini Heathrow Clubhouse (review here) and shares the same design features and furniture.

There’s a nice range of seating options, from the two sofas to little cafe tables:

…. plus some armchairs in the window:

The actual lounge area is fairly small, but that’s because the majority of the floorspace is taken up by 20 showers:

Toiletries are the REN Skincare brand that Virgin also uses on flights and in the Clubhouse. They will also press your clothes whilst you shower.

Note that there is no longer a spa in the lounge. The space was converted into additional showers a couple of years ago.

Food and drink in the Revivals Lounge

The lounge menu is virtually identical to the Clubhouse breakfast menu. Only breakfast is served – understandable, since the lounge closes at 12:30.

You can see the menu online here. Options include eggs benedict / royale / florentine, full English and other bits and bobs. You can either order via a QR code or a member of staff will come over and take your order.

I’d already eaten on my flight home so I went for the bacon roll, but given the menu is identical to the Clubhouse the poached eggs should be pretty good as well. The bacon was clearly fresh:

Looking at Rob’s old review, there used to be a small buffet. This is no longer the case – a casualty of covid I imagine – although it’s no real loss as the staff are very attentive and will bring you whatever you need very quickly.

Conclusion

The Virgin Atlantic Revivals Lounge at Heathrow is a good way to freshen up if you are heading straight to meetings. I was surprised with the quality of the food – I was expecting it to be more basic than the Clubhouse but in reality it is all cooked to order.

It is a shame the lounge is not in the baggage hall, which would let you freshen up whilst waiting for the bags to arrive. Due to the ground handling staff shortage I had to wait over 30 minutes for my bag to arrive – time I would much rather have spent in a lounge!

You can find out more about the Virgin Atlantic Revivals Lounge on this page of the Virgin Atlantic website.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

None of us on the HfP team were likely to pass through the Emirates lounge at Gatwick anytime soon so when reader Stuart offered to write up his experience on a recent trip we were happy to take it.

Emirates will often build a lounge in places where other airlines would not bother (eg Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester). Size is rarely a problem either – in Dubai, the Business and First Class lounges each occupy an entire floor of the main Emirates terminal.

That said, it is often hard to get excited about them. Will Gatwick prove any different?

Over to Stuart:

“The Emirates lounge at Gatwick is, in theory, a hybrid business and first class lounge. I say in theory because my flight was a 2-class A380 with no first class. As a result, the lounge was effectively a business class lounge the evening I was there, and I couldn’t see any obvious first class facilities that were closed. 

The lounge itself has a fairly unexciting aesthetic, lifted only by a feature fountain. There is otherwise not much variety in terms of colours, design or seating choices.

There was, however, plenty of capacity:

(HfP note – this lounge looks huge, given that Emirates only has two daily flights out of Gatwick and arguably they will be carrying fewer premium passengers than the Heathrow services. From the look of this picture it is bigger than the Emirates Heathrow lounge which has to deal with six daily flights.)

The bathrooms were tidy without having the classiness of the Heathrow Cathay lounges or Qantas lounge. The shower was the low-point – you’d have to be a little desperate to bother with it.

With an open-plan design, you’re never in any doubt as to how big the lounge is or how generic it feels. For a business class lounge this is acceptable – less so for first class.

The drinks were mid-range at best. Champagne was self-pour Laurent Perrier or Rodier but the spirits were fairly basic. If you look at this from the perspective of a business class lounge, of course, it isn’t a bad selection.

The wines appeared to be ~£15 a bottle, though I heard some complaints from customers with a more sophisticated palate than my own. 

The food offering is strictly a buffet affair, with (in my view) variable quality. The starters from the chilled counter were fairly bland, not helped by being at straight-from-the-fridge temperature.

and

The mains were significantly better. You won’t get a fillet steak in the British Airways Galleries First lounge, let alone Galleries Club, and there was a good choice as you can see in the pictures.

Unfortunately for desert it was back to the chilled counter which was a shame. I’m not sure anyone really wants their bramley apple crumble with custard served cold. 

Overall, the Emirates lounge at Gatwick Airport is good by the standards of airline branded business class lounges. The aesthetic is fine, albeit unexciting. The food varies but there are good quality main courses with decent proteins. If you’ve been to the (massive!) Emirates business class lounge in Dubai you’ll be familiar with the look and feel.

As a first class lounge this would probably disappoint – but let’s not over-state that point. There are plenty of BA outstation lounges that serve first class passengers with a significantly worse offering than this. Those used to Galleries Club will be very happy. If you’re hoping for a Qantas level of combined business / first quality then you’ll be a bit disappointed.

The Emirates website shows the current opening hours as 09:35 – 13:35. You can pay for access but the $120 cost (click here) – which assumes you are an Emirates Skywards member, as this is the discounted rate – makes absolutely no sense.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

It is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

After a fun flight on Flybe’s inaugural to Belfast and a quick lunch with lovely HfPers Eoin and Frank in town I returned to the airport to write up my flight review in the Aspire Lounge.

Covid has shaken up the lounge offering at Belfast City Airport a little. In March 2020, days before the first lockdown, British Airways handed management of its own lounge at Belfast City to Aspire. Aspire already had its own lounge next door, and it’s unclear whether the original plans were to combine the lounges to create a bigger space. In the end covid got in the way and Aspire now only operates a single lounge – the former BA lounge – under the Aspire brand.

To be fair, the ‘new’ Aspire lounge is a much better space, with windows along its entire length filling the space with light and offering views across the tarmac. The lounge also offers direct boarding to Gate 4, which is still used by all of the main (non-CityFlyer) British Airways flights, which is a big bonus.

The current opening hours are:

Monday 5.30am – 9.00pm
Tuesday 5.30am – 9.00pm
Wednesday 5.30am – 9.00pm
Thursday 5.30am – 9.00pm
Friday 5.30am – 9.00pm
Saturday 5.30am – 8.15pm
Sunday 5.30am – 9.00pm

Where is the Aspire Lounge at Belfast City Airport?

It’s very easy to find – it’s just on the left as you exit duty free, right by Gate 4:

Inside the Aspire Lounge at Belfast City Airport

Inside is a check-in desk with Aspire branding. The lounge is rectangular, and split between casual seating and a dining area:

The armchairs on the left had plug sockets between them which was very useful.

In the middle of the lounge is the buffet island. I was there around 3pm and, to be honest, the food selection was meagre, with just some pastries, crisps and soup on offer:

The drinks selection is much better, with self-pour alcohol plus the usual range of hot and cold soft drinks:

and

By far the best part about the lounge is that you can board straight to Gate 4. Very few lounges offer direct boarding (the Emirates Lounge at Heathrow is another) and it’s always nice to be so close to your gate – assuming you are flying British Airways.

How to get entry to the Belfast City Airport Aspire lounge

There are two ways to get access to the Aspire lounge at Belfast City Airport. One option is to book ahead on the Lounge Pass website here, with headline prices starting from £25.99 per person. This guarantees you a spot at your booked time.

The alternative is to use a lounge membership program such as Priority Pass or DragonPass, both of which are accepted at the Belfast City Aspire lounge. Standard Priority Pass membership is currently £69 per year or you can get it for free via the following credit cards:

• The American Express Platinum Card with Priority Pass membership with unlimited lounge visits for you and one guest at 1,300+ lounges globally
• The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card comes with a FREE two-visit Priority Pass membership (and Amex Gold is free for the first year too)
• The HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard comes with a LoungeKey card, and offers unlimited lounge visits, although you will be charged for bringing in guests.

Using a Priority Pass or LoungeKey membership doesn’t guarantee you a spot – it is first come first served – but I had no trouble on Wednesday despite fairly busy BA flights.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

As I was already at Birmingham Airport for Flybe’s inaugural flight to Belfast we thought it was worth reviewing the No1 Lounge which re-opened just before Christmas.

Having reviewed the Aspire lounge at Birmingham I was keen to see how it compared. Both brands are now under the same ownership so there’s no competition between the two, although Collinson and Swissport appear to have decided to keep both open.

Note that, for now, the second Aspire lounge and the Clubrooms lounge remain closed.

Where is the No1 Lounge Birmingham Airport?

The No1 lounge is just to your left as you leave duty free, in the central part of the terminal and sandwiched between Next and WH Smith:

Note that opening hours are still a little restricted. It opens at an impressively early 5am but closes at 5pm.

The entrance is easy to spot (and it is also the way to the public toilets):

Just down the corridor is the actual (and very classy) entrance:

As it was the Easter holidays, the lounge, and indeed the entire airport was extremely busy when I was there. Initially the lounge attendant said they were going to be fully booked in about twenty minutes and therefore couldn’t let me in (I hadn’t pre-booked.)

However, she was happy to let me in for fifteen minutes or so after I told her that I would only be there briefly to grab a coffee and a bite to eat. This worked for me but clearly most passengers will want to wait longer. With the second Aspire lounge still closed at Birmingham Airport lounge capacity is down, particularly over the holiday periods.

Inside the No1 Lounge at Birmingham Airport

The lounge was last refurbished in 2019 so – after two years of closure – it is still almost brand-new. I was very impressed with what I saw, starting with the classy entrance you saw above.

The lounge occupies a fairly square space. The main area is divided into two broad sections: the dining area with the bar and buffet, and the lounge area.

Here is the bar:

…. and the dining area:

Whilst here is the lounge area, which has impressively large windows:

and

As you can see, there is also a small mezzanine area:

Tucked away, on the right hand side of the lounge, are also a number of small, privatish rooms. These had ‘reserved’ signs on them so may have been pre-booked by groups or by airlines with a small number of premium passengers:

There is also a meeting room:

…. and also a sort of TV room:

Overall it’s a nice space and I think No1 has done a great job when it comes to the fit and finish – it feels classy with marble (effect?) and wood finishes. It’s certainly a lot nicer than the older Aspire lounge at Birmingham Airport (review here).

What’s the buffet like at No1 Lounge Birmingham?

I was there during the breakfast period. This consisted of a small buffet of pastries, yoghurt and cereals, plus eggs, bacon, sausage (including a veggie option), baked beans and potato balls:

It would’ve been nice to have some mushrooms and cooked tomatoes too!

Juices, tea and coffee are also available:

All pretty standard and similar to what you’d find at other No1 and Aspire lounges.

The lounge staff did a great job of topping up the buffet during this busy period – I saw them do it several times and nothing ever ran out. The croissant and pain au chocolat in particular were fresh, I presume having just come out of the oven.

Alcohol is also available, albeit not self-pour – you have to ask at the bar. Normally that includes a couple of basic spirits plus house wines and beer – you often have to pay extra for champagne or prosecco.

How to get entry to the No1 Lounge at Birmingham Airport

There are two ways to get access to the No1 Lounge at Birmingham Airport. One option is to book ahead on the No1 website here, with headline prices starting from £28 per person. This guarantees you a spot at your booked time.

The alternative is to use a lounge membership program such as Priority Pass or DragonPass, both of which are accepted at the No1 lounge. Standard Priority Pass membership is currently £69 per year, or you can get it for free via the following cards:

• The American Express Platinum Card with Priority Pass membership with unlimited lounge visits for you and one guest at 1,300+ lounges globally
• The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card comes with a FREE two-visit Priority Pass membership (and Amex Gold is free for the first year too)
• The HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard comes with a LoungeKey card (owned by Priority Pass but missing some lounges) and offers unlimited lounge visits, although you will be charged for bringing in guests.

Using a Priority Pass or LoungeKey membership doesn’t guarantee you a spot – it is first come first served – and as you saw above I almost didn’t get in, albeit during peak school holiday season. Alternatively, No1 Lounges allows you to prebook a slot for £6 per person to guarantee entry.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

Five years after the lounge complex first opened, and two years after the entire South Terminal was closed due to the pandemic, British Airways is back at Gatwick South and with a new short haul operation flying alongside its long haul leisure routes.

Very little has changed in the lounges.  The BA First Class lounge at Gatwick (review here) is open, before you ask, although I never really liked it and indeed spent yesterday in the main lounge.

If you are familiar with the Galleries lounges in Heathrow Terminal 5, the only radical thing is this:

…. although as it’s in the Kids Zone you will probably need to be accompanied by a small person in order to use it!

Getting to the British Airways lounges at Gatwick

…. is a faff, and the airport tries to make it even harder.  When you come through security, there are escalators taking you down.  Do not go down the escalators.  It is a trick.

The escalators drop you in the duty free shop, through which you have to do a snake-like walk to reach the departure area. At this point you need to go back UP another escalator to get to the lounges.  Don’t do it.

Instead, to your left immediately before the down escalators after security, is a passageway. Take it.  You will realise that you were very close to the lounges all the time.  That’s two minutes of drinking time saved.

You come out next to Club Aspire and My Lounge. You need to walk across to the other side of the mezzanine floor where a tiny corridor in between two shops leads you to the No1 Lounge, No1 Clubrooms and the BA lounges.

Whilst the No1 facilities are on the same level as the mezzanine, BA passengers then need to head down another corridor, take a lift and then go down yet another corridor.  It is important that you leave the lounge in good time to get to your gate, which will take longer than it would in Terminal 5.

It wasn’t exactly busy on the first day of short haul operations with only four BA flights on top of the long haul ones. Here is the view looking down onto the main level, where the gates are, from the mezzanine:

A lot of shops hadn’t bothered to reopen although I assume more will do so as Easter approaches.

The British Airways Business Lounge at Gatwick

There are two reception desks as you enter.  The First lounge is off to your left whilst the Business lounge is off to your right.

Let’s start with the far larger, and nicer, Business Lounge.

The ‘Galleries’ branding is not being used at Gatwick.  I don’t know why as the furnishings are identical to other Galleries lounges.

The lounge is effectively a long thin space, with exceptional views over the tarmac from the left hand side (once you are half-way in) and the far end.  There is also a mezzanine.

To break up the space, BA has installed a giant wine wall about half way down, roughly where the windows begin. Whilst the whole lounge was empty when I was there, this initial area before the wine wall has always been very quiet to the lack of natural light and the distance from the buffet – albeit that is less of an issue as the online ordering system has been retained.

This is followed by another little used area by a secondary coffee station:

If you want a cosy nook, the top end also has a couple of booths:

and a business centre which is so tucked away I imagine 90% of lounge visitors don’t even know it exists:

Let the light flood in ….

Once you get beyond this point, the lounge suddenly brightens up due to the fantastic floor to ceiling windows.

You’ll need to take my word for that, however, as it was dark when I was there!

and

and

and

and (these solo seats have an internal view):

What is impressive about the lounge is the number of different seating arrangements available. I think everyone will find something to suit their personal style and the size of their group.

For children

There is a small kids playroom available, as per the photo at the top of this article. The photo makes the room look sparser than it is, as there were some other bits and pieces behind me.

The big secret – the mezzanine

The new British Airways lounges at Gatwick South have a secret – a mezzanine floor.

Well, it isn’t really a secret, given that there is a big staircase on the lower level:

It was closed when I was there because, ironically, it was being prepared for a press party which our very own Rhys Jones was attending three hours later. It will be open usually.

Here is a picture taken from a previous visit – you can tell because there are newspapers available. Guests today may wonder why BA considers newspapers to be a health risk when, between the lounge and your gate, you will pass around five identical displays dishing out free newspapers and magazines …..

No food is available but there was, and probably still is, a coffee machine.

Food and drink in the British Airways Business lounge 

The breakfast offering in the Business lounge will be very familiar to anyone who has used Galleries Club at Heathrow recently.

The selection is pretty much identical, as are the coffee machines and layout.

British Airways has now moved to a hybrid ordering system:

• ‘proper’ food must be ordered from your seat, via your mobile phone, using the QR code system

• drinks must be made yourself

• a small amount of food (croissants etc) is available to pick up yourself

It’s not ideal as, assuming you do want a drink, you have to get up and move around anyway so it doesn’t save any time versus the old buffet system. The food I ordered was delivered very quickly but, of course, I was virtually the only guest at the time. As usual, the hot food ordered off the menu was done well.

Conclusion

British Airways did an excellent good job back in 2017 with its new lounges in London Gatwick’s South Terminal.

Whilst it isn’t the easiest place to find, it is a lovely space and the designers have done a good job in creating different styles of seating to serve the varying needs of travellers.

The food and drink is on a par with Heathrow and, given that Gatwick tends to play second fiddle to Heathrow, that is as good as you could have expected. If I’m honest, I prefer the Business Class lounge at Gatwick to Galleries Club at Heathrow.

The South Terminal experience as a whole is now much improved.  BA passengers no longer need to take the monorail from the train station to Gatwick North, security was efficient – with a dedicated premium channel – and the lounges are impressive. Even the quality of the shops seems to have improved in the five years since British Airways moved in.

It’s also worth noting that Gatwick now has dedicated World Traveller Plus check-in desks. This service improvement has not yet rolled out at Heathrow.

Remember that if you have a British Airways Executive Club Gold card you can use the British Airways First Class lounge at Gatwick which we reviewed here.

If you have access to British Airways lounges, it is worth giving Gatwick another look if you are on a route served by both of the major London airports.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

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 Air Lines and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

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

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

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

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

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

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