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You’re saved from Servisair …. the Plaza Premium Lounge is coming to Heathrow Terminal 2

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a flyer from Heathrow Terminal 1, without automatic lounge access, may end up in the Servisair lounge.  You can, after all, access it via Priority Pass or Lounge Club.

It is also a truth that, 60 seconds after entering, the flyer will have lost the will to live in despair at the dreadful offering.

The great news, therefore, is that Asian lounge group Plaza Premium has announced that it will be opening a third-party lounge at the new Heathrow Terminal 2 next June.  Terminal 1 will close for demolition at the same time.   And it looks good:

Plaza Premium has been running luxury lounges for 15 years, although this will be their first European venture.

To quote from a recent Business Traveller article:

The venue will offer a live cooking station with made-to-order dishes, a daily tapas selection at the champagne bar, and an à la carte menu by British celebrity chefs.  It will also feature an airport spa with extensive treatments designed to tackle travel-related ailments and fatigue.

It sounds like a world away from Servisair.  Hopefully a Priority Pass will be enough to get in.

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Getting airport lounge access for free from a credit card

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (September 2025)

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

Lounge access via American Express cards:

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 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our in-depth review of The Platinum Card from American Express is here.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th October 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This would convert to 80,000 Avios! The spend target is changed to £10,000 within SIX months of approval. T&C apply. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card 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 Credit Card review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th October 2025, the sign-up bonus on the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card is doubled to 40,000 Membership Rewards points. This would convert to 40,000 Avios! The spend target is changed to £5,000 within SIX months of approval. T&C apply. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

Your best beginner’s card – 40,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

Lounge access via HSBC Premier credit cards (Premier account holders only):

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 £290 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 good package, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider The American Express Business Platinum Card which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th October 2025, the sign-up bonus on The American Express Business Platinum Card is increased to 120,000 Membership Rewards points. This would convert to 120,000 Avios! The spend target is changed to £12,000 within three months of approval. T&C apply. Click here to apply.

The American Express Business Platinum Card

120,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits 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.

Category

General

Comments (12)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Kiran says:
    15 Oct15 October 08:10

    BA uses Plaza Premium lounges in some Indian airports like HYD. I think they are a good offering. But I am Indian and love Indian food. So I am probably biased.

  • Tony says:
    15 Oct15 October 12:48

    I walked past the PP lounge at HKG in the spring. There was a queue out the door and a one-in, one-out policy being enforced.

    Against that, I think I’d prefer Servisair (or the pub…)

    • M says:
      15 Oct15 October 13:43

      Oh my.

    • CV says:
      15 Oct15 October 15:05

      I once had a daytime flight from Kuala Lumpur and had planned on using the PP lounge there, however it too was bursting at the seams, so kept walking and went to coffee shop.

      Have sinced used the same lounge late evening a couple of times and it’s been ok, on last visit they seem to have downgraded the food choice to one hot dish, perhaps as it was quite late in evening and lounge was quiet. Alcohol was billed as an extra, i’d expect the heathrow lounge to charge for most of the features quoted.

  • richie says:
    15 Oct15 October 15:41

    in my opinion its not a real lounge unless alcohol is included

  • VATerp says:
    15 Oct15 October 18:04

    Anything is better than Aspire/Servisair/whatever they call themselves.

  • Michael Kelly says:
    18 Oct18 October 13:01

    I’m flying from Terminal 1 LHR tomorrow on BA, have a Marco Polo Gold Card, what lounge is available/best? Also, same question for return from Dublin terminal 1? Thanks in advance.

    • Rob says:
      18 Oct18 October 13:08

      Given how spread out it is, you want the one nearest your gate! If no gate shown, the one on the far far left (what was BMI’s new lounge, not sure what its called now) is presumably still the nicest.

      • Michael Kelly says:
        18 Oct18 October 13:22

        I see there are 2 BA lounges, one near gate 5 and one near gate 8. Gate 5 would be far far left from looking at the map, but I’m assuming I will board near the UK & Ireland lounge which is gate 8. Will go to the International lounge first.

        Lastly, I did an economy redemption with BA. Then added my Cathay Pacific reward number. I see I’m allowed 2 bags x 23kgs. Is that a benefit of the Marco Polo Gold? I thought the extra baggage allowance wasn’t carried over to other airlines?

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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