Free Stansted lounge access with Stansted Express …. at a price
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I’ve no idea how long this offer has been going, but Stansted Express is currently offering ‘free’ access to the No 1 Traveller lounge at Stansted with the purchase of a first class ticket (one way or return).
I put the word ‘free’ in quotes because you are, technically, paying for it.
Stansted Express has three ticket types. One way pricing is:
Standard Class – £23.40, but reduced to £12 if you book online 7 days in advance, and £8 if you book 30 days in advance
Business Plus (with a First Class seat) – £29.90
First Class – £37.50
The ONLY difference between Business Plus and First Class is that, in First Class, you can use your train ticket to access the Fast Track security lane at Stansted and the No 1 Traveller lounge. You are effectively paying £7.60 for Fast Track security and the lounge.
It is not clear if through-tickets from other stations, which allow you to use Stansted Express but are not marked Stansted Express on the ticket, would be accepted.
The No 1 Traveller lounge at Stansted is well regarded although I haven’t used it myself. I couldn’t find a ‘real life’ photo of the interior, but you can find out more on the No 1 Traveller website here.
Entrance to the lounge is normally £17.50. It is by Gate 49, which is on the pier used by Ryanair for most of its international flights. You can access the lounge even if using a different part of the airport, but they advise giving yourself 20 minutes to get to your gate.
There is a similar offer available with Gatwick Express, with No 1 Traveller lounge access bundled in with First Class rail tickets.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (February 2023)
As a reminder, here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a credit card:

The Platinum Card from American Express
30,000 points and unbeatable travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review
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.

American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and a £200 Amex Travel credit every year Read our full review
If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

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
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 £20. 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.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
A huge bonus, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free LoungeKey card, allowing you access to the LoungeKey network. Guests are charged at £20 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.
PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.
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