Escape lounge at East Midlands Airport reopens with a new look

East Midlands Airport has unveiled its refurbished Escape lounge after a two month closure.

The lounge can be found on the lower level, heading towards Gates 8-23. It accepts Priority Pass and DragonPass cards, as well as cash bookings.

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

The official website for the Escape Lounge, where can you book your visit, is here.

According to Escape:

The renovated lounge is split into four zones – The Arcade, The Fair, The Arboretum and The Cavern – each representing a unique element of the local area.

Inspiration for the space ranges from Nottingham’s Lace Market and Goose Fair, to Sherwood Forest and the largest Diwali festival outside of India. With pieces from local artists, alongside earthy and warm tones, we’ve created a vibrant social hub where you can relax or work while you wait for your flight.

The lounge opens at 3.30am (!) seven days per week.

Closing times vary:

• Monday and Wednesday – 7.30pm
• Tuesday and Sunday – 8pm
• Thursday and Saturday – 7pm
• Friday – 5.30pm

There is a dress code – “Please avoid wearing any clothing with slogans that might cause offence, as well as shorts above the knee. Men must keep their shoulders covered.”

You can find out more on the Escape website here.

You can book access for cash on the airport website here. The ability to pre-book using Priority Pass or similar does not seem to be available despite being mentioned as a possibility.

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

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

Your best value option (but no points):

The cheapest route to a Priority Pass airport lounge card is via the Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard.

The credit card has a fee of £15 per month, and comes with a Priority Pass which gives unlimited free access for the cardholder. If you add a free supplementary cardholder, they will also receive unlimited free access.

Unlike the version of Priority Pass you receive with American Express, the Lloyds Bank version also lets you access £18 airport restaurant credits.

Even better, the credit card has 0% FX fees and comes with 0.5% cashback. Full details are in my Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard review.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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:

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