EXCLUSIVE: Aspire (Servisair) to operate the ‘Priority Pass’ Terminal 5 lounge

I have been told by a well-placed source that the tender to operate the new independent lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5 was won by Swissport / Servisair.

Despite the word ‘exclusive’ in the headline, I should stress that this story remains unconfirmed.  I asked PR contacts at both Swissport and Heathrow to comment –  Swissport said:

“At this current time I am unable to comment with regards to your question“

My understanding is that the lounge will be an Aspire lounge.  This is brand that Swissport has been using on its refurbished Servisair lounges which are now operating at Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Gatwick North, Manchester T1 and Newcastle.

It will be situated by Gate 18 / 19.  This means that it will be underneath the Galleries South complex (Gates 18 / 19 are around the corner as you go past Paul Smith and past the escalators that take you up to Galleries South).

This is the review I published of the newly refurbished Edinburgh Aspire lounge (photo above) last year.  It doesn’t look at all bad, although it is a bit more mass-market than the Plaza Premium lounge in Heathrow Terminal 2.

I believe that the lounge is due to open this year but that is still to be confirmed.  Of course, it is still to be confirmed that Aspire will be operating it and that it will be down by Gates 18/19.

Aspire lounges are generally accessible with both a Priority Pass (which can be purchased outright or which comes free – with unlimited free visits – with an Amex Platinum) and with Lounge Club passes (two free visits come with Amex Gold).  We need to wait and see, however – it may be that opening it up to both Priority Pass and Lounge Club causes overcrowding.

The winners here are BA Executive Club members who were worried about not retaining Silver under the new tier point system which starts on April 28th.   It looks like you will be able to retain some sort of lounge access in Terminal 5.

The other winner is American Express which will see a surge of interest in its Platinum and Gold charge cards once the new lounge opens and the access rules are confirmed.

British Airways will win a bit and lose a bit.  Some non-status passengers with a Priority Pass who fly other airlines because they operate from terminals with a Priority Pass lounge may come back.  This will be offset by people who decide not to chase BA status now they realise they can get Terminal 5 lounge access anyway.

You will even be able to collect Lounge Miles when you visit – even with a Priority Pass – and earn £5 of shopping vouchers for every seven stamps.

(EDIT:  August 2015 – the lounge is now open!  If you are planning to visit the Aspire lounge and do not have a Priority Pass, your best option is to book in advance and guarantee admission via the Aspire website here.)

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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.

Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard

A Priority Pass, 0% FX fees and up to 1% cashback for £15 per month Read our full 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 Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 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:

The American Express Business Platinum Card

50,000 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.