EXCLUSIVE: 200 seat Plaza Premium lounge to open in Heathrow Terminal 5
Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission. See here for all partner links.
I always like to the bearer of good news, so I’m delighted to be able to say that Plaza Premium will be opening a 200 seat departure lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5.
The opening date is not yet fixed but it should be very late this year or early 2017. I do not know where it will be.
The first independent lounge in Terminal 5, Club Aspire, opened last year – click for our latest review. This can be accessed via a Priority Pass card or by booking in advance for cash. Whilst filling a much needed gap in the market, the site is small and capacity is limited to around 40 people.
I was hoping that the success of the Aspire facility would convince the airport that a larger independent lounge would make sense and it seems that they have agreed. This will be especially welcome news for British Airways travellers who can no longer retain access to the BA lounges following the reduction in tier point earning brought in last year.
I have been very impressed with the Plaza Premium facilities opened at Heathrow so far. Whilst you may not be familiar with the group, it is the world’s largest independent lounge operator with 130 sites across 35 airports.
Yesterday I took another look at the Terminal 2 Plaza Premium departure lounge, which you can pre-book for cash here.
I also reviewed the Terminal 4 Plaza Premium departure lounge before Christmas (bookable here).
They also operate the, admittedly small, arrivals lounge in Terminal 2. If you have a Priority Pass, this is a good place to hang out if you’re meeting someone off a flight.
Plaza Premium also has some other plans in the works:
An arrivals lounge in Terminal 4, opening this year
A 70-room Aerotel, located directly in the Terminal 3 arrivals area, opening in 2017
Allways, Plaza Premium’s ‘meet and greet’ service, is also launching at Heathrow
The big one for HfP readers, of course, will be the Terminal 5 lounge. I will keep you updated on progress as I hear it.
Details of all of the Plaza Premium Heathrow lounges are on their website here.
PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2025)
Here are the five 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 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.
You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges. Our American Express Platinum review is here.
You can apply here.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. 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
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.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 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 £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 American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

American Express Business Platinum
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.
Comments (29)