Exclusive HfP competition: Win access to the First Class Lounge at London City Airport

Today we are launching a new competition to win a visit to the new and highly exclusive Business Class and First Class lounges at London City Airport.

Regular readers will remember my reviews of the new Business Class Lounge and the new First Class Lounge at London City Airport. Everyone else might wonder why they’ve never heard of an airport lounge at London City Airport before.  After all, not even British Airways has its own lounge, even for the BA1 flight to New York.

This is because the First Class Lounge and the Business Class Lounge are technically not inside the main airport but rather part of the Private Jet Centre next door.

When using the First Class or Business Class Lounge, your experience starts when you arrive at London City Airport.  A driver will pick you up and drive you the few minutes to the Private Jet Centre.

When it is time for your flight to leave, you have two options.

If you are using the Business Class Lounge, you will be driven back to the main terminal and go through security in the airport.

If you are using the First Class Lounge (and not flying BA who, annoyingly, won’t play ball) you will go through a designated security check area inside the Jet Centre and have a car drive you to the plane.  This is a pretty cool experience and you will also be the first to board the plane.

The competition

London City Airport has kindly offered two prizes for a competition so two lucky readers can experience the lounges for themselves.

• The first prize is access to the First Class Lounge for two (worth £190) including a car ride to the plane (if you are flying with BA you’ll be driven back to the main terminal for security and boarding)
• The second prize is access to the Business Class Lounge for two (worth £70)

As always all you have to do to enter this competition is fill out the Gleam widget at the bottom of this page with your email address. Your email address remains private. We will not give it to London City Airport (unless you win) and we won’t be using it for anything else.

You need to enter by midnight on Monday 7th August.

Here is a quick summary of the rules – the formal version is in the widget below:

You must be a UK resident to enter

You are limited to one entry per person, and the named winner must be one of the guests

The winner and his guest must have a valid airline ticket for the day they want to use the lounge

Lounge access must be booked at least 48 hours in advance

The two passes must be used in the same visit.  A solo traveller can visit on their own but cannot have a 2nd visit on another date.

Enter here

If you cannot see the widget below click here to be taken to a special entry page.  Good luck.

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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.