Review: the Aspire Lounge at Zurich Airport (E gates)

This is our review of the Aspire Lounge at Zurich Airport, by the E gates.

I may have flown to Zurich by private jet the other week but my trip back was on British Airways.

British Airways doesn’t have its own lounge at Zurich Airport, but they do pay for Club Europe ticket holders and status members to use one of the two Aspire lounges.

Getting to the Aspire lounge at Zurich Airport

As I was travelling without checked baggage, I didn’t need to use a BA check-in desk and so had no-one to ask about the lounge arrangements.  After security I didn’t know where to go as it wasn’t clear whether I could use a lounge and if so which one.  I knew that it would not be the Swiss lounge so I followed signs to the Aspire and dnata skyview lounge. Both lounges are near the B gates on the third floor.

The Aspire lounge had the BA logo on the board.  At reception I was told that my flight was going to depart from one of the E gates and I should make my way to the other Aspire lounge.

It was good to know this in advance of departure, as took me roughly 20 minutes to get to the E Gates (walking, passport control and a train).

The Aspire lounge was very bright and fresh. Right next to the reception was a shelf with a selection of German, French and English newspapers.

Throughout the lounge were various different seating arrangements some with armchairs and sofas:

….. others with barstools and high tables with sockets:

…. and a good amount of tables and chairs in the dining area.

I was in the lounge late afternoon and was more than happy to find sausages and German mustard (you can take the German out of Germany…..). There was also a salad buffet and a selection of cakes.

There were two white and two red wines as well as sparking wine and the usual selection of spirits and soft drinks.

As it was a gorgeous day, the outdoor balcony was the best feature of the Aspire lounge. Unfortunately the wi-fi didn’t work outside, but that was to be expected.

Is the Aspire lounge at Zurich Airport worth a visit?

I usually spend between 30 to 60 minutes in a lounge.  However, as I had a very early start that day and was too tired to spend much time in Zurich, I got to the airport about three hours before my flight.

I ended up with two hours in the lounge, and it wasn’t a bad place to spend my time.  The lounge was quiet at most times, the food and drinks were constantly being replenished and the balcony was a great way to spend a bright September afternoon.

I don’t know what the lunch and evening catering is like, but from what I experienced the Aspire lounge at Zurich Airport is a good choice for some drinks and food before a flight.

If you don’t qualify to get in via your British Airways status or flight class, you can still get in using Priority Pass or the Amex Gold Lounge Club card (two free passes when you take out Amex Gold). 

You can book for cash via the Lounge Pass website here.

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2024)

Here are the four 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 1,300 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.

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

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.

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 £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.