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British Airways adds lounge access at more European airports including Porto and Reykjavik

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Last September, we published a list of British Airways European destinations which did not offer lounge access.

There are some airports on the British Airways network which simply do not have an airport lounge, as I found out in Pula, Croatia last Summer.  There isn’t much British Airways can do about this.  There are others, however, where there is a lounge but British Airways simply refuses to pay for it.

British Airways is now doing what it can to set this right.  In early February, they added Innsbruck, Ibiza, Krakow and Seville.

As of this Monday, you can now also access a lounge at Porto and Reykjavik.

Anika reviewed the lounge in Porto last year.  Click here to see what you have been missing.

The campaign continues …..

These airports have a lounge which BA won’t pay for but you can use a Priority Pass instead:

Lanzarote ACE

Catania/Fontanarossa CTA

Madeira FNC

Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis HER

Humberside HUY

Mykonos JMK

Olbia/Costa Smeralda OLB

Palermo/Punta Raisi PMO (landside)

Paphos International PFO

Thessaloniki Macedonia International SKG (as of 1st July 2017)

Split SPU

Rhodes – Diagoras International RHU

Tallinn TLL

These airports have a lounge which BA won’t pay for and which only accept cash, not Priority Pass / Lounge Club:

Brindisi/Casale BDS

Bordeaux-Merignac BOD

Bari/Palese International BRI

Cagliari CAG

Dalaman International DLM

London City Airport LCY (in the Private Jet Terminal)

And finally, here is a reminder of British Airways-served airports which have no lounge at all so you can’t blame BA for not letting you in:

Bergen, Flesland Airport BGO

Corfu / Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport CFU

Chania International Airport CHQ

Chambery-Savoie CMF

Bergerac-Roumaniere EGC

Friedrichshafen FDH

Fuerteventura FUE

Grenoble-Isere GNB

Frederico Garcia Lorca GRX

Skiathos Island National JSI

Santorini JTR

Kos KGS

Kalamata KLX

Limoges LIG

Menorca MAH

San Javier MJV

Nantes Atlantique NTE

Asturias OVD

Pula PUY

Rotterdam RTM

Quimper-Cornouaille UIP

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Getting airport lounge access for free from a credit card

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.

Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (139)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Douglas Grimshaw says:
    28 Feb28 February 07:18

    It is Ukraine, not ‘the’ Ukraine ;)….

  • ringingup says:
    28 Feb28 February 07:37

    There is no lounge in Cagliari, Rob.

    • Alex says:
      28 Feb28 February 08:02

      There was a small airport run lounge that appeared to be for Meridiana passengers last time I was there.

    • ringingup says:
      28 Feb28 February 08:52

      Interesting, I’ve never seen any sign for it. Did you list it under the priority pass ones in the original article and then move it? Or was I still asleep when I first read the article? 🙂

      • Rob says:
        28 Feb28 February 09:01

        I moved it from the PP list to the ‘only takes cash’ list because, whilst it does exist, it is not in PP now it seems.

  • Don Avis says:
    28 Feb28 February 07:37

    Flew back from Tallinn last weekend Club Europe and asked the check in agent if there was a Lounge. “yes – 2nd floor” she said. What she neglected to tell me it was not for BA business class!!!

  • Roger says:
    28 Feb28 February 07:52

    Any Marriott recommendation for Singapore?
    One of the two choise (240K Marriott reward points!)
    JW Marriott and
    Marriott Tang.

    JWM of course has club room and comes with the executive lounge access.

    • chris says:
      28 Feb28 February 12:52

      Tangs might not be quite as plush but the location is far superior. JW Marriott is a bit out of the way in comparison. Tangs has AC Tunnel to Orchard MRT which will get you to offices @ raffles place or pretty much anywhere else without stepping outside. If you arent there for work then Tangs is in the heart of all the shopping on orchard road.

    • Pangolin says:
      28 Feb28 February 16:49

      I very much prefer the JW Marriott South Beach over the Tang – and I think the location is nicer also because it’s a short and easy walk to the Marina and the Botanic Gardens. When you exit the hotel you only have to go down a set of escalators and you’re inside one of the MRT stations.

      Only thing against JW South Beach is the ice cold pool.

      • Roger says:
        28 Feb28 February 17:39

        Thanks all for responding.

        Tang seems to be more favourable at the moment. JWM also needs dollar 160 per day in addition to 240K Marriott points for travel package, however it does include club lounge access.

  • totaltool says:
    28 Feb28 February 08:13

    ot but lounge related. flying from Edinburgh on QATAR business class. does anyone know which lounges I can access?

    • sigma421 says:
      28 Feb28 February 08:18

      IIRC Qatar will point you towards the No. 1 Lounge but you can also use the BA Lounge Personally, I’d choose No. 1 Unless you plan to drink a lot..

    • Alex W says:
      28 Feb28 February 08:26

      Try the lounge buddy app. I would have thought you could get in the BA Lounge?

    • Andrew says:
      28 Feb28 February 08:32

      Which gate does Qatar usually depart from?

      If it’s 1,2,3 or 14+, be mindful they are a long walk from No1 lounge.

  • simon says:
    28 Feb28 February 08:47

    Have let this expire today. cant find a use! SO ANNOYING

    • Jay says:
      28 Feb28 February 09:06

      Simon if you don’t plan to use yourself might you able to book a flight for me at all? 🙂

    • Mr(s) Entitled says:
      28 Feb28 February 11:24

      Same. Can’t find anything of interest and most of the hotels could be bought cheaper elsewhere negating the £200 saving.

  • vol says:
    28 Feb28 February 08:48

    On lounges:

    BA really cheaped out at Ataturk

    They have changed the lounge access from somewhere that had a vast food choice and several very nice herbal teas to somewhere that only supplies several different varieties of rubber cheese sandwiches. Very disappointing.

  • Pierre says:
    28 Feb28 February 09:23

    UIP will not have a lounge in the near future with so few flights per day out of the airport, and space constraints.

    • Johnny Tabasco says:
      28 Feb28 February 09:59

      will be in the Clubhouse next week for a morning flight. I’m actually tempted to book the room, purely on the basis I might actually get a table or at the very least, some space in there for he first time in years.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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