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Here are five new UK airport lounges due to open in 2020

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2020 is gearing up to be a good year for UK airport lounge openings.   I doubt we can beat 2019, which saw Club Aspire Gatwick South, the replacement No 1 Lounge in Edinburgh (review), the 2nd Aspire lounge in Edinburgh, Clubrooms in Luton, the expanded SkyLife lounge at Southend (review), Clubrooms in Birmingham and MyLounge at London Gatwick’s South Terminal (review), as well as the hugely impressive PremiAir terminal at Manchester.

There are more on the way. Because the news has been coming through in bits and pieces you might not appreciate how much building work is going on, so I thought it would be good to do a summary.

Just for fun, I have scored each lounge out of 10 on two criteria:

the first mark is ‘Quality estimate:’ where I say how impressive I think the decor, food and drink offering will be

the second mark is for ‘Customer benefit:’ which is based on how much I think the lounge will improve your airport experience based on the current state of the airport and the other lounges available

After all, an average lounge in an airport which doesn’t currently have one is arguably more useful than a good lounge at an airport which is already full of them.

This article does not include refurbishments of existing lounges.  We know that both the Luton Airport Aspire lounge and the original Edinburgh Airport Aspire lounge will both be overhauled this Spring.

Newcastle new luxury lounge

Newcastle Airport

  • Opening date: Summer 2020
  • Quality estimate: 8
  • Customer benefit: 5

Newcastle Airport has a number of existing lounges – it has a British Airways lounge reviewed here and for cash you have the existing pay-to-use Aspire and Aspire Plus lounges (review).  The airport has decided that it needs a luxury offering, however, and is working on a new 100-seat facility which it will manage directly.

I’ve never been to Newcastle Airport but the existing lounges get decent-enough feedback (the BA lounge got a few write-in votes ‘Best UK Airline-run Lounge’ in our 2019 awards).  Let’s see what the airport can pull off.  It does look very classy (see artists impression above) with a warm brown-grey finish with wood and brass accents, as well as excellent views.

No 1 Clubrooms lounge Edinburgh

Edinburgh Airport – No 1 Clubrooms

  • Opening date: 2020
  • Quality estimate: 8
  • Customer benefit: 5

A brand new No 1 Lounge opened earlier last year at Edinburgh Airport – we reviewed it here.  We also saw the second Aspire Lounge opening virtually next door. There is more to come, however, as the same area will also soon house a Clubrooms lounge.  The company has yet to announce this on its website but the signage is already up!

Clubrooms is No 1’s premium brand with table service.  No 1 does an excellent job at designing attractive and welcoming spaces so I think we can look forward to a quality product.  You cannot get in for free with a lounge club card, however, unless you pay a surcharge on the door.

Edinburgh is not short of lounges. Apart from No 1 – which is good, and which will satisfy most people – and the two Aspire lounges, there is also a dedicated BA lounge (review).  BA has put Edinburgh on the list of lounges to be ‘refreshed’ in 2020.  The original Aspire lounge is also being refurbished.

Manchester Airport terminal 2 extension

Manchester Airport – Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse

  • Opening date: Spring 2020
  • Quality estimate: 8
  • Customer benefit: 10 (if you are flying Virgin in Upper Class)

Manchester Airport is dire, apart from PremiAir.  You can pick your favourite bit of dire-ness, but for me I think it is hard to top the Escape Plus lounge.  This unbelievably average, and too small, airport-run lounge is where Virgin Atlantic and Qatar Airways send their premium passengers.  And premium, frankly, it isn’t.

With the new pier at Manchester getting ready to open (image above) we can expect a dedicated Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.  I doubt this will be on a par with the London Heathrow lounge, given that even the New York JFK Clubhouse isn’t life-changing, but it will be a million times better than Escape Plus.

It is also possible that we see a new independent lounge in the new pier.  Manchester Airport is not keen on allowing third party lounge operators into the airport – it would rather run its own – so don’t hold out much hope for a No 1 or an additional Aspire lounge.

Bournemouth Airport lounge

Bournemouth Airport – Premium Lounge

  • Opening date: 2020
  • Quality estimate: 5
  • Customer benefit: 9

Bournemouth Airport was due to open its first lounge in June 2019.  We wrote about this back in February 2019 and an image is above.

It never happened, however.  There were ‘construction delays’.  It is still happening, I believe, and will be in the area above the duty free shop.

I’m not expecting a huge amount from this lounge, given that the airport is apparently going to operate it directly.  On the other hand, as the airport has no lounge at all today, it is a major improvement for everyone who passes through it.

Amex heathrow centurion lounge entrance

Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 – American Express Centurion Lounge

  • Opening date:  Spring 2020
  • Quality estimate: 9
  • Customer benefit: 3

This lounge was due to open last Autumn.  I never saw this as realistic, to be honest, given that the project was only announced in the Spring.  Building airside in airports is very difficult, due to the difficulty in getting goods and people airside, and when you need cooking outlets is even harder.  Spring 2020 sounds more reasonable.

The American Express Centurion Lounge network has an excellent reputation.  Over the last few years Amex has opened a number of these spaces across the US and Hong Kong and feedback has been great.  The only problem has been overcrowding.

They are open to all Platinum and Centurion charge card holders, plus guests.

It is fantastic news that Amex is opening in London.  It is less fantastic that they are opening in Terminal 3.  It is a HUGE waste.  Terminal 3 probably has the best collection of airport lounges in the world.  OK, the BA and AA spaces are poor but you’ve got two great Cathay Pacific lounges (review), the Qantas lounge, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse (review) and, for Priority Pass cardholders, two well regarded options in the No 1 Lounge (review) and Club Aspire lounge (review).

The Centurion Lounge should be better than the two existing Priority Pass lounges but it won’t add much.

All in all, there is a lot to look forward to in 2020 and we’ll keep you up to speed.

Getting airport lounge access for free from a credit card

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.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

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

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 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 £195 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 huge bonus, but only available to HSBC Premier clients 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

General

Comments (64)

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

  • Steve says:
    14 Jan14 January 08:27

    “ Manchester Airport does not allow third party lounge operators into the airport, so don’t hold out any hope for a No 1 or Aspire lounge.”

    Aspire currently operate lounges in both T1 & T2 at MAN.

    The 1903 airport lounges in T1 (ex- EY) and T3 are pretty good too, for airport lounges.

    T2 is the only one without the more premium focused 1903 lounge concept so I’d bet on that.

  • Mark Lee says:
    14 Jan14 January 10:01

    Curve Metal also acts as a LoungeKey card.

  • Lady London says:
    14 Jan14 January 11:05

    What’s the attraction? Is it birdlife?

    • Cat says:
      14 Jan14 January 11:57

      From my perspective it would be stunning scenery for hiking in, marine wildlife to kayak around and wonderful, dirt cheap food!
      I’ve not been, but it’s on the list!

  • Kip says:
    14 Jan14 January 11:28

    The Virgin Clubhouse at MAN is due for July rather than Spring. Am in the Escape Lounge+ at the moment and its not really good enough for premium fares but compared to the VS offering at TLV it’s luxury. Will be interested to see how the lounges develop at T2, if there are shared OW & *A lounges and if BA are included.

  • Shoestring says:
    14 Jan14 January 12:44

    O/T just booked my wife’s August hols 3 weeks parking LHR T3 – went with Purple Parking Meet & Greet – they have a very nice clause in the footnotes: *We will refund you 50% if you have to wait longer than 10 minutes at either your arrival or return to the airport. If you have to wait for both, you’ll be refunded in full.*

    As I often had to wait more than 10 mins with DriveFly, I shall highlight that bit in the printout of the booking! 🙂

    £140 for 22 days, £6.36/ day + hopefully a bit of bonus to come back (£12) brings it down to £5.82/ day – cancellable if I find anything better

    • Shoestring says:
      14 Jan14 January 12:57

      that clause about 50% refund is from Holiday Extras (ie booked PP thru them)

    • Anna says:
      14 Jan14 January 13:42

      I got 14 days parking at MAN (on the multi-storey next door to our terminal) for £67 with APH, plus 15% return from your favourite website. I was impressed as also August.

    • Rooster says:
      14 Jan14 January 18:04

      Do purple parking take photos of the car when it arrives?

      • Shoestring says:
        14 Jan14 January 18:09

        I used to use PP a lot but have been 100% DriveFly Meet & Greet for the past few years – great prices – but they went bust or got taken over for whatever reason so now I’m back to PP

        which is a long way of saying don’t know

        • TGLoyalty says:
          14 Jan14 January 18:56

          Drive fly were renamed still the same operators.

          • Shoestring says:
            14 Jan14 January 19:07

            is it Blue Circle? they weren’t coming up much in my searches for Meet & Greet – and when they did appear were not cheap

  • Shoestring says:
    14 Jan14 January 14:20

    …cheap upgrades. London Paddington – Bath in March. Standard is £28.50 but First Class is £30. The return train is £12 Standard or £18.50 First Class

  • Mzungu says:
    14 Jan14 January 14:42

    Slightly OT, but lounge related:

    Heading to HK next week for a tour of Asia, returning in Feb. Flying in J thanks to Lloyds upgrade vouchers (£35 each tax – thanks HfP!). What lounge(s) do folks recommend in HKG on our return? The One World site lists Cathay Pier, Wing, Deck and Bridge. Plus there’s the Plaza Premium, Qantas and Hong Kong airlines lounges.

    I’m BA Silver and have Amex Plat (& therefore PP), so that adds the Centurion as well I think!

    Seems like a lot of choice, I think I’ve read that some of these are a long way from the BA gates, and many get very crowded.

    TIA

    • Stu_N says:
      14 Jan14 January 16:00

      I’d recommend the Pier but do bear in mind it’s a good 15 mins walk from the gates BA use. The Wing is odd, I didn’t like it that much. Haven’t tried the other Cathay lounges, I think the Deck and Bridge are quite small. Qantas is right next to the usual BA gates.

      Best HK tip is to use the in-town check-in to drop your bags at Central or Kowloon Airport Express stations. You need a valid train ticket but means you are not tied to normal check-in opening times.

      • Mzungu says:
        14 Jan14 January 16:29

        Thanks Stu_N

        I don’t mind the walk, but might be too much for Mrs Mzungu. Sounds like Qantas is worth a look – might try The Pier first as we should have plenty of time.
        Great tip about the in-town check in, but we’re flying in from Vietnam and back out, so I don’t think we’ll be able to benefit this time around.
        M

        • John says:
          14 Jan14 January 18:20

          There are travelators most of the way so it’s not just walking

        • Cat says:
          14 Jan14 January 20:20

          There’s also the one-way people carrier from security to the Pier – that speeds things up.
          The Pier is your best option IMHO, it’s marvellous! AMEX is alright for a cocktail, but the Pier is loads better. AMEX is at the far end of the terminal, much like the Pier, so easy to hop from one to the other.

    • Lady London says:
      14 Jan14 January 16:59

      See @Cat’s reviews of the CX lounges in HKG on HfP, they were done very recently from visit last mid-year.

      • Mzungu says:
        14 Jan14 January 17:42

        Thanks LL, I remembered those, but I thought that they were of the 1st lounges – maybe my memory is faulty, I’ll take a look!

    • Alan says:
      14 Jan14 January 17:15

      Not sure where the gates will be in relation to the Amex Lounge, but I can highly recommend that personally. Particularly if you like a drink…

      The barman there was exceptional and mixed me up some of the best old fashioned’s that I’ve ever had, purely off the back of seeing me review the cocktail list for my other half and asking what kind of poison I liked.

      Safe to say I slept well on my return flight…

  • Simonbr says:
    14 Jan14 January 17:11

    O/T Amex just deposited the wrong 241 voucher in my BAEC account. I have the black card and triggered the voucher yesterday. Today I received an email showing an image of the blue card and informing me incorrectly that I’d spent £20k, so I check my account and sure enough the voucher expires in 12 months, not 24. I called Amex and they apologised, said very unusual etc, promised to correct the mistake ASAP. So advising HFP readers with black amex cards to ensure they have the correct 241voucher awarded.

    • Dave says:
      14 Jan14 January 18:06

      Did you recently upgrade to the black card?

      • TGLoyalty says:
        14 Jan14 January 19:07

        And if you did recently upgrade was that before or after you spent £10k?

        • Simonbr says:
          15 Jan15 January 20:53

          No I have never had a blue card, always black. I hope they don’t take long correcting the voucher because I want to use it fairly soon for a competitive midnight booking!

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

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