Review: the Aspire Lounge, Newcastle Airport (used by British Airways)

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• Save East Coast Rewards says:

  20 Nov20 November 03:28

  Compared to the BA lounge we used to have access to, this is rubbish. Although the BA lounge looked nothing special (it was still based on the Terraces concept with furniture handed down from other lounges) the people who worked there combined with its location meant that it was really appreciated by the regulars. To be fair Aspire has better food but the drinks selection (both soft drinks and alcohol) is inferior and being able to see the gate your flying from made the BA lounge a much better choice. Of course it’s better than nothing.

• ChrisBCN says:

  20 Nov20 November 07:10

  Sounds like another naff lounge that you’ll probably be turned away from with your non- Priority Pass…

  • Rob M says:

    20 Nov20 November 07:52

    Hahaha – I am at NCL right now… just been turned away as they are fully booked. I rate my priority pass with my Amex plat at almost worth £0. I’d seen you can book for £5pp + priority pass… tried looking for a way to do this and there wasn’t an easy way. Tried emailing and no response. I would never pay money for this card and isn’t a reason why I keep the Amex plat. Needs to be sorted out if anyone like me would consider paying for this.

    • Rob M says:

      20 Nov20 November 08:06

      Just a note that I happen to have dragon pass as well – it isn’t like it is just a priority pass problem that you get turned away when you can’t book in advance with the pass. At some airports dragonpass gives you access to lounges that seem to have more capacity/ are less busy – which aren’t accessible with PP.

    • Lady London says:

      20 Nov20 November 12:43

      Interesting that no one including HfP staff seem to have got a comment from the boss of Collinson as to their view on lounges turning away Priority Pass as the lounge is “full” but the person even after that being able to pay the £5-6 “reservation fee” offered by some lounges. And stroll in with that and their Priority Pass a very few minutes later?

      It’s almost as if Priority Pass is happy to let lounges add the lounge’s own “YQ” charge. And Priority Pass keeps its headline fare advertised rate low. But in reality the Priority Pass holder isn’t getting onto that plane…err…into the lounge…without paying the Lounge YQ.

      Priority Pass seems to have let this become a fait accompli for people who paid Priority Pass their subscription and want to use it to access a UK lounge particularly at a major airport.

      • Nick says:

        20 Nov20 November 13:13

        I have half a mind to be a test case, and next time my PP gets refused but I’m offered the chance to pay instead, to do it and try claiming it back from Amex (or maybe PP). Enough people doing that and I’m sure they’d soon be having words, Amex is known for playing hardball when they want to.

      • John T says:

        20 Nov20 November 13:21

        Why would Collinson admit the product they are selling is worth far less than they market it as?

        Priority Pass have done very well out of the pandemic collecting membership fees while delivering very little value.

      • ChrisBCN says:

        20 Nov20 November 13:35

        Lady London, I love the phrase ‘Lounge YQ’ – that should definitely stick!

• Marc says:

  20 Nov20 November 07:33

  Agree that it’s a major downgrade from the BA lounge.

  I noticed that Aspire Plus was in fact open last Monday evening when arriving (it’s to the right of the old BA lounge and does have windows so you can see in). There was an Emirates departure that evening so it’s probably back open for that. I wouldn’t build up your expectations that BA will be paying for access to Plus though…

• Travel Strong says:

  20 Nov20 November 07:55

  Good to see the opening hours increasing.

  Bristol aspire also has the individual TV’s on booths at the back …. Unfortunately BRS Aspire is barely open. This weeks updated hours are worse than last, totally closed Mon-Thu!

  • David D says:

    20 Nov20 November 10:48

    The older Aspire Lounge in Edinburgh (currently closed) also have a couple of these booths with a wall mounted television. Annoying, when someone decides they want to watch something annoying with the volume cranked up. Though good, when you can catch up with the news first thing in the morning.

• Brian says:

  20 Nov20 November 09:31

  What other company offers their PAYG customers a better service than their paying subscribers? If I want to guarantee access, I have to pay twice. It should be the main benefit of my platinum Amex, but I’ve only had a 50% success rate so far.

• Doug M says:

  20 Nov20 November 10:30

  The entry refusals are a constant theme here. Is this a problem in the UK, or more widespread. I didn’t use my PP (Amex version) much when I had it, the use I did have was in the USA and didn’t experience capacity problems. I wonder if Amex pay per entry, or a annual fee, or a mix of both. Turning away people does seem to be possibly losing income. It’s interesting they reserve capacity for airline contracts, yet don’t seemingly reserve capacity for their own paid for memberships, favouring cash now bookings. It does make the PP seem useless as part of the Amex Plat deal.
  It’s further interesting that PP have presumably invested something in this series of articles, yet all it’s really done is highlight the failings of their product and generated a lot of poor feedback via comments to the the articles.

  • Cats are best says:

    20 Nov20 November 10:51

    I’ve used PP 20+ years and at many airports, the only times I remember seeing refusals were at LGW S No1 lounge and the LHR T5 Aspire, and that was really only in the last 5-10 years.

    My impression is that UK lounges are increasingly tailored and promoted to leisure pax as an ‘add-on’ to the holiday experience, supplanting the, probably, business-oriented PP users.

    In the early days, PP (and similar) provided a useful revenue stream to the operators, once the paid entry volume increased, PP could safely be relegated.

    In Europe, the shared lounges accepting PP that I’ve used still feel more business oriented.

    • lumma says:

      20 Nov20 November 12:27

      From a random sample of many different European lounges, I don’t think I’ve ever been denied entry for capacity issues outside the UK.

  • Lady London says:

    20 Nov20 November 12:47

    Alaskan Lounges stopped accepting Priority Pass in the US, unsure if reinstated but as soon as the lounges get busy Priority Pass will get officially (or practically, unofficially) dropped again.

• John says:

  20 Nov20 November 11:02

  It is atrocious.

  The breakfasts are scrappy bacon burnt.

  The place resembles the Benidorm.

• S says:

  20 Nov20 November 12:27

  It’s absolutely crap if you can even get in. A complete cattle market in peak season. Stay in the bars upstairs.

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