Priority Pass and Plaza Premium kiss and make up – you can access Plaza lounges from today

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• Malcolm says:

  6 Jun6 June 08:43

  The Plaza Premium at Edinburgh has been an oasis of calm during my recent visits. Alas, no more. Everyone is getting lounge access these days – a friend bought a cheap travel insurance the other week and got lounge access thrown in. Lounges are in danger of destroying their brand and image permanently by being too busy and not offering a good enough product.

  • Rhys says:

    6 Jun6 June 09:07

    No1 Lounge in Gatwick North on Sunday was a zoo…made me think that there’s probably an opportunity to create an indoor-play style family lounge…

    • Mark says:

      6 Jun6 June 09:10

      We were there Sunday evening last week and it was nice and relaxed, Talking to the staff they were saying that it’s been chaos, people being very rude, way overbooked apparently.

    • Malcolm says:

      6 Jun6 June 11:35

      Definitely and perhaps a lounge for the booze and brawl brigade although I thought that was supposed to be Wetherspoons… !

      • Gordon says:

        6 Jun6 June 12:50

        “Supposed to be” is the operative word! After all the comments on here and after my disappointing visits to these lounges I can see Wetherspoons picking up many more customers….

    • Bluebirdnick says:

      6 Jun6 June 15:01

      As a parent, I’d love that. Travelling with small kids is hard work and lounge access makes it a lot easier because you can sit them down somewhere quiet and they can choose a snack and – if the lounge has a kids area – have a play. We were in MUC this week and while the oneworld lounge there is pretty basic, it had a tiny play area which meant they could have some fun and a bit of fruit away from the noise of the terminal. I used to love the more opulent lounges before the kids came along but honestly, any lounge is great with the little ones and I’d prioritise ones with play areas over any other feature.

      On the same note: I love airports that have play areas at the gate. I feel that FlyerTalk could use a guide on entertainment for kids at airports. We spent an hour in a very basic lounge at PMI a year ago, only to discover far later that there was a pretty good climbing frame/slide thingy at the gate itself.

      • Rhys says:

        6 Jun6 June 15:32

        As a non-parent, I would love that too 😉

        Gatwick is, interestingly, one of the few places that I think the concept could work. Happy children = happy parents = happy other customers.

        • Bluebirdnick says:

          6 Jun6 June 19:02

          Exactly. Separating them from adults makes sense for all. Agree Gatwick is a good candidate but T5 could really use a play area too. (In the main part of the airport – there is obviously the play area in the main 5A lounge).

          Although I’ve little sympathy for anyone who gets uppity about kids making noise. Kids make noise – as long as parents are doing what they can to keep them under control, and they aren’t being wild then it’s fine, and I have no qualms booking premium cabins and taking mine in lounges etc.

      • Gordon says:

        6 Jun6 June 21:29

        Just for reference. BA lounge at LGW south has a small children’s play area if you are flying with them.

• Michael C says:

  6 Jun6 June 08:46

  Nice was absolutely rammed on Sunday.
  Admittedly, it’s our “fault” for travelling at the end of a half-term week, but they also had 4 BA flight scheduled to leave within 80 mins of each other.
  Even at the entrance, the guy said there was only room to sit on the floor…
  Coffee and juice (and of course hot food) had run out, but plenty of straight vodka and rum left!

• Diydegsy says:

  6 Jun6 June 09:01

  T5 plaza premium was packed to the gills when we were there a few days ago. Staff too busy talking and not doing any cleaning while tables were piling up. Food was bland, managed to get a seat and eventually it quietened down a bit to feel more relaxed. Only went there as the BA lounges were all showing full as well on the app. Don’t know how it’s going to be when you can enter with pp card?

  • Rhys says:

    6 Jun6 June 09:05

    T5 has always been very busy, unfortunately. The terminal needs way more lounge capacity.

• Vague Badger says:

  6 Jun6 June 09:15

  The market is crying out for a premium (non “on the beach”) product. The food etc is nice but I value the peace and a seat more. When I regularly flew LGW south I used the club rooms, paid extra over my Dragon Pass and it was excellent. We may as well designate the whole of departures as a lounge now. For too many it’s an extension of their AI holiday. At least there’s still the Concorde Room for some peace & quiet.

  • aseftel says:

    6 Jun6 June 09:33

    There used to be the private facilities at LCY/LTN/LGW – which I think represents the next level up from the current airport lounge model – but I think they all fizzled out over COVID and I’m not sure they were trading that well before anyway. Heathrow still has a VIP service, but the cost is an order of magnitude higher and I think you need to be flying F/J too.

• Russ says:

  6 Jun6 June 09:15

  The lounge pass system is becoming a joke. With budget airlines offering free lounge access with each ticket. Also these lounges allow walk-ins to buy access on the day and keep the lounge full, card holders denied access. It’s not as though the lounge experience is that much better than the normal terminal now. Almost prefer discount at a restaurant instead.

• deerwood says:

  6 Jun6 June 09:17

  For anyone who wants a ‘nice’ lounge in the UK, try Aberdeen. It’s a bit out of the way, I know, but if you value a good lounge it’s one to try.

  • ABZer says:

    6 Jun6 June 20:27

    Northern Lights? Great to hear that it’s good. I’ve only been to the BA one but may try Northern Lights in September.

• Tord says:

  6 Jun6 June 09:39

  An Amex lounge at T5 would be great. The one at T3 is excellent

  • Rhys says:

    6 Jun6 June 09:48

    It would be – the question is just where. Space is the biggest issue at T5.

    • LittleNick says:

      6 Jun6 June 10:09

      Obviously A is always rammed but is there any more space at either of the satellite terminals B or C?

      • Rhys says:

        6 Jun6 June 10:11

        I believe there’s some space at C, but that’s obviously not ideal for the vast majority of travellers!

        • LittleNick says:

          6 Jun6 June 14:45

          True but if there’s space to be utilised beggars can’t be choosers. Least it might be quieter and those in the know would be able to enjoy it. Perhaps either a Centurion lounge or a BA First lounge would be good. If BA were being smart and some joined up thinking they’d have all their first class flight leaving the C gates with a first lounge!

        • Rhys says:

          6 Jun6 June 15:34

          Except, nobody wants to spend 15 minutes going to T5C only to come back 15 minutes later to T5A because they’re flying shorthaul. So you end up with a massive lounge that nobody uses!

  • Alan says:

    7 Jun7 June 05:53

    I thought the T3 one was pretty poor – no natural light, absolutely rammed and mediocre food when I was there last year.

• Gulz says:

  6 Jun6 June 09:40

  I wonder what % of Priority Pass subscribers are not Amex Plat (or Biz Plat) – those are the ones who will now have access to Plaza Premium. I cannot imagine this number being higher than a few 100k given PP has been running many promotions over the years. Of those few 100k, how many are likely to be at a Plaza Premium at a given date and time – probably no more than 10. So worst case scenario for a typical Plaza Premium lounge with a capacity of about 100, we are talking a 10% increase. Don’t think its too bad!

  • PeteM says:

    6 Jun6 June 10:25

    I think you’d be surprised – the number of people with Priority Pass I’ve seen turned away from the Plaza Premium lounges over the years is very significant.

    • Gulz says:

      6 Jun6 June 10:36

      Was that before or after PP and Plaza Premium went their separate ways a few years ago?

    • NFH says:

      6 Jun6 June 10:39

      Many of them will also have Amex Platinum, but are in the habit of showing their Priority Pass instead of their Amex Platinum card at Plaza Premium.

    • SamG says:

      6 Jun6 June 11:26

      Agree. Once you add in the USA and Asia markets e.g. Singapore then non-Amex PPs are 10 a penny in the wild. Based on the chaos I’ve witnessed at T5 Club Aspire at times I imagine at certain points of a day there are 100s of PPs trying to gain access. I’m actually surprised they’ve included T2 and T5 – it further weakens Amex plat UK proposition

      • Rob says:

        6 Jun6 June 11:34

        There are 40 million Priority Pass and LoungeKey cards in issue. It was in the press release yesterday.

      • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

        6 Jun6 June 13:07

        10 a penny in the UAE too. Loungekey by Mastercard seems to come as standard on any fee-paying credit card.

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