Which 19 UK airport lounges can be pre-booked by Priority Pass cardholders?

Many UK airport lounges, particularly in London, are now so busy that it is hard to get in at peak times using a lounge club card such as Priority Pass.

To combat this issue, Priority Pass has been working with lounges to let you pre-book slots for £6. Whilst not ideal, it does at least guarantee you a spot when you want it. There are now 19 lounges you can book this way.

We have run a number of separate articles covering lounges which have introduced pre-booking, but we have never listed them all together in one place for easy reference – until today.

American Express offers two routes to a Priority Pass:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (currently with a 30,000 points sign-up bonus and FIRST YEAR FREE – read more here) comes with a Priority Pass offering four free lounge visits. You can use all four yourself or use them for a mix of yourself and others travelling with you. Extra visits beyond four are charged at £24. You get a further four free visits each year when you renew Preferred Rewards Gold. You can apply here.

• The Platinum Card (currently with a 100,000 points sign-up bonus – read more here) comes with TWO Priority Pass cards. You receive one and your supplementary cardholder receives one. Each allows UNLIMITED free lounge visits with a guest – so a family of four is covered if your partner gets your supplementary card. Apply here.

What happens if you have a DragonPass card?

All of the lounges below will also accept pre-booking from DragonPass cardholders.

DragonPass also has a feature within its app to allow you to pre-book certain lounges on top of those listed here, primarily Plaza Premium ones. I’m not sure if this is open to all DragonPass cardholders or restricted to certain products.

London lounges you can pre-book with Priority Pass

Heathrow Terminal 3

Club Aspire Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3 (review here): opened in 2016, the lounge can accommodate just over 120 guests and is located near Gate 9. In addition to all the usual amenities (wifi, food and drinks including wines and spirits) the lounge also features a quiet zone and (most importantly!) runway views. Reservations are £6 via the No1 Lounges site here.

No1 Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3 (review here): this is a bigger facility than Club Aspire and opened in 2011. The 10-seat cinema/TV lounge is still operational, whilst food, drinks and wifi are standard. I’m not sure if the 12 bedroom pods for transiting passengers are still open. Reservations are £6 via the No1 Lounges site here.

Heathrow Terminal 5

Club Aspire Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5 (review here): the Club Aspire lounge was the first independent lounge in Terminal 5. It is a relatively narrow lounge located on a thin terrace near Gate 18. Whilst the natural light and airiness is excellent – it is open to the wider terminal – it is often overcrowded. Reservations are £6 via the No1 Lounges site here.

Gatwick North

Clubrooms Gatwick North (review here): Clubrooms is the top-tier lounge brand in the No1 Lounge stable with table service and a la carte dining. As such, Priority Pass charges an additional £15 fee on the door even if you’re not pre-booking in advance. Whilst the food and service here are undoubtedly premium, the windowless room means that it feels like you’re in a basement. Reservations are £15 and include fast-track security via the No1 Lounges site here.

No1 Lounge Gatwick North (review here): at almost 1000 square metres this is a large facility with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows occupying what used to be the lower floor of the British Airways lounge. Inside you’ll find a spa and showers available for an extra charge, as well as a small kids play area and a cinema / TV lounge. Reservations are £6 and include fast-track security via the No1 Lounges site here.

Gatwick South

My Lounge Gatwick South (review here): My Lounge is the cheapest of No1 Lounges brands but that doesn’t mean that the company has cut costs on the design. It looks trendy with industrial-style design, (fake) exposed brickwork and the like. It’s not huge but has been partitioned into a variety of rooms. It also features – uniquely – an outdoor terrace. A small buffet is available, as are self-pour wines and spirits. Reservations are £6 and include fast-track security via the No1 Lounges site here.

No1 Lounge Gatwick South (review here): another No1 Lounge, it is relatively small and can therefore get quite busy, particularly during peak times. If you can get in you’ll be treated to a bright, open stylishly designed space with wrap-around windows and warm wood and leather furniture. A central bar dishes out alcohol, although you’ll have to pay for anything more than the basics. A makeshift buffet serves food. There are toilets but no showers. Reservations are £6 and include fast-track security via the No1 Lounges site here.

Clubrooms Gatwick South (review here): this is the original Clubrooms lounge and opened in 2015. Originally intended to offer genuinely private club rooms, the model has changed somewhat and it now offers a typical lounge experience but with premium table service and an a la carte menu. As at Gatwick North, you’ll need to pay a £15 additional fee whether you reserve in advance or not, so it’s worth pre-booking to get fast-track security bundled in. Reservations do not appear to be available for summer 2024. Reservations are £15 and include fast-track security via the No1 Lounges site here.

Club Aspire Gatwick South (review here): whilst not currently taking reservations, the Club Aspire lounge shows if you book for summer 2024. It is only open until 1pm and is a surprisingly small space – a result of the old Virgin Holidays lounge being split in two to make My Lounge and Club Aspire. Reservations are £6 and include fast-track security via the No1 Lounges site here.

Stansted

Escape Lounge (review here): this is certainly not the best airport lounge in the UK, tucked away down a flight of stairs next to Pret A Manger at the very end of the departure hall. Given how busy the terminal gets, however, it is still a big improvement. The lounge is in the main building so you will have to leave early if your flight is departing from one of the satellites. Pre-booking is not always available – the lounge gets very busy near the departure of the two daily Emirates flights – but this should improve when the Emirates lounge opens in 2024. Reservations are £6 and can be cancelled up to 24 hours before departure via this page of the Stansted Airport website – scroll to the bottom for the link.

Luton

No1 Lounge: we know nothing about this lounge because it isn’t open yet! It will open in mid December, occupying the space previously used by the Clubrooms lounge. I would recommend a reservation because, until July 2024, the larger Aspire lounge will be closed for conversion to a My Lounge and all passengers will be funnelled here. Reservations are £6 via the No1 Lounges site here.

Regional lounges you can pre-book with Priority Pass

In alphabetical order:

Birmingham

Clubrooms Birmingham (review here): close to Gate 54, the Clubrooms at Birmingham Airport opened in 2019. Blue wood panelling, large windows and a parquet floor mean this lounge really does make you forget you’re at an airport. As with other Clubrooms, a la carte dining and table service mean you don’t even need to get up. Image above. Reservations are £15.

No1 Lounge Birmingham (review here): last refurbished in 2019, this No1 Lounge features an unusual mezzanine level with sofas in addition to its dining area and armchairs. A meeting room, TV room and private room can be pre-booked, whilst a small buffet is on offer with alcoholic drinks available from behind the bar – although expect to pay more for champagne or prosecco. Reservations are £6.

Bristol

Escape Lounge (review here): none of the HfP have personal experience of this lounge, and the review – submitted by a reader – is from 2017. A full refurbishment is due for 2024 after management switched from Aspire to Escape in 2023. Reservations are £6 and can be cancelled up to 24 hours before departure via this page of the Bristol Airport website – scroll to the bottom for the link. Reservations do not appear to be available during the morning peak.

The 1903 Lounge, previously the Aspire Plus lounge (review here): this lounge is meant to be available for pre-booking but at the time of writing isn’t. This may be linked to the upcoming refurbishment.

East Midlands

Escape Lounge (review here): none of the HfP have personal experience of this lounge, and the review – submitted by a reader – is from 2019. I don’t know how busy this lounge gets, given that East Midlands is not exactly Heathrow, but pre-booking will give you peace of mind. Reservations are £6 and can be cancelled up to 24 hours before departure via this page of the East Midlands Airport website – scroll to the bottom for the link.

Manchester

Your options are:

Terminal 1

• Escape lounge – £6

Terminal 2

• Escape lounge – £6 (review)
• 1903 lounge – £21 (this is a premium lounge, review)

Terminal 3

• Escape lounge – £6 (review, albeit from 2017)

You are not guaranteed to be able to make a pre-booking. Reservations do not seem to be available at times when airlines have contracted large parts of the lounges for their own use. Reservations can be cancelled up to 24 hours before arrival.

Click here to book on the airport website and to check opening hours. Scroll to the bottom of this page and there are separate links for Priority Pass and DragonPass holders.

Conclusion

You can now pre-book access at 19 UK Priority Pass lounges. Whilst this comes at an additional fee, it does guarantee you entry and at Gatwick you’ll even be able to use fast track security.

Whilst paying an additional fee to enjoy a ‘free’ benefit is obviously not ideal, you may find it worthwhile for peace of mind and the fact that, even after the fee, you’ll still be in pocket compared to the cost of food and drink in the terminal.

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (January 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.

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 £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard 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:

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:

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.