See inside the new My Lounge at Luton Airport

The new My Lounge at Luton Airport opened on Saturday. This replaces the Aspire lounge, on the first floor overlooking the main departures area.

Together with the smaller No1 Lounge around the corner, the total capacity of the two spaces is just under 200 people.

Let’s take a look.

I was there for a preview on Thursday. It was still quite busy so the bulk of the photos below are PR ones.

I haven’t included any pictures of the buffet as what we were served may not be representative. However, there is definitely a pancake machine available! The bar is described as ‘fully tended’ – so presumably not self-service – and includes ‘premium beers, wines and spirits’. Coffees, teas and juices are available from self-serve machines.   

My Lounge has gone upmarket

The original My Lounge – in the space that is now The Gateway by easyJet lounge – was an attempt to attract a younger audience to lounges.

Part of this, the bit that was done well, was using an industrial / Hackney / Shoreditch architectural style. The bit that was done badly was serving food on paper plates with wooden cutlery.

Slowly the concept evolved. It turned out that younger people liked real metal cutlery as much as older people. It also turned out that some older people liked the industrial vibe more than the retirement home look found in some other lounges.

Originally, No1 Lounges had a ‘good, better, best’ philosophy, going ‘My Lounge, No1 Lounge, Clubrooms’.

This is no longer the case. My Lounge and No1 Lounge are now seen as equal in terms of quality and facilities, with Clubrooms still sitting on top of both.

At Luton Airport, which has both a My Lounge and a No1 Lounge, both accept Priority Pass, DragonPass etc with no surcharge. Both have the same base price for cash (£34) although dynamic pricing means that one can occasionally be more than the other.

This is a lengthy way of saying that there isn’t a ‘best’ lounge at Luton. No1 is much smaller but has a window overlooking the tarmac. My Lounge is far bigger with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the waiting area below, but no external views.

My Lounge is open a little later. It it available from 4am to 9pm, whilst No1 is open from 4am to 8pm.

Inside My Lounge at Luton Airport

The photo above shows you where the lounge sits in the terminal. The entrance is partially hidden in the image but is to the right of Accessorize.

When you head up the stairs – or take the lift – you find yourself in a large open space, albeit one that has been cleverly zoned by the use of furniture and different styles of furnishing. It doesn’t feel at all cavernous.

A key difference from the Aspire days is that you have a clear view from the floor to ceiling windows, something which wasn’t possible with the old layout. This lets a lot of light into the space.

The image above is taken about half way down. The image below is what is behind you in the previous picture:

The image below shows you the small games area at the back, through the doorway. Unlike other My Lounge sites there is no table football here. There is a video games console built into a table, for anyone who wants a retro game of Space Invaders.

The buffet sits against the back wall:

and

It’s fair to say that, apart from an exposed brick wall at the back, it is a less ‘industrial’ look than the other My Lounge sites. The difference in style between this and a typical No1 Lounge is modest, which is arguably a missed opportunity.

Getting in

There is a key difference between the My Lounge and No1 Lounge sites at Luton Airport and third party lounges elsewhere.

Luton being Luton, there are virtually no airlines with business class cabins or elite status passengers to accommodate. El Al is the only airline to have a corporate contract and that is for the No1 Lounge.

The remaining capacity is available entirely for direct bookers, Holiday Extras / On The Beach guests and Priority Pass / DragonPass cardholders.

This is the first time ever that both lounges at Luton have been available for Priority Pass entry without a surcharge. The smaller lounge was built as a Clubrooms and charged a surcharge for Priority Pass cardholders, and had been closed entirely from 2020 to Autumn 2023. Available capacity for Priority Pass has never been better.

That said …. you can pre-book the No1 Lounge via the No1 Lounges website here for £6 per person. This guarantees that you will be able to get in. You cannot pre-book My Lounge.

Conclusion

The No1 team has done a good job with the new My Lounge at Luton Airport, and it is well worth giving it a try next time you are there.

To compare with the No1 Lounge around the corner, read our review here.

The team has some high profile London openings coming up in the next year (none publicly announced yet) and hopefully the recent standards will be maintained. Given that Aspire is also producing some high quality spaces now – see our review of the new Newcastle lounges – the future of independent UK airport lounges is looking good.

You can book My Lounge Luton Airport for cash here.

You can book No1 Lounge Luton Airport for cash here.

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (September 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 1,500 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.

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

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

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.

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