What are the best airport lounges in Heathrow Terminal 2? My thoughts ….

If you’re travelling from Heathrow Terminal 2 there is an impressive list of departure lounges that you might have access to.

Currently there are nine lounges (click for our most recent reviews):

• Aer Lingus lounge review (refurbished 2024)
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge review (refurbished 2025)
• Lufthansa Business Lounge review plus the Senator room at the back (refurbished 2025)
• No1 Lounge review (opened in 2025)

• Plaza Premium lounge review
• Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge review (refurbished 2024)
• Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge review (refurbished 2024)
• United Club lounge review
• United Global Services lounge review

Which is best? With Rob and I having visited all of them at some point, we feel as well placed as anyone to draw some conclusions.

It’s almost two years since we last posed this question, and in that time many of the lounges have been refurbished whilst a new lounge – No1 Lounge – has opened. We thought it was worth taking a fresh look.

There is, of course, a huge amount of personal preference here. What matters most? Natural light? Champagne? Restaurant-style dining? A kids play room? Peace and quiet?

Without stating the obvious, you can’t visit all the lounges even if you want to. Some, such as Singapore Airlines First Class or United Global Services, are limited to the airline’s top flyers. The only lounges which are airline-agnostic are No1 Lounge and Plaza Premium.

1. Singapore Airlines First Class lounge

In first place, at least from me, is the Singapore Airlines’ First Class Lounge.

This is now the only true First Class lounge in Terminal 2, with United’s ex-First Class lounge rebranded as ‘Global Services’ and no longer offering a la carte dining.

A lounge-within-a-lounge, the First Class Lounge is separate to the SilverKris Lounge and offers a la carte dining, cocktails and premium wines.

The 2024 refurbishment means the interiors now match the service and offer a quiet, welcoming atmosphere that is a step above the business class lounge next door.

Best for: service, a la carte dining

Access: Singapore Airlines First Class passengers

Review: Singapore Airlines First Class lounge Heathrow T2

2. United Global Services lounge

Formerly the United First Class lounge, this is now a refuge for United MileagePlus’ top-tier status holders with exclusive access to Global Services members and, occasionally, United Premier 1K members.

Given its exclusivity it is surprisingly large, but this is part of its appeal: compared to the United Club next door, it is never crowded and a picture of serenity.

Locally inspired touches, such as a large clock inspired by the face of Big Ben, give this lounge some character. The only catch is that a la carte dining has not been reinstated since covid – you have access to the same (admittedly good) buffet as the United Club passengers next door.

Overall, this is an excellent lounge – if you have access.

Best for: service, food, peace and quiet

Access: United Global Services members only; Premier 1K members if the Club Lounge is overcrowded.

Review: United Global Services lounge Heathrow T2

3. Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge

Previously tied in third (in my view) with the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and United Club, I think the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge no longer deserves to share third place.

The 2024 refurbishment means that this is now a smart, sophisticated lounge. There is an excellent variety of seating, from armchairs to business pods to coworking desks, virtually all of which has quick and easy access to a multitude of charging ports.

The food and drinks offering is markedly better than the Maple Leaf Lounge with a much larger selection including more Asian options. The bar has also been extended substantially and now offers a number of bar stools.

The only downside is that the lounge can get very busy during peak hours.

Best for: Asian cuisine

Access: open to anyone flying in business class on a Star Alliance airline or in any class with Star Alliance Gold status

Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge Heathrow T2

4. United Club lounge

In joint fourth we have United Club. This is by far the largest of the Terminal 2 lounges, although it’s still not big enough and can get very busy.

United Club has a good western-style buffet with a range of hot items plus a variety of salads, sandwiches and more catering to virtually all tastes.

Whilst there’s no alcohol on self pour, United Club features an impressive bar where you can order wines and cocktails, including prosecco. It is, apparently, the longest bar in the airport.

That said, it is the only Star Alliance not to be refurbished over the past year and whilst it’s not in a terrible state it does look a bit dated. The almost-constant overcrowding does not help.

Best for: Western cuisine, alcoholic drinks

Access: anyone flying in business class on a Star Alliance airline or in any class with Star Alliance Gold status; United Club members

Review: United Club Heathrow T2

= 4. Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge was one of my favourites. It is still a stylish offering, with Canadian timber and stone finishes, but with other Star Alliance lounges recently being refurbished it is no longer substantially better.

The good news is that it is typically one of the quieter, less crowded lounges. Both the Singapore SilverKris and United Club lounges next door get crowded during peak times, but I’ve never seen the Maple Leaf lounge as busy, which makes it a calm and relaxing environment.

The only downside, and why putting the Maple Leaf Lounge in joint fourth place is controversial, is that the food and drink on offer is poor. If you are hungry – or on the hunt for champagne, rather than prosecco – then this lounge is not for you. That said, they do mix an excellent Bloody Caeser’s! If you are not looking to eat or drink in style, you should rank this lounge higher.

Best for: design, working, peace and quiet

Access: anyone flying in business class on a Star Alliance airline or in any class with Star Alliance Gold status

Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Heathrow T2

Runners up ….

Beyond the top five the remaining lounges are much of a muchness. Coincidentally or not, these are also the lounges in the main terminal and not the satellite.

No1 Lounge

A new entrant on this list – and the provider of some much needed additional lounge capacity, particularly for Priority Pass holders – is the No1 Lounge, image above.

This opened in early 2025 and features No1’s stunning new interior design direction that rivals the best of the airline lounges.

Unfortunately the food offering is weak and the lack of natural light – as a result of the space found by Heathrow in the bowels of the terminal – means it does not rank more highly.

Still, this is now the best independent lounge in the terminal, I’d argue.

Review: No1 Lounge Heathrow Terminal 2

Plaza Premium

Whilst this lounge has won the Skytrax award for World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge multiple years in a row, this isn’t the best lounge at Heathrow T2 or even my favourite Plaza Premium lounge (Edinburgh and Rome are better).

What lets this lounge down, in my opinion, is that there are no windows and therefore no natural light. Whilst it is a lovely space, it always feels dark. The designers did an impressive job making it feel like a period Asian bar and restaurant but you still miss the light.

That said, the lounge will serve you a better breakfast than No1 Lounge and its location in the main part of the terminal means it’s one of the most convenient. It is also spacious, albeit busy.

The lounge is part of Priority Pass and DragonPass.

Review: Plaza Premium Heathrow T2 lounge

Lufthansa Business Class lounge

A good sized lounge, it caters to business class passengers with a separate Senator Lounge inside for top tier members.

The design is fairly modern following the 2025 refurbishment although still a bit drab, in the typical Lufthansa way. The food and drink is fairly basic and can be a little odd at times.

That said, if you are flying short haul then you are highly likely to be departing from the main terminal. Do you want to take the long walk (there is no train) over to the satellite lounges, just to have to walk back? Not really, unless you clear security at least 90 minutes before departure.

You can access this lounge with The Platinum Card from American Express. The only condition is that you are flying on Austrian, Brussels, Air Dolomiti, Edelweiss, Eurowings, Discover, Lufthansa or SWISS. If you are in business class, your Amex Platinum card gets you upgraded to the Senator area.

Review: Lufthansa Business and Senator lounge, Heathrow T2

Aer Lingus

This isn’t actually a bad lounge, given that Aer Lingus is technically a ‘value’ carrier and doesn’t have a huge number of seats out of Heathrow.

If you can get in, it is arguably better than you would expect. Most passengers are only taking a 60 minute flight to Ireland and Aer Lingus doesn’t have a dedicated business class cabin, only AerSpace, reviewed here.

The decor, as you can see below, is attractive. The space is split into a number of different zones depending on your mood and there are lovely floor to ceiling windows.

The quality of the food and drink has improved following the recent refurbishment. This was always the weak spot of an otherwise attractive lounge.

British Airways Gold and Silver cardholders can access this lounge if flying Aer Lingus but you cannot bring a guest.

Review: Aer Lingus Heathrow T2 lounge

Our rankings: the best airport lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2

Best lounge for wine and champagne:

1. Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge
2. United Global Services
3. Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge

Best lounge for cocktails and spirits:

The United Club lounge takes the crown for the best cocktails and spirits at Heathrow T2 given its dedicated staffed bar.

1. United Club
2. Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge
3. United Global Services

Best lounge for food:

1. Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge
2. United Club
3. Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge

Let us know in the comments if you disagree. Don’t take these rankings too seriously though, because overall the quality of lounges in Heathrow Terminal 2 is exceptionally high. Many international airports would love to have even a couple of lounges of this standard, yet alone nine.

Travelling from another terminal? Our guide to the best lounges at Heathrow Terminal 3, albeit from 2022, is here.

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (September 2025)

Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

Lounge access via American Express cards:

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 in-depth review of The Platinum Card from American Express is here.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th October 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This would convert to 80,000 Avios! The spend target is changed to £10,000 within SIX months of approval. T&C apply. Click here to apply.

The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card 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 Credit Card review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th October 2025, the sign-up bonus on the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card is doubled to 40,000 Membership Rewards points. This would convert to 40,000 Avios! The spend target is changed to £5,000 within SIX months of approval. T&C apply. Click here to apply.

Lounge access via HSBC Premier credit cards (Premier account holders only):

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 The American Express Business Platinum Card which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th October 2025, the sign-up bonus on The American Express Business Platinum Card is increased to 120,000 Membership Rewards points. This would convert to 120,000 Avios! The spend target is changed to £12,000 within three months of approval. T&C apply. Click here to apply.

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.