How to save on airport lounges

When we checked the prices of 25 airport lounges at every major UK airport, we were amazed to find that it was always more expensive to book direct with the lounge. 

In some cases we found you could save up to a tenner by booking with third-party comparison sites or through the airport. 

Read on to find out more about what we discovered.

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What are airport lounges?

The traditional idea of an exclusive airport lounge is a private space with free bubbly, top-notch food and perhaps showers or even a spa.

These still exist for Business Class and First Class passengers. But in recent years, ‘pay-as-you-go’ lounges – where economy passengers can enter as well – have become increasingly popular. These are spaces away from the hubbub of the airport where you pay a set fee, typically between £35 and £45 per person, for a buffet and drinks – but genuine luxury is usually in short supply.

We sent undercover inspectors to 25 airport lounges, and found very few were worth the money. 

Flying from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester or another major UK airport? Find out whether there’s an airport lounge worth visiting before your next holiday.

The easiest way to save on airport lounges

The simplest way to save a few pounds per person on these kind of pay-as-you-go lounge reservations is to avoid booking direct through the lounge operator.

We collected prices for all 25 of the lounges we reviewed from the lounge operator, the airport and through comparison site Holiday Extras. 

The lounge operator never had a cheaper price than the other two websites and for 10 lounges it was cheaper to either book through Holiday Extras or through the airport.

When we looked at booking Birmingham Clubrooms or Birmingham No1 Lounge we found it was £6 cheaper booking through Holiday Extras instead of direct. At Gatwick No1 North Terminal you’d save £8 and at No1 South Terminal you’d save £6.

At Birmingham Aspire it was £5 cheaper to book through the airport rather than either direct through Aspire or through Holiday Extras. 

Is there any advantage to booking airport lounges direct?

The only advantage to booking direct is that you might be able to spend longer in the lounge if your flight’s delayed. Through Holiday Extras your booking is usually for three hours. 

Swissport, which owns No1, Clubrooms, My Lounge and Aspire, says it guarantees those who book direct can stay longer if their flight is delayed. This guarantee doesn’t apply if you booked through Holiday Extras or another third party.

However, even then there are caveats. If the lounge is over-subscribed, Swissport reserves the right to ask you to leave at the end of your booked stay.

Shop around for the cheapest airport lounge prices

Prices vary so it’s important to shop around – the site with the lowest price one week may not have it the next. Also, some sites offer a lower price for two hours in the lounge, rather than the standard three hours.

Two hours may sound like plenty, but bear in mind that the usual booking period is the two hours before your flight departs. You may be stuck in a bag drop queue or going through security during much of that time.

Consider a last minute lounge booking

It might seem obvious that the best savings are available by booking far in advance. Paying on the door is often several pounds per person more expensive than advance booking. The further in advance you book, the more likely you are to get a cheaper deal.

However, if you haven’t booked in advance, it can be worth asking on the lounge door how much you’d have to pay for an hour or two before your flight. 

These kinds of last minute, shorter bookings can often be cheaper than the standard three hours. But bear in mind that lounges are popular, so there’s a risk that there’ll be no room available.

Love lounges? Get a priority pass – or the right bank account

If you’re planning to visit more than five lounges a year, a basic Priority Pass (£69 for first year and includes most but not all lounges in our table) could save you money. Lounge access then costs a flat £24 – although if the lounge is full you won't be able to get in. At some lounges you can pay another fee of around £5 to book in advance and make sure you have access.

An Amex Gold card gives you free lounge entry four times a year. Barclaycard Avios Plus gets you into most lounges for £18.50. Barclays Travel Plus Pack account allows you six free lounge visits a year - although the account costs £22.50 a month.

Barclays travel insurance is a Best Buy – with an impressive score of 91%.

Earn cashback on every lounge stay

It’s worth checking cashback sites, such as TopCashback, for current promotions. 

We found in October 2024 that Topcashback was offering 10% of the price of lounge bookings made through Holiday Extras. For a booking for four people at No1 Lounge Gatwick, for example, you’d make £15.

In the past Quidco has also had offers of up to 11% cashback – although these aren’t currently available.

Fly from a better airport if you can

Booking an airport lounge is most likely to seem like a good idea at large, overcrowded airports where you need to arrive early in case there are long queues.

If you book at a smaller, quieter airport you probably don’t need to book an airport lounge at all. You can be in and out much faster and you’ve got a better chance of finding a seat without having to pay.

Take a look at our survey of the best and the worst UK airports to see whether your airport experience is likely to be a pleasure, even without coughing up for a lounge.