London’s Heathrow Airport is one of my least favorite airports in the world. It’s seemingly designed with the intention of maximizing exercise potential between connections. On top of that, switching between terminals can actually feel like transferring between airports at times. I also find their security staff make the TSA look downright friendly by comparison.
As far as the terminals themselves go, Terminal 5 is one of the nicer ones, and British Airways is the exclusive operator out of it. It’s a nice enough terminal physically, given that it has lots of natural light, great shopping, and even The Concorde Room.
That being said, it is consistently crowded. Very, very crowded.
Since British Airways is the only airline to operate out of Terminal 5, they’ve also been the only airline to have lounges there for years. Which is great if you’re a oneworld flyer like me, since there are some decent lounges you can hang out in.
It has also meant that non-oneworld flyers and non-premium passengers were left without lounge access, given that British Airways doesn’t sell lounge access.
Well, that has finally changed with the recent opening of the Aspire Airport Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5. The Aspire Lounge is the first lounge at Terminal 5 which can be accessed by Priority Pass members (memberships come with cards like the Citi Prestige® Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express). Furthermore, access can be purchased to the Aspire Lounge.
Assuming you’re not a Priority Pass member, access to the Aspire Lounge can be purchased for 35GBP (~$55USD), and access is valid for three hours.
The lounge is open daily from 5AM until 11PM, and is located adjacent to gate 18.
The lounge offers complimentary snacks and drinks, though also has premium food & drinks available for purchase.
For example, here’s the complimentary daytime food menu:
Afternoon Tea for One or Two
Help yourself to one of our two-tiered platters or create your own from:
Sandwiches
Pork Pies
Scotch Eggs
Victoria Sponge Cake
Carrot Cake
Chocolate CakeSandwiches
Tuna Mayonnaise & Cucumber
Cheese & Onion
Egg Mayonnaise
Prawn Mayonnaise
Ham, Cheese & PickleQuiche Lorraine
Hot Miniature Pies
Beef and Ale
Chicken and TarragonSoup of the Day
Pasta of the Day
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Bagel
British Cheese Board
Cornish Brie
Blue Stilton
Red Leicester
CheddarFresh Salads
Mediterranean Pasta
Moroccan Couscous
Leaf Salad
Coleslaw
Potato Salad
Sliced Cucumber
Cherry Tomatoes
Sliced Wiltshire HamSweet Treats
Scones, clotted cream and jam
Chocolate Cake
Carrot Cake
Victoria Sandwich Cake
Double Chocolate Muffin
Chocolate Muffin
Blueberry MuffinGluten Free Treats
Chocolate Caramel Shortbread
Flapjack
Chocolate BrownieHand Cooked Crisps
Sea Salted
Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt
Red Leicester & Onion
Meanwhile here’s the complimentary drink selection:
On top of that they have premium meals available for purchase:
Steak & Guinness Pie – £6.99
Cheese & Onion Pie – £6.99
Fish Finger Sandwich – £6.99
Maple and Barbecue Glazed
Salmon Fillet – £6.99
Welsh Lamb Shank – £9.99
Mushroom & Dolcelatte Risotto – £9.99
As well as premium beverages available for purchase:
Order at the bar:
Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne –£34.99ICONIC COCKTAILS
Mai Tai – £5.99
Cosmopolitan – £5.99
Elderflower Collins – £5.99
Espresso Martini – £5.99WINE FLIGHTS
Sensational Sauvignon Blanc – £10.00
The French Affair – £10.00
Brave New World – £10.00
The Jet Set – £10.00
The lounge also has complimentary “rest pods,” as well as paid shower (20GBP) and spa facilities.
Bottom line
While I suspect this lounge isn’t on par with The Concorde Room, it is great for Heathrow Terminal 5 travelers to have an alternative to the oneworld lounge options.
Much like the rest of the terminal, I suspect this lounge will get quite crowded, though it’s still a great option for Priority Pass members. I’ll check it out the next time I pass through Terminal 5, for the purposes of a review, if nothing else.
Do you plan on checking out the new Aspire Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5? Do you think there’s a market for paid airport lounges?
(Tip of the hat to Fly&Dine)