On my way to Scotland, I stopped by one of the Priority Pass options at LHR Terminal 5. That was the Plaza Premium Lounge. On the way back, I checked out the Club Aspire Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 5. It’s a decidedly average contract lounge, with heavy crowding and mediocre food the main drawbacks.
This post is a part of my trip report series covering my trip to Scotland in February, 2023. Click here for the trip report index and introductory post.
Club Aspire Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 5
Location
At the south end of the T5 concourse, near gate A18. Simply follow the signs in the direction of the Galleries South/Club Aspire/Plaza Premium lounges.
Access
The following passengers may access the Club Aspire Lounge:
- Priority Pass, Dragonpass, and Lounge Key cardholders
- Diners Club cardholders
- Paid access at £45
Note that while Priority Pass provides complimentary access, you can pay extra to reserve a specific time. Otherwise, access is on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition, the maximum allowed stay is 3 hours. Lounge hours are 5 am to 9 pm daily.
Club Aspire Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 5 – Review
Date of visit: Saturday, February 4, 2023
I heard horror stories about the crowding in this lounge. On my visit, at least, I found no line to get in the lounge. That was a pleasant surprise, at least.
Once inside, I did find a pretty crowded establishment, though I found an empty seat without too much effort. The main issue with this lounge is the design. It’s essentially a narrow three-sided square, but the narrow corridors make the lounge feel more crowded than it actually is. Anyway, from the entrance, you immediately find a few booth-style dining tables. Immediately finding an empty one, I plopped down here for my visit. As an added bonus, these seats have their own separate power outlets.
Given how crowded this lounge gets, I do at least give credit to the operator for maintaining it well. Even approaching 10 years of age, the furnishings are still in pretty good shape.
On the downside, this part of the lounge features no natural light. As such, it feels a bit stuffy over here.
Turning the corner, you find the main seating area of the lounge. It’s also the most popular area, probably owing to the runway views out the large windows. Despite my nighttime visit, it was still quite crowded here.
Turn the corner again, and you reach the main dining area. This section consists mostly of tables and chairs. However, there’s also a couple of larger booths and circular seating areas (though these were marked reserved). As with the main seating area, I found this area packed to the grills.
The dining options themselves (the “Deli Counter”) aren’t much to write home about. There’s a push-button coffee machine, along with a couple of hot options and a salad bar.
The hot dinner options consisted of pasta, plain rice, and a chicken korma. There was also a tomato soup, I believe. I tried a little of the pasta. It was OK, but overcooked and mushy.
I wanted to get a photo of the bar, but it was unfortunately too crowded. I did, however, come across a “tap to tip” device. Guess they’re trying to extract free money from us American suckers.
Anyway, the bar does offer a selection of complimentary beer, wine, and basic liquors. The bar also offers premium drinks, prosecco, and champagne for purchase at prices ranging from £5-12. Besides alcoholic drinks, you can also choose from fountain sodas and still and sparkling water.
There’s also a flight departure board in this area.
Continuing further down are some communal work tables. If you need juice for your gadgets, this is probably your best bet for finding a plug. Oddly, I found the first set of benches tables completely packed. But a few feet further down, I found a completely empty second area. So if you can’t find a seat, perhaps head down this way to try your luck. (Note that the staircase is fake. It connects to the BA Galleries First Lounge on the upper floor.)
Another irritating aspect of this lounge? It has no on-site bathrooms. You have to leave and use the restrooms in the terminal. The lounge does provide free WiFi, and I found it adequately fast.
Final Thoughts
This is pretty much the definition of an “ok” contract lounge. It’s comfortable enough, but is too crowded, with mediocre food and drink. While better than the chaotic Heathrow gate areas, it’s not worth waiting in line for. And certainly not worth the 45 quid if you have to pay.