Pay-as-you-go airport lounges no better than ‘pie and pint in pub’

PAY-AS-YOU-GO lounges at British airports are not worth the money, a study by Which? has found.

The 20 lounges included in the research, published in the Which? Travel magazine, scored an average rating of just 2.4 out of 5. Despite charging up to £50, many offer no more than a glass of cheap wine and a handful of crisps, the investigation found.

Southend Skylife Lounge which charges from £15, promises to let passengers “live the high life” but had the lowest score of just one out of five. It was one of only a few lounges offering no hot food, but piles of pre-packed sandwiches instead.

Aspire runs more than a dozen UK lounges, but none of those visited as part of the study was deemed worth the money. Luton Airport was rated the best Aspire facility, with 2.5 out of 5. Inspectors described the lounge as “bland” and “claustrophobic”, but deemed it a comfortable alternative in an airport short on seating.

The No1 lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3 was found to be living up to its name by being ranked the best overall with a score of four out of five. Reviewers praised its cinema, complimentary à la carte menu and L’occitane toiletries in “spotlessly clean” bathrooms.

The foyer at Aspire Edinburgh was described as “dingy” and the food “bland”. Inspectors said passengers should only visit the two out of five rated lounge if they can secure a very good discount on the £33 walk-up fee.

Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel, said: “A pay-as-you-go lounge to start your holiday early might seem like a great option if you are willing to fork out a bit extra.

“But as our research shows, in many cases, you might be better off with a pie and a pint in the airport pub.”

A spokesman for the Airport Operators Association said: “Airports work with the independent operators of paid-for lounges to ensure passengers have a range of options to step away from the busy terminal.

“As surveys from Which? and others show, passengers are very satisfied with the high-quality service in UK airport terminals. We will continue to work with lounge operators to ensure their facilities meet passengers’ needs and expectations.”