My British Airways flight to Dublin was departing at 8:20AM, though I decided to get to Terminal 5 plenty early so that I'd have time to review a new lounge. We've reviewed the British Airways business class lounge, British Airways first class lounge, and British Airways Concorde Room, so this time around I figured I'd…
Continue reading: Review: Aspire Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 5
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I was there a couple of months ago (via priority pass access). The lounge was so busy that I was put on a waiting list and we had to wait outside the lounge in the terminal (on a thursday afternoon). After 15 minutes my name was called en I was invited to come inside. Indeed the lounge was crowded, but it is light and the views are nice. Wine and beer were free of charge as well. The overall experience was ok, but I prefer to depart from T4 (with a larger Aspire lounge with more food options as well).
This is a pretty awful lounge but then again most PP lounges in London are. I realise they didn’t have much space to work with but it is so horribly cramped - look how narrow those aisles are an add lots of luggage and oblivious, bumbling English travellers. When I was there at 7am on a Saturday there were hardly any seats and people crowding and pushing around the f&b areas blocking the already narrow aisles. There is simply not enough room. There was nothing relaxing, premium or exclusive about it. Its simply a place to shove some food down your throat as you rush through T5.
"oblivious, bumbling English travellers". Wow, it's good to get all your ethnic prejudices out of the way early, I guess. But as an FYI Americans often come across very similarly.
That said, the BA lounges are all crowded there as well, except the Concorde Room. It's a busy terminal, and of course far too many people qualify for lounges these days, between the credit card mob and the "work buys my ticket" freeloaders. If only people who paid themselves for premium tickets could use the lounges, they'd be a lot nicer.
So yes, these lounges are packed (not shown in the pics, oddly) but that is because of people like you!
@Martin - I'm an Australian, who lives in London. I deal with British crowds every single day. What made you assume I was American? Your own prejudice?
I was also there over Thanksgiving. Late morning around 10:00 and was mobbed. They started a queue right after I arrived.
The place inside was mobbed -- not a single space to sit and at times felt like a crowded mall food court.
What was nice, having several attendants to keep things mainly orderly and cleaned up.
By about 11am, the place emptied significantly and there was ample room.
Yes -- it was a pain to have the bathrooms outside. I was appreciative having access via PP.
However, a couple months earlier I was flying BA business and had access to the lounge upstairs -- quite a bit different!. Very very nice
I used the Aspire lounge in T3 in October. I was flying VS PE. I found a nice corner spot and except for a brief wifi outage it was loads better than being in the terminal. The bathrooms were not that clean unfortunately and of course a lower grade f&b experience, but I was very comfortable during my 2+ hour layover.
I guess we've been lucky on our timing, as we've never had to wait, or even queue, to get in, and always found a table and chairs available.
Unless they have changed their policy since last Summer, the first glass of Proseco is complementary. After that the quite nice house Scotch is free and unlimited. 😉
I've tried to get into this lounge at least ten times. There was always a long line to even get on the waiting list. Then you had to wait.
@Martin:
So you think making generalizations or stereotyping is a bad thing unless, of course, you're the one generalizing, yes? "[C]redit card mob and 'work buys my ticket' freeloaders" - all of which are folks who have earned the right to utilize a lounge - are utilizing the lounge by legitimate means.
Or, perhaps, you're meaning to be classist - which is just as bad - by insinuating that you're somehow better because presumably you buy your own ticket? I'm reminded of the adage about throwing stones whilst living in a glass house. I'd get rid of all those stones in your pocket; they're surely no good for your glass domicile.
@Ben above (not Lucky). Wow English travellers at Heathrow, or even in London? Now there's a novelty....
The lack of warm bodies in this lounge is the most astounding part of this review. Even if you get into the lounge, trying to find 2 seats together is an absolute mission impossible. It's great to have an option in T5, but it's such a ridiculous after thought. That being said, during peak periods, the food is really quite good and they keep the place very tidy to turn it over as quickly as possible. So I have to give credit - it's as good as it could be, and I can't fault its popularity.
@Ben (Aussie): LOL I didn't think you were American at all. Generally, Americans stereotype the English as sophisticated. Rightly or wrongly, who can say? I'm a fan of the BBC.
@Martin: Us Americans would say "you just got served". As Catherine Tate would say, "take the shame." I get your point though. Traveling is stressful and the airlines, lounges, airports have no guilt about treating humans like cattle.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Adam
There's a difference.
Describing a particular race, ethnicity or nationality as having some negative characteristics is, at best, stereotyping. And at worst, bigotry.
On the other hand, trying to explain why many lounges are over-crowded involves classifying the different types of users. And yes, premium credit cards with their "free" lounge access has massively increased demand. As does the fact that some employers let their employees keep their miles and points, rather than have them accrue to the business, i.e. the entity paying the fares.
And the irony should not be lost of people complaining about overcrowding when they are the very same people causing it!
Greg,
Good points. In fact I wonder how Ben claims to know the nationality of someone just by looking at them?
And no, Ben, that is not an invitation for you to utter more ethnic over-generalizations.
It's a decent lounge, but often very crowded. Once I've been put on a waiting list. I was told to come back in 30 minutes. I sat down on the chairs outside the lounge, and 5 minutes later they told me I could come in.
Wow, no bathroom in the lounge? So, since you need to exit the lounge to use the bathroom, you essentially just gave up your space to someone else waiting to get in. Seems like a huge design oversight.
Plaza premium lounge terminal 5 has just opened which should alleviate some of the overcrowding at this lounge. It's not accessible on priority pass yet bit you can get in with an Amex platinum card. They're both extremely expensive to pay full price to access though. Would rather buy a decent meal in one of the restaurants in T5 than pay £40 to access them
Used this lounge in October and it was very crowded. No two seats together so I removed the reserved seat sign from the booth and sat down with my wife (no one said anything). Food was nothing to write home about. We also used the shower that was overpriced and very small. The private shower area had a sink and toilet, but after a 12 hour flight made us feel half human again.
I agree with WilliamC.
For the record, the Aspire lounges at Manchester are just as cheap and unwelcoming. Really not sure how the operating company came about choosing such a name – I understand that the definition of the word “Aspire” is to want or hope to achieve something very much. You wouldn’t want to shoot for a short stay in these places – and some people even pay UKP 20 for the experience!
Visited the lounge last year encounter to South Africa from the USA. It was about a 20 minute walk from our terminal to the lounge and when we got there it took nearly half hour in the line just to get in. Once inside it was uncomfortably crowded. Probably the least favorite Priority Pass lounge Inhave ever visited.
The thing which annoys me about this lounge is they still allow people to walk up and pay for access even when there is a waiting list. they seem intent on having their cake and eating it too . I like the food though particularly the sun moses
Sound pretty awful, just slightly better than nothing.
To all the snippy commentators above, realise than the average American traveller aims to travel for free, or as closely as possible. No doubt fees & taxes on award travel are a major irritation. All this is possible through enablers, the US banks, who hand out credit cards (with ridiculously high sign-up miles) like cookies. The mild downside I guess, is travelling with more cards than luggage, and remembering which unlocks what benefit. #firstworldproblems
@glenn t
And Americans are always the ones throwing hissy fits in Hong Kong if something goes wrong on CX. There was one loud American in the lounge who was apoplectic because he missed his flight, even though it was his fault.
I spend several hours in this lounge in August, both coming and going on layovers at Heathrow. Both times it was over crowded. The reserved seats are annoying since they were always empty. The food is nothing special, but the worst part is the lack of bathrooms inside. I'd rather they give up the "spa" which no one seems to use, and put restrooms in there.