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Summer holiday essentials: airport lounges
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Your support makes all the difference.Families and economy-class passengers can avoid the airside scrum and enjoy the benefits of an airport lounge – usually a calm environment with complimentary wi-fi, newspapers and a supply of refreshments – before boarding the plane. Expect to pay an average of £20 per adult and £10 per child to gain up to three hours’ access to a UK lounge, bookable up to a few hours prior to travel. Most open at around 6am and close around 10pm.
A good option at Heathrow is the new Aspire, the Lounge and Spa at T5 (executivelounges.com). A highlight is the Bliss Spa – the New York-based beauty company’s first airport location. Facials, manicures and pedicures are available in 20- or 40-minute sessions, and the lounge is also equipped with “rest pods” (reclining loungers). Admission starts at £29.99 per person for three hours, with spa treatments starting at £20 for 20 minutes.
At T2, the Plaza Premium Departures (plaza-network.com) lounge has private resting suites, shower rooms, a spa and champagne and tapas bar. Two hours’ access cost £35 for an adult, £60 for three hours in a single resting suite and £90 for a double.
There are Escape Lounges at all three terminals at Manchester airport (manchesterairport.co.uk), as well as at Stansted (stanstedairport.com). Access costs £21 in advance or £25 for a walk-in, and is free for infants up to 23 months old (call in advance if you want to bring children). Expect an-site chef, a fireside “snug” and a fully equipped business room. However, a dress code applies: “smart casual, shorts... below the knee, baseball caps and football shirts not suitable for wear... alongside hen and stag party attire and any items of clothing with slogans which may cause offence to other travellers.”
easyJet also sells access to a range of low-cost lounges that start at £15 per adult. The no-frills airline (parking.easyjet.com) uses Servisair lounges at more than a dozen UK airports, plus many more across Europe.
Lounges can be booked direct or via holiday frills websites. Try Holidayextras.co.uk and Gosimply.com.
Finally, Virgin Holidays passengers flying from Manchester T2 have the option of the V-Room, a lounge with a canteen, table football, TVs, PlayStations, play areas, runway views and a tranquil adults-only zone. The cost is £25 per adult, £15 per child, free for under-twos. A new lounge will open at Gatwick North Terminal early next year when the airline switches its operations from the South Terminal (virginholidays.co.uk).
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