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The consumer group reported finding ‘dirty plates’ and ‘congealed scrambled eggs’ at a Heathrow offering
Natalie WilsonFriday 21 November 2025 16:14 GMTComments
Heathrow’s T5 Club Aspire lounge was ranked the lowest by Which? (Heathrow )
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Travellers may be better off in a Wetherspoon pub than “expensive and lacklustre” airport lounges, according to a new report by Which?.
The consumer champion reviewed 28 UK airport lounges between May 2024 and September 2025, with none scoring above three and a half stars out of five.
A third of the lounges were awarded three stars or above. Of these, London Gatwick South’s Clubrooms lounge made the best impression.
The “luxurious” lounge, priced from £44 to £50, featured “delicious” breakfast and lunch meals with complimentary prosecco and bottled water.
Yet, Which? told travellers a smashed avocado and poached egg muffin in the Wetherspoon pub, The Beehive, will set you back only £9.90, with a glass of prosecco for £9.20 elsewhere in Gatwick South.
Anonymous reviewers considered the shower facilities, runway view, quiet areas and the food and drink selection to rank the lounges.
Birmingham’s £48 Clubrooms similarly scored three and a half stars for its “fresh, hot meals” but lacked quality coffee.
At the other end of the scale, Heathrow’s T5 Club Aspire lounge ranked the lowest, receiving only one star. The Which? researcher complained of “dirty plates” and “congealed scrambled eggs” in the £42 lounge compared to a large breakfast for £14.50 in the terminal’s Wetherspoon, The Crown Rivers.
According to Which?, the average price of an airport lounge in 2025 is £42, a 68 per cent increase since it first started lounge reviews in 2017 (£25).
It added that despite “slipping standards”, prices have rocketed, with showers at all lounges now an additional cost between £20 and £28.
Newcastle Airport’s adults-only Suite by Aspire scored just two and a half stars, for poor table service and closed airfield views when Which? researchers visited, despite being the most expensive lounge surveyed at £68.
Which? recommends that travellers “consider if their money would be better spent at an airport pub or restaurant.”
It compared the Suite by Aspire lounge to Bar 11 in Newcastle airport, which offers a full English breakfast for £16.99 with “spectacular” runway views.
The consumer group added that booking lounges through their own websites was “never the cheapest place to buy.”
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “There was once a time when an airport lounge was a special treat, but our latest results say quite the opposite.
“Instead of paying over £40 for a lukewarm buffet breakfast on a dirty plate, you can get a lot more for your money by visiting a bar or restaurant inside the airport.
“There are some better lounges, but make sure you get in for free, or at least for a reduced price. Look around for deals online or through your bank or holiday provider.”
Read more: Wetherspoon to open its first pub abroad at popular British holiday spot
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