Heathrow T5 Club Aspire or Plaza Premium lounge?

[twogoto]

Which one of these lounges is best?

Thinking of booking on the way home as we have 5 hours between landing and our connecting flight to Newcastle.

[novocastrian]

cant comment on plaza lounge but aspire is a bit like a corridor, personally i wasnt impressed was also v busy, was a friday tbf, not a patch on say edinburgh new aspire lounge

imo of course

[IBEX23]

I have a 3 hour wait in LHR but I’m not sure if it’s worth booking a lounge or how fast you usually transit on the connecting flight route.

Sorry to hijack OP but I’ve never flew back indirect before so no idea how it works. I know bags are checked right through but what do I need to do? Do I need to clear security again? Would I make use of lounge in this time frame?

[disjunkie]

Plaza premium was really good, good selection of food and drink and not too busy when we were there in 2019. We got in free with our Amex platinum, I think I looked at the prices and it seemed more expensive than other lounges, but that probably prevented it from being overcrowded.

[twogoto]

Originally Posted by scouse_minx

I have a 3 hour wait in LHR but I’m not sure if it’s worth booking a lounge or how fast you usually transit on the connecting flight route.

Sorry to hijack OP but I’ve never flew back indirect before so no idea how it works. I know bags are checked right through but what do I need to do? Do I need to clear security again? Would I make use of lounge in this time frame?

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We’ve only connected through Heathrow once before and we had to change terminals that time (we won’t this year) and it took quite a while - so our next flight was boarding by the time we got through customs/passport control and on one of the shuttles to the next terminal etc, so I’d say check if you are changing terminal before you bother with a lounge!

Edited to add I don’t remember having to clear security again but it’s possible we did with changing terminals!

[IBEX23]

Originally Posted by twogoto

We’ve only connected through Heathrow once before and we had to change terminals that time (we won’t this year) and it took quite a while - so our next flight was boarding by the time we got through customs/passport control and on one of the shuttles to the next terminal etc, so I’d say check if you are changing terminal before you bother with a lounge!

Edited to add I don’t remember having to clear security again but it’s possible we did with changing terminals!

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Thanks so much, that’s really helpful. I believe I land at terminal 5 and leave from terminal 5 so same one.

I think I might look into a lounge on the way back now as it will be nice to have somewhere to relax before the flight home and 3 hours is a decent chunk of time

[Peko]

Originally Posted by scouse_minx

Thanks so much, that’s really helpful. I believe I land at terminal 5 and leave from terminal 5 so same one.

I think I might look into a lounge on the way back now as it will be nice to have somewhere to relax before the flight home and 3 hours is a decent chunk of time

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On an international return flight with a connection at LHR (e.g. MCO-LHR-MAN), you will have to reclear security at LHR whether you change terminals or not.

The only connections at LHR which do not require security are those from an arriving domestic UK flight to a departing international flight from the same terminal (e.g. MAN-LHR-MCO if both flights are at T5). A connection from any arriving international flight (including from Dublin), or any connection with a terminal change, requires you to reclear security.

[novocastrian]

Originally Posted by twogoto

We’ve only connected through Heathrow once before and we had to change terminals that time (we won’t this year) and it took quite a while - so our next flight was boarding by the time we got through customs/passport control and on one of the shuttles to the next terminal etc, so I’d say check if you are changing terminal before you bother with a lounge!

Edited to add I don’t remember having to clear security again but it’s possible we did with changing terminals!

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international arrivals still have to clear security again on arrival at T5 for transit

[IBEX23]

Originally Posted by Peko

On an international return flight with a connection at LHR (e.g. MCO-LHR-MAN), you will have to reclear security at LHR whether you change terminals or not.

The only connections at LHR which do not require security are those from an arriving domestic UK flight to a departing international flight from the same terminal (e.g. MAN-LHR-MCO if both flights are at T5). A connection from any arriving international flight (including from Dublin), or any connection with a terminal change, requires you to reclear security.

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Thanks for clarifying this. Sorry if I’m being extremely dim but does this mean I clear security once on the way out and twice on the way back? I am MAN-LHR-MCO route.

On the way back, is an hour about roughly enough time for security? Just wondering how much lounge time I’ll have to see if it’s worth booking.

[Peko]

Originally Posted by scouse_minx

Thanks for clarifying this. Sorry if I’m being extremely dim but does this mean I clear security once on the way out and twice on the way back? I am MAN-LHR-MCO route.

On the way back, is an hour about roughly enough time for security? Just wondering how much lounge time I’ll have to see if it’s worth booking.

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Correct.

On the way out, if your LHR-MCO flight departs from T5 as currently scheduled, you would clear security only at MAN, it would not be required at LHR unless you had a change of terminal.

On the return, you will clear security at MCO, and then again at LHR after passing through UK immigration (there are separate immigration gates / desks in the immigration hall for those connecting to UK/Ireland onward flights).

Regarding time, in normal times it would take less than an hour to clear immigration and security. In Covid times it is more difficult to predict, depending on whether the e-Gates are in service and/or the staffing levels at the border and security.

The long haul flights will more than likely arrive / depart at one of the T5B/C satellite terminals, which means an extra 10-15 mins to get to the main T5A for immigration (the paid lounges are in T5A, and the domestic flights will arrive at / depart from T5A). The paid lounges in LHR T5 are usually expensive compared to paid lounges elsewhere, at the standard prices.