Gatwick North Terminal has seven lounges and, unusually for a UK airport of its size, none of them is a BA or airline alliance lounge open to status holders in general. The terminal is dominated by leisure carriers — easyJet, TUI, Emirates, and a spread of charter and long-haul airlines — and the lounge corridor reflects that. Five independent lounges sit side by side in a single pavilion past security, ranging from the budget Plaza Express to the full-service Plaza Premium occupying the old Virgin Clubhouse. Club Aspire and No1 run in the middle of the stack, with Clubrooms as the premium PP option at a supplement. Emirates operates the only airline lounge, and it is the best room in the terminal by a considerable margin — but access is restricted entirely to Emirates passengers and Skywards elite members. For everyone else, the question is which combination of card, programme and budget gets the best result from the independent corridor.

At a Glance

Airline only = Emirates ticket holders and Skywards Gold/Platinum members  |  Amex Plat column: Plaza Premium accepts the physical Amex Platinum card directly; all other lounges accept the Priority Pass card issued with the account  |  Clubrooms supplement starts from £10 per person but varies by booking date  |  No1 showers available at extra charge  |  Plaza Express: cash booking only, no lounge card or membership accepted  |  ✗ = not accepted

Best for Emirates Passengers

If you are flying Emirates from Gatwick North, the decision is straightforward: the Emirates Lounge is the best room in the terminal and not particularly close. A 1,590 square metre combined Business and First space with a full hot and cold buffet, a self-serve champagne bar, and complimentary showers — it operates at a scale and standard that nothing in the independent corridor can match. Access covers Emirates Business and First class ticket holders, Skywards Gold and Platinum members, and Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum One, Platinum and Gold members travelling on Emirates. The lounge operates in two daily sessions tied to Emirates’ flight schedule rather than continuously; verify current times at emirates.com before you travel. If you do not qualify, it is simply not a factor in the planning.

Best for Amex Platinum

Plaza Premium is the direct Amex Platinum benefit at Gatwick North and the right choice for cardholders who want the best room the card can open. It occupies the old Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse — floor-to-ceiling windows, a fourth-floor position with two aspects of natural light, a marble bar, and the curved green booths that Virgin fitted out when this was one of the flagship leisure business lounges in the UK. The food does not quite match the surroundings, but the space itself is considerably more impressive than any Priority Pass room in the corridor. Show your physical Platinum card at reception; the Priority Pass card issued with the account is not used here and will not be accepted. DragonPass holders also enter free.

Standard Priority Pass without a DragonPass or Amex Platinum connection does not work at Plaza Premium. If you hold a standard Priority Pass card — including one issued by a non-Amex bank — your options in the corridor are No1, Club Aspire, and My Lounge.

Best for Priority Pass

No1 Lounge is the recommended standard Priority Pass choice at Gatwick North. It is the largest and best-equipped independent lounge in the corridor — a full bar, a hot and cold buffet, a TV lounge, a children’s play area, a spa, and showers available at an extra charge. It is also the best-known PP option in the terminal, which means it is the busiest at peak periods. Pre-booking via the Priority Pass reservation system for £6 is strongly recommended at summer peak times and in any case bundles fast-track security, which at Gatwick North is worth having. Walk-in remains possible at quieter times.

Club Aspire is the quieter alternative. It opened in 2018, is smaller and simpler than No1, has no showers and no play area, but is consistently less crowded and accepts PP without a mandatory supplement. For a short pre-departure stop when No1 is busy, Club Aspire is the natural fallback — it is in the same corridor and requires no double-back. My Lounge is the third PP option: the cheapest entry point in the corridor, glass-fronted with full runway views, self-service bar, and a games area. It works well for families and is the only lounge in the North Terminal pavilion with full glass frontage. Hours from 5am make it the earliest-opening PP option if the first departure of the day is the constraint.

Best for Clubrooms — the PP Upgrade

Clubrooms sits in the same building as No1 and My Lounge but operates as a distinct product. It accepts Priority Pass, DragonPass and Amex Platinum (via PP) with a per-person supplement starting from £10 — the exact figure varies by booking date and is cheaper booked in advance online. For that supplement you get a hosted, adults-only (12+) room with à la carte food served to the table, a staffed cocktail bar, private seating areas, and a level of quiet that No1 rarely delivers. There are no showers and no natural light, which are real limitations at this price point. But for a solo business traveller or a couple who want a calm, unhurried pre-departure experience and are willing to pay a modest supplement on top of their PP card, Clubrooms is the right room. It also includes fast-track security on direct bookings.

Best for a Shower

No1 Lounge offers showers at an additional charge — the only independent lounge in the North Terminal corridor to do so. The Emirates Lounge has complimentary showers, but access is restricted to Emirates passengers and Skywards elite members. Plaza Premium does not offer showers at the Gatwick North location. If a shower is the specific requirement and you are not flying Emirates, No1 is the only option — book in advance and request a shower slot on arrival.

Best for Families

No1 Lounge is the most family-complete option in the corridor — a children’s play area, a TV lounge, a games section, and a buffet format that accommodates varied eating. My Lounge is the second family-friendly choice: the most relaxed dress code in the building, a games room with foosball and video games, and genuinely the least formal atmosphere of any lounge in the pavilion. It also has the full glass wall that makes it the most visually engaging space for younger children. Plaza Express, the cash-only budget lounge adjacent to Plaza Premium, also has a kids zone and is the lowest entry price point in the terminal — worth considering for a family that does not hold any lounge card and is buying access directly. Clubrooms does not admit under-12s.

Best if You Have No Card or Status

Cash walk-in is available at No1 (around £40), Club Aspire (variable — check loungepass.com), My Lounge (from around £34), Plaza Premium (around £41), and Clubrooms (around £42). Plaza Express is the budget entry point at from £18 for 90 minutes including buffet and beer — a notable undercut on the rest of the corridor, and a reasonable option for a short stop before a leisure departure if the facilities are sufficient. It does not accept any lounge card or membership programme.