Plaza Express is a budget lounge concept launched by Plaza Premium in July 2024, opening its first location in Gatwick’s North Terminal. It occupies the former Virgin Holidays v-room lounge, adjacent to the main Plaza Premium lounge which itself occupies the old Virgin Clubhouse — the two spaces share a kitchen. At around 670 square metres, Plaza Express is approximately half the size of the Plaza Premium next door. It is explicitly positioned at the leisure and family market, with child-friendly facilities and pricing that makes it considerably more accessible than the full Plaza Premium. The critical distinction from every other lounge in the North Terminal corridor: Plaza Express does not accept Priority Pass, Amex Platinum, DragonPass, or any lounge card. Access is by cash booking only.
At a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Terminal | North Terminal — lounge corridor, 4th floor; same building as Plaza Premium; accessed via the same lift |
| Priority Pass | Not accepted |
| Amex Platinum | Not accepted — not listed in the Amex Global Lounge Collection |
| DragonPass | Not accepted |
| Access | Cash booking only — via plazapremium.com |
| Cash Rate | Adults approximately £25; children at lower rate; family pricing available — check plazapremium.com |
| Opening Hours | 5am to 4pm (last entry approximately 2:30pm) — morning departures only |
| Food | Hot and cold buffet; family-oriented selection |
| Bar | Drinks available; check inclusions on booking |
| Children | Explicitly family-friendly; child-focused facilities |
| Showers | No |
| Natural light | Yes — 4th floor position, benefits from same building as Plaza Premium |
| Wi-Fi | Complimentary |
Location & Getting There
Plaza Express is on the 4th floor of the North Terminal lounge building, in the same location as the Plaza Premium lounge. From security, turn left and follow the signs for Gates 45–55 and 101–113 through the duty free area. Do not take the escalators — follow the corridor underneath them, then turn right. Follow the lounge corridor signs and take the lift to the 4th floor. Plaza Express and Plaza Premium are adjacent on the same floor; the two lounges share a physical location and signage. The 4th floor position gives the building excellent natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows.
Access
Plaza Express does not accept any lounge card — no Priority Pass, no Amex Platinum, no DragonPass. This is confirmed by HFP, who noted at launch that the lounge was not listed in the Amex Global Lounge Collection and that card access was not available. If you have any of these cards, use Plaza Premium next door (Amex Platinum and DragonPass) or No1 Lounge below (Priority Pass). Plaza Express is a cash-only product, but at approximately £25 per adult it represents significantly better family value than the full Plaza Premium at ~£44 per adult.
| Route | Detail | Guest Policy | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash / direct booking | Available to any departing passenger via plazapremium.com. Pre-book for best pricing and guaranteed entry. | N/A | Adults ~£25; children at lower rate |
| Priority Pass | Not accepted | — | N/A |
| Amex Platinum | Not accepted — not in Amex Global Lounge Collection | — | N/A |
| DragonPass | Not accepted | — | N/A |
| LoungeKey / Lounge Club | Not accepted | — | N/A |
| Airline ticket / status | Not accepted | — | N/A |
The Lounge
Plaza Express is a deliberately casual, leisure-oriented space aimed squarely at families and budget-conscious travellers who want lounge access without the £44+ price tag of the Plaza Premium next door. The lounge occupies the former Virgin Holidays v-room space, which sat unused for several years before Plaza Premium converted it. At 670 square metres it is a reasonable size for the price point. The design language is intentionally relaxed — beach chair-style seating features in the marketing, and the tone is holiday-spirit rather than corporate calm. The 4th floor position means it benefits from natural light, which is a genuine and significant advantage over most of the other options in the North Terminal corridor.
The lounge is explicitly positioned as a family lounge. Child-oriented facilities are a feature rather than an afterthought. This makes it a more practical choice for families with young children than the adults-preferred No1 or the adults-only Clubrooms. The shared kitchen with Plaza Premium means the food quality baseline should be broadly similar to the adjacent lounge, though the offering is simpler in scope.
Food & Drink
A hot and cold buffet is available throughout the operating day. The selection is family-oriented and broadly adequate for a pre-flight stop. The shared kitchen with Plaza Premium means food is produced in the same facility, though the Plaza Express menu is a simplified version of the main lounge offering. Drinks are available; confirm exact inclusions when booking as the package terms may vary. The lounge closes at 4pm with last entry around 2:30pm — it is explicitly a morning and early afternoon product and unsuitable for evening departures.
Plaza Express is the only lounge at Gatwick North that accepts no lounge cards of any kind. For readers of this site, who are likely to hold Priority Pass, Amex Platinum, or DragonPass, this means Plaza Express is almost never the right choice — you can access Plaza Premium for free with Amex Platinum or DragonPass, or No1 Lounge for free with Priority Pass. Plaza Express is primarily relevant for families travelling without lounge card benefits, for whom the ~£69 family pricing compares favourably to the cost of a four-person meal in the terminal.
How It Compares
Plaza Express sits at the bottom of the Gatwick North lounge stack on quality, but at the most accessible cash price point for unaccompanied family visitors. For lounge card holders it is irrelevant — the adjacent Plaza Premium accepts Amex Platinum and DragonPass for free, and No1 accepts Priority Pass. For cash-paying families, Plaza Express at ~£25 per adult versus ~£44 for Plaza Premium is a meaningful difference, and the child-friendly positioning and natural light make it a reasonable choice for families on morning departures. The 4pm closing time is a hard constraint that eliminates it for afternoon and evening flights.
A sensible product for a specific audience — cash-paying families on morning departures from Gatwick North who want lounge access without the full Plaza Premium price tag. For Points Travel Pro readers with Priority Pass, Amex Platinum, or DragonPass, Plaza Express is not the right choice: you have better free options in the same corridor. The no-lounge-card policy is the defining constraint. For those it is aimed at, the natural light, family facilities, and ~£25 adult pricing represent reasonable value in a terminal where cash lounge access has become expensive.
