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Diner’s Club offers access to 8 lounges at London Heathrow: No1 Lounge, Skyteam Lounge, Plaza Premium T2, Plaza Premium T2 arrivals, Plaza Premium T4, Plaza Premium T4 arrivals, Aspire T5 and Club Aspire T3.
I love flying out of London Heathrow. We’ve already reviewed the best airport lounges across London Heathrow, including:
The best airport lounges in Terminal 5.
The best airport lounges in Terminal 4.
The best airport lounges in Terminal 3.
The best airport lounges in Terminal 2.
Diners Club is a world-renowned credit card company that caters to well-traveled individuals around the globe. If you have a Diners Club card, get access to around 450 airport lounges in a smaller version of the Priority Pass program.
If you are flying in Economy or Premium Economy, you may not have lounge access, in which case, you can use a Priority Pass or a Diners Club card to access an airport lounge and escape the crowds at London Heathrow.
The American Express Platinum and Centurion cards come with an unlimited Priority Pass (contact our concierge for a referral for extra free bonus points), or you can apply for a free Amex Gold Card. You will get two free Lounge Club passes, which can be immediately used to get into these Priority Pass lounges to enjoy free drinks (including alcohol) and food.
Which are the best Diners Club lounges at Heathrow? This is how I would order them from best to worst:
- Aspire Lounge Terminal 5
- No1 Lounge Terminal 3
- Aspire Lounge Terminal 3
- Plaza Premium Terminal 4
- SkyTeam Lounge Terminal 4
- Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 2
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3
- Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge Heathrow Terminal 4
Interestingly, if you have a Platinum American Express Card or an AMEX Centurion Card, you can access a much better lounge in Terminals 3 and 5 than the Priority Pass lounges. The Plaza Premium Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5 and the American Express Centurion Lounge Terminal 3. To get access to these two lounges, you will need an AMEX Platinum card. To get extra referral Amex Reward points when you apply for the Platinum AMEX, apply here. You and a guest can use this lounge using your American Express Platinum card at the door, which you simply need to show at the door. If your partner has a (free) supplementary Amex Platinum card, then you can both show your cards to gain entry, both of you + 1, which means that 4 people can gain access to either of these lounges from one Platinum American Express account.
1. Aspire Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5
I love the architecture and modern design of Terminal 5. If you are flying out of London Heathrow, you will need to know the best airport lounge to pick and the airport lounge you can access depends on what class of flight you have booked and whether you have high status with British Airways or another airline.
British Airways is the only airline that flies out of London Heathrow Terminal 5. If you don’t have status and are not traveling Business Class, you can still potentially access two lounges in London Heathrow Terminal 5. One of these requires a Diners Club Card and is probably the best option due to its airy design.
If you are not flying Business or First Class and do not have an elite airline status, you can access the Aspire Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5 with a Diners Club Card. The Aspire Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5 is located by Gate A18 in Terminal 5 and is the worst airport lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5 with the worst food and drink selection but that is mainly because the other lounges are so good. This lounge has a wonderful design and views and is the only lounge you will have access to if you don’t have an Amex Platinum Card and you are flying out of London Heathrow Terminal 5.
Ironically, while it is the worst (and only) Priority Pass & Diners Club Card lounge in Terminal 5, it is the best Diners Club Card lounge across all the Terminals if you are flying in Economy or Premium Economy and need to use your Priority Pass to access an airport lounge.
To access this lounge, you need a Priority Pass, apply here, as Priority Pass members have free access to the lounge as part of their membership. Otherwise, you need to pay a horrendous £40 GBP per person at the door. I am not convinced that my cup of tea and salad with a couple of rolls that I usually consume (and would cost around £10 GBP at the sandwich shops like Pret a Manger at Heathrow) merit this access fee. Unless you plan to drink yourself silly with booze, I can’t imagine this lounge ever justifying such a high price tag.
But if you have a Diners Club Card, this lounge is your best and only bet. The lounge itself feels intimate and offers all sorts of different seating options. Almost all of which have glorious views out over the planes. The whole space is incredibly airy as a result of the design of Terminal 5. The alcohol is free and generous, but don’t expect to fill up on high-quality food as the food selection is good but has gone downhill since this lounge opened. The main problem with this lounge is that it is so busy, it is difficult to get a seating area for yourself.
The 4,000 ft² lounge space is dominated by soaring windows on two sides, giving passengers dramatic runway views. But the lounge feels relatively small in size when compared to the lounges at Heathrow or the main British Airways Galleries Club lounges. It does, however, have a better view and occupies a premium position with views across the airport, looking down at the planes from two sides. The view is better than the view from either of the British Airways Business Class Galleries Club lounges. Although the Galleries Club lounges are higher up in the terminal, they are set back in the middle of the terminal and away from the front windows of the terminal, so they have less of a view of the tarmac and planes.
As you enter the Aspire lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5, you pass the spa and showers (£20 GBP a shower) and then turn the corner to reach a number of seating areas, a bar, food, and drink area as well as work stations. At the far end of the lounge are 6 sleep pods. These are tiny rooms with privacy curtains (slightly see-through), each with a TV and reclining seat-beds which you can sleep on. When I took a look, 5 were occupied, and 1 was free.
A “British-inspired” seasonal food and drink menu has been created, which includes a wide range of complimentary as well as premium (chargeable) options. The complimentary food is a self-serve buffet. The hot food on my last visit included a rice and chicken dish, a pasta and meatball dish, vegetarian samosas, and fresh warm bread rolls. See pictures in our more detailed review of the Aspire lounge food & drink offering.
There is usually soup at lunchtime and sometimes scones with clotted cream and jam in the cold buffet. There are salads with olives, cheeses, and hams. On my last visit, you could also have crisps (salted, cheese and onion, and salt and vinegar), biscuits from a biscuit barrel, or chocolate cake.
On my last visit, the complimentary non-alcoholic drinks at the Aspire lounge in Heathrow Terminal included various juices, cokes and Fanta, water and tea, coffee, and hot chocolate from one of many machines dotted around. There was also a choice of free alcoholic drinks, including Prosecco, spirits including Baileys, Martini, Tia Maria, Gin, Bacardi, Port, and Whisky. There were plenty of beers and wines available.
This Aspire lounge is smaller with less appealing food and less variety than the British Airways lounge, but it is pleasant even though it can be VERY busy. The other criticism I have is that you have to leave the lounge to access the bathroom facilities.
2. No 1 Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3
You can access the No 1 Lounge or the Aspire lounge in Heathrow Terminal 3 with a Diners Club Card. This is the best Diners Club Card lounge in Terminal 3.
The No 1 Lounge in Terminal 3 is very good and much larger than Club Aspire outlined below. This Diners Club Card Lounge is worth a visit if you are hungry before your flight. While this lounge is always quite crowded, it is stylish and looks a lot like the No 1 Lounge at London Gatwick North that we reviewed previously.
There is an a la carte menu that provides a mix of complementary items and paid items, along with a buffet that serves salads, pasta, beans, and fruits at lunch. Complimentary a la carte dishes include things like a small plate of fish and chips, fish finger sandwiches, bacon sandwiches, noodle broth, spinach, and ricotta pasta shells, and similar and eggs benedict or florentine in the morning. There are also buffet scones, cream, cakes, and chocolate brownie-type offerings for dessert.
The food is better at this lounge than the Club Aspire lounge, which sits in our 5 spot, but the atmosphere is more hectic.
3. Club Aspire Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3
This Club Aspire airport lounge is an intimate lounge located past the Cathay Pacific lounge in Terminal 3. This Aspire Lounge in T3 is a second-best after the No1 Lounge but is small, the food is fairly basic, and there’s no à la carte menu. This lounge can be accessed with your Diners Club Card and is worth considering if you find the No 1 Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3 is too busy.
The lounge looks nice with lots of woods (floor, tables, etc.) and sofa seating along with dining table seating. There are ‘Rest Pods’, which are free-to-use day beds, but they are often full.
The breakfast is good with hot dishes like scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausages, etc. The drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are plentiful. It also has showers and Bliss Spa facilities for an extra charge.
4. Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 4
While the SkyTeam lounge, just past security, is a good lounge and easily the most convenient Diners Club Card and Priority Pass lounge to access, being so close to security, it is worth trekking further into the departures lounge to the quieter Plaza Premium lounge. The Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 4 has better food than the SkyTeam Lounge, and it is more peaceful, making it one of the best Diners Club Card lounges at London Heathrow.
The lounge has decent food, a bar, the decor is stylish, and there are reclining chairs in a darkened room if you need sleep. While the lounge is definitely nice looking, it doesn’t make it to the top of our list because it lacks any views of the planes and runways. The SkyTeam Lounge Terminal 4 is the better lounge to choose for views. It does have floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights, offering plenty of natural light. It also has sofa seats, well armchairs, by the windows and seats with desks in booths, it is very well laid out. There is also a cafe area where the buffet is located, as well as a bar area.
The buffet here is really good, lots of salads (maybe 7 varieties in total), sandwich wraps, cheeses, 5 hot dishes in 3 heated vats, cans of drink, and a tea and coffee machine. There is also a bar area with alcoholic drinks, spirits, wine, and beer, along with a bowl of tacos or crisps with 6 dips, including salsa, olives, guacamole, etc. All the food seems nutritious and fresh.
This lounge is very good. It is better and quieter than the SkyTeam lounge reviewed below, but it doesn’t have a spa. Why not pop into the SkyTeam lounge, get your 20-minute treatment for free, then head over to the arguably better Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 4 for a more relaxing wait in Heathrow Terminal 4?
5. SkyTeam Lounge Terminal 4
This is SkyTeam’s Business Class airport lounge for a number of SkyTeam airlines. It has good runway views but lacks style and has adequate but not noteworthy food and drinks. You can access this lounge with your Diners Club Card.
This SkyTeam lounge is just past security at London Heathrow. It is accessed for free by Skyteam Elite members and those flying in Business or First on SkyTeam member airlines including Aeroflot, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, China Eastern, Garuda Indonesian, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, and Xiamen Air.
It has a stylish, jungly look, like something from the 1970s, with lots of bright oranges and colored lighting. Choose a seat along the wall of the main room on the entrance-level floor for views out to Heathrow’s two runways.
There is loads of seating from armchairs, and cafe booths to booths with desks. There is a buffet area upstairs for hot food. The food here is fairly mediocre and not nearly as good as the Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 4 reviewed above.
You can choose from a bowl of pasta or baked beans, potato wedges, and greens. The look is “motorway cafe” food rather than luxurious airport lounge dining! There are plenty of pastries and cakes and crisps (Walkers in packets), but again, nothing of amazing quality even though there is enough to fill you up. Drinks are pretty good with lots of cans, as well as alcoholic options, beer, cider, wine, spirits and coffee, tea, and so forth.
The Clarins Spa here is a highlight, and you can have a free 20-minute treatment like a facial, so it is worth picking up a facial here, even if you then head to the Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 4 for the better food and a quieter atmosphere.
6. Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 2
This lounge is the only Diners Club Card departures lounge in Terminal 2. It is located airside on Level 4, Terminal 2A (Departure Level) in The Queen’s Terminal, next to the Terminal Transfers area. It is open to passengers departing from Terminal 2 and can be found by following the signs toward lounge “A3”.
It is a good lounge with decent food, and a bar, the decor is stylish. While the lounge is definitely nice looking, it doesn’t make it to the top of our list of best airport lounges in Heathrow Terminal 2 because it doesn’t have windows or any natural light.
The lounge is open 5:00 am – 10:00 pm, and the entryway is particularly impressive. It looks more like a boutique hotel than an airport lounge with sofas, muted lighting, and lots of natural woods and slates. There is a bar, a cafe area with cafe seats, and a sitting area with lounging sofa seats. There are Asian-style separators that separate the different sections of the lounge. These wooden slatted partitions have criss-cross designs and up-lighters, so this lounge is very snazzy. Sometimes, the cleaning of the Heathrow Diners Club Card lounges are let down slightly by sticky surfaces and armrests, but then I am fairly sensitive to cleanliness.
There are also numerous booths and hidden seating areas in this lounge, so it isn’t difficult to find your own personal space. There’s also a computer area with power outlets and a newspaper and magazine area with plenty of stuff to read.
Then in the back left of the lounge are semi-private seats that are great for working. In general, I love these kinds of seating arrangements.
The buffet here is extensive, and at breakfast, it is excellent, with whole fruit, cheeses, cold meats, salads, cereals, yogurt, muffins, pastries, cookies, milk, and four hot dishes. In the hot dishes are sausages, bacon, scrambled egg, and fried potatoes. There are also fruit juices and a tea and coffee machine as well as fridges with cans of soft drinks. Alcoholic drinks are available at the bar.
Bathrooms are stylish with orchids and lots of dark woods, again offering an Asian feel. The disappointment of this lounge is that there are no windows, so no views of the planes.
7. Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3
Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge T3 is a paid arrivals lounge located landside outside the terminal, by Bus Stop 17 and 18. You can get in for free if you hold a dragon pass or an AMEX Platinum card, or you can pay for access from around £40 GBP. This small arrivals lounge has seats and 11 showers.
In January 2020, the Plaza Premium Arrivals lounge in Heathrow T3 also joined the Diners Club Card lounge card program, which means you can gain access with your Diners Club Card.
This is a great lounge if you want a quick wash and change after a long flight landing in Heathrow Terminal 3. If you are flying Business with Virgin Atlantic and Delta, you can use their Revivals Lounge. American Airlines also has its arrivals lounge in the terminal, but this AA lounge is not open to Oneworld Sapphire and British Airways Executive Club Silver members who are traveling in Economy or Qantas First and Business Class passengers.
Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge Heathrow is small with varied seating, magazines, and a continental breakfast buffet. It also has showers which can be very useful.
8. Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge Heathrow Terminal 4
Unfortunately, we have not visited this Diners Club Card lounge, so we have placed it in the bottom position on our list.
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