Desk research only: nobody from TravelShifu has visited Stansted’s lounges. Facts were checked on 17 October 2026 against Stansted Airport, Escape Lounges, Emirates and Priority Pass pages.
Stansted lounges in 2026: Essence by Escape Lounges at Gates 1–19 (not for Ryanair or easyJet), the Emirates Lounge, Priority Pass bar credits and prices.
Key takeaways
- Stansted has two lounges, and both sit in the satellite serving Gates 1–19: Essence by Escape Lounges, open to passengers of 15 listed airlines, and the Emirates…
- Essence is the only lounge most travellers can buy or use with a card, and only for Gates 1–19 flights.
- Emirates First and Business Saver, Flex and Flex Plus passengers use the Emirates Lounge in Satellite 1, which opened in September 2024 with showers and space…
- Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum do: Gold members bring one guest and Platinum members one adult and two children under 17, all on the same Emirates-coded flight.
- Any card that bundles Priority Pass, DragonPass or LoungeKey gets you into Essence with up to three guests, but only when your airline departs from Gates 1–19.
Which lounges are at London Stansted in 2026?
Link to this answerStansted has two lounges, and both sit in the satellite serving Gates 1–19: Essence by Escape Lounges, open to passengers of 15 listed airlines, and the Emirates Lounge for Emirates premium and status passengers. The old Escape Lounge in the main terminal has closed. Ryanair and easyJet passengers have no lounge to use.
We checked Stansted’s lounges on 17 October 2026 against the airport’s lounge page, Escape Lounges’ Stansted page, the airport’s Emirates Lounge announcement, Emirates’ lounge access page and the Priority Pass directory. We have not visited either lounge, and nothing here is a rating.
The airport says the Escape space in the main terminal closed as part of its transformation programme and that Essence by Escape Lounges replaced it (Stansted Airport). Escape says it expects to come back to Stansted but gives no date (Escape). Until then, a Ryanair or easyJet ticket leaves you with Priority Pass bar credits at most.
How do the Stansted lounges compare?
Link to this answerEssence is the only lounge most travellers can buy or use with a card, and only for Gates 1–19 flights. The Emirates Lounge is limited to Emirates passengers. Two main-terminal bars take Priority Pass as £18 credits. The table shows where each is, its opening hours, who gets in and the published price.
Hours and prices are as published on 17 October 2026. Escape lists shorter hours for Essence from 25 October, closing at 7:30pm instead of 8:15pm (Essence). Emirates publishes no Stansted opening hours; its access page says visits run for up to four hours before departure (Emirates).
Gates 1–19 are reached on the Stansted Transit System, and the airport warns that once you travel there you cannot return to the main terminal (Stansted Airport). Priority Pass places Essence after security and passport control, signed Premium Lounge (Priority Pass).
| Lounge | Where | Hours | Who gets in | Paid entry | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essence by Escape Lounges | Satellite near Gates 1–19, signed Premium Lounge | 04:45–20:15; 04:45–19:30 from 25 October | 15 listed airlines only; Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey on those airlines | From £28.99 pre-booked; £35 walk-up | Escape; Stansted Airport |
| Emirates Lounge | Satellite 1, next to the departure gates | Not published | Emirates First and Business Saver, Flex and Flex Plus; Skywards Gold and Platinum | USD 155, or USD 125 for Skywards members, plus VAT | Emirates; Stansted Airport |
| Escape Lounges, main terminal | Main terminal | Closed | Nobody | None | Stansted Airport |
| The Camden Bar & Kitchen | Main terminal, first bar after security and duty free | 03:30–20:00; to 22:00 on Fridays | Priority Pass members | £18 off the bill per person | Priority Pass |
| Bottega Prosecco Bar | Main terminal, centre of the departure lounge | 04:00–21:30 | Priority Pass members | £18 off the bill per person | Priority Pass |
Where do business and first class passengers wait at Stansted?
Link to this answerEmirates First and Business Saver, Flex and Flex Plus passengers use the Emirates Lounge in Satellite 1, which opened in September 2024 with showers and space for 125 guests. Premium passengers on other airlines that use Gates 1–19 should ask whether their fare includes an Escape invitation; there is no other airline lounge.
Stansted Airport’s September 2024 announcement describes a 900-square-metre lounge beside the departure gates, a two- to three-minute walk from the aircraft, with showers, Moët & Chandon champagne and a seasonal menu from a Sussex farm. Emirates Business Class Special fares are left out of free entry and pay instead, per Emirates’ access table.
Escape’s UK access page names Lufthansa among the airlines that arrange invitations for frequent flyers or premium passengers, and Lufthansa is on the Essence airline list. Each airline sets its own invitation rules, so the answer for your ticket comes from the airline rather than the lounge desk.
Which frequent-flyer tiers open a lounge at Stansted?
Link to this answerEmirates Skywards Gold and Platinum do: Gold members bring one guest and Platinum members one adult and two children under 17, all on the same Emirates-coded flight. Blue and Silver members pay. For any other airline, status only counts if that airline has an arrangement with Escape for Essence.
The tier rules sit in Emirates’ worldwide lounge table, which lists London Stansted among the airports with a complimentary Emirates Lounge. Our Emirates Skywards guide explains how each tier is earned.
Escape lists easyJet among its UK airline partners on its access page, but that does not help here: Escape and the airport both say easyJet and Ryanair passengers cannot use Essence (Essence). British Airways CityFlyer is on the Essence list, yet Escape’s pages do not say whether BA Club status earns free entry, so ask British Airways before relying on it.
Which credit cards get you into a Stansted lounge?
Link to this answerAny card that bundles Priority Pass, DragonPass or LoungeKey gets you into Essence with up to three guests, but only when your airline departs from Gates 1–19. American Express’s UK Platinum lounge finder lists Essence as its only Stansted option. Emirates lists no card route into its lounge.
Escape says cardholders must show the card at reception, entry depends on space, and the card provider may charge for the visit or for guests (Essence). To secure a seat, DragonPass members use DragonPass’s booking portal, while Priority Pass and LoungeKey members use the airport’s seat-reservation portal (Stansted Airport).
The Amex UK lounge finder shows Essence by Escape Lounges and nothing else at Stansted. What the UK Platinum Card includes is set out in our Amex Platinum UK benefits guide.
How does Priority Pass work at Stansted?
Link to this answerPriority Pass lists Essence plus two main-terminal restaurants, The Camden Bar & Kitchen and Bottega Prosecco Bar. Essence is only for Gates 1–19 flights and has a three-hour cap. On a Ryanair or easyJet departure, an £18-per-person bill credit at one of the two bars is the whole benefit.
The Camden Bar & Kitchen is the first bar after security and duty free, open from 03:30 to 20:00, or 22:00 on Fridays. Bottega Prosecco Bar is in the centre of the departure lounge from 04:00 to 21:30. Each takes £18 off the bill per member and per guest, and every credit uses one visit from your allowance.
For Essence, Priority Pass lists entry from three hours before departure, a three-hour maximum stay, a smart-casual dress code with no sportswear, and free entry for under-threes (Priority Pass). The listing also warns that space can restrict access at peak times, which is what the seat-reservation portal is for.
Ad · Priority Pass covers Essence by Escape Lounges at Stansted only for flights from Gates 1–19, plus £18 credits at two main-terminal bars. Check your airline and visit allowance before you buy.
Booking through these links costs you nothing extra. It funds our independent research, and 10% of our profits go to animal rescue. How we make money
Can you pay for a lounge at Stansted?
Link to this answerYes, if you fly from Gates 1–19. Essence costs from £28.99 when booked at least 24 hours ahead, or £35 on the day, and under-threes go free. Emirates sells Emirates Lounge visits to its Economy and Premium Economy passengers. A Ryanair or easyJet passenger cannot buy lounge entry at Stansted.
Entry to Essence covers cold food such as sandwiches, salads and light bites, with gluten-free and vegan choices, plus coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine and bottled beer; Escape lists no hot food, and premium drinks cost extra (Essence). Payment is by card only, sales are final, and groups larger than four are not accepted from May to October (Stansted Airport).
Emirates charges USD 155 per visit at its lounges outside Dubai, or USD 125 for Skywards members, before UK VAT at 20%, subject to space (Emirates). Holiday Extras also sells Essence passes, but its Stansted page says none of its lounges require a particular airline; the airport’s list says otherwise, so match your airline to that list before paying.
Ad · Holiday Extras sells Essence by Escape Lounges passes at Stansted. Check that your airline departs from Gates 1–19 first, because Ryanair and easyJet passengers are refused.
Booking through these links costs you nothing extra. It funds our independent research, and 10% of our profits go to animal rescue. How we make money
What if you have a long wait or delay at Stansted?
Link to this answerPlan around the clock and the one-way transit. Essence admits you three hours before departure, Priority Pass caps stays at three hours, and from 25 October the lounge closes at 7:30pm. Once you ride to Gates 1–19 you cannot come back, so eat in the main terminal first if your delay is long.
The airport says food at Essence is cleared 30 minutes before closing (Stansted Airport), so an evening departure after the new 7:30pm close leaves you with the terminal’s restaurants and bars, two of which take Priority Pass.
If a delay stretches to many hours, our guide to Stansted to London by train or transfer compares the options, and the Stansted airport page covers the terminal. What you can claim after a long delay is explained in our flight delay compensation guide.
What has changed at Stansted’s lounges?
Link to this answerThree things. The main-terminal Escape Lounge closed and Essence by Escape Lounges replaced it at Gates 1–19, with an airline list that excludes Ryanair and easyJet. Essence closes earlier from 25 October. And No1 Lounges, named in older guides as a Stansted option, has no lounge here.
Earlier versions of this page described Escape in the main terminal as the usual paid and Priority Pass option for every passenger; that is no longer true. The airport’s lounge page still links to an Escape reservation section, but its text says the main-terminal space has closed (Stansted Airport).
No1 Lounges lists its own-brand lounges at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Luton and Jersey only (No1 Lounges). For Luton’s two lounges, see our Luton lounge guide.
Which Stansted lounge should you use with your ticket?
Link to this answerEmirates premium passengers and Skywards Gold or Platinum members: the Emirates Lounge. Jet2, TUI, Turkish, Lufthansa or another listed airline: Essence, free with a lounge card or from £28.99. Ryanair or easyJet: there is no lounge for you, so take a Priority Pass bar credit or eat in the terminal.
Essence serves a cold buffet, so its value is a seat, a drink and Wi-Fi away from the gate area rather than a meal. For a short wait before a Gates 1–19 flight, £35 at the door is hard to justify; with a card that includes visits, it is an easy yes.
More on the brands: our Escape Lounges verdict and Emirates lounges compared. If you can choose your London airport, Heathrow vs Gatwick vs Stansted sets out the trade-offs.
Evidence note
How we checked this guide
Research basis
17 external references linked in this guide and its resources. Each reference supports only the claims it addresses; a link is not evidence of first-hand testing.
Experience standard
No first-hand test or trip is implied unless the article explicitly states who tested it, when and under what conditions.
Content update date
Content updated on 17 October 2026; this is not an independent verification of every linked source. Time-sensitive prices, rules and eligibility must be checked again before purchase or travel.
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