Escape Lounges are a great way to relax before your flight. They aren’t as fancy as the American Express Centurion Lounges, but Escape Lounges are a better option than most airline and Priority Pass lounges due to their good selection of free alcohol, and superior food options.
In this post, we outline all you need to know about the Escape Lounges in the United States and the United Kingdom, including their location, hours, menus, amenities, and how you can access them for free.
What Are Escape Lounges?
Most airline lounges only provide access to passengers flying on a specific airline but with Escape Lounges, you can enter regardless of the airline you’re flying on.
The first Escape Lounge opened in the early 2000s at Manchester Airport in Terminal 2, and after a few years, it opened new lounges in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.
In 2015, Escape Lounges expanded to several locations within the U.S. and eventually became a part of the American Express Global Lounge collection.
As of this writing, there are 14 Escape Lounge locations in the US and 5 Escape Lounge locations in the UK.
US Escape Lounge Locations
Escape Lounges operates fourteen lounges in the United States. Below is each of their lounge locations and operating hours.
A few notes:
- The Phoenix lounge has showers since it is connected to the American Express Centurion Lounge.
- The U.S. Escape Lounges without bathrooms are Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Oakland, Reno, and Sacramento. For these lounges, you have to exit the lounge to go to the public restrooms, and you can re-enter back into the lounge.
in the U.S.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport | Location | Hours | Food | Drinks |
| Bradley (BDL) | Post-security near Gate 1 | 5am to 8pm daily | Menu | N/A |
| Cincinnati (CVG) | Gate B21 | 6:30am to 8pm daily | N/A | N/A |
| Columbus (CMH) | Near Gate B32 | 5am to 8pm daily | Menu | Menu |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | T3 Near Gates E & F | 5:30am to 9pm daily | Menu | Menu |
| Greenville (GSP) | Concourse B near Gate 1 | 4:30am to 7:30pm daily | Menu | Menu |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | T1 at Entrance to Con. E | 5am to 8pm daily | N/A | N/A |
| Oakland (OAK) | T1 Across from Gate 9 | 5am to 8pm daily | Menu | N/A |
| Palm Beach (PBI) | Concourse B | 5am to 7pm daily | Menu | N/A |
| Phoenix T3 (PHX) | T3 Between E and F Gates | 4:30am to 10pm daily | Menu | Menu |
| Phoenix T4 (PHX) | T4 Near Gate B22 | 4am to 10pm daily | Menu | Menu |
| Rhode Island (PVD) | Near Gate 18 | 6am to 7pm daily | N/A | Menu |
| Reno (RNO) | Between Conc. B and C |
M, Tu, W, Sa, Su: 4:30am to 8pm Th, F: 4:30am to 10pm |
Menu | Menu |
| Sacramento TA (SMF) | Post security, near Gate 1 | 5am to 8pm daily | Menu | Menu |
| Sacramento TB (SMF) | Term. B on Left After Security |
Sat to Wed: 5am to 8pm Thu to Fri: 5am to 9pm |
Menu | Menu |
UK Escape Lounges
There are only 5 U.K. Escape Lounges which is quite ironic since the first lounge was opened in Manchester.
However, what’s great about U.K. lounges is you can access them using your Priority Pass, something that’s not available to U.S. lounges.
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in the U.K.
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport | Location | Hours | ||
| East Midlands (EMA) | Near Gate 17 |
Mon: 4am - 5pm Tue: 4am - 4:30pm Wed: 4am - 2:30pm Thu: 4am - 4pm Fri: 4am - 5pm Sat: 4am - 2:30pm Sun: 4am - 5pm |
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| London (STN) | Main Dep. Lounge | 4am to 7pm daily | ||
| Manchester T1 (MAN) | Terminal 1, Executive Lounge level |
Mon - Sat: 4am - 5:30pm Sun: 4am - 6pm |
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| Manchester T2 (MAN) | T2 near Gate 209 | 4am to 2:30pm daily | ||
| Manchester T3 (MAN) | T3 on Level 3 |
Monday - Friday: 4am - 7:30pm Saturday: 4am - 5:30pm Sunday: 4am - 7:30pm |
||
Free Access with Credit Cards
There are six credit cards that you get free access plus two free guests:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (review)
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review)
- The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- The American Express Platinum Card® for Schwab
- The Centurion® Card from American Express
- The Centurion® Business Card from American Express
Other Ways for Free Access
You have several ways to access Escape Lounges for free:
- For the U.K. Escape Lounges, have a Priority Pass Membership (None of the U.S. Escape Lounges are accessible via Priority Pass.)
- TAV Passport Card members and one guest will have free access.
- Dreamfolks cardholders will have free access, depending on their plan. You need to contact customer service regarding your benefits.
- Children under two are admitted free with an adult.
Paid Access to Escape Lounges
If you don’t have a American Express Platinum or Delta Reserve card, you can pay for access to the Escape Lounge.
U.S. Escape Lounges: $40 per person if you pre-book 24 hours in advance or $45 at the door. There are discounts for AAA Members or members of the military.
U.K. Escape Lounges: £29.99 per person for London and Midland lounges and £28.99 for Manchester lounges.
Lounge Amenities
You will have access to several amenities when you visit Escape Lounges:
- Free food including breakfast, lunch, dinner, cookies, dessert, appetizers, and bar snacks.
- A good selection of free alcoholic drinks including prosecco, white wine, red wine, a few types of beer including a local draft, and spirits like Jack Daniels, Bacardi, Johnnie Walker Red, Svedka, and Jameson. (You can buy upgraded wine and spirits for around $6-10.)
- Free coffee, tea, espresso, and soft drinks.
- Free high-speed Wi-Fi.
- Print, scan, and copy services.
- Charging ports at every seat.
The one amenity that is lacking from about half of the Escape Lounges is a bathroom. Access to a clean bathroom is important to have in a lounge, especially if you are staying for an extended period of time.
U.S. Escape Lounges vs. U.K. Escape Lounges
The U.S. and U.K. Escape Lounges have some differences you should know about:
- U.S. Escape Lounges are generally smaller than the U.K. Escape Lounges. Most of the U.S. Escape Lounges are about 3,000 square feet, whereas the average Admirals Club or Delta SkyClub is at least double that size.
- U.S. Escape Lounges are more upscale than U.K. Escape Lounges. U.S. Escape Lounges charge about $8 more per visit than the U.K. Escape Lounges. This allows the U.S. Escape Lounges to offer higher quality food in mini cast iron pots instead of only buffet food at the U.K. Escape Lounges.
- The U.K. Escape Lounges are accessible via Priority Pass, but the U.S. Escape Lounges are only accessible by free with a version of the American Express Platinum.
- The U.K. Lounges limit your stay to 3-hours, but you can stay for an entire day at the U.S. Lounges.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have free access with the American Express Platinum, a visit to the Escape Lounge is totally worth it. They have good food and free alcohol.
If you are planning to pay for access, I would assess how long you plan on staying at the lounge. If you are staying longer than 2 hours, it may be worth paying the $40-45 for access.
Yes. You can access the Escape Lounge as an arriving passenger.
You can bring in two guests into the Escape Lounge with the American Express Platinum card. For the U.K. Lounges, you can bring in guests based on your Priority Pass Membership.
If you are buying access, you have to pay the fee per person with the exception of children under two.
Only the U.K. Escape Lounges accept Priority Pass. The U.S. Escape Lounges are only accessible for free with American Express Platinum.
Only service animals can visit the Escape Lounges. Emotional Support Animals do not qualify.
Standby passengers, including airline or industry employees traveling on discounted tickets, are not eligible to utilize the lounge unless they have received a boarding pass showing a confirmed seat or zone assignment.
Bottomline
Escape Lounges are vastly expanding its network across the U.S. and U.K., and they’re great lounges offering several amenities like free WIFI, food and beverage, and working stations.
Plus, you can access these lounges through many ways, whether through paid access or complimentary access through American Express credit cards.
