Searching for a lounge at London City Airport and coming up confused is not a sign you did something wrong. A fair amount of information online about it is genuinely out of date, and some of it is simply incorrect. Even the basic question, whether a lounge exists at all, gets answered differently depending on which site you land on.
This guide clears that up properly. It covers what actually exists at London City right now, straight from the airport’s own confirmation. It also covers what is genuinely coming in the near future. You will also find your real options if you want somewhere calm to sit before a flight. That includes how booking and access actually work, and which choice suits your kind of trip best. No guesswork, and nothing recycled from an old blog post that never got updated.
The Honest Answer First
London City Airport does not currently have a lounge inside its main terminal. This comes directly from the airport’s own website. It states plainly that London City does not currently operate a business lounge. A brand new one is under construction, though, expected to open by early 2027.
That catches a lot of people out. Almost every other major UK airport has at least one lounge you can book or pay to enter after security. That includes Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Stansted. London City has historically been built around speed rather than waiting around. That is part of why a lounge was never really part of the picture here until now.
There are two paid lounges connected to London City, though, and they are genuinely worth knowing about. They just do not work the way you might expect.
Why London City Never Really Had a Lounge
London City is a small, single terminal airport in the Royal Docks, built for quick turnarounds rather than long waits. Business travellers make up a large share of its passengers. Many of them value a short check in and a fast route to the gate. That matters more to them than a place to sit with a drink beforehand.
British Airways, for example, does not currently offer its own lounge at London City for standard passengers. Security here tends to move quickly. The whole airport experience is designed around getting you from the door to your gate with as little friction as possible. For a lot of regular travellers, that has simply made a lounge feel unnecessary, at least until now.
A New Lounge Is Coming in 2027
This is genuinely worth knowing if you are planning further ahead. London City Airport has confirmed that construction on a new lounge space is currently underway. The opening date is expected in early 2027.
Early reporting on the project describes the aim as something closer to a five star hotel lobby. That is a step up from a typical airport lounge. Details on pricing, access rules, and exactly which passengers will be able to use it have not been confirmed yet. Treat anything specific you read elsewhere with some caution until the airport publishes the full details closer to opening.
A Realistic Example
Say your flight leaves London City at 9am, and you have decided the Business Lounge sounds worth the £35. You check in at the main terminal and drop your bag as usual. Then you head to the shuttle point around 7am, giving yourself plenty of room.
The shuttle takes you to the Private Jet Centre in under five minutes. You spend around 45 minutes there with breakfast, coffee, and a proper seat rather than standing at a gate. Around 8:15am, you take the shuttle back, clear security again, and reach your gate with time to spare before boarding closes. The whole lounge visit, door to door including both shuttle rides, takes just over an hour. That includes the time needed for the security recheck.
That timing only works because you planned around it. Turning up at the Private Jet Centre with 30 minutes left before your flight would not work. That would not leave enough room for the return journey.
Your Real Options Right Now
Until that new lounge opens, two paid lounges exist for London City passengers. Neither one sits inside the main terminal, though. Both operate from the airport’s separate Private Jet Centre, a short distance away.
The Business Lounge
The Business Lounge costs £35 per person. It is open to passengers flying with any airline, not just private jet clients. It covers around 50 square metres and holds up to 30 people. Inside, you get proper seating, a flat screen television, charging points, and free high speed Wi-Fi.
Entry includes a complimentary selection of food, snacks, and drinks, including alcoholic options, along with access to showers. It is a genuinely comfortable space, closer in feel to a small private lounge than a typical airport departure lounge.
The First Class Lounge
The First Class Lounge costs £95 per person. It adds a private security checkpoint, along with a car that takes you directly to your aircraft rather than walking through the terminal. It is a smoother, faster experience overall. This suits passengers who want to skip as much of the ordinary airport process as possible.
One important limit applies here. The First Class Lounge is not currently available to passengers flying with British Airways, Luxair, Aurigny, or Skywork. If you fly with one of these airlines, the Business Lounge is your realistic option instead.
How These Lounges Actually Work
This is the part that catches people out, so it is worth explaining properly before you book anything.
Both lounges sit at the Private Jet Centre, not inside the main terminal building. Getting there involves a short private shuttle rather than simply walking through security first. You check in with your airline and drop any hold luggage at the main terminal as normal. From there, a complimentary shuttle takes you to the Private Jet Centre, a journey of well under five minutes.
When it is time to fly, allow at least 30 minutes for the journey. You need this to travel back to the main terminal, clear security, and reach your gate. This is not a lounge you casually wander into and out of the way you might at Heathrow or Gatwick. It needs a bit of planning around your actual departure time. The shuttle journey and return security check both take real minutes out of your schedule.
How to Book, and Opening Hours
Both lounges have historically operated from around 5:30am to 10pm, matching London City’s early start and its concentrated flight schedule through the day. It is always worth confirming this directly before you travel. Opening hours at any lounge can shift without much notice.
Booking works best in advance rather than on the day, given the shuttle and check in process involved. Contact the Private Jet Centre directly, or book through London City Airport’s own channels. This confirms your slot and lets you check current pricing before you travel. Turning up unannounced and hoping for a space is not a reliable plan here. That is unlike a normal walk up lounge at a bigger airport.
Business Lounge Versus First Class Lounge
| Factor | Business Lounge | First Class Lounge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £35 per person | £95 per person |
| Security | Standard, back at main terminal | Private checkpoint on site |
| Getting to the aircraft | Shuttle back to terminal, then gate | Car direct to the aircraft |
| Airline restrictions | Open to all airlines | Not available for British Airways, Luxair, Aurigny, or Skywork |
| Best suited to | Anyone wanting food, drink, and a quiet space beforehand | Passengers who want to skip as much of the terminal process as possible |
Is It Worth Paying For a Lounge Here?
This depends heavily on your priorities, more than it might at a bigger airport.
Do you have real time before your flight and want somewhere calm to sit with proper food and drink? The Business Lounge does that well for £35. The shuttle journey and return security check do add a genuine chunk of time either side of your actual visit, though. Does speed and a smooth, minimal fuss departure matter more to you than the lounge itself? The First Class Lounge is built specifically for that, at a higher price.
If you are flying with hand luggage only on a short, quick turnaround trip, this may apply to you. You may find you simply do not need either option. This especially applies if you already value London City’s fast security and boarding process. A fair number of regular business travellers here skip lounges entirely for exactly this reason.
Think about who is actually travelling too. A solo business traveller with an hour to spare before an early meeting gets real value from the Business Lounge. A family managing young children and several bags may find the shuttle journey adds more hassle than it removes. This matters especially with a tight connection to make. Someone catching a same day return with only carry on luggage often does better a different way. Working through email in the main terminal suits them fine, given how quickly London City moves people through its usual process.
What About Priority Pass or Airline Status?
If you hold a Priority Pass, DragonPass, or similar lounge access scheme, be careful here. Do not assume it gets you into a lounge inside London City’s main terminal. No such lounge currently exists there. Some directories list a lounge inside the terminal itself, but this does not match what the airport’s own website confirms. Treat any claim like that with real caution until you have checked directly with the scheme provider before you travel.
The two Private Jet Centre lounges are sold as a straight paid entry. No membership or airline status is required beyond one exception. That is the specific British Airways, Luxair, Aurigny, and Skywork exclusion on the First Class Lounge mentioned earlier.
Families and Accessibility
Neither of the two current lounges is specifically marketed around family facilities. If travelling with young children is your main reason for wanting a lounge, get in touch first. Contact the Private Jet Centre directly before you book to confirm what is realistic for your visit.
For general accessibility needs at London City, book assistance through your airline in advance. Do not leave this to arrange on the day. This applies whether or not you plan to use a lounge. It is worth doing regardless, given how compact the airport’s usual processes are.
If You Would Rather Skip a Lounge Entirely
Given the shuttle journey involved, plenty of passengers decide differently. The simplest option, for them, is to spend their time in the main terminal instead. London City’s compact size means security tends to move quickly. The walk from the terminal to most gates is short too. Our complete guide to London City Airport covers what the terminal itself actually offers. That includes seating, food, and shops, if a lounge is not the right fit for your trip.
If you are flying from a different London airport instead, our guide to airport lounge access without needing business class covers how that works more broadly across the wider London airport network.
Why Some Sources Disagree About This
If you search around before reading this guide, you may come across a claim worth questioning. Some sources say a lounge called AeroSpa already operates inside London City’s main terminal, accessible on DragonPass. This is worth addressing directly, since it contradicts what the airport itself says.
London City Airport’s own website is clear on this point. No business lounge currently operates in the main terminal, with construction on a new one still underway. That is a direct statement from the airport, not a third party summary of one. Where a listing elsewhere claims otherwise, it is most likely outdated or simply incorrect, rather than reflecting a real, current option you can walk into today. If in doubt, the airport’s own site is the source worth trusting over a general lounge directory.
This kind of mismatch is common with airport lounges generally, since facilities open, close, and change hands more often than most directories manage to update. It is always worth a quick check with the airport or the scheme provider directly before you plan a visit around any lounge, here or elsewhere.
Getting a Table or Quiet Corner Instead
If neither Private Jet Centre lounge suits your trip, and the new 2027 lounge is still a while away, the main terminal itself is not without options. London City has a small but genuine selection of cafes and seating areas past security. That is enough for a proper coffee and a moment to sit down before your gate is called.
It will not match a dedicated lounge for space or privacy, but for a short wait on a quick trip, it is often all most passengers actually need. Given how compact the terminal is, you are rarely more than a couple of minutes from your gate once it appears on the board.
Related Articles
If you are flying from London City soon, these guides cover the details that pair well with this one.
A Complete Guide to London City Airport (LCY)
How Early Should You Arrive at London City Airport
London City Airport Parking vs Chauffeur
Airport Lounge Access Without Business Class
Getting to London City Airport with NET
A lounge visit here already takes real planning, between the shuttle to the Private Jet Centre and the return journey through security. The trip to the airport itself does not need to add to that.
With National Executive Transfers, your driver collects you from home, your office, or your hotel, and takes you straight to London City’s main terminal. Your flight gets tracked before you set off. If it moves, your pickup time moves with it too.
There is no drop off charge to work out, no parking to book, and no walk from a car park with your bags. Your price is fixed and agreed before you travel, whatever happens on the day. Whether your plans include a stop at the Private Jet Centre or a straight run through the main terminal, one part of your trip stays simple either way.
Ready to skip the shuttle and the second security check? Book a London City Airport chauffeur transfer with National Executive Transfers and get a fixed price agreed before you travel, with your flight tracked from the moment you set off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not currently inside the main terminal. The airport has confirmed a new lounge is under construction, expected to open by early 2027. Until then, two paid lounges operate from the separate Private Jet Centre.
The Business Lounge costs £35 per person. The First Class Lounge costs £95 per person. It includes a private security checkpoint and a car directly to your aircraft.
There is no Priority Pass lounge currently operating inside the main terminal. Always confirm directly with your scheme provider before assuming access. Some directories list information that does not match the airport's own current confirmation.
No. The Business Lounge is open to passengers on any airline. The First Class Lounge is open to most airlines too. It is not currently available, though, to passengers flying with British Airways, Luxair, Aurigny, or Skywork.
You check in and drop any luggage at the main terminal first. A complimentary shuttle then takes you to the Private Jet Centre, a journey of under five minutes. Allow at least 30 minutes to return, clear security, and reach your gate before departure.
The airport has stated an expected opening in early 2027. Exact pricing and access rules have not been confirmed yet, so check directly with the airport closer to that date.
It depends on your priorities. If you want food, drink, and a calm space before flying, the Business Lounge offers that. If speed matters more, the First Class Lounge removes most of the usual terminal process. Many passengers on quick, hand luggage only trips choose to skip a lounge entirely. London City's own processes are already fast enough for them.
