Review: the United Club lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 2

This is my review of the United Club lounge in London Heathrow Terminal 2.  This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK.  You see all of the reviews here.

I am down in Istanbul this week, seeing whether Turkish Airlines has got what it takes to challenge the Middle Eastern ‘big 3’ as a global hub airline.

This meant an early morning run out to Heathrow Terminal 2 yesterday morning.  As the majority of long-haul flights from Terminal 2 go from 2B (and Turkish runs long-haul aircraft on some flights, which is why I was there), I got to visit the United Club again.

After, of course, the ludicrously long walk through the tunnel …..

I first visited the United Club lounge back in October 2014.  I have been in a couple of times since, once on a guided tour with the terminal manager.  I still rate it highly.

It was originally a Priority Pass lounge, until United unilaterally withdrew all of their lounges from Priority Pass last year.  Priority Pass cardholders are now using the Plaza Premium lounge in the main terminal. 

Why do I like the United Club lounge at Heathrow?

For a start, it has the longest bar in Heathrow.  Unlike United lounge in the US, the drinks are free – a rather stunning concept to anyone who has ever used an American airline lounge.

There is a full bar menu including a cocktail list and champagne, which they were happy to serve me despite the early hour:

From your seat you can survey the main lounge area – the full lounge is about five time bigger than the area you see here:

…. and there is a library area off to the right:

There is a series of classic aviation images on the walls, which I really like:

There is a huge amount of natural light in the lounge – it is a long, thin lounge and the long wall is entirely glass.  The only downside is the bulky airbridges which block the view.

Let’s talk about food.  If you like food, you’ll like the United Club lounge:

and:

If you don’t want a cooked breakfast, there are snacks and also a lot of fruit and yoghurt (not pictured):

There is no shortage of reading material, both magazines (surprisingly good quality) and newspapers.  The only downside for me is that there are no PC’s in the lounge.  Showers are available too.

It is a long walk from the main terminal and back again, so it is not necessarily worth it if you are on a short haul flight from Terminal 2.  I recommend it above the Singapore Airlines business class lounge in 2B, which just didn’t work for me.

United did a good job here – check it out if you can.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, here are the three options to get FREE airport lounge access via a credit or charge card:

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,300 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here. 

You also get access to Plaza Premium, Delta and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here. You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with two free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here. 

Additional lounge visits are charged at £20.  You get two more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A huge bonus, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free LoungeKey card, allowing you access to the LoungeKey network.  Guests are charged at £20 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £195 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.