Review: How is the Aspire Lounge at Inverness Airport?

This is our review of the Aspire Lounge at Inverness Dalcross Airport.

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

EDIT:  We have a fresher review available.  Click here for our 2020 review of the Aspire Lounge at Inverness Airport.

Reader Helena kindly sent in some photographs and a brief review of the Aspire Lounge at Inverness Airport.  This is what she had to say:

“Inverness Airport is tiny and rather lovely.

What a contrast from the car crash I’ve just been through at the “It’ll be fab when it’s finally done” Luton airport departure area.

Not surprisingly, the Aspire business lounge is also tiny, a bit like being in someone’s living room.  As far as food and drink is concerned, however, it is surprisingly well supplied.

Facilities include: around 20 armchairs, some facing a full width window on to the runway, airconditioning, and a good selection a newspapers, magazines and journals.

There is one TV, several plug points and wifi.

(The Aspire Inverness lounge page of the Executive Lounges website tells you, when discussing the wi-fi, that ‘you could even be the envy of your friends by checking-in on Social Media.’)

Food and drink

The lounge opens at 5.30am and usually closes between 6pm and 7pm, depending on flight schedules.  I was in the lounge at 2pm and the complimentary food selection was rather good with leek and potato soup, cheese and tuna mayonnaise rolls.

There was a selection of scones with jam and clotted cream, cream sponge slices, crisps, pretzels, nuts and biscuits,

as well as crackers with cheese portions and pickle and yogurts.

Drinks included coffees from a Nescafé Milano machine, a selection of teas and fruit teas ……

…… soft drinks, juices …….

…… and complimentary alcoholic drinks (wine, beers, spirits, liqueurs and of course Irn Bru).

Michael on the door welcomed me as if it was his own home. He was friendly, helpful and kept stocks well replenished.  There are no restrooms in the lounge itself but they are just opposite the entrance.

There are definitely worse places to be if you’re delayed a wee while.”

Thanks Helena.  The Aspire Lounge at Inverness Airport is part of Priority Pass (if you buy one outright, or have an Amex Platinum card), Lounge Club (if you have an Amex Gold card) or LoungeKey if you have a HSBC Premier credit card.

If you want to book entry for cash, you can do so via Executive Lounges from £17.99 per adult.

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.