Escape Lounge at London Stansted 

This isn’t my first time in the lounge, in fact it is my third time in the last 4 months. Whenever I have flown out of London Stansted recently I have chosen to book into the escape lounge. 

There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, the single terminal at Stansted nowadays seems to be running at full capacity especially if you are flying on a bank holiday or school holiday or any other peak time. This makes finding a seat in the main departure lounge or getting into one of the restaurants somewhat of a chore. I find this situation stressful and before I fly I prefer to be relaxed and calm.

Whilst the escape lounge with its vibrant colours isn’t the epitome of relaxation, it’s clean and fresh and does the job. 

Out of all of the airport lounges I have been to I would say it is one of the smaller ones but they seem to operate a strict policy here on how many people they allow to use the lounge at any one time. I really appreciate this aspect as some other airport lounges I have been to in the UK can get so crowded that finding a table can become a struggle.

When you pre book your arrival at the escape lounge however, a table is guaranteed to be reserved for you. Arrival and finding the lounge is pretty easy with signage throughout the airport directing you straight there. You still have to do the usual trek though duty free and the shops as in most airports. When you fly as often as I do, you have seen everything there is to see in duty free and with no interest in buying anything I wish there could be short cut direct from security into the lounge. 

Once the, reception staff are helpful in checking you in, explaining the lounge and guiding you to your seat.

You can help yourself to a tea/coffee or soft drink and read the newspaper in peace. There are TVs showing the main news channels and conveniently located flight departure boards. If there at breakfast time like I was you can order a bacon or sausage roll, toast or porridge,  all of which is included in the price. There are some extra items on the menu should you be feeling super hungry and in need of something more substantial.

I only usually stay in the lounge for an hour. The overall vibe is of simplicity and function rather than luxury but I would recommend it as a good budget friendly place for pit stop pre flight and I think it’s your best option at London Stansted.