Review: No.1 Traveller Lounge at Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal

During a recent trip to Orlando, I visited the No.1 Traveller Lounge at Gatwick’s South Terminal.
It’s a large, modern and very stylish space with a cocktail of zones where you can sit back with a magazine, grab something to eat, enjoy a drink (or two), utilise the complimentary WiFi, or just gaze out towards the runway from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The No.1 Traveller Lounge at Gatwick South is open daily between 04:00 and 22:00, 365 days a year.
Once you’re through security, the lounge is very easy to find. It’s on the Mezzanine level adjacent to Frankie & Benny’s.
Upon arrival at the lounge, I received a friendly greeting from the staff-member at the reception desk whom checked my details and I proceeded through.

I’d call it bright, surprisingly small and nice environment to relax before a flight. It was very busy during my visit, but that was to be expected.

Lounge access is from £25 per adult and £15 for children between 3 and 11 when booked in advance.
If you wish to pay on the day, it’s £30 and £17.50 respectively. Plus if you are planning to visit before October 28 and book direct at no1traveller.com; you’ll receive complimentary access to Gatwick’s Premium Security Channel.

What’s Included

Surprisingly a lot. Here’s a quick overview…

Complimentary hot and cold food, plus soft-drinks, speciality tea, coffee and select beers, wines and spirits.
A freshly prepared dish from the Bistro menu.
A selection of classic board games, newspapers and magazines.
TV’s showing the news, movies and sporting events.
Free unlimited WiFi.
Outstanding views looking towards the busiest single-airport runway in the world.

You probably noticed I mentioned you receive one complimentary dish from The Bistro menu. Depending upon the time you visit, this could be anything from a bacon roll or apple cinnamon bread, to a coronation chicken pocket or a fish finger sandwich. Additional dishes are available with a reasonable supplement from £4. You can view the full menu here.

My thoughts

The assortment of hot and cold food on the pantry-style tables was plentiful and I may or may not have enjoyed several cookies before 09:00 in the morning. I was going on holiday after all.

Compared to other lounges I have visited or read about, the concept of having a manned bar area was different; something of which I am not entirely convinced is the way forward. It was pretty busy during my visit, but I still managed to find a comfortable place to sit. The views outside (as shown in the images I took above) were pretty awesome; even if the sun was not shining. It’s great to have a look at just what goes on in order to prepare an aircraft for departure. The staff members I came across were ever-so-friendly, although rushed off their feet to say the least.

Here’s a photo of the Apple & Cinnamon Bread I enjoyed.

Overall, my visit to the No.1 Traveller Lounge was worth the small price to escape the hustle and bustle of the airport, and I’d encourage anyone looking for a bit of peace and quiet to do the same.