Aspire Lounge

£30 gets you into Aspire by Gate 16, not Plaza Premium money

This Aspire Lounge sits above departures near Gates 13–16, right next door to Plaza Premium by Gate 16 on Level 1, and it’s the default Priority Pass option at Edinburgh when you just want a drink and a seat before a short‑haul flight. Hours run 04:30–20:00 Sunday to Friday and 04:30–19:00 on Saturdays, which covers the early easyJet and Ryanair banks plus most evening departures.

Access works on Priority Pass, DragonPass, or cash at roughly £30 for a day pass, with most walk‑up terms capping you at about 3 hours. Pre‑booking via LoungePair or Executive Lounges often lands prices from around £29, and FlyerTalk regulars mention this specifically to dodge the higher walk‑up rate that can push towards £40–£44 for two or three hours.

Food here skews basic buffet: think a small hot option at meal times, pastries at 08:00, and simple snacks and crisps the rest of the day, which is why reviewers comparing it to the Plaza Premium/Turkish lounge call the offering more bare‑bones. Drinks include standard spirits, beer and wine poured from the bar without extra charge, and self‑serve soft drinks and coffee machines that actually work for a 05:00 caffeine hit.

Location works nicely if you’re on non‑BA flights from the 13–16 pier, as you can be at many gates in under 5 minutes, while BA flyers at Gate 4 usually stick to their own lounge closer to that end of the terminal. The set‑up is one long room with tarmac views over the stands by Gate 16, a mix of tables and low chairs, and enough power sockets that charging a laptop and phone at the same time does not feel like winning the lottery.

Regulars with Priority Pass treat Aspire as the backup when Plaza Premium shows a waitlist sign, since you can literally walk a few metres between the two doors and check availability. Price‑sensitive travellers on FlyerTalk describe locking in Aspire via LoungePair days before departure, which helps with capacity control and keeps a family visit with kids under 2 (free here with an adult) from getting too expensive.

Watch out for grumbles on Tripadvisor about paying full walk‑up prices of around £40–£44 and finding only limited snacks and underwhelming hot dishes; if hot food is your priority, Plaza Premium next door usually gets the nod. Practical tip: clear security by 05:30 for the early wave, check Plaza Premium first, and if the queue looks ugly, slide straight into Aspire and make the most of the included drinks for the next 90 minutes.