No1 Lounge

Priority Pass queues and runway views under the BA lounges

On the South Terminal mezzanine directly under the British Airways lounges, No1 Lounge runs 04:00–21:00 and is the big Priority Pass magnet at Gatwick. Access is via South Terminal departures airside, with walk-up day passes usually around £40 for a three-hour stay, though current practice is to sell timed slots. Expect a staffed front desk plus a QR-code virtual queue rather than a physical line snaking into the concourse.

This is the South Terminal No1, even though some signage and blogs blur it with North; you clear South security, head toward the BA lounges, then drop down one level. Priority Pass, DragonPass and paid entry all funnel into the same check-in, and regulars say the phone-based waitlist kicks in most mornings after about 07:00 when short-haul banks pile up. A lot of Amex Platinum and Priority Pass holders pay an extra ~£15 online to pre-book because they’ve been turned away once too often.

Inside, the layout splits into a central tended island bar, a separate buffet zone, and window seating with taxiway and runway views that you don’t really see from the entrance. Standard day-pass pricing of roughly £40 buys self-serve snacks and soft drinks, with alcoholic drinks poured at the bar rather than fully self-serve taps. Expect the usual UK lounge mix: pastries and bacon rolls around 06:00–10:00, then salads, soups and basic hot items later in the day.

Families tend to gravitate to the looser, more open seating by the windows, which reviewers say feels less cramped than some of the more premium lounges upstairs. One blogger who walked all the Gatwick options called No1 South the better pick for kids simply because there’s more space to spread out and easier sightlines. That matters on peak school-holiday Saturdays when a three-hour entry block can span a full mealtime and a nap attempt.

Watch out for capacity rules: multiple FlyerTalk posts from 2023–2025 mention No1 South being “rammed,” rejecting walk-up Priority Pass, and telling people to join an app-based queue that may or may not clear before boarding. The same threads slam the upsell for paid pre-booking as feeling like double-charging those who already pay for Amex Platinum or lounge memberships. If your flight is at 09:00, don’t count on rocking up at 07:30 and strolling in without a prior booking.

What regulars do: heavy Gatwick users either grit their teeth and pre-book No1 South online, or they skip it and try smaller nearby lounges once the app shows a long wait. If you really want those runway-view seats, aim for the 04:00–06:30 window or late evening after 19:30, and build at least 20–30 minutes into your schedule in case the virtual queue is already running when you arrive.