Grab a Costa flat white before heading up to Spitfire Lounge
Costa Coffee in T1 at Southampton Airport sits airside on the route up toward the Spitfire Lounge, so it’s the obvious stop once you clear the small security area. It’s a standard UK Costa setup: espresso drinks, teas, hot chocolate, iced coffees, and the usual pastries and sandwiches. Think chain pricing with airport uplift: expect around £3–£4 for a latte and £2–£3 for basic snacks.
Opening hours track the first and last flights, with the counter usually running from early morning departures into the evening bank, but the peak crunch is 05:30–09:00 when several flights go within an hour. That’s when queues form down the concourse and service slows, which lines up with that 2.2 rating. On a Sunday review, one flyer actually called the queue “not bad at all” compared with bigger UK airports, so context matters.
Food is exactly what you see at any high‑street Costa: cheese and ham toasties, breakfast baps, paninis, muffins, croissants, and pre‑packed cakes. Portion sizes match outside branches, but reviews flag slightly higher prices than town‑centre Costa stores. If you just want something predictable, a medium cappuccino and a pastry will run you around £6–£7 total.
Seating is the weak point here. The few tables and chairs near Costa fill fast, especially when two or three flights out of T1 board within 45 minutes. Regulars mention skipping the cramped seating and walking their takeaway cups straight to the gate area or up to the Spitfire Lounge one level above. Power outlets are limited around the immediate seating zone, so don’t bank on charging a laptop here.
Tip: for a morning departure out of T1, arrive 15–20 minutes earlier than you normally would, grab your Costa to go, then clear the “tiny” security queue and drink it at the gate or upstairs in the lounge instead of fighting for a table.