Honestly never thought about visiting Ireland before, but when I was researching short trips from England, I realised Dublin is just a 1.5-hour flight from London. Immediately told Hubby we should do a quick getaway, and we booked our flight via Ryanair since we wanted to depart from London Stansted Airport – way closer to home than Heathrow.
Where to Find the Escape Lounge at London Stansted Airport
The Escape Lounge at London Stansted Airport is actually the only airport lounge in the entire airport. It’s located in the main departure lounge – after the security checks, passport control, and the duty-free shopping area. The entrance sits right between Terracotta Italian Kitchen and Pret A Manger, so it’s pretty easy to spot.
Quick heads up though: I just checked the London Stansted Airport website and discovered the Escape Lounge will be closing permanently on 28 February 2026 due to airport expansion plans. Not sure if there’ll be a replacement lounge after that, so if you’re reading this now, you’ve still got time to check it out.
The Queue and Waitlist System
Being the only lounge in the airport, it’s not surprising to see a super long queue. When we arrived, the line was quite intense.
Here’s how it works: we had to register at the reception counter first, then they put us on a waitlist. Once a table becomes available, they’ll send you an SMS to let you know you can make your way to the lounge.
So we went back out to grab a coffee outside while waiting. About 15 minutes later, we got the SMS and headed back in.
Inside the Escape Lounge
When we entered the lounge, the place didn’t seem as full as expected. But then I noticed a lot of the tables had these RESERVED signs on them. Seemed like they seat you based on departure time – we got a table that was reserved for someone else at a later time slot.
Overall, it’s quite a cosy and comfortable lounge to relax in. Nothing fancy in terms of aesthetics, but at least it’s clean and modern-looking. Not noisy either, which was nice.
Food and Drinks at the Escape Lounge
Since ours was a morning flight, we were there pretty early. They had a full English breakfast spread:
- Tomatoes
- Back bacon
- Sausages
- Scrambled eggs
- Hash browns
- Baked beans
There were also pastries, cereals, salad, fruits, juices, tea and coffee. Plus there’s a bar too if you fancy any alcoholic drinks in the morning.
Food was decent – just like hotel breakfast standard. Nothing to shout about, but perfectly acceptable for a quick bite before flying.
Is the Escape Lounge at London Stansted Airport Worth It?
All in all, worth coming early to grab some coffee and food before boarding. It’s a comfortable spot to chill before your flight.
That said, if you can’t be bothered to queue up, register, and wait for a table during peak times, there are plenty of food and drink options in the main departure lounge anyway. So don’t stress if the queue looks crazy – you’ve got alternatives.
Just remember this Escape Lounge is shutting down end of February 2026, so catch it while you still can!