Escape lounge at East Midlands Airport reopens with a new look

East Midlands Airport has unveiled its refurbished Escape lounge after a two month closure.

The lounge can be found on the lower level, heading towards Gates 8-23. It accepts Priority Pass and DragonPass cards, as well as cash bookings.

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

The official website for the Escape Lounge, where can you book your visit, is here.

According to Escape:

The renovated lounge is split into four zones – The Arcade, The Fair, The Arboretum and The Cavern – each representing a unique element of the local area.

Inspiration for the space ranges from Nottingham’s Lace Market and Goose Fair, to Sherwood Forest and the largest Diwali festival outside of India. With pieces from local artists, alongside earthy and warm tones, we’ve created a vibrant social hub where you can relax or work while you wait for your flight.

The lounge opens at 3.30am (!) seven days per week.

Closing times vary:

• Monday and Wednesday – 7.30pm
• Tuesday and Sunday – 8pm
• Thursday and Saturday – 7pm
• Friday – 5.30pm

There is a dress code – “Please avoid wearing any clothing with slogans that might cause offence, as well as shorts above the knee. Men must keep their shoulders covered.”

You can find out more on the Escape website here.

You can book access for cash on the airport website here. The ability to pre-book using Priority Pass or similar does not seem to be available despite being mentioned as a possibility.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2025)

Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A good package, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.