Q&A: David Collyer, global senior vice-president of Aspire Executive Lounges

With 13 venues located across major airports in the UK, Aspire Executive Lounges is one of the country’s largest airport lounge providers. We sit down with the company’s global senior vice-president David Collyer to discuss the ever-increasing demand for lounge access, how the brand’s segmented product has responded and its ambitions to establish fresh partnerships with UK travel agents.

Q. Introduce Aspire Executive Lounges – what is your presence in the UK and what makes you stand out?

The UK is the most mature airport lounge market in the world, and Aspire Lounges has been a part of that. We first debuted at Manchester Airport in the late 1980s, and over the past 35 years we’ve grown to operate in almost every UK airport under either Aspire Lounges or our sister brand No1 Airport Lounges.

We made a pretty big discovery about the market in 2023 when our research found there’s little to no segmentation in lounges, unlike in hotels or resorts – all types of travellers were just in one room. You’d have people in high-end first class, people in standard business class and economy travellers who pay for lounge access all together, covering all demographics, from leisure travellers and families who want to relax to business travellers who prioritise efficiency.

This didn’t make sense to us, so we decided to trial a prototype segmented lounge at Newcastle Airport in 2024 which uses a three-tier system. The core Aspire offering provides a contemporary lounge experience with a complimentary buffet, well-stocked bar and free WiFi. One step up is Luxe by Aspire which provides all the facilities ideal for business and upscale leisure travellers, with upgraded design and elevated buffet and beverage services. Suite by Aspire is the most luxury category, reminiscent of a five-star hotel experience with á la carte menus and restaurant-style service.

We were amazed at the response to this format, and it’s now being rolled out across the UK and globally, although not every airport hosts all three tiers. We currently operate 82 lounges across 20 countries.

Q. What is your approach to bringing a hospitality mindset to an airport setting, and why is this so important?

To me, a real luxury hospitality experience boils down to three things. First is people – we’re the only member of the Institute of Hospitality in the sector, so our staff are trained to four or five-star hotel standards. That warm welcome and service mentality make a big difference.

Next is the design, which plays a big part in the experience. Each of the three tiers look distinct – the density and the services are very different, so they stand out.

The third factor is food and beverage. Especially among the highest level of customer, first class passengers increasingly want to eat on the ground and sleep on the plane, so they expect a private, bistro-style experience in the lounge which is what we provide in our top category.

Q. Have you seen an increase in customers in recent years? Do you feel more people are accessing lounges even if they aren’t flying business or first class?

Demand is stronger than it’s ever been. The lounge market is in huge growth, and demand outweighs supply. We saw 25% growth in the lounge sector across the UK last year, and a 27% increase in low-cost carrier passengers paying for lounge access, showing they’re not just seen as something for the elite anymore. We often run out of space, so we always recommend pre-booking.

Q. What are the biggest trends in the airport lounge space?

What we’ve been seeing at a progressive rate since Covid is people travelling better – investing more money on the entire travel experience, not just their accommodation. What we notice is that people don’t have a budget when they enter an airport because they say their holiday starts there, and that mentality extends into the lounge, which I think is why we’re seeing an uplift.

Food and beverage options in terminals, even at the most standard level, are also becoming so expensive that people think a small upgrade to pay for lounge access is worth it. Terminals are getting busier and busier but retail is reducing, indicating that people want relaxed, calm spaces to sit and enjoy their time pre-flight. In a lounge, people become guests rather than just passengers, and people are more and more willing to pay for that luxury.

Q. How do you work with the trade? Do you have training or incentives for UK agents?

Working directly with agents is a channel we haven’t really explored, but we would love to start. If an agent approaches us to secure lounge access for their clients, we can of course do that for them, but we’d love to formalise this and set up some advantageous commercial terms. We’d be very happy to create a trade pack with education, training and even fam trips, so we’re waiting to see how much interest we get. It’s 100% a growth area for us.