For just £24, travellers can escape screaming children, uncomfortable seats, and the constant noise of a busy terminal by accessing airport lounges worldwide. The catch is that lounge access can be expensive, but with the right discount, it becomes affordable. Monzo Premium and Max accounts offer a flat fee of £24 per person, per visit to over 1,100 airport lounges globally, not just in the UK.
What the Lounge Offers
An airport lounge provides excellent value for a fixed fee, including unlimited food and drinks before your flight. Options typically include freshly brewed coffee, Diet Coke, iced tea, beer, wine, sandwiches, salads, pastries, snacks, and more. This transforms the pre-flight experience from stressful to relaxing.
How to Get the Discount
Monzo has partnered with LoungeKey to offer discounted access. According to Monzo: "We've teamed up with LoungeKey to give anyone with Monzo Premium or Monzo Max discounted access to airport lounges worldwide. You and guests can access 1,100 airport lounges around the world for a flat fee of £24 per person, per visit. This rate includes Max Family, and you will need to pay per person, per visit."
Monzo Perks costs £7 per month, while Max costs £17 per month. These accounts also include a free Greggs treat every week, a free monthly cinema ticket, 10% off cinema food and drink, an Uber One membership, an annual Railcard, and more.
Before Your First Visit
Before your first lounge visit, you must complete Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) using your payment card. This is a one-time process; future visits will be charged automatically to your stored card. If you replace your card, you'll need to register the new card, complete SCA again, and present the new card at the lounge on your first visit. You'll need your physical Monzo card for the first visit.
Monzo explains: "You can pre-register by creating a LoungeKey account using loungekey.com/monzo. Once registered, you can perform SCA and enter a lounge by scanning a QR code. If you haven't pre-registered your payment method with LoungeKey in their app, you will need to complete several steps on the 'lounge device' before entering the lounge."
Pre-Booking Option
Some lounges allow pre-booking before your visit, but this incurs an additional charge of at least £6 per person on top of the discounted entry price. Monzo notes that this fee is set by the airport lounge, not by Monzo. If you choose not to pre-book and visit on the day, you pay only the discounted rate of £24 per person.
Is Monzo Worth It?
Sophie Buchan, writing from personal experience, says yes. After a flight delay turned an 11pm arrival into a 4am touchdown, she and her boyfriend opted to wait in Tenerife's Montaña Roja VIP Lounge while waiting to return to Glasgow. Although access would have cost €44 per person, the Monzo membership discount reduced the bill significantly. She described the lounge as "worth every penny" given the long delay and noisy environment. She notes that she and her partner paid for it themselves.
