The Best Lounges at Manchester Airport: Every Terminal Compared

What Are The Best Lounges at Manchester Airport? Here's Every Terminal Compared

Manchester has lounges from several companies. Escape Lounges and The Executive are run by CAVU. Swissport runs Aspire Lounges, an independent operator. This guide covers both.

The right choice depends on your terminal and your budget. Terminal 2 has the widest options, Terminal 3 has two choices, and Aether offers a full private terminal open to everyone.

The prices and details below come from official pages and were checked in September 2026. Lounge prices change with the season and the date you book, so confirm the current rate before you pay.

Terminal 1 lounges: what happened to them

Terminal 1 has closed, so there are no lounges anymore. Manchester Airport moved its airlines out of Terminal 1 during a £1.3 billion transformation, and the building shut after more than 60 years of service. The airport now runs as two terminals. Almost every airline operates from the expanded Terminal 2, and Ryanair uses Terminal 3.

If you remember using a Terminal 1 lounge, the equivalent is now in Terminal 2. If you are flying with Ryanair, your lounges are in Terminal 3 instead. Always check your boarding pass for your terminal before you book, because a lounge pass only works in the terminal you fly from.

Terminal 2 lounges: the widest choice at the airport

Terminal 2 has three lounges open now, with a fourth on the way. The three open lounges are the Escape Lounge, The Executive by Escape Lounges and the Aspire Lounge at C Gates. A second Aspire Lounge at D Gates is opening soon. All of them welcome passengers from any airline and any ticket class, and Terminal 2 now handles around three-quarters of the airport's passengers.

The Escape Lounge is the standard airport option and, honestly, good value. On Enjoy Travel, you can book it from around £49 per person. Your visit includes freshly prepared hot and cold food all day, a bar with wines, beers and spirits, and unlimited hot and soft drinks. The lounge features flight information screens, mobile charging points, unlimited ultra-fast private WiFi, and print, scan and copy services. It opens daily from 03:00 to 20:30, and you can enter up to three hours before departure. Children under three go free, and groups are capped at eight.

The Executive by Escape Lounges is the premium choice. It is a newer space on the upper level of Terminal 2, with some nice runway views, and it replaced the former 1903 Lounge. Pre-booking starts from £56.99 per person, and walk-up entry is from £75 per person. The food is what makes it superior. You've got a hot buffet and daily specials, a deli corner, a salad bar and a bakery section. The bar serves champagne, wine, beer and spirits, plus barista coffee, and every drink is included. You also get unlimited fast WiFi, charging points and private bathrooms. It opens daily from 03:00 to 20:45, and guests can enter 2.5 hours before departure.

One thing to plan around: The Executive does not currently accept Priority Pass or DragonPass, so you pay the walk-up or pre-book price. Children aged 18 and under are welcome with a paying adult, infants under three enter free, and groups are capped at six.

The Aspire Lounge at C Gates is the Swissport option in Terminal 2, and it is the one to choose if you hold a lounge membership card. It has floor-to-ceiling runway views and serves complimentary food and drinks, with free high-speed WiFi, charging points, business facilities and complimentary magazines and newspapers. It opens daily from 04:00 and closes at 22:00 in winter and 23:00 in summer, later than Escape lounges. You can use it for up to three hours before departure, and a direct booking adds Aspire's delay cover if your flight slips. It welcomes all airlines and classes. Children can enter with an adult, and it accepts Priority Pass, DragonPass and bank card lounge schemes. On Enjoy Travel, you can book it from around £47 per person.

A second Aspire Lounge at D Gates is opening soon in Terminal 2. It will offer complimentary food, drinks and WiFi, private work booths, a work zone and baby changing facilities, with the same seasonal hours from 04:00. For now, it does not accept Priority Pass or DragonPass, and Aspire directs cardholders to the C Gates lounge instead.

Terminal 2 also has an Emirates Lounge, though it works differently from the lounges above. It is an airline lounge for Emirates Business Class, First Class and eligible Skywards members, so you cannot pay to book it or enter with a lounge card. Emirates lists it among its newest lounges, alongside Munich and Frankfurt. If you are flying Emirates in a premium cabin, this is your lounge. Everyone else in Terminal 2 sticks to the Escape, Executive or Aspire lounges.

Terminal 3 lounges: two options

Terminal 3 has two lounges, the Escape Lounge and the Aspire Lounge. Terminal 3 became Ryanair's dedicated home after the Terminal 1 closure, so this is the part of the airport to look at if you fly Ryanair.

The Escape Lounge in Terminal 3 is the airport-run lounge. On Enjoy Travel, you can book it from around £49 per person. It serves hot and cold food all day, and there's a bar with wines, beers and spirits, and unlimited hot and soft drinks. Like the Terminal 2 lounges, it comes with floor-to-ceiling runway views. It opens daily from 04:00 to 20:15, and you can enter three hours before your flight. Children under three enter free, and groups are limited to eight.

The Aspire Lounge in Terminal 3 is the Swissport option, and it opens daily from 04:00 to 20:30. You'll get complimentary food and drinks, free high-speed WiFi, runway views, flight information screens and business work booths. You can use it for up to three hours before departure, with the same delay cover on direct bookings. Children are welcome with an adult, and there is a discount for guests aged 65 and over. It accepts Priority Pass, DragonPass and bank card lounge schemes, and on Enjoy Travel it books from around £38 per person.

Aether: Manchester's private terminal

Aether sits in a category of its own. It is a private terminal rather than a lounge inside the main building, and it is open to all passengers flying to and from Manchester. Entry starts from £199 per person for the Inclusive Depart or Arrive package, and the Suite package that covers both a departure and an arrival starts from £250.

For that price, you get private security screening with no queues, and a chauffeur-driven car takes you to or from your aircraft. There are panoramic runway views, and dining comes from a choice of the Aether Menu or the Signature Menu by Adam Reid. Alcoholic and soft drinks are included, and guests under 18 can use Aether when an adult over 18 is with them. It would work perfectly for travellers who want to skip the main terminal altogether.

How to get into a Manchester Airport lounge

There are three ways into most Manchester lounges. You can pre-book online, which is the cheapest route, ideally at least 24 hours ahead. You can turn up on the day and pay at the door, though entry then depends on space. Or you can use a lounge membership card if you hold one.

The card rules differ by lounge. The Escape Lounges accept DragonPass, Priority Pass, Lounge Key, Lounge Club, Diners Club, Lounge Me and TAV Passport, with up to three guests at fees set by your card provider. The Aspire lounges at C Gates and Terminal 3 also accept Priority Pass, DragonPass and bank card schemes. The Executive does not currently accept Priority Pass or DragonPass, and the new Aspire D Gates lounge does not yet either. So a Priority Pass or DragonPass holder in Terminal 2 should use the Escape Lounge or the Aspire C Gates lounge, and bring the physical card to show at reception.

Which Manchester Airport lounge is best overall?

For most travellers, the best lounge is The Executive by Escape Lounges in Terminal 2. It features a superb choice of food and drink, the calmest space, and excellent runway views. If you want good value, the standard Escape Lounge covers everything most people want at a lower price. For Priority Pass and DragonPass holders, the Aspire Lounge at C Gates is the best Terminal 2 option, because it takes those cards and stays open later.

If you fly Ryanair from Terminal 3, the Escape Lounge is a great option, while the Aspire Lounge is a better pick for membership card holders. If budget is no barrier, Aether is the most luxurious choice, though it works as a full private terminal rather than a lounge you drop into for an hour.

Whichever you pick, pre-book at least 24 hours ahead. It is cheaper than walking up, and Terminal 2 lounges can sell out at peak times.

Manchester Airport lounges compared

You can also compare Manchester Airport lounges and check live prices for your travel date before you book.

Frequently asked questions

How many lounges are at Manchester Airport Terminal 2?

Terminal 2 has three lounges open now, with a fourth on the way. The three open lounges are the Escape Lounge, The Executive by Escape Lounges, and the Aspire Lounge at C Gates. A second Aspire Lounge at D Gates is opening soon. All are open to passengers from any airline and any ticket class. Aether is a separate private terminal, so it does not count among them.

What lounges are in Terminal 2 Manchester?

The lounges in Terminal 2 are the Escape Lounge, The Executive by Escape Lounges and the Aspire Lounge at C Gates, with a second Aspire Lounge at D Gates opening soon. The Escape Lounge is the everyday option, and The Executive is the premium one, both run by the airport's own operator. The Aspire lounges are run by Swissport and are the ones to use with a Priority Pass or DragonPass, since The Executive does not accept those cards.

How many lounges does Manchester Airport have in total?

Manchester Airport has five lounges open across two terminals, plus a private terminal, and a sixth lounge opening soon. Terminal 2 has the Escape Lounge, The Executive and the Aspire Lounge at C Gates, with the Aspire D Gates lounge on the way. Terminal 3 has the Escape Lounge and the Aspire Lounge for Ryanair passengers. Aether, the private terminal, is open to all. Emirates also runs its own lounge in Terminal 2 for its premium passengers, but the public cannot book that one. Terminal 1 has closed and has no lounges.

Compare lounges and book direct

Before you choose, it helps to see every option and price for your travel date side by side. You can compare Manchester Airport lounges and book direct, or browse the full range of airport lounges to plan the rest of your trip.