Now that BA has moved to Terminal 2, which lounge do they use?
The game of merry-go-lounge is almost over. British Airways has now relocated to its fifth lounge in as many years at Manchester, which is quite a feat given that the airport isn’t particularly large. The good news is that this is either the last or the second last move that they’ll make. Given the lounge they’re now using, everyone will be hoping that there’s one more change in the works.
Why does BA keep changing its lounge at MAN?
Pre-COVID, British Airways had its own lounge at Manchester Airport. Located in Terminal 3, it was way too big and a little bit dated. Built to handle long-haul flights, it was then relegated to usage by short-haul flights to London. Despite its age, the lounge was nice enough to spend a few hours in, and it was never full.
The lounge closed during the pandemic and never returned. Passengers were initially shunted into the airport-owned Escape Lounge, a paid-for lounge that was fine. Not terrible, not special, just fine.
For a brief and confusing period, the 1903 Lounge was reopened for use by BA and lounge card members. The 1903 was a small, but more luxurious, lounge that the airport owned and ran. We used it on our honeymoon and were the only passengers in there.
It was cosy and compact but had a better food and drink offering. It closed due to underuse, but then resurfaced to service BA. Unsurprisingly, that space was too small, and on our last visit, it was uncomfortable.
For reasons unknown (a common phrase associated with Manchester Airport), the lounge then closed, and passengers were diverted back to the Escape Lounge. MAN then closed that lounge to turn it – and the space used by the original BA lounge – into a sports bar. Work on that is still ongoing, with the expectation that it will be completed at some point prior to 2030.
The last BA lounge at Manchester
A new lounge was then opened just for BA passengers. That lounge was in a hallway. Not a room, an empty hallway. As it turns out, the lounge wasn’t as bad as you might think, with some positive reviews lauding the views (the hallway had windows) and the fact that it was BA only (no stag parties).
The reason for some, but not all, of the lounge changes is down to BA’s move to Terminal 2. MAN are closing Terminal 1, and making Terminal 3, the current home of BA, the Ryanair terminal. The planning around this move went as well as you’d expect.
Delays in shifting BA to Terminal 2 meant that they needed to start work on the sports bar before they could move the airline across. That’s why we ended up with a temporary lounge in a hallway.
The current BA lounge at Manchester
As of the 7th October 2025, the current BA lounge is the Escape Lounge at Terminal 2.
Depending on which way you look at it, this is the second-worst or second-best lounge in that terminal (there are just three right now). It is the lesser of two evils.
Hundreds more premium passengers will be flying out of T2 each day, but the number of lounges at the airport remains unchanged. Fear not, as MAN have announced plans to close one of the three lounges to solve this problem. You can’t make it up.
The Escape Lounge is located on the second floor of the terminal and is well-signed. Both the 1903 and the Escape share the same entranceway. Entry starts at £42.99 per person, which both feels, and is, extortionate. T2 has plenty of places to eat where you could dine and drink for less.
The future BA lounge at Manchester
The Escape Lounge isn’t premium, and BA passengers don’t really want to be in there.
There’s been talk of a new lounge opening in the terminal; historically, a oneworld lounge at Manchester was mooted. This would make sense as there are a number of oneworld airlines flying from T2.
Now there’s talk of a premium lounge that’s for premium passengers or those with status. This could be used as a catchall lounge for BA, Qatar, Iberia, etc. On paper, it sounds great, although I’m not sure why the airport doesn’t just take the space they have for the 1903 lounge and use that. Perhaps they will.
The Emirates Lounge
As you’d expect, Emirates, one of the premium Middle Eastern airlines flying from Manchester, isn’t happy about the lounge situation in T2. At the time of writing, they still fly from T1, and they have an ageing but still very respectable lounge in there.
From what I understand, a new lounge is being created for them in T2, and there’s been talk about boarding straight from that lounge. That would be excellent. I was in the original lounge last month, and was told that the new lounge will be delayed beyond the date the airline moves to the super terminal.
That means for a period of time (weeks, possibly months), business and first class passengers will have to make do with either the 1903 or the Escape Lounge.
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