Which lounge does Qatar use at Manchester Airport?
The premium-focused oneworld airline flies up to four times a day from MAN to Doha, and then most travellers will fly on to another destination. Qatar are held in high regard. Their Q-suite is widely regarded as one of the best business-class seats, and the staff on board are among the best.
Which terminal does Qatar fly from at MAN?
Qatar has been at Terminal 2 since it was refurbished back in 2021. That project is still ongoing, with the second phase of T2 expected to be completed in 2025. That refurb has made T2 the best of the three terminals (soon to be two terminals, as the original T1 will close soon).
The experience at T2 is good. The check-in process is the best it can be at MAN. Post-security, you have a good choice of places to eat and shop, and then if you arrive back into MAN, you can expect a fairly efficient exit. Qatar does tend to park up at gates that are a significant walk from passport control, so do plan for an eight to ten-minute walk.
What’s the lounge situation at Manchester’s Terminal 2?
Poor. At the time of writing, there are three lounges, all of which cater for multiple airlines, and they are best described as being average. The Escape Lounge and the 1903 Lounge are owned and operated by MAG, the parent company of Manchester Airport.
The latter is their “premium offering”, which isn’t quite as premium as Qatar probably want. The Escape Lounge is the standard lounge. Both lounges, at least the last time I used them, are serviced by the same reception area. That means long queues.
I last used the 1903 Lounge when I flew to Qatar a couple of years ago. It’s not unattractive, and it has good views, but it can get busy, and the food and drink are pretty average. It was not the Qatar First Lounge.
Which lounge does Qatar use at MAN?
Qatar currently uses the 1903 Lounge. That’s the best they could get at the airport, and it means sharing a lounge with other passengers: either those flying with status or on a business-class ticket, plus anyone who wants to pay for access to the lounge.
What’s changing at T2 in terms of lounges?
A lot, and it may have a positive impact on Qatar.
Firstly, Emirates is due to launch its new lounge in T2 at some point in 2025. This will align with the airline’s relocation from Terminal 1. There is also a chance that they will have direct boarding from the lounge to their A380’s.
There has been talk for a while about a oneworld lounge at Terminal 2. This made sense, as the terminal will house all of those alliances’ airlines soon. There’s a surprisingly high number at MAN: BA, Qatar, Finnair, Iberia, Cathay, Royal Air Maroc and Aer Lingus. With the volume of flights, it made commercial sense, and it’s still possible this could happen.
The current word on the street, or at least via online forums, is that there will be another new lounge at T2, and it will be an “airline invitation lounge”. Effectively a lounge run by the airport, but strictly for passengers who are either flying in a premium class or who have status.
This could cater to the oneworld airlines, but also Virgin, Turkish, and Lufthansa. In theory, any airline that has premium cabins or passengers with status.
That lounge had better be big
That’s still going to be a busy lounge. BA fly up to six times per day, Qatar four. Finnair depart twice a day to Helsinki, and Turkish Airlines flies up to five times a day to Istanbul. Add in Virgin’s premium heavy long hauls, plus Cathay, and you’d need a big lounge to cater to everyone.
Right now, the lounge offering at MAN is dismal for anyone travelling in a premium cabin, unless you’re flying with Emirates. BA passengers are probably getting the worst experience, having jumped around from the original BA lounge (now closed and being turned into a sports bar) to the tiny former-1903 lounge in T2, and then to the Escape lounge. Now the BA passengers have to schlep it in a temporary lounge, which is effectively a corridor.
If MAN wants to be taken seriously by premium airlines, then it has to come up with a lounge that caters to that crowd, and the biggest requirement is enough space so that people can actually find a seat and enjoy the experience.
What else is happening with the lounges at T2?
There’s also talk about the 1903 lounge closing. MAN are apparently shutting down that brand, meaning that lounge space will become free, either to merge with the current Escape Lounge or become something else.
Is there a better approach to premium travel at MAN?
Yes, with a big but. If you have the budget, you could use Aether, their private terminal. This is a genuinely premium offering. Here’s the caveat with Qatar. The airline is not a partner of the private terminal, which means that you can’t fly using Aether if you have checked baggage.
As the carrier is a long-haul one, the percentage of passengers who will have cases is going to be high.
I have no idea why Qatar, which flies up to four times a day from MAN, is not a partner of Aether (itself owned by the airport). I’m going to assume it’s something to do with commercials or security. Other airlines that are partners include Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Cathay and Virgin.
I wrote up my experience with Aether just after it opened. It is by far the best lounge at MAN. I would even go so far as to say it’s the best lounge in the UK.
Flying out with just cabin bags starts at £99 per person, but that doesn’t include food or drink. There are sometimes offers available that will bring that price down.
Add a comment