The airport’s (current) flagship lounge
The 1903 in Terminal 2 is, at the time of writing, the most premium lounge inside the airport. I say inside, as you could always visit the Aether private terminal, which exists outside of the main terminal and offers an exceptional experience. When it comes to lounges, It’s going to be all change, again, soon, with the opening of the Emirates lounge in T2, an expected premium lounge for business class passengers, and then the closure of the 1903 lounge. No dates have been set for any of those happenings.
The history of the 1903 Lounge
Manchester Airports Group is the parent company of Manchester Airport, as well as Stansted and East Midlands. Beyond running airports, it’s also a thriving lounge operator, with its subdivision called CAVU, operating two brands: the budget Escape Lounge and the premium 1903 Lounge.
The Escape is the larger of the two brands, with spaces in seventeen US, two Australian and five UK airports. Escape Lounges are generally seen as a solid, no-frills option that is aimed at holidaymakers rather than business travellers.
The 1903 brand launched in 2017 with its first lounge in Manchester’s Terminal 3. It sat on the upper floor, next to the dedicated BA lounge, and along the corridor from an Escape Lounge. It was a small but nicely decorated space with good views and decent food and drink. When we used it on our honeymoon, it was completely deserted.
MAG added a 1903 Lounge to Terminal 2 in 2021, and that’s the lounge I’m reviewing today. The lounge situation at MAN seems to be in a constant state of change, and the airport has already said that the 1903 will close. As that’s the last lounge with the 1903 name, it will likely mean the full retirement of that brand
Where is the 1903 Lounge located?
The lounge is on the second floor in Terminal 2. Go up the escalators that sit in the centre of the main body of the terminal, turn right at the top, and then take the first left. You’ll walk along a corridor, past a set of toilets, and then the entrance way to both the Escape and the 1903 lounges is straight ahead. Both brands share a single reception desk.
Once you’ve checked in, walk straight ahead again, and a staff member will check your 1903 access and then point you towards a set of doors that lead directly into the lounge.
The lounge is positioned in the terminal so that some of the seats have great views across the airport. One side of the lounge has a full glass wall, which also lets in a lot of natural light.
Who can access this lounge?
This is a paid-for lounge that also accepts premium passengers from some airlines, including those with status. You can see a full list of which airlines use each lounge at Terminal 2.
At the moment, Emirates, Etihad, Cathay and Qatar send their passengers to the 1903. Some airline passengers end up in a spill-over facility that is outside the two lounges and behind reception. You can see it when you’re standing waiting to check in, and it looks a little like a children’s play area. There are no windows, and it’s not particularly private, but this should only be temporary. Certainly, for the Emirates passengers, who will soon have their own dedicated lounge, which will launch later in 2026.
The Escape lounge does allow access via…
- Priority Pass
- Dragonpass
- Lounge Key
- Lounge Pass
- and Diners Club
…however it is notoriously difficult. There was signage stating that access would be allowed from 12noon. A second sign just before the doors, made it doubly clear that you could not access the lounge (at 7am).
At the moment it’s difficult to even pay for a space in the Escape or 1903, never mind using a lounge pass. This will change with the opening of additional lounges at T2.
We gained entry to the 1903 by flying Qatar in Business Class from Manchester to Doha.
What’s the 1903 Lounge like inside?
It’s a bright, modern lounge that looks good and has a marginally elevated food and drink offering
We entered the lounge at 7 am, and it was already very busy. As you walk in, you’ll see the self-service food area to your right-hand side, coffee machines to your left, and seating in front of you.
If you walk straight ahead, you’ll get to the main seating area of the lounge that has views across the airport. This part of the lounge was extremely busy. There’s a smaller seating space on the right-hand side, which sits next to the buffet, and that has more seats available.
On the left-hand side of the lounge are two glass pods that hold around eight tables, and perhaps twenty people. They can be accessed by either the 1903 Lounge or the neighbouring Escape Lounge as they have doors that open into both lounges. You cannot walk between the lounges using the pods: only one side will have access to a pod at any point in time.
It’s a cute solution that allows them to expand either lounge at any point, depending on capacity. Inside the pods are a little quieter than the main lounge due to the glass walls, and it feels more private. We found a corner seat in the glass pod that was open to 1903 customers.
Food and drink in the lounge
At 7am the lounge had a breakfast buffet, and it’s pretty extensive without being overly premium. There are both hot and cold options, with the latter including fruit, cereals and pastries. The hot buffet includes all the standard fare: sausages, bacon, beans, as well as multiple egg options. The hash browns, a personal favourite, have been ditched in favour of tater tots, which isn’t a bad thing.
There are three gluten-free dishes available at breakfast, five halal options and six Vegan options (two of which, the Quorn sausages and the Vegan Blueberry croissant, you have to order with a member of staff).
Beyond breakfast, the food is similar to what was on offer at the old 1903 Lounge in T3. It’s better than the Escape Lounge, isn’t super-high end but it’s perfectly reasonable for a snack before a flight.
The self-service coffee machines are ok, passable, but not close to a Starbucks or a Costa. Alcohol was available at 7am, and a gentleman at the table next to us opened up his carry-on suitcase and deposited four bottles of beer into it.
There are no limits on how many alcoholic drinks you can get, although the lounge does state in its T&Cs that you shouldn’t drink to excess. They also state that they don’t allow football tops to be worn, but that wasn’t being policed.
Facilities at the lounge
This is a leisure-focused lounge, so there are no showers and no dedicated bathrooms. The toilets are located outside of the 1903, back towards reception, and are shared with the Escape. There’s no dedicated workspace either, although the glass pod felt like a good place to work.
There is free wifi, and they also have screens in the lounge that keep you updated with outbound flights. The lounge also has audible flight boarding announcements.
The verdict on the 1903 Lounge
The 1903 costs £56.99 per person, whereas the Escape Lounge next door costs £45.99. Right now, these are busy lounges, meaning that if you’re looking for a quiet place to spend an hour or two, you will struggle to find it here. If the food and drink on offer are mid-level, what’s the point in paying for a lounge when you could go to a restaurant?
Well, just as the lounges are extremely busy, so is the airport terminal itself. The main restaurants, also located on the second floor, were rammed when we passed them just before 7am, with long queues and wait times.
If you’re looking for some peace and quiet, you’re better off going to some of the smaller eateries in T2, or even the new food hall that’s just opened. If you really want some quiet, then it’s worth finding a quiet gate in one of the concourses.
Is the 1903 lounge worth it? Not right now, and certainly not at that price. When the lounge situation at MAN sorts itself out, and the 1903 (and Escape) becomes quieter, it’ll be a better experience. Still, expensive versus just grabbing a meal in the terminal.
It’s not a bad lounge, it just doesn’t feel worth over £50 per person.
Rating the 1903 Lounge (Terminal 2)
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