What replaced the BA lounge at MAN?The ever-revolving BA lounges
BA used to have its own lounge at Manchester Airport. It was spacious and elegant in a slightly dated way. It even had showers at one point. The lounge closed during the pandemic and never re-opened. Whilst it desperately needed a refresh, it’s now sorely missed. The area previously used by the dedicated BA lounge is now a public space open for anyone to use. It’s hidden away and is often much quieter than the main terminal.
What replaced the BA lounge at MAN?
After the dedicated BA lounge closed, passengers were sent to the Escape lounge next door. This mid-sized lounge is busy with leisure travellers, so it was a tight squeeze. At the far left-hand side of the lounge, around ten tables were “reserved” for BA customers. A small and easy-to-miss sign told you this area was for British Airways passengers.
It was a little cramped, and you shared facilities with the other Escape Lounge visitors. The private area for BA passengers looks inwards into the terminal, whereas the other side of the lounge benefits from floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the taxiways. In theory, as a BA passenger, you could sit wherever you wanted. It could get rowdy in there, and the standard of food and drink on offer was just about passable. The toilets were not passable.
Where is the BA lounge at MAN?
The new home for BA passengers is the “Escape Airline and Cardholder Lounge”, a sister to the Escape Lounge. It’s a rebrand of the former 1903 lounge (more on that in a minute).
The lounge is located on the upper floor of T3 departures. As you exit security and enter the main departures terminal, keep on walking straight ahead. You’ll see some stairs and a lift on your left-hand side. The lounge is on the right-hand side at the top of the stairs. The lounge is signed outside, and on my last visit, it stated that it was “only open for the invited guests of British Airways.”
On the left-hand side, along a corridor, is the original Escape Lounge in T3.
The 1903 Lounge closed during the pandemic. It was MAN’s elevated paid-for lounge for adults only, and its price point was above the Escape Lounge. It was genuinely elevated: good hot food options that you ordered from a menu and premium drink offerings. It was also a much better-looking lounge than the Escape, and most of that decor has remained after the rebrand.
We used the original 1903 Lounge in 2017 when we flew out for our honeymoon, and we were the only guests in there. Given the cheaper Escape Lounge down the corridor, I have a feeling that it wasn’t a popular choice.
Who can access the Escape Airline and Cardholder Lounge?
As the name suggests, it’s meant to be the lounge you head to if you’re flying BA or have a lounge access card. During our time in the lounge, it was touted as just a BA lounge. In all my visits to the Escape Lounges in T3 I have never seen anyone get in via PriorityPass or similar cards, and there’s often signage that suggests that’s the case.
The oneworld lounge database is quite clear on who can access the lounge: travellers on BA in Business Class or First Class (no BA flights from MAN have First Class), as well as oneworld Sapphire and Emerald, so BA Silver and Gold.
Entering the lounge
Getting into the lounge was easy. After you walk down a short corridor (which still has 1903 lounge branded messaging on the walls) there’ s a small reception desk connected to the lounge. We handed over our boarding cards and were told that it was extremely busy.
As there were just two of us, the staff member said if we found a table, we would “definitely have someone joining us in a minute”. We were told to join someone else’s if we couldn’t find a table. That aside, it was a warm welcome, and the staffer asked if we had visited the lounge before.
There’s no door to enter or walk from reception into the lounge; just turn your body to the left, and you’re there. As hinted at, it was extremely busy, but we spotted a small table that was free towards the middle of the lounge. It’s clear that they’ve packed in a few more tables and chairs than they’d like, as it was very tight.
Seating in the lounge
The lounge has a few zones, which is commendable given its small size. As you enter there’s seating to the right that’s a bit more private. It’s the closest to the entrance, and the quietest of the lounge as there’s no foot-traffic running through it.
The lounge has floor to ceiling windows that overlook the taxiways. In front of the windows are individual seats, and just behind those are seats with tables more suited to couples.
Off to the left of the lounge is a long sofa, with small tables and additional chairs. To the far left are stools and a counter that overlooks the airport.
Food and drink at the BA Manchester lounge
The buffet area for the lounge is quite small, and there was a single hot option. On one side of the food area were pastries and sweet items, with some croissants that appeared to be holdovers from the morning (we were there at 2pm). Part-way through our time in the lounge the croissants made their way back into the kitchen, and were replaced by muffins. On the other side of the food zone were some salad options.
There’s a circular self-service drinks counter which had beers, spirits, wine, juices and soft drinks. A counter by the wall also has a coffee machine, along with syrups.
The options in the afternoon were – uninspiring – so I settled for a diet coke, donut and chocolate muffin. Neither looked five star, but they actually tasted really nice.
Facilities at the Escape Lounge
Beyond food and drink there’s not much more you can do in this lounge. There’s no business center, quiet area or showers. There’s two single-occupancy, mixed-gender toilets off to the left hand side, perhaps a little too close to some of the tables. One (the designated accessible toilet) was out of action, and the one working bathroom was a little unclean.
I believe there were charging points at some of the tables – but not that one we sat on. The decals in the corridor also boast of “free printing and scanning” and “newspapers and magazines” but the message on the wall is from 2017 and those services do not appear to be on offer anymore.
There is free Wi-Fi, and it’s reasonably fast.
Summary of the lounge
It’s clearly too small to cope with the burst of passengers flying in BA Club Europe or those with status. Separating the BA passengers from the main Escape Lounge makes sense on paper, but only if you’re able to fit everyone in. The food and drink are fine – nothing to get excited about – and it’s better than being sat in the main terminal, but only because the main terminal at T3 is horrible.
If you’re setting off on your dream holiday and the first leg means you take BA to Heathrow, don’t expect this lounge to get you in the holiday mood. You’re far better off going for Aether and avoiding this lounge and the entire airport altogether.
Getting to the plane
BA flights usually depart from gates 142 or 143. It takes around five minutes to walk from the lounge to the gates. Head out of the lounge and down the stairs, then walk straight ahead and turn left towards Costa Coffee. There will be some electronic gates in front of you that require your boarding pass. Once through these, keep walking. BA will often announce the flight as boarding when it’s not yet ready, and you could be stood in the corridor for fifteen minutes. There’s a set of stairs next to the gate that take you down to a quieter area, which also has toilets. I’ve found it much nicer to sit down there and wait until boarding begins.
