Manchester is a different airport to the one most lounge guides describe. Terminal 1 has gone, the airport now runs on two terminals, and the lounge that was the premium option in Terminal 2 has shut. If you are working from a guide written before that, you will turn up at the wrong building.

Here is the position as it actually stands, with what we can book you into and what it costs. Prices are per person and were taken from live inventory on 10 August 2026.

Is there a lounge in Terminal 1 at Manchester Airport?

No. Terminal 1 has closed permanently, so there is no Terminal 1 lounge and no Terminal 1 anything. It opened in 1962 and served for 64 years before the airport’s £1.3bn transformation programme finished and it was wound up for good.

Manchester is now a two-terminal airport for the first time in more than thirty years. In the airport’s own words, if you are flying Ryanair you go from Terminal 3, and if you are flying with anyone else you go from Terminal 2. Terminal 2 now handles more than 75% of all passengers.

If you booked a flight some time ago and your paperwork says Terminal 1, check your airline’s current terminal before you set off. Your departure has moved.

What lounges are at Manchester Airport?

Two that you can book as a fare-paying passenger:

  • Aspire Lounge, Terminal 3 — the cheaper of the two, and the one to pick if you are flying Ryanair.
  • Escape Lounges, Terminals 2 and 3 — the volume option, in both terminals, though Terminal 2 availability comes and goes depending on the date.

The airport also runs The Executive by Escape Lounges in Terminal 2 as its premium room, and Aether, a private terminal with its own security screening, at a substantially higher price point.

How much is the lounge at Manchester Airport?

Booking through us:

  • Aspire Lounge, Terminal 3 — £37.99 an adult, £31.99 a child.
  • Escape Lounges, Terminal 2 or 3 — £48.99 an adult, £34.99 a child.

Those prices held on every date we checked between August and October 2026, so there is no cheaper week to wait for. A family of two adults and two children is £139.96 at Aspire or £167.96 at Escape.

Note the child rates, because they are unusually good at Manchester. Several UK lounges charge children the full adult price. Both Manchester options discount them, and Aspire’s £6 gap between adult and child is one of the narrower ones we sell. We compare every UK lounge’s child rate in our guide to airport lounge prices for children.

Has the 1903 Lounge at Manchester closed?

Yes. The 1903 Lounge in Terminal 2 has closed permanently, confirmed by both the airport and the lounge operator. It has been replaced by The Executive by Escape Lounges as the Terminal 2 premium room. Before it shut it was around £54.99 pre-booked and £65 on the door.

There is still a 1903 Lounge in Terminal 3, but it is not open to the public. It admits Etihad passengers and guests travelling by airline invitation only, so it is not something you can book a seat in.

This is the single most common piece of out-of-date advice about Manchester lounges, and it is worth checking any guide that still recommends 1903 as your Terminal 2 option.

Which Manchester terminal is my flight from?

Terminal 3 if you are flying Ryanair. Terminal 2 for everybody else, including easyJet, Jet2, TUI, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Terminal 3 is also being expanded into the space Terminal 1 left behind, so expect building works around it.

Can I use a Terminal 2 lounge if I fly from Terminal 3?

No. Every lounge here is airside, past security, in a specific terminal. Once you have cleared security in one terminal you cannot walk to another, so book the lounge that matches your departure terminal. Getting this wrong is the most expensive mistake you can make, because the ticket is not transferable on the day.

What time do Manchester Airport lounges open?

Both open early enough for the first departure bank, which at Manchester starts before 06:00. Entry is normally from around three hours before your scheduled departure, with a three-hour cap on the visit. Turn up earlier than your window and you will be asked to wait.

Is a Manchester Airport lounge worth it?

At £37.99 for Aspire it is an easy yes on an early departure, when you have two hours or more airside and would otherwise be standing in one of the busiest terminals in the country outside London. Manchester’s morning peak is genuinely crowded and seating is the thing you are really buying.

It is a weaker case on a short afternoon hop where you have already eaten and have ninety minutes or less, because a third of that disappears into finding the lounge and leaving for the gate. Our fuller answer on the maths is in are airport lounges worth it.

Can I book a Manchester Airport lounge on the day?

You can usually walk up, but it costs more and the lounge can be full at peak, in which case you are turned away at the door with no alternative. Pre-booking holds the place and fixes the price.

Are children allowed in Manchester Airport lounges?

Yes, both Aspire and Escape admit children on the discounted child rate shown above. Check the age bands when you book, since the child rate typically applies from around four years old and the adult rate takes over in the mid-teens.