Review: the Virgin Trains First Class lounge at Manchester Piccadilly
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My review of the Virgin Trains First Class lounge at Manchester Piccadilly was only supposed to be part of a ‘bits’ article. However, even though the lounge is quite small, I really liked it and it can have a bit more coverage.
The Virgin Trains Manchester lounge is located on the first floor overlooking the Piccadilly concourse and the platforms:
Despite the small size the lounge wasn’t too busy and there were enough empty seats.
There was one coffee machine, water and soft drinks:
I was quite surprised to find fresh orange juice and coconut water in the lounge.
Next to the juice fridge was also a juice station for your phone.
The highlight of the Virgin Trains Manchester Lounge was the snack selection:
Not only were there fruits and crisps, but also a broad selection of biscuits, cakes and chocolates.
(To quote dirtyneedlebluesky’s comment on our Instagram photograph: ‘Small but find it better stocked than Euston. Often get a cheap first class single from Stockport to Manchester just to use the lounge‘.)
I don’t know how many HfP readers have used Virgin’s BEAM app for on-train entertainment, but I thought I’d give it a try and downloaded it whilst I was in the lounge. You cannot use the onboard WiFi to download the app as it’s too slow. I found BEAM very impressive and will write about it separately later this week.
Conclusion
I was positively surprised by the Virgin Trains First Class lounge at Manchester Piccadilly. It might be small but the snack selection and service were outstanding. You can easily offset part of the extra cost of a First Class ticket over Standard Class before you even get on your train.
You can find out more about Virgin Trains First Class lounges on this page of their website.
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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (February 2025)
Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.
The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.
You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges. Our American Express Platinum review is here.
You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express
50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.
Additional lounge visits are charged at £24. You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.
There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus. Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network. Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.
The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer. Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
A good package, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review
Got a small business?
If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.
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