Review: the Escape Plus Lounge (Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways) at Manchester Airport Terminal 2

This is my review of the Escape Plus lounge at Manchester Airport Terminal 2.

You can find out more, and book entry for cash, on the airport website here.

This is part of our series of reviews of airport lounges across the UK. You see all of the reviews here.

About 18 months ago we ran a review of this lounge written by a reader – see here.  I finally got to visit myself this week and I thought I would add my own views.

Escape Plus is the ‘business class only’ lounge in Manchester Airport Terminal 2.  You cannot get in with a Priority Pass or other card.  You also can’t buy your way in.  It is only for Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic Upper Class passengers, and presumably status card holders travelling with those airlines.

All of the lounges are on the upper level of the main departure hall.  You turn left after passing through security and the stairs or lift you need to take are clearly marked.

On the face of it, this should make it an exclusive sanctuary.  In reality, it is far too small.  Virgin Atlantic runs a big operation out of Manchester and this lounge cannot handle it.  This is before you get to the point about whether Virgin Atlantic should actually be doing something a bit special for its passengers, as befits its image.

It wasn’t ‘standing room only’.  However, at the time I left, it was very close to the point where you would be sharing a table with someone else.

The photos in this review were taken as soon as I arrived – I was very early and it got a lot busier later.

Even if you had a table to yourself, as I did, it is simply not a pleasant environment when every available space – and the tables are quite close together – is occupied.

The lounge doesn’t even have its own bathrooms, sharing with the other third party lounges.

I’m not entirely sure why Virgin Atlantic puts up with this.  I also don’t know why the airport – which runs the lounge – has not dealt with it.  Over in Terminal 3 is the 1903 Lounge which is an excellent premium product which I reviewed here.  It is spacious, for the numbers allowed in, and it serves high quality food and drink.

The breakfast on offer in Escape Plus was exceptionally average.  Some egg, some cereal, juice and not a lot more.  It makes the British Airways Galleries Club experience at Heathrow or Gatwick look like a Michelin operation.

There wasn’t even a proper selection of newspapers or magazines – just a few random things scattered around.  They had probably received 2-3 copies of the Sunday Times and that was about it.

USB charging ports were on every table.  Plug sockets were harder to find although I did manage to find a table which had one under it.

To be totally honest, with the in-terminal restaurants relatively quiet as I walking to my plane, I seriously thought that it would have been a better experience to grab a table at one of those and work.

For now …. if you have a business class flight with Qatar Airways or Virgin Atlantic from Manchester, I would bring your Priority Pass or Lounge Club card if you have one.  This will allow you, space permitting, to pop into the standard Escape lounge or the Aspire lounge, both of which are on the same corridor.  These two lounges are often closed to ‘walk ups’ during the mornings, however, so it is not a guaranteed alternative.

A new pier is being built at Terminal 2, to open in 2020.  I don’t know if it will include any lounges or not, but hopefully the airport will take this opportunity to improve the provision available.  I can’t believe that Virgin Atlantic is happy with the status quo.

You can find out more about the lounge, and book for cash, on the airport website here.

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