Manchester Airport is opening a private terminal which will ‘drive you to your plane’

Manchester Airport has an excellent route network, but even its biggest supporters have to admit that the passenger experience is dire at best.  Even the lounges are a mess.

Things are changing.  A new pier is under construction, which will include a swanky new Virgin Atlantic lounge amongst other facilities, but this will take time to complete.

In the meantime, Manchester Airport has had another idea.  It is building a totally separate VIP terminal to open this Summer which anyone can use. 

Called PremiAir, it is currently under construction near the Runway Visitor Park.  It looks like this:

and

If you decide to pay up – and reports say that it will cost ‘from £50’ which is a bargain compared to the cost of paying for lounge entry in the main terminal – this is what you will get:

Flights from Manchester

• Free food and drink in the lounge
• A dedicated baggage desk to check your bags immediately with no queueing and no hassle
• Passengers and their party will be called forward from the lounge when their car is ready and taken through security to be driven to their aircraft. They will be the only ones passing through security at that time.
• A chauffeur-driven ride to the steps of the plane

Flights to Manchester

• A chauffeur-driven ride to the terminal from the aircraft
• Fast-track immigration with dedicated Border Force staff (it isn’t clear what happens to your baggage)

For clarity, the terminal will be open to anyone irrespective of their airline or class of travel.

At any airport this would be a welcomed innovation.  At Manchester it will be like Christmas for regular premium passengers who are fed up with the existing facilities.  I get a feeling that some of the long haul airlines may even want to pay for this as part of their regular offering.

In a press release, Andrew Harrison, CEO for Airport Services at Manchester Airports Group, said:

“It is something a large number of customers have been telling us for some time they would be interested in and we hope the services it will offer will appeal to a wide range of passengers, whether they are travelling for business, want to mark a special occasion or just want to add something different to their experience.”

The even better news is that Manchester Airports Group is already looking at building similar facilities at East Midlands and London Stansted, both of which it also owns.

Ross Powell, director of operations for terminal designer Jacobs said:

“We have worked hard with the Airport to create a simple yet elegant design, utilising natural materials, full height glass and visual connection to the airfield to offer the guest a warm, relaxing and personalised environment.”

Obviously this is something which Head for Points will need to try out, so look out for a report later in the year.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 70,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (June 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card

30,000 Avios and the famous annual Companion Voucher voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express Credit Card

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 on the FREE standard card and 1 Avios per £1 on the Pro card. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

The American Express Business Platinum Card

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

The American Express Business Gold Card

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.