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British Airways Manchester Gate 37 lounge update

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As we covered on Saturday, the Escape lounge in Manchester Terminal 3 closed yesterday. From this morning, British Airways passengers are being sent to a new location.

Some people thought that the airport was reopening the old BMI lounge to serve British Airways passengers. Unfortunately not.

The second set of rumours have turned out to be correct. British Airways has taken over part of the gate area, in the dead end beyond Gate 37.

British Airways Manchester Gate 37 lounge update

I suspect it will be a bit like the ‘lounge’ that BA ran at London City for the (RIP) New York services, with a coffee machine, a drinks fridge, a plate of sandwiches and some biscuits. It can’t be much given that the area has no catering facilities. There are a set of toilets in that area which is a plus point.

By the time you read this, I suspect an early bird will have posted some photos on this Flyertalk thread.

This situation will continue until the autumn when British Airways will make its much delayed move across to Terminal 2.

Terminal 3 at Manchester will eventually become a dedicated low cost carrier terminal. The Escape lounge in Terminal 3 is seen as unnecessary given the LCC market.

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Comments (55)

  • polly says:
    10 Jun10 June 04:49

    Would have thought an Escape lounge in a LCC terminal at MAN to be a real earner. If the one at STN is anything to go by. Always packed and long queues to get in. Can’t imagine the STN one is not profitable. They should re think that one. It’s one of the biggest upsells on LCC’s websites. What a strange decision…

    Reply
    • Londoner 79 says:
      10 Jun10 June 06:24

      +1

      Reply
    • Sandgrounder says:
      10 Jun10 June 06:46

      Maybe once the expansion of T3 is complete, they will open a new facility.

      Reply
      • Nick says:
        10 Jun10 June 08:06

        There are suggestions on another forum that they may retain the current lounge annex for T1 (maybe the current Emirates lounge space) for a T3 lounge as you will be entering T3 from the current T1 security and then walking airside to T3 – hopefully this comes off.

        Reply
        • Alex says:
          10 Jun10 June 13:37

          That was how it worked for a while during the Covid times – the lounges weren’t physically open but the pathway through to the BA gates took you through T1 and more or less past the lounges.

          Reply
    • James C says:
      10 Jun10 June 07:30

      The problem is a lot of people seem to take it as a challenge to recover the cost of their lounge entry by riffling through the F&B. So whilst demand is strong I suspect it isn’t as profitable as converting the space to a paid bar (as is the plan).

      Reply
      • Pat says:
        10 Jun10 June 07:43

        Perhaps the staffer will be tasked with opening the individual packets of Hill’s Biscuits “shortbread flavour” shorties and putting them into a big jar to limit pilfering.

        Reply
        • John G says:
          10 Jun10 June 08:13

          Tried them the other day. Nobody is going to pinch them 😉

          Reply
        • Pat says:
          10 Jun10 June 08:18

          I’ve reviewed the content. Carefully selected British Original crisps have been put into a jar. Sarnies are those benefit street £1 they sell in Poundland.

          Reply
        • broomy23 says:
          10 Jun10 June 08:23

          Sold in B&M, 3 for £1. I’m glad to see BA treats passengers so well with a packet of biscuits which cost a few pence

          Reply
          • Pat says:
            10 Jun10 June 11:22

            There was a selection of Hill’s custard creams onboard recently washed down with a cup of award-winning Birchall. In both cases, disgusting cheap crap. I think it’s the palm oil, kernel oil and rapeseed oil that gives Hill’s the British Original.

      • apbj says:
        10 Jun10 June 11:10

        Most “guests” were coming out ahead when I went through last Wednesday morning. Thumping loud music over the speakers and groups smashing their way through as many bargain-bin quality drinks as the bar could serve. The supposed “BA zone” only had three sockets, all in use, so I left the business lounge to do business in the terminal instead. There was a queue for entry so I suspect a paid lounge would do well if it was better, better run, and cost more. Otherwise it might as well be a pub.

        With that in mind, a roped off area in the Gate 37 corridor sounds almost like an improvement.

        Let’s hope the dreaded gate 142 is a thing of the past for BA too. Insanely unsuitable space.

        Reply
    • Michael Jennings says:
      10 Jun10 June 11:38

      Yes, quite. Lots of people who fly low cost airlines have Priority Pass, Dragonpass or whatever. Also, if you are flying a LCC and are not getting any free food and drink on the plane, that’s a particularly good reason to go to a lounge before the flight, possibly even if you have to pay for it.

      Reply
  • Gareth Oakley says:
    10 Jun10 June 05:06

    Will second polly on closing the Escape lounge in T3 – it’s always been busy when I’ve been (and has been known to turn away PP guests). Just because T3 is turning into LCC doesn’t mean people don’t want a paid lounge option. I’m normally flying from MAN T2, but if LCC works better I guess LPL becomes more appealing with at least the Aspire lounge

    Reply
    • Barrel for Scraping says:
      10 Jun10 June 10:41

      The lack of paid lounges in T3 is just temporary. For some reason this article was poorly researched. The plan once T2 is ready is to close most of T1 but the entrance point for what’s currently known as T3 will be through the check-in/security areas of what’s currently T1. This means the current T1 lounge area can serve as the lounge complex for T3

      Reply
      • Rob says:
        10 Jun10 June 11:11

        We didn’t say there would be no lounges in T3. We said that the current Escape lounge was seen as less important than a sports bar, which is the case.

        Reply
  • Jimbob says:
    10 Jun10 June 06:47

    Would booinga made prior to registering for the Accor competition but stays falling within the dates count? Or am going to have to cancel and rebook?

    Reply
    • John says:
      10 Jun10 June 06:54

      Most probably, as with many ALL offers, you have to do the booking between the dates.

      Do check you are getting the same or better rate before you adjust your bookings and remember TCB

      Reply
  • jj says:
    10 Jun10 June 06:56

    San Clemente wasn’t originally a Regis. It first opened as an independent hotel under Italian ownership and traded for several years before moving to Regis for just one year in the aftermath of the GFC. I first stayed there in the Italian period, and it was an exceptional hotel

    Regis and, subsequently , Kempinski, did very little to the hotel when they took it over, which is why it retains it’s Italian charm. It’s so well maintained that you’d never guess, but the rooms, including soft furnishings and bathrooms, the gardens, and even the seating and sofas in the corridors, are unchanged from my pre-Regis photos.

    It’s a fabulous hotel, full of character and high quality artwork. I hope MO look after it well, as it’s my favourite Venice bolthole.

    Reply
  • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:
    10 Jun10 June 08:24

    Some pics of the food offering posted this morning on flyer talk.

    https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/37137169-post581.html

    Reply
  • JDB says:
    10 Jun10 June 08:25

    The fast opening rate of MOs marks an unfortunate change of strategy (notably vs Peninsula) which is degrading the brand just like Four Seasons such that both chains now have some poor quality properties still charging super premium prices.

    Reply
  • Chrisasaurus says:
    10 Jun10 June 10:22

    Most Accor promotions require you to (re)book after registration for the offer. This doesn’t say either way, anyone see anything to confirm? The T&Cs have a heading that seems it should include this information, but there’s nothing following this section:

    To participate, the Participant must book 2 stays in different ENA hotels (before the 21th July), subscribe to the offer on the landing page set up and complete the following steps:

    (Then rambles about exclusions and non-connected stuff)

    Reply
    • Rob says:
      10 Jun10 June 11:09

      Problem is that Accor T&C are notorioulsy full of holes. With this one, you’ll never actually know if you were included or not.

      Reply
      • Throwawayname says:
        10 Jun10 June 22:59

        Accor management are not actively anti-customer like Marriott, but their corporate operations are chaotic.

        I made a best price guarantee claim a few weeks ago, a customer service rep responded immediately claiming that I had booked a different room type and because the third party site wasn’t an ‘official partner’ of Accor. When I asked him for a list of all the room types in the hotel, the room type was no longer the problem and he said that my claim had been denied because I hadn’t made a reservation with the third party website in addition to the one at Accor. When I asked him to quote the relevant bits of the Ts&Cs, he went AWOL.

        5-6 days later, I spent some time looking for the email addresses of some corporate people within Accor UK and send 3 of them an email inviting them to revise my correspondence with their colleague and stating a belief that he had been telling me ‘what I can only describe as a load of bollocks’, giving them two weeks to sort it out before I went to MCOL.

        There was no immediate response from the management bods, but within a week the claim amount managed to find its way to my credit card account.

        Reply
  • MAN Traveller says:
    10 Jun10 June 10:30

    Just a reminder I posted this email from BA on Sunday:

    We are writing to share some important information about your upcoming British Airways flight BA1397 from Manchester on 10 June.

    As part of ongoing redevelopment works at Manchester Airport, the Escape Lounge in Terminal 3 will be permanently closing from 9 June. While these improvements will bring long-term benefits, we want to ensure your journey remains as smooth and comfortable as possible in the meantime.

    Alternative Lounge Access
    For eligible British Airways customers, an alternative lounge will be available after security in Terminal 3. This lounge will be located downstairs and will be clearly signposted on the day of your travel. Access will remain exclusive to British Airways passengers entitled to lounge entry.

    Catering Changes
    Please note that the new facility will feature a self-service bar and a selection of cold food items, including freshly prepared sandwiches and other light refreshments. Hot food will not be available during this interim period.

    We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding while Manchester Airport undergoes this important transformation.

    If you have any questions about your journey or need further assistance, please visit ba.com or contact our customer service team.

    Reply
    • MAN Traveller says:
      10 Jun10 June 10:36

      I’ll write a review later today when I visit the lounge but it seems this email was pretty much matching what has actually been provided but you chose to go with rumours rather than the info BA provided. Freshly made sandwiches may have been an exaggeration (they’re packed sandwiches) but the rest of it seems accurate based on the FlyerTalk reviews so far.

      Reply
      • Rob says:
        10 Jun10 June 11:08

        I’ve got a picture from a reader. It’s basically like a commercial food stall at a fun fair. Has all the atmosphere of a hospital corridor because it is identical to a hospital corridor 🙂

        It has got some branding though which elevates it a little and on the upside it doesn’t seem crowded because it is BA only.

        Reply
        • BlairWaldorfSalad says:
          10 Jun10 June 11:14

          Not BA only according to what I heard yesterday. Copy and pasting my comment: “Unfortunately I predict a chaotic situation at the temporary lounge. It is now being described as mostly for BA, rather than solely. And that some cardholders will be admitted based on availability. Cue ill will from those who get turned away, and a wait to enter as a BA passenger while people argue the toss at the entrance. Sigh.”

          Reply
          • Rob says:
            10 Jun10 June 11:35

            Dragonpass and Priority Pass are being accepted, a reader told me.

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