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Manchester Airport’s private terminal is BACK – and the pricing is reasonable

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If you told people that, for a handful of months before the pandemic, Manchester Airport operated a private terminal where you could escape the crowds and be chauffeur driven to your aircraft, I doubt they’d believe you.

They certainly wouldn’t believe that it cost (relatively speaking, compared to £3,630 for The Windsor Suite at Heathrow) very little money.

But it did. And four years later, it’s back. The doors open on 4th November.

aether private terminal Manchester Airport

HfP exclusively broke this story back in February, and I’ve been invited to see the new set-up in two weeks.

The website for the new terminal is here. Bookings open in early June.

New era, new name

The first thing you need to know is that the private terminal has a new name. The PremiAir branding has gone. The new name is aether.

(No, me neither.)

The key thing you need to know is that ANYONE can use aether if they are flying without checked baggage. If you do have checked bags, you need to be flying with a participating airline – British Airways IS participating.

It isn’t just for the super-rich.  Fees start at just £90. Yes, you can use a private terminal and be driven to your aircraft for under £100. Many people will find that a modest price to pay to escape the nightmare that is the main terminal complex at Manchester.

Where is aether?

The good news, for those keen to see as little of the main airport as possible, is that aether is nowhere near the main terminal.  It was built next to the Runway Visitor Park, on a piece of land which was originally given over to plane spotters. 

Here is a picture from my pre-covid visit:

aether private terminal Manchester Airport

I was the only person booked in that day.  I had the entire terminal to myself for the 90 minutes I was there, which was certainly a novelty.

The set-up is likely to be different now, but I will tell you what it was like back in late 2019.

There isn’t much to explain.  The very friendly reception team checked you off, confirmed that your ID was in order and that there was no reason, eg customs declarations, why you might need to go back to the main terminal.

As the main lounge is literally on the edge of an active taxiway, you had aircraft passing within 100 feet of the windows every couple of minutes.

It is a long thin space dominated by floor to ceiling windows on one side.

aether private terminal Manchester Airport

This was very much ‘stealth wealth’ territory.  If you were looking for Cristal on tap then you were very much in the wrong place. Apart from a selection of pastries and cookies which are out on display, all food was cooked to order from a menu.

aether will have a high profile chef

Forget your BaxterStorey-catered British Airways lounge buffet here.

The menu at aether has been created by Mancunian Adam Reid, Chef Patron of Adam Reid at The French. This is the restaurant inside The Midland Hotel in Manchester.

The transfer to the plane will now be with BMW

This was the cool bit.  When my British Airways flight back to London was ready for boarding, the staff came over and took me to a car.

Under a deal with BMW, aether will be solely using BMW vehicles for its transfers. You will get either a BMW i7 (featuring a 32-inch TV screen), a six or seven seater BMW X7 or a BMW XM.

You go through a door where there is passport control and security screening.  It was the first time in my life that I have been greeted by name by a security screener!

I hopped into the car and off we went:

aether private terminal Manchester Airport

Terminal 3 was a long way from PremiAir, which was great because I got a full drive around the airfield.  It seems that not all aircraft gates have easy access for car passengers from the apron.  In my case, we parked up at Gate 49 which was the most convenient.  The two staff and I went into the terminal, up to Departures, and then did the 45 second walk across to Gate 135 which BA was using that day.

I was Group 1 boarding anyway, but the staff took me to the front of the line and told the agents at the gate to let me go first.

aether private terminal Manchester Airport

What will aether cost?

There will be three options for departing passengers and two for arriving passengers.

It’s worth noting that we saw quite a bit of discounting back in 2019 so the prices below are not necessarily what you will pay.

Here are your options if you are flying from Manchester:

  • Express: from £90 per person if you have hand luggage only, and includes complimentary light refreshments. You can arrive up to 75 minutes before departure and must arrive at least 60 minutes before departure – a strangely tight window!
  • Inclusive with cabin bags: from £150 per person if you have hand luggage only and want the full a la carte dining experience. You can arrive up to three hours before departure and must arrive at least 60 minutes before departure.
  • Inclusive with checked bags: from £170 per person if you have checked luggage, including the full a la carte dining experience. You can arrive up to three hours before departure and must arrive at least two hours before departure. Your bags will be taken across to the main terminal for you.

The checked bag option is currently only available if you are flying with British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Hainan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, SAS and Virgin Atlantic. Qatar Airways is a notable exception.

On top of the pricing above, private suites can be booked for your group at an additional charge.

Children under 2 are free but older children are charged.

You can bring guests into aether with you who will not be travelling for a charge.

Parking packages will also be available. You can drive up to the terminal and hand over your keys, with your car being moved to a secure site whilst you are away. On your return you can pick it up at aether or at your terminal.

Flying into Manchester?

If you are arriving into Manchester, the two ‘inclusive’ options are available to you.

This sounds very attractive. You will be chauffeured from your aircraft to the private terminal and pass through a private passport control service. You can then enjoy the facilities in aether whilst waiting for your checked baggage to be delivered to you.

aether will be open from 4am to 10pm daily. Your flight needs to depart after 6am if you are on the ‘Inclusive’ package and after 5am for the ‘Express’ service.

Conclusion

I was very impressed by PremiAir back in 2019.  Given how painful the main terminal at Manchester Airport can be, I hope it can properly find its feet after it reopens.

As the pricing is per person, it clearly isn’t aimed at the mass family market – although there are plenty of people in the airport catchment area who will be happy to pay.  The main market is going to be corporate travellers (for whom paying £150 is a bargain if they can get more work done than they could do in the terminal) and the airlines.

What PremiAir never managed was to secure a scheduled airline to use it for its long haul passengers. If Qatar Airways, for example, was willing to use it for full fare Business Class passengers it would be a real talking point. Hopefully aether can have more success here.

As I said at the top, I am up in Manchester to see aether in two weeks – look out for that report.

You can find out more on the aether website here.

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Category

General

Comments (93)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • daveinitalia says:
    10 May10 May 04:33

    I don’t have to fly from MAN much anymore, but in 2012/13 I was using the airport nearly every week for a while when I had a contract based near there. In those circumstances I think I would have used this if there was an option to drop off and collect hire cars from the Premiair terminal. It would have fit my routine well in that case as I would arrive in the morning, collect a car, stay a couple of night and then return to Heathrow on an evening flight after dropping off the car.

    If you’re flying BA and connecting to another flight from T5 then you don’t have to go through security at LHR so it’s good that BA are participating in the checked bags service. I’ve read on FlyerTalk people who’d rather drive to LHR than start their trip in MAN so this might work out to be a saving for them compared to the petrol and LHR parking costs (plus the extra tier points for the connection).

    Not sure why they changed the name, the old one was easier to remember although it wasn’t round long enough to get brand recognition.

    One drawback is it seems that you’d have to enter the terminal to have your boarding pass scanned at the desk, I don’t think you’d be able to leave the car and go up the steps directly onto the plane. How does that work if you have a remote stand? I’ve never had a remote stand at MAN so would be curious if that happens often.

    • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:
      10 May10 May 06:05

      If your plane departs from a remote stand your BP is scanned at the gate before you get the bus.

      And people board planes via car at many airports. Their BPs are scanned at the private terminal so their airline knows they have checked in etc. If there isn’t a scanner connected then they can call the airline and tell them you’ve checked in.

      • daveinitalia says:
        10 May10 May 06:30

        I know usually on a remote stand your boarding pass is scanned before getting on the bus, it’s way too common in LHR 😁

        But here it doesn’t sound like they have the facility to scan your boarding pass in the private terminal so you have to do that at the actual gate.

        The wording on their website is “After security you will be driven to your departure gate in a private luxury vehicle where your airline will perform final checks and you will board as normal.”

        This implies you need to go to the gate to get your boarding pass scanned. ‘Then you board as normal’ makes me wonder if you have to get on the bus with everyone else which would be a letdown if you have a remote stand or do you get back in the car after the boarding pass check?

        I hope they’ve thought about this and don’t have a suboptimal experience for remote gates.

  • daveinitalia says:
    10 May10 May 05:06

    We can be almost sure BA won’t give GGL access to this, although if you’re GGL and use MAN it might be worth mentioning this next time they send out a survey. In my last GGL survey I said it would be good if in airports that had multiple tiers of contract lounges (like the new lounges in Newcastle) it would be good if GGL had access to the higher tier. I doubt it’ll happen but EK offers access to the top tier section in NCL so it doesn’t hurt to suggest.

    When you visit it might be worth asking if they plan on offering anything for repeat customers, for example being able to pre-book a block of 10 for a discount (like a carnet).

    Connections are rare in MAN but if you had a long connection (maybe made necessary if it’s on two separate tickets) would you be allowed to use this service even if your connection was longer than the usual time limits?

    I want this to be a success as I want it to be around the next time I have to use the airport. Obviously it can’t be too successful otherwise it’ll become hellish but I imagine in that instance they’ll just keep putting the price up until they hit a level where it doesn’t get overbooked.

  • TimM says:
    10 May10 May 05:28

    “According to ancient and medieval science, aether, also known as the fifth element or quintessence, is the material that fills the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. The concept of aether was used in several theories to explain several natural phenomena, such as the propagation of light and gravity.” [Wikipedia]

    A little bit obtuse.

    • BJ says:
      10 May10 May 05:39

      I’m sure aether is just PremiAir reheat(ed)…

    • Nick says:
      10 May10 May 06:45

      They’re probably thinking about the mythology definition rather than the science one above – In Greek mythology, Aether, Æther, Aither, or Ether is the personification of the bright upper sky.

      Yes, I had to Google it!

      • TGLoyalty says:
        10 May10 May 08:53

        The previous name was so much easier to remember I feel like that one will get lost in the ether …

      • RussellH says:
        10 May10 May 12:37

        Or, should you have any knowledge of Elemental magic, you might know that an Aether is a powerful Air Elemental creature, capable of travelling extremely quickly from A to B. Supposedly to be found very occasionally in the Black Forest.
        Apparently, if you were able to communicate with one, it might tell you that the Greeks just got it wrong.
        🙂

        The speed of travel would seem to be not irrelevant here.

    • Lady London says:
      10 May10 May 14:36

      well.. even worse than the Whispering Angel claptrap. Which I wouldn’t have tbought possible.

  • NorthernLass says:
    10 May10 May 06:37

    I’ll await the review, but as much as I detest MAN, this pricing isn’t tempting me to try this! £90 for “light refreshments” (does that include any alcohol?!) and a slightly better boarding experience. I’m not sure about the comparison with the Windsor Suite as London is a literal other planet to most of us up here!
    Will it be included with On The Beach, I wonder 🤷‍♀️😂

    • BJ says:
      10 May10 May 07:05

      In the real world I would be surprised if even 1 in 100 people thought ‘from £90’ was reasonable for any airport lounge/arrival/departure experience if the money was coming from their own pocket.

      • JDB says:
        10 May10 May 07:27

        Well, people are paying an awful lot of money directly or indirectly for rubbish Priority Pass lounges, this doesn’t seem a lot more to pay for something half decent that also bypasses all the aggravations of the terminal and sorts out your parking. It’s also got to be suitably highly priced to avoid it becoming too crowded.

        Also, in the context of overall holiday costs of a type regularly reported here, aether isn’t so much more for making one’s trip that much more comfortable on departure and arrival. For any senior business traveller it’s a complete bargain.

      • Rob says:
        10 May10 May 07:39

        The 1903 Lounge at Manchester is £48 per person for cash.

        I suspect the business plan is based on something nearer 1 in 1,000 using it. If you’re paying £2,000 per person for a Virgin Atlantic Upper Class ticket you’d be a fool NOT to use it.

        For a business traveller, even the ability to rock up 61 minutes before departure is invaluable. That’s two hours of your day you get back.

        • No longer Entitled says:
          10 May10 May 07:52

          I like the 1903 and with checked baggage it is less than a third of the price. Would I pay more, yes? But only if it improves my lounge to plane experience. Being dropped off at the gate for a ‘normal ‘experience won’t cut it.

          • Rob says:
            10 May10 May 08:58

            Read the article. You are driven to the gate. You take the internal steps inside the gate to walk up to departure level, so you are literally emerge at the desk. You are pushed in to the front of the queue and board immediately.

            The only difference could be if your boarding pass was scanned inside aether, but that literally only saves you a minute. You would still need to get out of the car in the same spot, walk up the same steps inside the gate and then board. The only difference here is that at the top of the steps you need to walk back to the desk, scan and then retrace your steps.

        • HampshireHog says:
          10 May10 May 08:16

          But for some obscure reason if you’ve checked luggage it’s a minimum of 2 hours?

          • Rob says:
            10 May10 May 08:57

            Not obscure at all. They need to take your luggage off you, drive it over to the terminal, get it tagged and get it dropped into the system to be loaded before the cut off time.

        • BJ says:
          10 May10 May 08:27

          I’ve paid over £2k for flights but would not even contemplate paying £10 for any airport lounge. HfP is far from representative of the real world, not even of the ‘ typical ‘ traveller. The views reported and represented here will be typical largely of HfP which is fair enough and equally fair that HfP is aimed at itd readers so I have no problem with the article or views expressed. What I would love to know would be what proportion of the wider HfP readership consider £90+ reasonable, I would guess even that might be quite low.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            10 May10 May 08:56

            If I knew I could pay £90 for a better experience I’d absolutely pay it. Especially if it’s a special occasion type trip.

            This isn’t for the masses so the price seems right … hopefully BHX follow MAN’s lead as I can see me using something like this a few times.

          • Ken says:
            10 May10 May 08:58

            I wouldn’t pay but in the context of what you get it doesn’t seem expensive.
            In fact I’d be surprised if they can’t charge more in future.

            People are seemingly paying £1000 to watch a single premier league game (and 10 times that to watch the Masters or Superbowl)
            Not Arsenal or City hoping to win the league, but Klopps last match at Anfield – a meaningless fixture.

            They can safely ignore 99% of people flying, but that applies to almost every luxury.

          • Rob says:
            10 May10 May 09:04

            That is an utterly illogical position to take though. Given that you are now approaching £5 for a cup of coffee, not paying £10 for a lounge makes zero sense. They are selling well at the £38 (Escape) to £48 (1903) levels than MAN charges.

            If you were charging £500 per hour for your time when working then you would see this very differently, and that’s part of the market.

          • Fraser says:
            10 May10 May 10:30

            If you wouldn’t pay £10 for any airport lounge, would you pay £10 for some food and drink?!

          • HampshireHog says:
            10 May10 May 12:16

            To me it’s lacking in the lack of integration with the airline. They’re taking your luggage to the terminal to check it in, you have to go to the gate to have boarding pass scanned and if BA join the scrum. It’s like special assistance for the able bodied rather than a care free seamless experience

          • Rob says:
            10 May10 May 12:53

            I’m not entirely what you think the alternative is? You can’t have a totally standalone private terminal which, at the same time, is integrated into the terminal baggage system. Frankly, as long as you trust them to chuck your luggage into the system properly I don’t see any issues.

            When I tested it you didn’t join the BA boarding scrum. The member of staff accompanying me into the terminal told BA to board me immediately and we pushed in at the front. Remember that, for security reasons, you have a member of airport staff by your side at all time.

          • BJ says:
            10 May10 May 19:43

            To clarify, if I’m paying £2k+ for a flight I expect lounge, fast track where available, priority boarding and seat selection to be included in the price; granted it’s becoming increasingly challenging. I’d probably consider paying for lounge with a long connection but since I avoid those too it is not a bridge I’ve had to cross.

        • Chrisasaurus says:
          10 May10 May 10:08

          Well yes, sort of agreed – but the other side of the coin is if I’m spending £2k on an Upper Class flight why am I expected to make my own arrangements to make the paltry airport experience bearable?

          • TGLoyalty says:
            10 May10 May 13:47

            You pay your money you know what you’re getting.

            This isn’t Virgin upsell this is Manchester giving those willing to pay an option.

            If it seems expensive then great it’s probably the right price to keep occupancy down. Simple Price elasticity of demand

      • JDB says:
        10 May10 May 07:53

        @BJ – in the “real world” look how much people are spending on TP runs to get gold which similarly offers benefits to make the overall travel experience slightly more comfortable. They presumably think the costs being incurred are reasonable while others might question that as well.

    • TooPoorToBeHere says:
      10 May10 May 07:44

      On my own, I’ll be paying this, assuming it actually works (!)

      Family with luggage, no; too much.

      • Chabuddy Geezy says:
        10 May10 May 15:57

        TK has an interesting set up for domestic flights at IST. The lounge has its own check in area and security channel away from the main terminal entrance. You are then bussed to your gate and board through the steps. Boarding pass is scanned in the lounge.

        • TGLoyalty says:
          10 May10 May 23:20

          Abu Dhabi had something a bit like this for checkin security etc but then you went into the standard airside when it was time (I think) it was a while ago.

  • Just Nick says:
    10 May10 May 06:41

    How do you get to aether if you arrive at Manchester Airport by train?

    • daveinitalia says:
      10 May10 May 06:48

      The website suggests a short taxi ride which shouldn’t add too much to the overall cost

    • Rob says:
      10 May10 May 07:41

      Taxi. It is nowhere near the main airport complex.

      • TooPoorToBeHere says:
        10 May10 May 07:46

        I guess that means arriving there by car/taxi/minicab is effectively discounted £6 as you don’t have to pay the minimum fee on the short-stay car park.

        (I never use the pickup/dropoff zone, the short stay car park is actually easier despite the kamikaze pedestrians and hi-vis fuckwits)

      • TGLoyalty says:
        10 May10 May 23:21

        They should really pick you up for £90pp

  • Paul says:
    10 May10 May 07:09

    If Qatar Airways, for example, was willing to use it for full fare Business Class

    Given WR fares that would mean almost everyone in the cabin

  • Peter K says:
    10 May10 May 07:21

    It’s a shame the list of included airlines for checked bags is so small. Waiting to check them in is a real bane.

    • Froggee says:
      10 May10 May 08:00

      I have visions of Mrs Froggee and the boys tottling off to aether on the light package having dropped me with two checked bags and a hand carry at Ryanair bag drop.

      • TooPoorToBeHere says:
        10 May10 May 08:12

        Excellent idea actually! Online check-in, send the fam to premiair, only subject yourself to the terminal.

  • Al says:
    10 May10 May 07:29

    Interesting policy around outbound flight delays “….you may remain in the aether lounge for up to 60 minutes after the scheduled flight departure time. After 60 minutes, additional time is subject to availability and may incur additional charges.”

    • TooPoorToBeHere says:
      10 May10 May 07:47

      They’ll be needing to firm up that policy for afternoon BA departures.

      • NorthernLass says:
        10 May10 May 08:58

        Indeed – I wonder if they’ll just kick everyone out at 19:45 hours like the Escape lounge!

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