News
Aspire's new 300-seat Manchester lounge is open, and Priority Pass members can get in
Aspire has opened its third Manchester Airport lounge, a 300-seat space near the Terminal 2 D gates with hot food, work booths and family areas. Visits start at £46.
By Patrick Karsh, Founder, Lounge Frog ·
Page updated October 2026.
Manchester Airport's Terminal 2 has a new 300-seat lounge. Aspire Pre-Flight Hospitality, the lounge brand owned by Swissport, opened it in mid-September near the D gates. It is Aspire's third lounge at Manchester and its second in Terminal 2.
That is good news for travelers who pay per visit or get in with a lounge card, since it adds a large new room to the terminal. Swissport and Aspire both shared the news in September.
Where to find it
The lounge is airside in Terminal 2, near the D gates. Our directory gives the route this way:
- After Security West or Security East, walk through duty free.
- Bear left toward the D gates.
- The lounge is on your left, next to the Great Northern Food Market.
Aspire's website lists opening hours of 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. from April to October, and 4:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from November to March.
What's inside
Swissport said in a LinkedIn post that the lounge "adds 300 seats" in Terminal 2. Aspire's website says it offers self-service dining, comfortable seating including private work booths, and decor inspired by Manchester's industrial heritage.
Trade outlet Regional Gateway, reporting Aspire's announcement, adds more detail. It says the lounge has several zones: booth seating, a dining area serving hot and cold dishes, family and group spaces, private work booths and a separate quiet work zone.
Aspire has not mentioned showers. Our directory does not list any.
How to get in
The lounge is open to anyone who books. Aspire's website lists prices from £46 per person.
Our directory lists it as open to Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey members. Our listing notes that Priority Pass and DragonPass members must reserve ahead, and space is never guaranteed. Book as early as you can, especially in summer.
You can find it in our directory as the Aspire Lounge (D Gates).
Your other options in Terminal 2
Terminal 2 now has two Aspire lounges, plus several others.
- Aspire Lounge (C Gates) is the older Aspire room in the terminal. Our directory lists it as open to Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey members.
- Escape Lounge is another card-access option. Our directory lists it as taking Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey, and it has showers.
- Emirates Lounge is for Emirates' premium passengers and eligible Skywards members. Emirates says its new £10 million lounge lets you board straight from the lounge to the plane.
You can compare every lounge on our Manchester Terminal 2 page.
A 39-year partnership
Aspire opened its first Manchester lounge in September 1987, according to Swissport's LinkedIn post. The company says the new lounge continues "a relationship shaped with and by one of the UK's busiest airports."
"Our latest opening, at the UK's third busiest airport, provides guests with our world-class, award-winning hospitality," James Millett, Aspire's director of lounges for the UK and Ireland, said in the announcement reported by Regional Gateway. The opening follows recent Aspire lounge launches at Liverpool and Birmingham.
What we still don't know
- Aspire has not said exactly which day the lounge opened. Swissport's LinkedIn post announcing it is dated September 15.
- Aspire has not said how it handles walk-ins when the lounge is full. Our listing notes a maximum stay of three hours.
Check Aspire's Manchester page before you fly.
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