How To Gain Free Access To Manchester Airport Lounges?

I have to admit that the older (and grumpier) I get, the less I want to hang out in the airport surrounding by yelling kids, drunken stag and hen parties and fighting over the one available table which has finally freed up. These days, I’d rather pay a premium to enter a lounge and start my trip in relative comfort. Of course, I’m not massively keen on paying for lounge access, so if there’s a way to gain FREE access, I’m interested. Here’s how you can gain free access to one of the Manchester Airport lounges.

Free access to Manchester airport lounges

Fly business class

The easiest way to get into a lounge for free is to simply fly business class. If you think that this is the preserve of frequent flyers, or the super rich, then think again. UK credit cards offer tons of opportunity to earn a bucket load of airmiles. These allow you to fly business class for less than economy.

American Express Gold Credit Card freebie

Opt for an AMEX Gold credit card and you will earn two free lounge access passes per year of membership. This will save you over £30 each on the price if you pay on arrival. This is the easiest way to gain a free entry to any of the Manchester airport lounges. Sign up using this referral and bag yourself an extra 2,000 airmiles.

But what if you have used those lounge passes?

American Express Platinum

If you invest in the American Express Platinum credit card, it gives you unlimited lounge access worldwide. Now that is a pretty sweet deal, but as this lowdown explains, it does carry a whopping fee of £450 per year. Whilst I think it is a charge worth paying for all the benefits you accrue, this undoubtedly will put many people off membership.

Read more:

How To Get Awesome Value From The American Express Platinum Card

Paid access to Manchester airport lounges

Now, if the worst comes to the worst, and you have to pay, pre-booking is the best option. You will pay less than you would on the door, but if you are a frequent flyer, you may find that your best option is to opt for an annual lounge membership. You can book your lounge here.

Annual lounge membership

You can also opt for an annual lounge membership. For instance, Priority Pass offers annual lounge membership starting from £69. However, if you want to include completely free entry, you will need to opt for Standard Plus level which costs £159, and includes ten entries throughout the year. Unlimited membership is £259 plus £15 a guest.

Your top tips for free access

If anyone else knows of any free hacks for getting into the airport lounges free of charge (other than sneaking in, which we do not recommend!) then please let us know.