Todays review is from regular reader of TLFL, Mark.
Returning from a work engagement in Manchester, my inner av-geek had decided I would spurn my free rail travel, and I booked a relatively routine Avios redemption flight on British Airways from Manchester to London Heathrow at my own expense on a cold Friday afternoon in February in Club Europe. But I decided to spice up the experience and I succumbed to the temptation to try out the Aether Private Terminal facility on the edge of Manchester airport.
After my work activities concluded by lunchtime, I found myself outside the Hilton Deansgate hotel awaiting my Uber. Usually, I’d be very happy jumping on the train to Manchester Airport, but the Aether facility is nowhere near the station or public transport and, thus, my sleek white BMW was required! Honestly!
We sped south on the Wilmslow Road out of Manchester City Centre with relatively little traffic and took the route towards the spectator park at Manchester Airport, where you can find the retired BA Concorde and other aviation-themed artefacts, but took a left turn shortly before reaching it. We approached a remotely controlled access gate where my Uber driver had to buzz through and give my name to the Aether representative. After some communication challenges, we were admitted through the barrier, and I was dropped at the end of a short path leading to the Aether facility. The construction of this facility did not meet with universal approval as it reduced the views and space at the popular spectators’ area.
But, regardless of this, I wanted to give it a try, and I walked into reception to be greeted warmly and politely. If I cut to the chase, I’d say Aether is a great concept with great facilities, but it is spoilt, in my view, by two issues. The first is the linkage between the pricing structure and the food/beverage offer. The challenge you face as a customer is that you have to either select an Express option, which allows you access only to the security lane, grants you just a bottle of water and only permits access an hour before your departure. Alternatively, you can pay more and enjoy the full experience with access to the lounge up to three hours before you fly, and they also include a seven-course tasting menu.
While the menu is high quality it’s not necessarily the type of food that will appeal to everyone and, even if it’s to your liking, if you’re flying day time in a premium cabin with the likes of Virgin, Singapore, Qatar or Emirates they are going to feed you well on the plane and I suspect many of us may not want all that food. Equally, you may arrive after breakfast or lunch in Manchester or just fancy a burger or a sandwich. No such food option exists, and there is no pricing option to use the main lounge but not include the lavish tasting menu. Obviously, no one is going to force you to eat it, but it feels like you are not getting value for money if you don’t partake.
The lounge is well presented and while it’s relatively small, it provides a variety of seating styles for relaxing or working as an individual, a couple or a larger party. Staff will serve you drinks and food as and when you request, but there is a small amount of self-serve capability as well.
The lounge is immediately adjacent to the taxiway to/from one of the main Manchester runways and, depending on which runway is in use, you usually get a good view of arriving and departing aircraft if that’s your thing, and nearly all of us have a secret or not-so-secret aviation gricer inside us.
The quality, ambience, space and service quality are in sharp contrast to what is offered in the rest of Manchester Airport, especially Terminal 3, and while I share some reservations about the Aether facility, it certainly has many attractions.
The staff will take your order for food and, essentially, you just decide how many courses you can handle and your choice of main. Staff are very flexible and, as an example, I had to join a Teams call partway through my meal, and the staff were very accommodating in serving a couple of courses, then allowing me to resume consumption after my call!
On the occasion of my visit, food was served from a menu designed by Manchester chef Adam Reid and the tasting menu included such delights as malt loaf and beef butter and mincemeat gravy on tasted malt loaf with grated horseradish – see attached picture!
There is no option to order a burger & fries, a Caesar Salad or a Club Sandwich. It’s this or nothing!
The food was prepared and served to a high standard but my challenge was simply this. I’m not a fussy eater but I just didn’t like or enjoy quite a few items.
I enjoy my caviar on Qatar and my Qantas lounge squid but this food didn’t excite my taste buds! Maybe others will enjoy it more?
I concluded the meal with cheese and biscuits and an excellent freshly ground barista made coffee with oat milk.
Shortly after finishing, I was given notice I’d be escorted through security to my car very shortly, which was a cue to visit the bathroom facilities, which are compact but excellently presented with nice products and, of course, kept spotlessly clean.
On returning, I gathered my belongings and proceeded through security, with my bags chosen for more thorough searches but the staff were pleasant and efficient and I didn’t delay anyone else. From there, it was straight to the car and, while filming or photography is not permitted in the security area, they positively encourage photos in and around the fleet of cars with many passengers posing for their Aether drivers to snap them for the ‘gram ….!
The drive to Terminal 3 felt quite lengthy, partly because you cannot drive directly across the Tarmac. You drive around the roads hugging the terminal buildings and it was from this point that my experience began to significantly weaken.
We had left the private terminal as our inward flight began to descend, but that aircraft was then put in a holding pattern.
Despite trying to create an exclusive experience, Aether have not managed to persuade the airlines to let them circumnavigate the boarding card check at the entrance to the gate. So, I was dropped at an adjacent gate and we climbed the stairs, where I navigated a number of “back passages”, and was dropped in Manchester Terminal 3 next to the automated gates.
My flight was nowhere near ready, and I ended up buying a coffee and a bottle of water in Costa Coffee, waiting for my plane to arrive, deplane, and start the cleaning process. Only then did I join the familiar – and exceptionally unpleasant – scrum in the corridor at Manchester Airport, familiar to many readers.
It’s most certainly not a premium experience, and we could have easily left Aether at least twenty minutes later. This is a deal breaker, as you still experience some of the worst aspects of the Manchester Airport experience – you are definitely not driven to the aircraft steps!
Since I travelled, Aether have been trialling better deals and the website currently offers a £99 special, which includes one drink and one main course. They also offer discounts to some first time visitors.
As a gimmick, it’s worth a try if you can avoid paying full price and the new BA temporary lounge in T3 may allow you to avoid my Costa Coffee experience!
I used this visit to film a YouTube video, which also features my flight to London, and that is available here:
