Earlier this year I visited Aether, a private terminal at Manchester airport that served up some food and private lounge luxury before going through private security and then being driven across Manchester Airport to your plane reading for boarding and at the time, my review was very positive apart from the pricing / food offered during my early morning visit.
After scrolling through the website in recent weeks ahead of a trip to Orlando with my partner I noticed there had been a sharp price decrease in Aether’s services and my earlier trip this year to Turkey where Aether was priced at £230 had now shot down to £99! Now, at the time of writing this price still hasn’t changed but it could jump back up at any moment but at this price Aether really is impossible to say no to!
So What is Aether?
Once known as PremAir, Aether at Manchester Airport provides an exclusive terminal experience far removed from the usual travel chaos.
The terminal is located away from the main terminals and next to the Runway Visitor Park further down the road in Altrincham. It’s secluded, peaceful and the perfect start to any holiday.
Aether is designed to eliminate the stresses of standard airport procedures — no queues to check in luggage, no long security waits, and minimal idle time before boarding. Instead, passengers can enjoy a multi-course meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on flight time), and in some cases even be driven right up to their aircraft in a chauffeured BMW.
If you are taking cabin bags only you can use Aether regardless of your flight but you can also check your bags in with Aether but ONLY if your flight is one of Aether’s airline partners.
The Experience Inside
As you enter Aether staff will check your boarding pass and passport at reception. Now this was a little nerve-racking for us because we were travelling to America and for long-haul flights boarding passes are sent 24 hours before your flight and Aether need to know 24 hours before your flight if you’re using their services.
This can be quite tricky because there could be an issue with your boarding pass, it may not get sent, or you may need to go to the desk and get it from there if there’s any issues. I took the leap and paid for Aether before my boarding pass arrived but it’s a risk if indeed there are any issues with your booking. It would be a pain going to the main terminal, checking in at the desk, leaving the terminal and going back to Aether. That wouldn’t be a relaxing start to your holiday so do keep this in mind and if there are any issues give Aether a ring and I’m sure they have procedure in place to help with situations like that.
The interior is large and open-planned with beautiful runway views. I arrived very early during my first visit so the runway was in complete darkness yet during this visit my flight was later and I was able to snap a few lovely photos on a gloriously sunny day.
We had a choice of prosecco or soft drink on arrival and the food this time around was MUCH better than the previous visit. It was tasty, filling and was much better than the offering I had previously, it felt more well-rounded and certainly felt more curated as opposed to my last menu which felt like everything was pulled out of a packet or off a shelf (croissants, cereal etc) as opposed to the Adam Reid chef curated menu that is promised on their website.
On the positive side, timing was well managed: courses were spaced out comfortably, and at no point did I feel rushed. Guests are encouraged to arrive about three hours before their departure to fully enjoy the experience.
The staff really are head and shoulders above the rest at the terminal, they’re just as relaxed as you are before your flight and what made it even more incredible is that you don’t need to check any screens to worry about missing your flight, Aether have it covered. You don’t need to worry about a thing, the second you’re checked in you should enter holiday mode as you won’t need to worry about a thing whilst you’re inside.
Security & The Chauffeur Transfer
After using the well-equipped washrooms (stocked with Molton Brown amenities), I moved to the private security area. With only a hand luggage bag, the process was seamless: scan the bag, a quick body-scan.
We were the only people in security and that’s when we were told the good news.
We would be personally driven to our plane and boarding early because the Aer Lingus plane we were catching wasn’t parked in a gate, it was on the tarmac and needed a bus to take passengers to it. As we were with Aether we made our way to the terminal to get our boarding passes scanned but the airline let us leave the terminal again and we were driven to our plane.
They were still packing the catering when we arrived and we were escorted up the steps of our empty plane and spent a good 20-minutes on board the aircraft before any other passengers arrived.
It was a VIP experience unlike anything I’ve had before and at the much more discounted price (£130 cheaper to be exact) this was the perfect start to our Orlando trip.
Is Aether Worth it?
Aether offers three packages:
Express fast-track (no lounge or meal access)
Cabin-baggage package (lounge + meals)
Checked-baggage package (lounge + meals)
I certainly thought that the £230 price tag was a little steep when I last visited Aether but with how improved the menu was this time around and that extra perk of boarding the plane early I think that price would be more justified on this second trip but for £99 (whether that’s a temporary deal or not I don’t know) it was an INCREDIBLE price!
I think as a happy medium they could knock it up to £150-£175 just so they’re not losing out but I’d bite their hand off again for £100 to do that again.
Aether takes away the stress of the airport experience and delivers a quality product quite unlike anything I’ve experienced before.
You’re not just paying for the food and the service you’re paying for privacy and relaxation and during what is no doubt a stressful holiday booking experience is greatly welcomed and appreciated.
Hats off to the staff at Aether, you were utterly incredible!
Below is the video from my first trip so you can see what the experience is like, just ignore the bit about the food, it’s all changed now!
