Priority Pass lounges "at capacity"

This happened on a Wednesday afternoon just after the bank holiday in Machester Terminal 1. I guess it was relatively busy compared to our normal trip mid May which we take to Budapest.

They appeared to have changed both the PP lounges there, and both had "full" signs outside and were turning people away. I think it was Number 1 and Escape now (used to be one called Stygal, and I think two others).

Anyway, someone stepped out, we offered our PP cards and they grumbled that they'd let us in because someone just left but there were people downstairs waiting.

Got in. And not full. Not in the slightest. Barely even a little bit busier than a quiet Tuesday in May. What gives with this? Trying to get the paying public in at the cost of people paying business, or having the PP card?

I notice both of them had went to bar service, from previous self service too. Not seen that in most of europe so far, an american thing as far as I was concerned...

Yes all Escape & No.1 lounges have bar service. Means they can charge extra for premium drinks although No.1 seems to have a much wider selection of free booze.

I suspect they have quotas for PP and once they've hit them it's one in one out. The third party lounges need to save space for their own pre-paid customers and walk-ups, who are worth far more to them than PP holders.

The problem with PP is many credit cards give membership away like confetti meaning there are too many people with access.
I feel it works better as a concept when it is not an airline lounge. For example some of the lounges are 'buy in' airport lounges and some are access to a particular airlines lounge (such as access to some of UA's lounges).
The buy in lounges are better as the airlines lounges also have the airline premium and membership pax in there as well meaning too crowded.

And they will have to ensure they have room for people who have booked later time slots for after you arrived.

Lets say you arrived at 13.00 and expected to stay until 15.00. They would know that they has X booked number expected at 13.30 and Y number at 14.00 etc etc so they need to keep room for them.

I read recently a post on flyer talk where something similar happened with a BA lounge. A One World status passenger arrived and was denied access and they were threatening to sue because they were denied access to the then empty lounge.

The buy in lounges are better as the airlines lounges also have the airline premium and membership pax in there as well meaning too crowded.

Ah but the buy-in lounges like Escape, No.1 and Servisair also let anyone in for a (sometimes pretty low) fee so they too can get very crowded - often with LCC passengers who, shall we say, see them as an opportunity to neck as much "free" beer and cheap bubbles as they can before their flight.

The airline lounges, on the other hand, tend to be quieter, more business oriented and offer better facilities - eg United at LHR T2 and SkyTeam at T4 which are both excellent.

(A notable exception is the Plaza Premium lounge at LHR T2 which, while open to walk-ups, probably charges slightly too much - £38 - to attract the "let's get trollied" crowd. It's great.)

Does anyone know if you can use the PP for more than one lounge in the same airport and flight, ie: decide that the current one is crap, and pop off to the No. 1 lounge instead?

Hi Smid
Yes you can done this many times before.

I reported this here a couple of years ago -it happens frequently at The Aspire lounge BRS (formely the Cabot lounge). The last time I made a bit of a fuss as was told it was "full " ( when it clearly wasn't ) and asked for the duty manager. The duty manager appeared and said that possession of the ( unlimited access) card didn't entitle access and that their fee paying guests were prioritised ! ! They did however let me in.
I've raised it several times with Amex Plat who seem surprised about the problem each time I raise it :0 .
Ok I get my ( unlimited access and free guest) PPcard with the Plat Amex but it's not a " free" perk ( given the £450 annual fee for the card).
BRS is a LCC hub ( EZY and FR) and many of the lounge visitors are often the " neck as much as you can for the £19 entry fee". I've been in the lounge several times when police have been summonsed too remove rowdy passengers v( .


DL

The escape lounge at MAN is freely bookable at sites like "holiday extras", it's not a dedicated Priority Pass Lounge, it's full because people can buy entry, doubt very much most have credit card Priority Passes...

The escape lounge at MAN is freely bookable at sites like "holiday extras", it's not a dedicated Priority Pass Lounge, it's full because people can buy entry, doubt very much most have credit card Priority Passes...

I thought most uk PP lounges are bookable, that's their business model... Are there actually any PP lounges "exclusively", I thought it was just a scheme to get in whatever localised bought lounge...

I remember there being two sides of the Manchester lounge we used when flying Upper from MAN, but can't remember the lounge (or indeed, not sure if it was T2 or T3).