Why wait for take-off when you can start your holiday at Manchester Airport?

Great British Life: CHE Aug15 Manchester AirportCHE Aug15 Manchester Airport (Image: Archant)

Manchester Airport is heading for a £1bn transformation over the next ten years but already, it’s jetting into the future with the kind of facilities that make it first class.

From boutique shopping to manicures, there’s a world of exciting new additions to airside and beyond to be explored before even stepping onto the runway.

The ‘Manchester Airport Transformation Programme’ is a series of 60 enhancements that will provide the millions of passengers who use the airport every year with facilities that combine a contemporary look and feel with state of the art services.

But already travellers can avail themselves of services which ten years previously would have been just pie in the sky.

Great British Life: Manchester AirportManchester Airport (Image: Archant)

In Terminals 1 and 2 you can grab a manicure or pedicure at Cloud Nails from as early as 4am, which is perfect for those who haven’t had time to book into their local salon for a pre-holiday grooming session. It’s also a handy facility for those business types who want to present a polished appearance to their clients.

They have an extensive range of manicures and an express menu which means even the most ‘time pushed’ traveller can enjoy a flawless set of nails from only £15. Treat yourself to an O.P.I. 3 Week Gel manicure, which is chip resistant, super glossy and instantly dry. It takes a mere 15 minutes with no risk of chips, knocks or smudges!

Holidaymakers who want a relaxing start to their vacation can book into Manchester Airport’s own Escape Lounge where they’ll get complimentary wi fi, magazines, TVs and refreshments. Etihad and Emirates have lounges in T1, Virgin has a lounge in T2 and there’s a BA lounge in T3 each offering their own brand of hospitality.

Of course who could resist the allure of duty free shopping? Certainly not the travellers passing through Manchester. In September the airport is getting a new Duty Free shop in T2, which will bring a raft of new brands to the airport for the first time. The details are yet to be announced..

Those departing from T1 can grab a new holiday look with a makeover at the MAC store or find a new fragrance at Jo Malone.

‘We have an extensive range of duty free shopping, Jo Malone, MAC, Dixons, Accessorise, Dixons - something for every kind of shopper,’ says Airport spokesman Seb Thompson.

There’s been a transformation of the food offer at the airport too. In T2 gone is the old food court and in comes Spinning Jenny, where there is a tempting America-meets-European-meets Manchester brand of cuisine.

There are award-winning craft brews from around the globe, barbecue dishes and a cleverly designed layout suitable for individuals as well as family groups and you can book online to avoid the queues.

While in T3 the Lion and Antelope is a new restaurant concept for the terminal and the Pork and Pickle is a new food on the go outlet designed to give travellers a take-away option if they have to dash for the plane in a hurry.

The Lion and Antelope is a new concept of a traditional English pub, named after Manchester’s town crest. Together with Manchester family brewer JW Lees, customers can enjoy typical English dishes, including hand battered fish and chips washed down with local beers such as Manchester Pale Ale and JW Lees Bitter.

Pork and Pickle offers an array of traditional pastries, delicacies and breads where customers have the choice to eat in or for those with less time to take away.

And let’s not forget the nearby hotels which have their own dining and parking options. The Radisson Blu, which is accessed by the Skylink walkway - which connects all the terminals - also has its own business class rooms complete with superb views onto the runway. w

www.manchesterairport.co.uk