How do Premium Seat perks work?

[Presto2]

We are fortunate in that our flight to the Caribbean still has us with our pre booked Premium Seats on the Dreamliner.

 

It is our first cruise to the Caribbean (my first Long Haul flight) and we are wondering how the following is organised. Help !

 

* The fast track check in (we would normally book this ourselves)

* The use of the lounge at Manchester - how does this work?

 

Thanks for any help everyone

[carlanthony24]

You do not get lounge access. Regarding check in it will say it’s a P&O desk but have a premium section. Fast track security last time we were able to use it not sure if that is still the case.

[Presto2]

24 minutes ago, carlanthony24 said:

You do not get lounge access. Regarding check in it will say it’s a P&O desk but have a premium section. Fast track security last time we were able to use it not sure if that is still the case.

It says fast track and think lounge too so will double check 🙂

[Dobbers]

If I remember rightly the lounge access is only for Tui/Marella customers.

[Presto2]

19 minutes ago, Dobbers said:

If I remember rightly the lounge access is only for Tui/Marella customers.

Will tell hubby gently ---- have paid over £800 for the premium seats on the Dreamliner and then another £200 to pick our own seats etc. It is a one off special cruise, but seems wrong that we can't have the additional stuff that TUI passengers get. Oh well ..... 

[Presto2]

PS Do we at least get the fast track through security ???? 

[Dobbers]

Get fast track, it was pre covid and agree thought it very unfair at the price charged. 

[Dobbers]

Found this.

[CaptainPedantic]

As others have said... you do get fast-track but you don't get lounge access included.

There's a dedicated check-in desk/queue for premium economy, last month it was the very last of the P&O check-in desks, and there are always staff on hand to help direct you. They will give you fast-track tickets/stickers at check-in so you can breeze through security. But no lounge access unless you buy it separately... and the last two times we've been on these P&O fly cruises, we've had to wait 20+ minutes to get into the lounge even though we pre-booked - both times due to P&O premium economy passengers trying to argue their way in for free (unsuccessfully).

Hope you have a great cruise 🙂 

[Presto2]

8 hours ago, CaptainPedantic said:

As others have said... you do get fast-track but you don't get lounge access included.

There's a dedicated check-in desk/queue for premium economy, last month it was the very last of the P&O check-in desks, and there are always staff on hand to help direct you. They will give you fast-track tickets/stickers at check-in so you can breeze through security. But no lounge access unless you buy it separately... and the last two times we've been on these P&O fly cruises, we've had to wait 20+ minutes to get into the lounge even though we pre-booked - both times due to P&O premium economy passengers trying to argue their way in for free (unsuccessfully).

Hope you have a great cruise 🙂 

Really helpful.. many thanks. Hubby is disappointed but in the great scheme of things its not a major issue.  Just gives me more time to look at the shops 😉

[Thejuggler]

Manchester Airport latest offers email is giving 24% off lounge access and parking.

[cheshire]

We flew TUI premium from Manchester last winter.   As others stated no lounge access.  We booked 1903 but the seats were poor in there. It’s nearly £50 each this time.   We are travelling with friends again in premium but will go to a nice restaurant in T2 and have a better experience.  
 

check in was very quick at premium desks with staff directing us ahead of other passengers.  Fast track was good. As we have reserved seats etc will check in around 2hr 45 before.  Our flight is the late morning one after the madness of T2 earlier departures.  

[CaptainPedantic]

15 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Really helpful.. many thanks. Hubby is disappointed but in the great scheme of things its not a major issue.  Just gives me more time to look at the shops 😉

Hubby will probably be even more disappointed if he has to be dragged around the shops 😉 

[CaptainPedantic]

10 hours ago, cheshire said:

 booked 1903 but the seats were poor in there. It’s nearly £50 each this time

Agree with your comment on 1903 - we tried that but much preferred the Escape lounge, and it was cheaper (although both had the long queues)

[CaptainPedantic]

10 hours ago, Thejuggler said:

Manchester Airport latest offers email is giving 24% off lounge access and parking.

We got this too - discount code JANSALE24M if anyone needs it

[Presto2]

34 minutes ago, CaptainPedantic said:

Hubby will probably be even more disappointed if he has to be dragged around the shops 😉 

Yip ........ 

[Presto2]

10 hours ago, cheshire said:

We flew TUI premium from Manchester last winter.   As others stated no lounge access.  We booked 1903 but the seats were poor in there. It’s nearly £50 each this time.   We are travelling with friends again in premium but will go to a nice restaurant in T2 and have a better experience.  
 

check in was very quick at premium desks with staff directing us ahead of other passengers.  Fast track was good. As we have reserved seats etc will check in around 2hr 45 before.  Our flight is the late morning one after the madness of T2 earlier departures.  

Really helpful, thank you. We fly at 11am and have treated ourselves to a park and stay at the Radisson. Have never seen the airport out of school holidays so we are hoping we will have a pleasant surprise ! Plus we haven't flown from terminal 2 since its had a make over so not sure what we will find.

Good idea re spending on a decent place to eat.  Not paying silly money for a lounge on top of what we've already paid for the seats .... 

[paularmstrong]

flew TUI PE last 2 years once Manchester it does include lounge access

[pennib]

With respect, I agree with those who report that you don’t get the lounge access in PE when on a P&O charter from Manchester. You might get it if you are on a TUI holiday and you are travelling on a dreamliner in PE. 
if you are in PE for a P&O Caribbean cruise, you get the fast track included. In the past I made the mistake of booking fast track when booking the parking at Manchester only to find that it was included with the PE upgrade. Hey ho not to worry.

if you have not been out of Manchester since the T2 refurb (be aware that is not yet finished), then you must prepare yourselves for a VERY LONG walk to and from the gate. Lots of complaints from passengers. Yes, they have  “travelators” but they are usually switched off to save energy (you couldn’t make it up). Also be aware that you can be dumped in the middle of nowhere after the return flight (as we were this year) when the airport was empty and it was tipping down with rain so no airbridge. 
Bridgetown airport in Barbados is not fit for purpose. On a Friday and Saturday in the season, there can be between 5 and 7 planes arriving around late afternoon just from the UK and the place just can’t cope. The crew on our flight home last month were saying it is one of the worst airports they go to.
We have had many years of flying dreamliners from Manchester to Barbados in PE for the Christmas P&O cruises but we have decided that Christmas 2023 was our last as delays have got much worse, we are not as young as we were.

Nevertheless I am sure you will have a great trip but here is a tip; save one of your free bottles of water that you get in PE for your arrival because once you have been squashed into a small bus to take you from the airport in (Barbados) to the ship (a journey of around 40 minutes depending on traffic) and you have checked in at the ship, then waited for ages for a lift on the ship to take you to your deck, you will be very dry as you will be very tired and hot and you will need the water in your free bottle from the plane unless you want to drink the tepid water out of the tap in your bathroom. P & O used to supply a couple of small bottles of water in your cabin on arrival but that has now been stopped (certainly on the Britannia) as part of the cut backs by P&O.

[elmsliebev]

2 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Really helpful, thank you. We fly at 11am and have treated ourselves to a park and stay at the Radisson. Have never seen the airport out of school holidays so we are hoping we will have a pleasant surprise ! Plus we haven't flown from terminal 2 since its had a make over so not sure what we will find.

Good idea re spending on a decent place to eat.  Not paying silly money for a lounge on top of what we've already paid for the seats .... 

we flew from T2 in October and it was fabulous! We were with Jet2 who were very well organised. It was an early flight and we did baggage drop and through security in under 20 minutes. We had an excellent breakfast in Wagamama. It's the best experience going through Manchester for many years.

[Presto2]

1 hour ago, paularmstrong said:

flew TUI PE last 2 years once Manchester it does include lounge access

Doesn't seem so if in a PO cruise it seems

[paularmstrong]

When going through Manchester we were supposed to be on cruise but approx one week before leaving it was cancelled due to covid and we went to land based holiday in Jamaica , The following year we were flying through Newcastle on Tui cruise and again flew PE both times included lounge and fast track

[Presto2]

6 minutes ago, paularmstrong said:

When going through Manchester we were supposed to be on cruise but approx one week before leaving it was cancelled due to covid and we went to land based holiday in Jamaica , The following year we were flying through Newcastle on Tui cruise and again flew PE both times included lounge and fast track

Am guessing you can use the lounge if on a Marella cruise.

 

Oh well we will make the most and are looking at options for the pre flight breakfast. A few years back we checked in and then went back to the Radisson for breakfast. Not sure that hubby wants fo do that this time though as he likes to get security out of the way and done with.

 

He's just priced it up at about 103 quid for the 2 of us for the lounge so looks like it'll be a bacon or sausage bap and walk round the shops beckons 😀😃🙂

 

Oh dear what a shame... 😉

[cheshire]

6 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Am guessing you can use the lounge if on a Marella cruise.

 

Oh well we will make the most and are looking at options for the pre flight breakfast. A few years back we checked in and then went back to the Radisson for breakfast. Not sure that hubby wants fo do that this time though as he likes to get security out of the way and done with.

 

He's just priced it up at about 103 quid for the 2 of us for the lounge so looks like it'll be a bacon or sausage bap and walk round the shops beckons 😀😃🙂

 

Oh dear what a shame... 😉

Have a look at San Carlo in T2 full breakfast and a bottle of champagne for less than lounge access.   The lounges aren’t good value anymore.  Too many people allowed in.   I’m not even trying my credit card lounge. Pointless.    

[paularmstrong]

I agree I only use as come with PE package , years ago the club lounge used to be great , away from the masses and screaming kids and more stags and hens , usually quieter in the airport main bar , however there is talk of the aspire at Newcastle getting a refurb , see what happens