Welcome to Issue 87 of The Australian Frequent Flyer Gazette.

   The Lost Luxury of the Airport Lounge

Some flyers don’t even know they exist, for others, access is a distant and hopeful wish, whilst for a few they become a second home. Airport Lounges all claim to serve the delectable treats of peace, silence and tranquillity before the rigors of a long flight. So how does a mere mortal gain access to this heavenly arena? What can you expect when you get there? And is it worth the effort?

Access to a private lounge can come with a business-class ticket, a high-level frequent-flyer card or even a platinum charge card. A first-class ticket or top frequent-flyer card often allows the holder, entry into an even more exclusive lounge.

Despite the importance of lounges, passengers can find a wide and sometimes puzzling variation in services. Why do some offer gourmet meals and imported beer, while others only offer coke and chips? The answer inevitably involves co-branded agreements, limited space, and of course the ever-present need to keep overheads down and prices competitive. That doesn’t mean, however, that some lounges are not worth a look.

Lufthansa, for example, offers a sophisticated intercontinental business-class service, with on-demand entertainment, ergonomically designed seats and a small bar on its Boeing 747s . British Airways lays out a full buffet and provides private showers to business-class customers at its Gate 1 Lounge in Terminal 4 at Heathrow. In Virgin Atlantic's upper-class lounge at Heathrow, travellers can expect to find everything from retro arcade games to reclining chairs facing the runway Air Canada’s Toronto lounge offers relaxation rooms, entertainment centers, laptop computer services, showers and panoramic views of the airport from double-high windows.

The average time a passenger stays in the first-class terminal is 90 to 105 minutes. It’s hard to think of a more pleasant way in which to kill the time.