July 1, 2004 - Airport lounges can turn a miserable flight delay into an oasis of peace and relaxation. Unfortunately, lounges within the US usually require you to hold a business-class ticket, an expensive annual membership, or a PriorityPass (www.prioritypass.com).
That's not the case overseas, where many major airports have pay-as-you-go lounges. What's best is, passes to these lounges are pretty affordable - usually around $20 per person, much less than you'd pay for a day rate at an airport hotel.
The most basic lounges have comfy chairs, Internet access, TVs, newspapers, magazines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and snacks. The better lounges give you video games, showers, and even massages.
In Europe, Servisair generally runs the public lounges. They have lounges in Aberdeen, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Humberside, Leeds, London (Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted), Manchester and Newcastle in the UK, and also in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Entry for three hours of rest and relaxation costs £12-16 per person, depending on the lounge. To book a place in advance, go to www.executivelounges.com.
Servisair's lounges aren't exactly the lap of luxury, but they're a huge step above hanging out in the terminal. You can take a long nap on comfy chairs, nibble snacks or surf the Web.
Holideck (www.holideck.co.uk) at Heathrow's Terminal 4 is more impressive. For £18 for adults or £9 for kids 2-15, you get access to three floors of fun, entertainment and relaxation. A family lounge has TVs showing cartoons and games for little kids. There's a video game room, a sports bar, and an adults-only business area with high-speed wireless Internet. It's enough to make you want to show up at the airport early. You can enter the lounge three hours before your flight; you can stay even longer if you book online in advance.
In Asia and Vancouver, the Plaza Premium Lounges show Servisair how things should be done. Plaza runs lounges in Sydney, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, with rates usually around $20 per person for entry. All their lounges offer places to shower, eat and nap; the Singapore lounge also features massages, a gym and an oxygen bar. They'll accept walk-ins if the lounge isn't full, but if possible, book four days before traveling at www.pbc-asia.com/airport_lounge/airport01.htm.
The semi-public lounge at Bangkok International Airport is run by Louis' Tavern and offers basic lounge services for 600 Baht per two hours. They're on the third floor of the departures area in the international terminal, and you can just walk in.
For other locations, check out Lounge Pass (www.loungepass.com). It's not really a pass. Rather, it's an e-commerce site letting you book a whole bunch of individual lounges, everywhere from Belgium to Bangkok. They're strongest in Europe, though they do have lounges in Miami and Toronto - two places in the North America where you might get stuck on a layover. Lounges booked on the site generally cost around $20 and let you stay three hours before your flight.