It’s not business, it’s personal

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What makes an ideal business lounge? From wi-fi internet access to spa treatments and personal living spaces, First Class looks at how the world's leading airlines are taking care of their premium passengers.

As cost-cutting has become the order of the day, most airports tend to provide just the basic amenities every traveller expects. Step into most airport business lounges and you will find the ubiquitous reclining chair, average buffet spread and flat screen TVs tuned to generic news channels.

Thankfully, it has become the personal mission of most long-haul airlines to eradicate the stereotype of the weary frequent traveller who detests the unavoidable wait at an airport lounge. Taking the onus on themselves, a few select airlines are not just improving airport business lounges but also completely redefining the business traveller's experience. The focus today for the business traveller is on personal comfort, and not just facilities and amenities.

What is the benchmark?

While it is easy to get dazzled by the glitz and glamour of personalised service and fancy food, the question one must ask is: are the essentials covered? What does the businessperson really need, not want, as wants tend to be very personal? There's that word again - personal.

• Location - most business travellers tend to use business lounges when they are transiting on their way to their final destination. The lounge is a necessary stop-off but not at the expense of location. Ideally, lounges need to be situated near departure gates so that when the last call for the flight is sounded, you still have time to wash down that last canape or hors d'oeuvre and amble onto the aircraft. If we are talking five-star business lounges then perhaps, location can be ignored for a more effective chauffeur service to the departure gate.

• Wireless internet access - with all the large plasma screens and personal televisions showing the latest breaking news, the old-fashioned or rather new-fashioned way of keeping up-to-date still holds sway. Logging onto the World Wide Web and trawling through you favourite news site or blog is still more effective and a much preferred method of news gathering.

So a high-speed connection which is accessible via the wireless modem on your laptop is the need of the hour. Very few business travellers go anywhere these days without a laptop. And an additional benefit to tip the scales favourably is a charging port suitable for all models of laptops for the traveller who forgets to pack or loses his charger.

• Hot Tip - pick up ‘Priority Pass,' the world's largest independent lounge programme that offers access to 500 airport VIP lounges in 275 cities in 90 countries. No matter what class you fly and which airline you travel, use the pass to get away from the chaos and noise and treat yourself to complementary refreshments.

• Efficient customer service - a much touted business buzzword, ‘efficient', is a very desirable quality in a business lounge. If gourmet food is to be served, let it be served post-haste. It does the business traveller no favour if the food looks great and smells great but when it is time to taste, it is also time to board the flight. Or the dreaded bout of clumsiness that causes a perfectly preserved vintage to stain a perfectly good business suit.

Perhaps a quick and efficient dry cleaner on the premises, in the lounge, for just such an occasion. Better yet a small boutique with off-the-wall or bespoke suits for male and female executives, along with other essential apparel would not be amiss. Business travellers might have packed their suits, but they have not packed their wallets.

A few have got it just right

What the savvy business traveller needs to do is to try and ensure that the unavoidable business trip lands them at one of the airport lounges mentioned below. Expect to find a day spa, tanning booth, personal living spaces, meals prepared by gourmet chefs, secretarial services, and an art gallery. From offering all the essentials, to satisfying a traveller's wants with amenities that are on par with a five-star hotel, business lounges that go the extra mile truly deserve a mention.

The Clubhouse by Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow Clubhouse is just over a year old but has already made most business travellers' lists of must-visit business lounges. And for very good reason, as the Deli or The Brasserie are designed to tantalise the taste buds of the most jaded business traveller. A state-of-the-art multi-screen TVs offer a variety of films, programmes and sporting events. The travel-weary businesspeople have the option of unwinding, if they so choose, with a game of pool or the latest video game on the retro games console. If privacy is the order of the day then the mezzanine hideaway with loungers, day beds and a roof garden ensure a relaxed ambience.

What sets the Virgin Clubhouse apart from other lounges is the range of spa treatments at Cowshed at the Clubhouse, in addition to a St Tropez tanning booth. The poolside lounge features a floor-to-ceiling Japanese water wall that runs gently into an inviting pool. Overall the Virgin Clubhouse is designed to offer the business traveller a complete rejuvenating experience.

The Business Centre by Qatar Airways

Closer to home the Qatar Airways Business Centre at Doha International Airport has taken personalised service to another level. The Business Centre is located in the recently constructed US$90m Premium Terminal,which extends exclusive access only to first and business class passengers. As part of the exclusive service the business centre provides passengers an e-card that contains biometric personal data from name and passport details to fingerprints. The secretarial services at the business centre ensure that all business needs are handled efficiently and professionally. Once business is taken care of, a visit to the spa, jacuzzi or sauna will invigorate you and make the long flight ahead much more inviting.

Gulf Air Business Class Lounge

A business traveller by definition is continuously on the move, a veritable dynamo, hopping from city to city attending meetings and presentations. While most lounges focus on helping a jet-setter conduct their business more effectively, the Gulf Air Business Class Lounge at Bahrain International Airport focuses on the need for a little tranquillity.

In addition to a business centre equipped with Apple computers and wireless internet access the lounge offers a quiet room. With five day beds, an elevated seating area and prayer rooms, harrowed executives have the opportunity to slow down, meditate and perhaps be inspired. For frequent flyers Gulf Air proffers a Gold membership with the exclusive benefit of bringing along a travel companion at no extra cost.

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