THIS !

So much to see in our big wide world ……. life is short.

Two connecting long-hauls already involve a hefty chunk of time sat stuck in one place (with frequent intake of food & drink), and so the prospect of spending several more hours in between the flights doing pretty much the same thing - albeit on the ground rather than up in a metal tube - wouldn’t really be an attractive one to me. I certainly DO enjoy a couple of hours or so relaxing in a quality lounge - but that’s generally about the voluntary limit of my tolerance factor.

Some airports and local transport options do of course lend themselves to mini ‘transit adventures’ more than others. LHR is perhaps not always the easiest in that regard (I had a 4.5 hour layover in HKG last year and with the super-efficient trains into town it was enough for a round trip on the Star Ferry + a quick al fresco meal before heading back - and still managed 30 mins CX lounge time before boarding).

It’s often said that travel is a privilege, though I suspect that’s more about sights / experiences rather than (glamorous ?) waiting rooms

Have yet to see an epitaph which reads “I wish I’d spent more time in airport lounges”

As always, YMMV