Pink Bubbles

I am currently sitting in the galleries lounge at T3 and it got me thinking about why I love having lounge access and what it means to me - as a full time working mum who travels a fair bit (and don't get me wrong - I love my family and I love my staff) to me the lounge represents a refuge where I can:

1) read a book in peace without constant interuption to play snakes and ladders or cricket etc

2) do some work without being interupted every 5 mins to be asked silly questions

3) forget about bills and household c**p for a while

4) drink champagne on tap with relatively no guilt

what does it mean to you?

henkybaby

Peace, quiet, hopefully some decent food and a place to charge my appliances.

When in transit from LH it hopefully means a shower.

duncas

All my travel us for Leisure, it's part of the holiday for me. Somewhere to kick things off with some nice fizz or a place to relax before my return flight. I'd consider it essential to my holidays now.

dark_horse

As I'm likely to lose the privileges of the lounge in April this has been on my mind a lot. So I would say it means:

• Free booze (and lots of it) as the reward for completing a busy business trip
• Allowing myself to think that I'm more important than the passengers outside!

I think that's about it, but don't underestimate the power of the second. It's my belief that many status pax feel this way but don't admit it!

duncas

I'll admit I'm the same. Love to look down on the plebs

Pink Bubbles

I agree and happy to admit it - as I marched my way through the thronging masses in the shops just now to get here that is exactly what I was thinking....

BA235

I too am lucky to only fly for leisure purposes and therefore the lounge had only ever meant one thing to me - booze, I'm afraid - until I spent an unscheduled six hours in the T5 first lounge last year waiting for fog to lift. It was then that I appreciated it as a haven of calm, relative to the ghastly chaos of the terminal.

Pink Bubbles

Duncas - I'm dead impressed that you've managed to get to gold status on leisure travel alone ^

daftboy

"It was then that I appreciated it as a haven of calm, relative to the ghastly chaos of the terminal"

I had the same experience, spending a reasonably pleasant few unscheduled hours in the lounge when – surprise! – the 767 to IST went tech last November. The free flowing drinks and food available were much more welcome than the alternative of a whole £5 refreshment voucher to go crazy with in Pret…

I was particularly pleased I had stumped up for CE, given that I am a lowly Blue…

Sixth Freedom

These days the lounge means less to me than when I started flying.

I used to be at the airport 4 or more hours prior to departure and would take the opportunity of lounge access to read a book in the Sanctuary or something like that.

But now I get to the airport perhaps an hour or two prior to departure and simply visit the lounge to have a shower or a quick drink before getting on the plane nice and early.

Instead of sitting in the lounge I prefer to wander the terminal if there is spare time. So the lounge is jolly useful as a place to drop my bag.

If there was a delay I am sure that lounge access would be more valuable.

I should add though that I only fly on either the BA124 departing DOH at 23:20, the BA125 departing LHR at 10:50 or flights to BAH leaving DOH after I finish my day's business and leaving BAH after lunch. If I was taking afternoon flights from LHR I would be tempted to get to the airport about 9am, just as I do now, and have breakfast and a day with free food and drink in the lounges.

So in summary, at the moment I value the lounge for:
* Bag drop whilst I wander the terminal
* Shower
* Insurance against delay.

Seshman

I recently did ord lhr lhr jnb - 2 overnighters in a row, one in Y and the other in J and it was a respite from the busy terminal in a comfortable environment with food a drinks on tap, and most importantly a shower. I can't imagine doing that route without a shower. Trip Report to come on the JNB LHR in UD shortly...

timol

A lounge is something that converts a pain into pleasure (ie a long layover).

T8191

^

Before my BA days, I used to buy lounge access in those places you could, just to escape from the milling hordes.
I know the Lounges are still filled with DYKWIAs, and children, but it is still infinitely superior to being stuck in the hovels known, generally, as "Departures".
OMG ... I'm going to have to do the "common stuff" tomorrow. Mercifully only 2 hours between LGW arrival and departure

Genius1

A good airport lounge (versus the general departure lounge) allows me to;

• Indulge in some nice free food and drink, without having to prep or do the washing up.
• Sit in a comfortable spot in quieter surroundings with free wireless internet and free literature whilst people watching.
• Have a power shower without worrying about the water/heating bill, whilst using the wash freebies.
  
• Avoid the vast majority of chavs/commoners
• Feel exclusive/special/lucky/superior (especially the Concorde Room and other small Flounges)

Boghopper

For me it completely depends on what lounge I'm expecting - in the Concorde Room ot LH FCT it's top-notch nosh and high-end champagne in the red carpet club it's stale crackers and cheap booze but both cases it's more comfortable seating and hopefully a bit of peace and quiet (although in some red carpet clubs, like IAD before the evening departures, it gets so crowded you're better off in the general waiting area).