World's Best Business-Class Lounges

Aug. 9, 2007 Special to ABCNEWS.com — -- Airport chaos can be dreadful enough to make anyone want to avoid the skies--especially the weary frequent traveler.

Not only do air passengers today face traffic, security procedures and lengthy check-in lines, but they're also experiencing more delays. From January through May 2007, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics tallied 728,071 delayed flights, compared to 608,214 during the same period in 2006.

For a business traveler, an early airport arrival in addition to a delay can result in hours of lost work or relaxation time.

Fortunately, airlines, particularly European, Asian and Middle Eastern carriers, have figured out ways to ease the headaches of a business clientele that's constantly on the go.

The result is an array of business-class lounges featuring amenities so plush they can make the most horrific delays seem like a trip to the spa.

"All of the top carriers really try to model (their lounges) around the five-star-hotel type of concept in terms of the service, the product, the design, the layout," says Edward Plaisted, chief executive of Skytrax, a London-based air transport research company.

Skytrax annually ranks the 10 best business-class lounges, based on customer surveys and business research group interviews, among other data. This year, Virgin Atlantic took the crown with its Heathrow Airport Clubhouse lounge. The Clubhouse includes a cocktail bar, video-projection system, hideaway mezzanine with loungers and daybeds, several dining options and a complete office and library.

And then there's the spa. Cowshed at the Clubhouse offers a range of treatments for men and women, such as facials, massages and tanning beds, while the Bumble and Bumble Hair Salon can perfect your 'do before you board.

While there were no widespread changes in amenities among the top lounges over the past year, Plaisted says there's been a greater emphasis on upgrading dining facilities. With so many carriers providing comfortable flatbed seats and an expanded array of in-flight entertainment, many business travelers prefer to dine before boarding the plane so they can sleep, work or relax during international flights.