VIP airport lounges open their doors - for a fee

RIDICULOUSLY complicated airport security procedures, fractious queues, mean airlines and stupidly early check-in times have drained the joy from flying over the past decade.

There can be few people who enjoy navigating their way through any airport – save, perhaps, those canny individuals who’ve had the foresight to secure themselves a spot in one of the airport lounges frequently used by “important people”.

They are not, however, exclusively the preserve of the rich, the famous or those in possession of the better class of ticket, and many of the world’s finest airport lounges can be accessed by anyone with €20 or so to spend.

Last week the VIP lounge of Lima’s international airport was voted the world’s best by members of the independent airport-lounge programme Priority Pass. It asked 30,000 frequent flyers from all over the world to pick their favourite from a 600-strong list of contenders, and Peru came out on top for the second year running.

What does it have that makes it so special? There are four buffets – two hot and two cold – operating 24 hours a day, all the booze you can drink, 42in plasma TVs, a business centre, a leafy smokers’ terrace, Wi-Fi, relaxation rooms with chaises longues, blankets, pillows and showers.

Priority Pass also awarded gongs by region. Zurich Airport’s Panorama Lounge came out on top in Europe. The news that there is real comfort to be found in that airport may come as a surprise to anyone who has ever spent time waiting for a connection there. The kindest word for the facilities in Zurich’s regular departure lounges is dire. The few available seats appear to have been designed for maximum discomfort, while the shops and restaurants are useless: there are only so many times you can wander around a small shop selling ridiculously overpriced, utterly useless Swiss bric-a-brac before you start sobbing uncontrollably.

Dublin airport’s Anna Livia departure lounge didn’t get a look in at the awards this year. Primarily aimed at business travellers rather than real VIPs, it is open to all for a fee of €25, for which you get Wi-Fi, access to power points, a business centre, free newspapers and “complimentary refreshments”.

But what exactly are these refreshments? If Dublin airport means watery orange juice, bad tea, worse coffee and stale biscuits, then it is not great value for money, but if free booze is on the table, then a three-hour visit to the lounge ahead of a flight could work out quite economically.

A gin and tonic in the airport bars costs about €7, so you'd only have to drink three of them, stuff your pockets with Club Milks and take a copy of The Irish Timeswith you as you headed (unsteadily) for your flight and you'd have saved yourself money by paying for the lounge.

We contacted the airport, but Mary Leahy, manager of its VIP facilities, scuppered our money-saving plan, at least partially. She confirmed that alcohol was on offer but said it was subject to a two-drink maximum. There isn’t a limit on the number of Club Milks you can eat, however.

The airport also has a little-known gem in its VIP Suite. It is primarily for heads of state, but as they don’t pass through all that frequently it also has a commercial remit, which has become increasingly important since 2004.

It sounds like the business. Once you’ve secured a place in this lounge you enter an oasis of calm. Staff take your luggage and your passport and check you in, allowing you time to hang out in any one of several private rooms. You have access to all the refreshments you want, and a brightly coloured family room with toys will keep kids amused while you chill out, watch TV and eat and drink all around you.

But that’s not all. When your time comes they will take you through a security desk in the VIP area and drive you to your flight in a 7-Series BMW. “We are problem-solvers,” says Leahy. “If there is a flight delay, or if there is lost baggage, then that is where we really score.”

Unsurprisingly, it is not cheap, and a single person will have to shell out €160 per visit, while access for a family is €390, but if you have the cash and want a much, much better start to your holiday, it sounds like money well spent to us.