Airline passenger news and views

Only the spoilt egalitarian class would even consider this to be sensible. What makes you think that you are so special as to be too good to sit with the rest of us? Make the space wasted on these idiots available to all of the people and solve the problem.

Flying only once/twice a year it's not worth my while. Priority Pass seems good value for frequent flyers, reducing the stress of the many hours they spend in the airport.

I agree with the previous comment. It is always worth it to get some peace and quite. I use my Priority Pass card and find it very useful.

If I could afford it, I would certainly get a card and use it. My problem is that I travel with the family and getting a family membership is a bit more difficult.

Too right. I certainly do not want to sit in your Gatwick airport public area with the mess, screaming kids and half-finished building work. Why can you not just finish the building ? it is the same each time I travel through there.

I do not see why they should give space in the airport to these lounges. Me and me partner went to Spain last year and had nowhere to sit except in the cafe and they kept looking at us expecting us to buy something,

It is always worth it. Getting away from the masses is really cool. Whether I would pay up front or just pay-as-you-go is a question.

I used to use the British Airways Executive lounge before I got made redundant. It was damn good and made you feel special and that like your employer cared about you.

We should not have to pay to use these lounges, the facilities in the terminal need to be improved with areas for children and decent family food at affordable prices. I would get rid of most of the shops as they just encourage people to spend money before they go and leave them with not enough for their holiday.

One of the benefits of the business class lounge is that you get away from families, children, fast food and shops It gives you time to get papers and thoughts right and make those last minute telephone calls and emails before you go.

I have to fly on business for my job and I also fly as a regular passenger with my wife and daughter. These are two different things. I would not expect to take my daughter into the business lounge and it would not give her what we want when we go as a family.

I agree with Tracey, less expensive designer shops and more affordable facilities for families

VIP lounges are hugely eliteist for those who have money to burn. I wouldn't mind, if they started investing more in the economy areas for the masses.

I have used the servisair lounge on several occassions.

Worth every penny to relax in comfortable chairs, with air

conditioning, snacks, drinks and a clear view to the flight screens.

Above all lovely peace and quiet!

To answer a few comments:

1/ The space isn't given away, its rented to the providers but that should not negate improved free facilities so complain to the airport operator (and to the media and Which)

2/ I always take my children (ages 7 - 27) in the lounges and sometimes business class on longer flights. There are as many offensive & badly behaved adults as there are children (more in my experience). At least the children can learn/be taught how to behave.

3/ Without the huge rental income from the shops the landing fees would rise further and then the ticket prices would follow. Annoying but true.

What irritates me is the Fast Track facilities that the airport provide that cannot be accessed directly only through deals struck with the airlines. Security and other such processes should be the same for all as they are Government requirements and not commercial choices.

I totally agree with Mervyn's comments, obviously most of the other people who use the lounge because they want peace and quiet are business travellers or people travelling without their families. I can understand the need for peace but give kids a break they arn't all noisy and badly behaved and lets remember we were all children once!

I have used the lounge on several occassions and to be fair when travelling on business it is perfect as I am often working on my laptop and so need peace and quiet. However if I was travelling on a family holiday I would prefer to be in the hustle and bustle of the airport as the children always want to spend there moeny in the shops and eat junk food!

To Tracey Lambert in Birmingham - You may want to look up the meaning of Egalitarianism.

I used to work for Thompsons which ment i had to travel all around the world. We were given acesses to these lounges and it is something that made the flying experience far more enjoyable.

and..Brian Staves...you would not mind if they started to invest more money in ecconomy areas? Why should you mind at all what people want to spend their money on. At the end of the day it is no different from booking your flight/holiday. Should I spend money on a first class ticket to improve your sitting arrangements? NO! You may as well say people should not live in a big house but spend the money on smaller houses for other people! Who would get the benefit...not the person paying for it like every other bum in this country who thinks that high earners should pay more tax to enable hand outs to scroungers!( not implying you are a bum or a scrounger but the way you think is what is wrong with this country)

Katrina.....rightly said!!!!

It's all about supply and demand. I don't want to sit with you because based on your financial status, you are probably uneducated and don't know how to behave in public. I'm in a higher status position that you that is better paid so I require a service that meets those needs. The more I'm prepared to pay - the less I'll be inconvenienced by having to listen to your conversations / cackling laugh / badly behaved child etc.

That's capitalism for you.

The other option is all flights are economy, no shops, rows and rows of seating. No incentive to succeed. No incentive to earn more so airport staff have no incentive to make your tranfer through the airport pleasant etc. Bit like the old USSR.