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The joy of airport clubs
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March 17, 1998: 2:39 p.m. ET
Like an oasis in the desert, lounges can make your wait far more comfortable
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NEW YORK (Biztravel.com) - Hidden within the noise and sterility of the typical airport concourse is something akin to an oasis in the desert: It's the airline club lounge. For travelers who have never experienced its seductive comforts, here is a primer:
Membership in these clubs offers the business traveler an array of amenities with an unusually high level of comfort. Routine services such as check-in and seat assignment are done without having to stand in lines that are sometimes the length of a football field.
If you belong to the club of a smaller airline, the staff will often get to know you personally, perhaps even surprising you with a cake on your birthday. All this and more for about $300 a year, less than a dollar a day - and if your company buys the membership for you, the fee is completely tax deductible.
If you're flying business or first class on an international flight, entrance to the clubs is free, as are all your drinks.
The biggest draw for membership is quite simply the comfort factor. Instead of being crammed knee-to-knee in crowded waiting room seats, you can enjoy the lounges' comfortable chairs befitting a civilized traveler.
Complimentary continental breakfasts are served in the morning and snacks throughout the day. Most clubs have at least one television and a variety of newspapers and magazines. There seems to be a telephone within arm's reach no matter where you're sitting and all local calls are free. Checks are happily cashed. Some clubs even provide showers.
If you need to get some work done, work stations with computer ports are plentiful although they can fill up amazingly fast at peak hours. All clubs offer a fax and copy machine for a "nominal charge, and if you're only jetting into town for a couple of hours and need to meet a client, conference rooms are available for about $35 per hour.
Of course, each airline handles these general amenities in a different way. As an example, here's a small sampling of the business- and first-class lounges available at San Francisco International Airport.
American Airlines Admirals Club
The American Airlines entry is discreetly located behind an unassuming door. The lounge, decorated in dark wood and somber red tones, exudes the feeling of a private club in the city. One large television is thoughtfully placed with the screen facing away from the main lounge to provide privacy for 10 or so viewers and allow others to read without the distraction of a flickering screen.
There are no private work stations yet although some are expected shortly. In the meantime, each of the numerous phones has a computer hook-up. There is one computer with AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy and complete Internet access. Faxing requires a nominal charge, but the copy machine is free.
The Admirals Club provides showers so you can look your best for a morning meeting after coming off the red-eye. The restaurant serves a good continental breakfast and various snacks.
United Airlines Red Carpet Club
United has four separate lounges at SFO, with the most exclusive being this first-class international lounge that boasts a lavish array of food, drink and individual chairs the size of small sofas.
The second lounge in the international terminal is tastefully done in dark woods and light tiles, giving it an upscale appearance. If you are flying intercontinental business class, you do not have to be a club member to enter. There is an array of international business magazines and newspapers as well as all the amenities found in the domestic lounge, including a walled-in smoking room.
Slightly down the luxury scale, there are two Red Carpet Clubs in the domestic terminal, one near the departure gates and the other on the mezzanine level. Naturally, the one nearest the gates has the most traffic and offers two rows of work stations. Telephones are everywhere.
The mezzanine club, while generally quieter, can reach standing room-only crowd levels as well. It is a large split-level room with two televisions and an abundance of comfortable seating. Unlike the departure lounge, this room seems more geared to relaxation than work although work stations, conference rooms and copy and fax machines are available in both domestic clubs.
British Airways
A private elevator in the International Terminal takes customers up to the British Air lounge where business- and first-class passengers rub elbows. No membership is required because your ticket admits you and even a couple of guests.
The lounge offers the use of televisions, a private conference room -- which can be reserved at no charge -- and free local calls and faxes. Postage stamps can be purchased from the desk. They can cash a check, but cannot exchange currency. Showers are available.
Until recently, there weren't any work stations due to lack of demand from overseas travelers who use the long flight hours to get their work done onboard, but two computer ports are in the process of being installed.
As the lounge handles a small number of flights, it never gets too crowded. Korean Airlines even leases the room in the mornings. 
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