Subject: Airport lounges
Ziners, I've recently returned from a two week holiday in the Baltic region and Paris with a lot of air travel and wait times in airports. I flew business class which gave me access to the Air France lounges in the Montreal, Paris and Copenhagen stop-overs. We also recently purchased, through VISA, a pass which allows access to lounges when we travel economy.

Based on my recent experiences, the pass is a great idea for long-haul and/or long waits in airports. The lounges are an oasis of calm in frenzied airports. They offer food, drink, magazines and newspapers, television, comfy armchairs and free internet access. Most have shower facilities which I use after a long flight while waiting for a connection.

Air travel is not great these days so having this small comfort is worth the investment, especially for frequent flyers. American Airlines has introduced a day pass to its Admiral's Club lounge for $50 which makes the cost of the VISA pass ($125/year) a good deal if you have more than two flights in a year. Lucy, Toronto