Iced lemon water. Plush sofas. Scented towels. No, I hadn’t walked into a spa, but rather British Airways’ first-class check-in desk at Heathrow Airport,Terminal 5. This private area, away from the ...

Airport lounges have been going downhill. They used to be exclusive retreats, for which passengers would dress up. But over the past few years, dull mass-appeal lounges that almost anyone can access ...