Reducing 'dead' time when travelling can not only improve productivity but also offers an opportunity to unwind in more relaxing surroundings. Colin Ellson reports It is money; you can race against it; you can keep it; you can lose it; and you can gain it. Time is the priceless commodity philosophers muse over, Albert Einstein proved to be relative, and of which William Shakespeare said, "Make use of time, let not advantage slip". So much for the scientists and sages. More prosaically, frequent flyers will tell you there is never enough time in tight business schedules. It's not for want of trying. You can save it by checking-in to a flight online, by phone or SMS, and as a premium passenger, avoid the delays on public transport with a chauffeur-driven transfer to the terminal, and Fast Track through immigration. All are factors over which you have a measure of control, depending, of course, on the size of your travel budget, although sassy road warriors flying economy can still hook into time-saving services at reasonable cost. What you cannot cater for is the wait at the check-in desk, the time you will spend in the serpentine queue to undergo ever more comprehensive security checks, and the problem of delayed take-offs caused by congestion in the flight paths overhead. Here, travellers are at the mercy and whim of airports and airlines, and the trick is to exploit their surprisingly good facilities to carry on working in time that would otherwise be wasted. If you wish to log on to the laptop and work on a presentation, say, then the majority of airports now have wireless hot spots dotted around their terminals. But the undoubted bonus is the privacy of an airline lounge, away from the crush and clamour, that comes with splashing out on a premium fare. Providing business and leisure facilities, sustenance and security, they come in all shapes and sizes. Acknowledged as the exemplar is Virgin Atlantic's flagship Clubhouse at London Heathrow, which celebrates its second birthday this month. Favoured by footballers' wives for exclusive beauty treatments, razzamatazz entertainment, and varied food options, by the executive fraternity for the Office and Library, with eight business stations, fax machines, phones, printers, photo-copiers, research facilities and lap top power points, it welcomed 250,000 guests in its first year.
Business travellers can expect similar upmarket amenities at Singapore's award-winning Changi Airport. Here, the star turn is JetQuay, the first luxury CIP (commercially important person) terminal in Asia. The facility has a meet and greet service, a 5-star lounge with tabletop PCs, Wi-fi access throughout, a business centre, meeting rooms, a transit conference facility for birds of passage to meet with local contacts, a bistro, gym and spa, plus limo transfers from the aircraft. The good news for frequent flyers coerced by corporate policy to fly at the rear of the aircraft, is that JetQuay is open to all passengers on all airlines, irrespective of the class of travel. It is accessible through a multi-tiered membership structure (enquiries@jetquay.com.sg), with the full CIP treatment costing from S$150 (US$107) for arrivals, S$350 (US$251) for departures. While this is good value for travellers who frequently use Changi, those who have wider itineraries and are denied lounge access through the restrictions of a budget fare, might consider buying into the perk through a number of schemes. Priority Pass (www.prioritypass.com), for example, is the world's largest independent airport lounge programme, with more than 500 VIP retreats in over 275 cities in 90 countries. Again, access is via a multi-tiered membership plan, with Standard Plus, for example, available from £159 (US$316) per annum. This allows free use of a lounge on 10 occasions, after which the cost is £15 (US$30) per visit. All of which assumes road warriors wish to continue working their socks off in transit. Whisper it, but there are those who see a trip as a well earned break from the daily grind. They will, perhaps, spend some of their time at the airport browsing the shops, and pop into a lounge merely for a snifter, a sandwich and a shower. And once aboard the aircraft, they will savour the welcome drink, linger over the meal service, hook into the entertainment system, and then recline the seat to woo Morpheus. The power points now generally fitted in all classes so passengers can use their computers go unnoticed – on the basis that arriving at the destination refreshed for meetings is more beneficial than poring over a keyboard, under peer pressure to keep up the appearance of puritanical toil. Not that this off-duty indolence will go unchallenged if some go-getting individuals have their way. They are the ones who continue to chatter into their mobiles while the aircraft is taxiing. Previously, they could be slapped on the wrist for interfering with the avionics. Now, however, technology has progressed to the point where there is no such danger. A number of airlines are considering allowing the use of mobiles in flight, among them Air France, the first to offer the service on international flights. At present, passengers can send and receive sms messages and emails, but during the second part of the trial will be able to use their handsets as they would on the ground. Air France says the service will be "regulated to maintain passengers' comfort and well being". The jury is out: workaholics will welcome the innovation, but expect a backlash from those who see an aircraft as the last retreat from the chattering classes.
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