Layover — one of those words we’ve come to dread. A long period of time in an often unseemly part of the airport, no doubt searching for an electrical outlet to fire up that tired laptop, or a coffee shop that serves a decent cup of Joe. It’s a forced pause on our jaunt, one that most of us would give up in a heartbeat for a direct flight. So you can imagine how I felt this past winter with a six-hour layover at Heathrow, trying to get from Nairobi to Boston.

I flew business class on Virgin Atlantic from Nairobi, which entitled me to enter Richard Branson’s $21 million Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Clubhouse. Indeed, time passed far too swiftly as I took full advantage of this day spa/ gourmet brasserie/entertainment center. After a half-day flight from Nairobi, I was happy to snag one of the coveted massage spots, followed by a sauna and shower. Feeling rejuvenated, I sashayed over to the restaurant to order a grilled John Dory fish washed down with a white Burgundy. I stretched my legs on the rooftop garden and then wandered down to the full-screen cinema to catch the last bit of Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek. My flight to Boston was called over the intercom system and off I went, somewhat disappointed
to leave so soon.

Airport lounges have come a long way since American Airlines unveiled the prototype in 1939 at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Clientele expect far more than a clean seat, a dose of peace and quiet and a dish of pretzels and peanuts.

“We believe that flyers are constantly looking for a higher level of comfort,” says Simon Bradley, vice president of marketing at Virgin Atlantic Airways. “Their expectations are increasing all the time.”

Indeed, as more and more airlines introduce sleeping pods and celebrity chef-inspired food inside the cabin, you can expect the comforts on the ground to become ultra-sybaritic, catering to whims with the latest technology, sublime cuisine and spa treatments with Parisian lotions.

“People are looking for connectivity, an ability to relax, unwind and enjoy the journey,” adds Bradley.

As chief financial officer of a university research center in the Washington, D.C., area, Gary Leff flies more than 300,000 miles a year and spends a good deal of time in airport lounges. He notes that all airport lounges should have these basic services as a minimum: free wireless Internet, ample and comfortable seating, an easy-to-access power source, substantial snacks and assistance with ticketing. Add showers, drink service at your seat, boarding announcements and hot food items, and that airport lounge becomes a notch above the rest. To become a world-class airport lounge, you must have sit-down restaurant service, a spa, an escort to the plane and private security screening.

“My favorite lounge is the Thai Airways First Class Lounge and Spa in Bangkok,” says Leff. “The hour-long spa treatments are out of this world. And they provide an escort to the gate, so you don’t have to keep checking your watch.”

Leff ’s second choice, the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Frankfurt, Germany, is tops among many frequent flyers. The lounge occupies its own freestanding building separate from the airport. If this is where your flight originates, valet parking is available, with porters on hand to whisk away your luggage, followed by a stress-free check-in and security clearance. If this is a layover, grab one of the quiet dayrooms for napping, take a bath with one of the signature rubber duckies or sign up for a spa treatment where your skin will be moistened with products from the German cosmetic company Babor.

“The Wiener schnitzel in Frankfurt is amazing, and the Porsche or Mercedes drive across the tarmac to the plane doesn’t hurt, either,” says Leff.

American Airlines Admirals Club lounges are designed with the business traveler in mind. At their new lounge, opened this past April in San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal 2, they feature a business center with Hewlett-Packard PCs, fax machines, printers and a conference room with seating for nine. In July, they introduced HP TouchPad tablets at select Admirals Club lounges. The WiFi-enabled TouchPads are preloaded with magazines, movie trailers, radio and games.

Local celebrity chefs figure prominently in many of the lounge upgrades. At the first-class lounges in Sydney and Melbourne run by Qantas, one of Oz’s top chefs, Neil Perry (at the helm of Rockpool), provides indigenous fare such as goat cheese tortellini with king prawns and pine nuts or green lip abalone. Other lounge indulgences include complimentary facials and full-body massages as well as libraries stocked with newspapers, magazines, bestselling books and board games.

“We want to provide our customers with a level of comfort that is comparable to their own home,” says a spokesperson for Qantas. Yeah, especially if your house features loads of marble and Italian leather lounge chairs, like the Qantas First Class Lounge in Sydney. It boasts a retro-chic appeal created by none other than Australia’s best-known designer, Marc Newson.

Hiring world-class designers and top-shelf architectural firms seems to be the latest trend for airport lounges as airlines continually try to enhance the experience of high-end travelers. At The Cabin, the latest addition to the Cathay Pacific lounge collection at Hong Kong International Airport (also home to Cathay’s The Wing, recently named the top airport lounge in the world by Frommer’s Travel Guides), the interior was created by Foster + Partners. The same firm that recently created the Winspear Opera House in Dallas and designed the new $500 million Art of the Americas Wing at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts fashioned this spacious abode. Expect to find long red carpets, marble, bamboo, glass and the signature hourglass-shaped Cathay Solus Chair, created in Italy by Poltrona Frau.

Delta has been busy this past year, renovating many of its Sky Clubs to appeal to a younger demographic. This includes adding large, flat-screen televisions; providing complimentary WiFi; and ensuring that those complimentary cocktails are tasty. The
clubs have added Tequila Avión to the cocktail menu; over the summer, select Sky Clubs hosted tastings with a local bartender mixing custom-made drinks. Can house music, a DJ and a dance floor be far behind? The only problem is getting by the bouncer at the entrance.

Thankfully, access to airport lounges has never been easier. Customers traveling in first or business class gain entry with their tickets. If you’re loyal to a single airline, it might be wise to obtain an annual membership. American Airlines Admirals Club and Delta Sky Clubs offer yearly and 30-day memberships. You can also purchase a one-day pass from American for $50 online or at a self-service checkin kiosk. All major airlines in alliances such as oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam gain access into sister airlines’ lounges. For example, the Qantas First and Business lounges are available to oneworld Emerald members.

Many frequent flyers also own a third-party card, ideal for folks who fly a variety of airlines. Priority Pass, with close to 2 million members, is the world’s leading independent airport lounge program with access to more than 600 lounges. Priority Pass offers a slew of membership options, from $99 a year plus $27 per visit to $399 a year with unlimited visits. An American Express Platinum card opens the door to more than 100 American Air-lines Admirals Clubs, Delta Sky Clubs and US Airways Clubs in the United States and around the globe. In addition, Platinum card members can enroll in Priority Pass.

If visiting an airport lounge is a rarity or occasional splurge, consider buying prepaid day passes to more than 150 lounges on the Lounge Pass website (www.loungepass.com). Also, you’d be surprised at how many lounges offer day passes at the door if you simply ask, especially if traffic is low when you arrive.

The latest entry to the world of airport lounges is Airspace Lounge, which made its debut this past May at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Simply pay the $17.50 entrance fee and you’ll find a relaxed space replete with power ports, free WiFi
and complimentary snacks like hot breakfast in the morning and sandwiches for lunch. The BWI lounge also has a bar, but drinks are not gratis. The start-up company hopes to build more lounges across the United States, entering a domestic airport lounge market
that has recently dwindled due to cost-cutting measures.

“There are a lot of airports where customers want lounges but can’t find them anymore, such as Baltimore,” says Airspace Lounge CEO Anthony Tangorra, noting that so far, people love the product and the price point.

“For only a few dollars more than the food court, a customer gets a good-looking lounge with a wide assortment of food items plated on fine china and German crystal,” he adds.

Expect more tantalizing options to come in the next several years. Turkish Airlines just unveiled its renovated CIP Lounge in Istanbul Atatürk Airport with a billiard hall and private rooms for mothers and babies. At Munich Airport, Lufthansa has opened a premium-class lounge with its own beer garden. Grab a pint of draught beer and a soft pretzel while sitting at a traditional Bavarian table with views of the mountains.

“There are a lot of innovations we’ve been trying out this year,” says Virgin Atlantic’s Simon Bradley. “At the Heathrow Clubhouse, we’ve measured people’s feet by computer. Four weeks later, we’d send you a pair of shoes.”

Well, if the shoe fits. 