VIRGIN ATLANTIC WINS 2008 BEST BUSINESS CLASS AIRLINE LOUNGE AWARD

		BEST BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE
	"the world's most respected and recognised Airline Awards"

"This is a repeat win for Virgin Atlantic in being named winner of the Best Business Class Lounge Award" said Edward Plaisted (CEO of Skytrax), "having secured the title in 2007 for their Clubhouse facility at London Heathrow Airport".

A well planned and distinctly Virgin Atlantic style facility, the Clubhouse provides an excellent range of amenities, including their Cowshed spa, offering facials, massages, manicures, pedicures or a wet shave for men. Six steam-shower rooms, a St Tropez tanning booth, circular hydro spa pool and a sauna are amongst the options on offer.

British Airways moves back into the top 5 Business Class lounges after several years absence, with Skytrax attributing much of the improvement to their new high quality lounge facilities opened at Heathrow Terminal 5 earlier this year. "British Airways lounges have not been at the leading edge in terms of quality for quite a number of years" said Plaisted, "but they have created something quite special with their new facilities here at Terminal 5, and we would expect to see some strong performances from them in years to come".

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Business Class lounge is ranked in 3rd position. "A former winner of this category, it is of course not easy to maintain momentum against new lounges being opened by other airlines, and whilst this Cathay Pacific lounge could do with some degree of refreshing, it is still a world-leading lounge facility" added Plaisted.

Qatar Airways Business Class lounge located in it's Premium Terminal at Doha Airport still achieves a strong performance, taking 4th position in this year's survey. "Impacted to some degree by the success and rapid growth of Qatar Airways, this relatively new lounge is already set for expansion" says Plaisted, "and this extra space should enable Qatar Airways to get back to their winning ways with their 5-star airport service".

Singapore Airlines is another airline making it's debut in the Global Top 5 Business Class lounges, the opening of it's new Business lounge at Singapore Changi clearly boosting the ranking. A spacious, light and airy lounge that offers all of the modern lounge amenities and facilities a customer expects "this is a real quality advancement in terms of airport services for SIA" said Plaisted. "More conventional perhaps than some other new lounges, this is nevertheless an exceptional facility that complements the better known onboard standards for Singapore Airlines."