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Travelling business class is hardly limited to reclined and comfy seats, delicious meals, and dedicated service. The experience begins with the airport (or the chauffeur from your doorstep if you’re flying Qantas, Emirates or Etihad) business class lounge.

Business travelers, with their snazzy frequent flier membership status cards, are stoked to enjoy business lounges with exclusive access to escape the herds of typical airport activity.

Not to be confused with first class lounges—which are far more exclusive and competitively lavish with day spas, private rooms and fancy dining, business lounges are not quite as posh.

These business lounges are pushing the envelope, and most of them aren’t even located in the home cities of airlines’, where you’d expect to find the best lounges. Other airports house these excellent business lounges too.

In no particular order:

Qantas Singapore Lounge

Located in Changi Airport is the single-integrated lounge with business and first class perks by Qantas. With a la carte meals, buffet and Neil Perry’s Rockpool group served hawker-style, tons of powerpoints sprinkle this lounge to accompany the cocktail bar and variety of seating. Easily one of the world’s best business lounges.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, New York

Like Qantas in Singapore, Virgin Atlantic celebrates a unified business and first class hybrid they deem Upper Class, where live a Bumble & Bumble hair salon, spa, pool table, hip cocktail bar and a delicious brasserie thrive at New York’s Kennedy Airport.

Star Alliance Business Lounge, Los Angeles

The first to establish an airline alliance lounge, Star Alliance opened a lounge at LAX last week. Open to all business and gold-class frequent flyers on Star Alliance airlines, patrons enjoy fireplaces, a view of the Hollywood Hills from an outdoor terrace, meanwhile decorated in contemporary LA styles and themes. The indoor terrace overlooks the inside of the terminal, and powerpoints can be found just about anywhere, including the ‘reading room’ with sound-proof sliding glass doors.

SkyTeam Exclusive Lounge, London

London’s Heathrow Airport is the first to have a lounge dedicated to the airline alliance SkyTeam (another will open in Sydney by the end of 2013). Two levels, complete with showers, work spaces, day beds, free food and drink, a ravishing wine bar, this lounge has an oxygen bar with O2 in flavored scents.

Cathay Pacific The Wing, Hong Kong

Though this business lounge is located in Cathay’s home-hub, it has to be mentioned because of the spacious Noodle Bar where Chinese buns are served with made-to-order noodle dishes, The Long Bar (it’s 23 meters long), The Coffee Loft serving pastries made in the lounge kitchen and cocktails at night.