A new style airport lounge - the first of its kind outside London - has opened at Birmingham Airport aimed at executives in the age of austerity.
A total of 20 jobs have been created at the No 1 Traveller lounge, which is aiming to build on the success of lounges opened at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted over the last three years.
No 1 Traveller chief executive Phil Cameron said the firm had benefited from the spending clampdown as firms are keeping executives away from the business class lounges.
He said: "Our two newest lounges - at Gatwick North Terminal and at Heathrow - only opened last year but are already each showing an operating profit of half a million pounds. In many ways the problems of the recession have been good for us because business travellers have had to economise by cutting back on business class airline tickets and often fly economy instead.
"At the same time they need to be able to work at an airport and to be able to relax and eat somewhere comfortable so they are quite happy to buy access to our lounges.
"Leisure travellers on the other hand are often enjoying their one holiday a year and want to make it that little bit special by being able to enjoy lounge facilities before they fly. People are prepared to pay for a quality experience in an airport."
The lounge, which can accommodate 100 guests, is designed to offer the business traveller a work-friendly environment with a meeting room supported by a travel concierge service and in-lounge foreign exchange.
For the leisure traveller there are new standards of premium preflight hospitality.
Former theatre producer Mr Cameron said the Birmingham lounge had cost seven figures to set up but three airlines - Turkmenistan, Turkish and United - had already signed up to use it.
Independent travellers could prebook admission for £22.50 although many passengers with paid for bank accounts would find they were entitled to free access.
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