As a committee clerk at the House of Commons, I often have to shepherd M.P.s through airports and railway stations. Lounges are a great way to corral and contain them while they satisfy their communications fetishes and other more natural appetites. With the exception of rail (M.P.s travel for free on VIA Rail, a legacy of 19th c. concessions of the companies; we staff travel at regular rates) we're paying good money for service that carriers are trying to skimp on at every opportunity, admittedly for valid business reasons.

I have also dealt with important guests of Parliament when travel plans were going awry (this was shortly after 11 Sept 2001 and the wind was still well up). Having a quiet area in which to isolate them while colleagues were out on the concourse kicking arse and taking names was eminently useful.