This premium airport lounge is not class conscious

AS an investment banker, Song Hoi See always flew business class, which entitled him to the services of luxury airline lounges. He thought nothing of the food and drink and shower and business facilities on tap - until he struck out on his own in 1992 and was compelled to fly economy for the sake of his pocketbook.

It was then that the Johor-born Malaysian, now 56, began thinking about it seriously. He said: "It was frustrating for businessmen like me in economy. There was no place from where we could send faxes or to take a shower or to rest. I used to have to steal electricity to charge my computer."

His "eureka" moment was tied to a simple truth - that everyone, even economy …