Airlines Lounges Could be Your Office Away from Home.

The time that business travelers must spend in airports waiting for flights can be highly productive work time.  Free from coworkers and other office distractions, you can catch up on emails, revise presentations or read sales forecasts to your heart's content - that is, if you can find a reasonable quite area, a comfortable place to sit, an electrical plug for your laptop, and a reliable wi-fi connection.

While this combination of things can be hard to find in your average airport, all of them and more are available in the airline club lounges maintained by many major airlines.  These lounges are like private clubs, offering a quiet sanctuary for their members.  They are also designed o accommodate the needs of frequent business travelers, with well-equipped workspaces, private meeting rooms, wi-fi, fax machines and other business services.  Some have showers for travelers who need to freshen up after an overnight flight; a few even have swimming pools and exercise facilities.

Most airline club lounges have complimentary beverages and food, so you don't even have to venture into the terminal to find something to snack on.  Some even include actual meal service.  And, all are staffed by airline personnel who can assist you in the case of a flight delay or cancellation.

Larger airlines operate dozens of lounges in the airports they serve around the world, while smaller airlines tend to offer lounges only in their hub locations.  Some airlines offer free club memberships to their elite travelers, but most business travelers gain access by purchasing a membership.  Memberships for the major airline clubs are about $400 to $500 per year, although you can usually pay with an equivalent number of that airline's frequent flier miles.

An airline club membership can be well worth the price when you consider what you would otherwise spend on airport wi-fi access and meals in the course of a year's travel, to say nothing of the increased productivity made possible in a club's quiet, comfortable environment.

If you want to "try before you buy," most airline clubs sell one-day access for about $50 - an expense that makes a $500 annual membership an even better deal.  Once you experience the comfort and convenience of an airline club, you'll probably be eager to purchase a full membership.

Disney Around the World

A trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., or Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., is an essential part of the American experience for many families.  However, Disney is very much a global enterprise, and you can also visit Disney parks in Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and soon in Shanghai.

Tokyo Disneyland, part of the Tokyo Disney Resort, was the first Disney park built outside the U.S. and opened in 1983.  It includes four classic Disney "lands" - Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland - as well as Critter County, Mickey's Toontown and a World Bazaar.  Tokyo Disneyland's sister park, Tokyo Disney Sea, has a nautical exploration theme with seven distinctive ports of call: Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast and Mysterious Island.  Mediterranean Harbor is the entrance to the park, and its canals and gondolas bring Venice to mind.  The Hotel Costa is part of the harbor's scenery, but is also a real Disney hotel that makes it possible to stay inside the park.

On the other side of the world, in the eastern suburbs of the City of Lights, Disneyland Paris sparkles.  Originally opened under the name Euro Disney in 1992, Disneyland Paris includes two theme parks, a dining and entertainment complex and seven hotels.  The top five attractions, as determined by Disneyland Paris visitors, are "It's a Small World," Disney's signature musical tour of the world; the thrilling "Space Mountain: Mission 2;" "Big Thunder Mountain", where visitors ride a runaway mining train through mountain valleys, caves and rivers; the rowdy "Pirates of the Caribbean;"  and "Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast."  As you would expect so near to Paris, there's lots of delicious European-style food in the park - but, you can find pizza, hamburgers and Tex-Mex, too.

Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005 on Lantau Island.  The design of this park incorporates Chinese traditions, including adherence to the rules of Feng Shui, the art of using aesthetics to maintain positive energy.  "Hidden Mickeys," subtle representations of Mickey Mouse, are incorporated into the design of attractions throughout the park.  Hong Kong Disneyland currently has four themed areas - Main Street U.S.A., Advertureland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.  By 2014, the park will expand to include Toy Story Land, based on the popular film series; Grizzly Gulch, and abandoned mining town; and Mystic Point, a dense rainforest where supernatural events occur.

Shanghai Disney Resort, scheulduled to open in 2016, will include numerous themed lands.  Plans call for a castle at the center fo the park that will offer interactive experiences with Disney characters and live performances.