I have been in the Concorde Room a few times – probably half on F tickets and half as the guest of friends. It is always a pleasure to be there and I do think it strikes a balance between being exclusive and friendly. It is not like Qatar’s Al Safwa lounge which is totally over the top, but is more than just the dining room that would be found in an American Flagship lounge.

I guested Mum in once we had arrived from Bucharest – I was flying on to New York and she was heading back to Scotland. There were no booths available in the dining area so we sat on the high tables between there and the bar for a second breakfast.

Mum had the ham hock on sourdough with poached egg and I had avocado and egg. We had pots of tea and glasses of champagne to wash it down. I would have liked the tomatoes to have been roasted more, but these are small issues.

As I was flying in First, I had been able to book a spa treatment beforehand at the Elemis Travel Spa which is just outside the Concorde Room.

I have been here a few times before and it is a bit of a gimmick, but that doesn’t stop me getting into the massage chair and have someone rub moisturiser into my face before a flight! I am not sure what is happing now, but I assume that given the need to wear a mask in the airport, there are no facials happening.

I spent a little more time in the lounge on the terrace reading the paper – it has been redone since this photo was taken.

There is table service here, and you can order from the menu on the tables, but the bar is also great place to be to chat with other travellers. I can highly recommend Charlie’s espresso martinis!

When the flight time was getting close, I headed down to the walkways to B gates – where the plane that was going to take me across the Atlantic was waiting.