at the Airport -- complete with phones, faxes and Internet stations.

The computer commuters will pay up to $750 a year for the right to use the brand new Airport terminals.

The lounge, to be known as the Longbird Club, will be on the second floor of the departures building and is costing around $500,000 to build.

It will be open for business by Christmas. And other executive features include desks, stationery a printer and extra services like tracking down lost luggage, arranging connecting transport or booking hotel accommodation.

The club is being run by two Bermuda businessmen -- former Pirate's Port owner Robin Gilbert and ex-Civil Aviation Director Jim Pitman.

Mr. Gilbert said the exclusive club offered up to eight different levels of membership.

And he said the firm behind the venture, Bermuda Airport Executive Lounge Ltd., had already signed up 20 percent of its membership capacity.

Construction work starts within the next two weeks.

Mr. Gilbert said: "We have a lease to operate the club for 10 years. The cost of building the lounge is around the half million mark but it will include all the trappings that business leaders expect.

"That includes faxes, phones, modem lines and Internet links. We expect many business travellers will be coming in with their laptops and they will want somewhere to plug in.

"The idea will be that you sit in your seat and you can log into a computer line that will take you to the outside world.'' He said the club, for pre-cleared US-bound passengers, would provide facilities expected by business class travellers with half an hour to spare before flying off.

"There will be a nice atmosphere conducive to work or relaxation,'' added Mr.

Gilbert, chief executive of the Longbird Club.

"We will have a full bar and there will also be a refreshment service for early morning pre-packaged snacks. Soft drinks, coffee and tea will be free of charge.'' He said the lounge, staffed by a manager, concierge and bartenders, would always be open if there was a scheduled flight due to leave for the US.

"We will be open from say 5 a.m. until the last flights leave for the States in the late afternoon,'' said Mr. Gilbert.

"The only unfortunate thing is that we must limit membership because of the size of the area we have to work with.

"Some people have said they feel the cost of membership is expensive compared to similar lounges at other airports.

"But this is not being opened by an individual airline, it is being run by an independent operator at an Airport. Therefore, we can't have thousands of members.'' Corporate membership costs between $2,000 and $3,375 a year for five members, depending on the number of passes required.

The club, directly above the immigration windows and Airport Police station, is in the old restaurant area which is now part of US departures.