One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is believing that customers are paying for something called luxury.

In reality, they are usually paying to remove stress, uncertainty and inconvenience, because people rarely spend serious money simply for something more expensive; they spend it because it makes life easier, more enjoyable and, most importantly of all, makes them feel valued.

I was reminded of that lesson this week when we celebrated our friend Julie’s 60th birthday with a luxury holiday to Mauritius. After already spending a daft £2,300 upgrading our flights to Business Class with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, we decided to push the boat out a little further by spending another £200 to use Manchester Airport’s Aether private terminal.

I must admit that it was my lovely wife Ruth’s idea and I approached it with fairly modest expectations. After all, how much better can an airport experience really become and having already paid for Business Class seats to remove much of the pain of a 14-hour journey, I wondered whether this was simply another premium product aimed at separating suckers from a little more of their money.

But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The easiest way I can describe the Aether private terminal is to compare it to upgrading from a Premier Inn to the Burj Al Arab, Dubai’s 5-star luxury hotel. Both ultimately provide a place to sleep, but one transforms the entire experience, and Aether does the same for the airport experience.

The moment our taxi pulled up outside, our holiday effectively began.

A personal concierge greeted us, took our luggage, dealt with the baggage tagging, organised security and escorted us effortlessly through every stage of the departure process, leaving us with nothing more stressful to do than hand over our passports and boarding passes before settling into an elegant lounge that felt more like an exclusive members’ club than part of one of Britain’s busiest airports.

I was told they typically welcome fewer than 100 guests a day, and during our visit, it genuinely felt as though we had the entire place to ourselves.

The service was exceptional throughout. Sally, our personal concierge, and the rest of the team somehow managed to strike that difficult balance between being constantly attentive without ever becoming intrusive, ensuring champagne glasses were always full for the ladies while Bobby and I somehow never found ourselves waiting very long for another beer. Unlimited drinks are nice, of course, but if I am honest, that wasn’t what impressed me most.

The biggest surprise of the afternoon came from Chef Matt’s kitchen.

Airport food has become something most travellers simply tolerate. You expect inflated prices, average quality and overcrowded restaurants where spending £40 or £50 per head has somehow become normal, despite receiving a forgettable meal. Instead, I found myself enjoying a superb Penang curry while Ruth slowly worked her way through a beautifully presented tasting menu. I can honestly say I have happily paid well over £100 per person in restaurants that failed to produce food anywhere near this standard.

In fact, if the Aether restaurant was open to the general public, I suspect it would become one of my regular dining destinations regardless of whether I was flying anywhere. Once you mentally value the meal on its own merits, the cost of everything else suddenly becomes surprisingly modest.

That then raises the obvious question.

Is the remaining experience worth around £100 per person?

For me the answer is an unequivocal yes.

Private security, no queues, luggage disappearing into the system without you having to think about it again, personal escorts through the airport, and, with certain airlines, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, being driven directly to your aircraft rather than walking through crowded terminals, completely change the emotional experience of flying. Even when airlines require you to board conventionally, the Aether staff escort you to the gate and ensure you are among the first passengers on board, making the whole journey feel calm, organised and remarkably civilised.

Interestingly, however, I am less convinced by the arrival service. Being collected from the aircraft steps and taken through a private immigration channel certainly has its attractions, particularly for celebrities trying to avoid attention, but personally I am not sure I want to spend extra time waiting while my luggage is identified and collected. I would rather not have a meal, and what I really want is to get home to the coach and a glass of wine, so that’s why the express version is priced at a reasonable £100 per person.

The real lesson, however, goes far beyond airports.

Businesses often become obsessed with adding more features when the real opportunity lies in removing friction. Customers remember how you made them feel far longer than what you gave them, and Aether succeeds because every member of staff understands that their job is not simply to process passengers but to eliminate every irritation traditionally associated with flying. That is why the experience feels so memorable and why, despite initially questioning whether it could possibly justify the price, I finished the afternoon already planning to book it again.

A huge thank you to Chef Matt, Sally and the entire Aether team for creating one of the best customer experiences I have encountered in years. If you are travelling through Manchester Airport, particularly on a special occasion or long-haul Business Class flight, I genuinely believe this is one luxury that is worth every penny, because sometimes the best investments are not the ones that make life more extravagant; they are the ones that simply make it effortlessly enjoyable.