An excellent question. People have asked me this in person before, so it is a common concern. As others have mentioned, it is proper etiquette to place a towel between yourself and any public surface (chairs, benches, etc). And you always want to use...
go to the FAA website, and look for the eligibility requirements for "private pilot glider" or Glider Rating. One of the two. You can solo in a glider at 14, not 13. License at 16. Read speak and write english. It's FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) ...
If you are flying with BA, then use the BA lounge !!! Personally I think the BA and Virgin lounges are some of the best in the world. Having flown with a lot of different airlines I don't think you can beat the services available in the Virgin and BA...