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Consolidated Thread: Priority Pass for Airport Lounges [through 2012]

Consolidated Thread: Priority Pass for Airport Lounges [through 2012]

Old Sep 16, 2000, 7:57 am
  #16  
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Homosassa, FL & Ringwood, NJ -UA-G(Lifetime); SPG-Plat (Lifetime)
Posts: 6,120
All clubs are different! One big difference is free alcohol in some, which may or may not be a big factor, depending on the individual. I know that CO, NW, and HP are in the free alcohol group. I'm not sure about the others, but I believe you haveto pay at UA and DL.
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Old Sep 16, 2000, 9:55 am
  #17  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 34
Free alcohol at Delta Crown Room Clubs, Continental President's Clubs, Northwest World Clubs, and America West Clubs.

You must pay at many other places, including American Admiral's Club, United Red Carpet Club, US Airways Club, etc. If you are on a int'l First or Biz, the lounge receptionist will often give you vouchers for free drinks. Sometimes they'll date them, but usually they don't, so you can use them whenever.

Non-alcoholic beverages are universally free.
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Old Sep 17, 2000, 3:40 am
  #18  
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routires, PCR
Posts: 13,609
My PP subscription is included in my Amex Platinum Card subscription - free entrance for me, 15 charge for guests.

Advantages:
1. gives extra choice of lounges when travelling premium - especially useful when some lounges such as BA get very full;
2. gives access to lounges when travelling economy;
3. (for UK cardholders at least) gives access to lounges of Virgin, TWA, British Midland and Eurostar rail when using those services, no matter what class of travel.

Disadvantages:
1. variable quality - some excellent, others less so;
2. no PP lounges in Australia!
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Old Sep 17, 2000, 7:39 am
  #19  
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Join Date: Sep 2000
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If you're going to get prioroty pass I'd advise you to get the unlimited version, this way you don't pay for each lounge visit, do be aware that I've seen priority pass members been sent away at lounges because of "capacity restricions"
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Old Sep 17, 2000, 10:49 am
  #20  
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA USA
Programs: AA, UA, WN, HH, Marriott
Posts: 7,288
You can get the unlimited Priority Pass for $225 a year instead of $295 a year by mentioned the Bestfares.com discount.

[This message has been edited by JerryFF (edited 09-17-2000).]
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Old Sep 18, 2000, 9:15 am
  #21  
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Jersey City
Posts: 1,321
I LOVE PRIORITY PASS!!

i bought the $229 unlimited use program, and thus far i have used it 43 times. that comes to $5.33 a visit so far, and i still have about 50k flight miles left for the year. so, in most airpot bars, that is easily the cost of one cocktail, plus you get newspapers, tv, and in some internet usage, and food. best deal on the planet i think, as one airline program club room membership costs about the same. the one missing thing is no coverage in australia.

best locations:

1. hkg - 5 internet terminals, 4 massaging chairs, and a vip room with dvd player. this is also the lounge than many flyertalkers have mentioned has a spa for live massage, but i didn't utilize those facilities.

2. ams - has 5 lounges, but my favorite is the aerogroundservices executive lounge in f/g. it is very quiet, and has very nice furnishings. also acceptable is the lounge in b/c which is shared with british midland. i don't like the lounge in terminal d. i hate those highback chairs. and cocktails are limited to beer and wine.

3. kul - 3 internet terminals, comfy couches, english breakfast buffet. also has buiness center, and exclusive business first lounge, which has restricted admission. can be an extremely quiet respite, in a pretty quiet airport.



[This message has been edited by lonman (edited 09-18-2000).]
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Old Sep 22, 2000, 8:15 am
  #22  
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Richmond, IN
Programs: United 1K, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 116
I too have the unlimited visits version of Priority Pass and love it. I paid the full $295 for it, but even that is less than most single airline club memberships. They've just added US Airways lounges to the growing list, including Northwest, TWA, and Delta (except certain lounges at Delta hubs). The card works great at my main airport (PHL) b/c I can get into the USAirways (terminal B & C), Delta (terminal E), and Northwest (terminal E) clubs.

I've never been turned away b/c of capacity restrictions and would think that would be some sort of breach of the agreement that PP would have with the club. If that happened to me, I'd call PP about it and complain!

I'm not sure if there are any benefits you get with a normal club membership (those that participate) that you don't get with this. I've even been able to check-in at a club just like a "normal" member would. One thing is that you must pay for any guest you bring in. I believe the fee is $21.

I think this membership is worth its weight in gold. And no, I don't work for the company.

Last edited by mrichmond; Sep 5, 2007 at 10:20 am
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Old Sep 22, 2000, 10:19 am
  #23  
geo1004
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Originally posted by mrichmond:
I've never been turned away b/c of capacity restrictions and would think that would be some sort of breach of the agreement that PP would have with the club. If that happened to me, I'd call PP about it and complain!

I'd just nod and go stand just inside the door. As soon as someone left, I'd return to the agent and re-show my card. They would be pretty hard pressed to admit another guest "in front of you" as well.

Priority Pass seems to get rave reviews. I will probably go for it after my US Airways Club membership expires in January.

 
Old Sep 22, 2000, 10:50 am
  #24  
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: HKG/SFO
Programs: CX GR; AA Life GLD, EXP; SPG Life GLD, PLT
Posts: 1,050
Unlimited entry comes with my Standard Chartered Plat Card.
Adv:
No matter class of service and airlines
Choices of lounge at large airports

Con:
Need to know which lounge is in the problem in advance since clubs will not have a poster saying "PP"
If there is only 1/2 lounges at that airport you may need to walk a long distance (e.g. if in ORD, from AA's gate to DL crown club may take 10mins!!)

But I loved it since basically it is free to me (my Dad paid card's fee)

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Old Sep 22, 2000, 2:30 pm
  #25  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA USA
Posts: 17
I have been a Red Carpet member for the last 6 yrs and was surprised at the Miami RCL, they offered a complimentary, self-serve bar.
Is this unique to Miami? I had not expereinced it in any other domestic RCL.
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Old Feb 16, 2001, 8:32 am
  #26  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Posts: 2
Ionman, Mrichmond, and anyone else who's used Priority Pass and/or other "alternative" (not directly sponsored by the airline) lounge pass programs, like American Express and Diner's Club: would you be interested in doing a short phone interview about your experiences? I'm a freelance writer working on an article about alternative airport club programs for a Web-based travel magazine. If you'd like to tell me what you think, please e-mail me at [email protected] and we can set up a time to talk. I'm hoping to get interviews done by no later than the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 21. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you!
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Old Feb 18, 2001, 11:11 am
  #27  
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Jersey City
Posts: 1,321
this year, i switched from priority pass to an iapa gold membership. it is $299, and includes a reservationss service, travel agent, as well as the unlimited priority pass membership. in addition, for us based members, it contains a travel insurance policy.

i stumbled onto iapa via some internet offer. i got a trial membership from the london office, and saw that if i joined i could also get pp, so i called and told them i was up for renewal. they then switched me to the dallas office, where membership fees for us residents were different (aka - better). the major difference is the insurance option available to foregin residents as a paid add-on, comes with a basic package for us members. it is something like $325K for accidental flight death, $50K for injury etc. this plus the travel agent, and potential hotel discounts shocked me because the $299 price is the same as the new priority pass membership. i wondered how it was possible to give that plus the added benefits.

the kicker is, iapa and priority pass are owned by the smae company. when i called dallas to join iapa, they just linked my pp account to my iapa, as they had the ability since they are divisions of the same organization. i haven't benefitted from any hotel discounts as of yet, but there are special offers posted for hotel stays within a two week window. i'll probably use one of the member hotels when i head to sydney nexy week.

check it out at www.iapa.com.

[This message has been edited by lonman (edited 02-18-2001).]
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Old Feb 18, 2001, 1:49 pm
  #28  
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Manhattan, NY
Programs: USAir AA Hilton
Posts: 3,567
I believe this would have real value internationally. I only fly domestically , and too many of the places I fly into only have a PP lounge in a single terminal - and from my investigation, it's not likely that it's the terminal I would be flying into. That would be OK for the long layover, but I try not to have too many of those. So for the 90 minute layover, it's too much of a drag to schlep to another terminal, find the lounge, and then have 20 minutes before I have to reverse the process.
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Old Feb 18, 2001, 3:10 pm
  #29  
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: LAX, HKG
Programs: AA EXPLT, BA Gold, Shang Elite
Posts: 2,228
Originally posted by HK-UMICH:
Unlimited entry comes with my Standard Chartered Plat Card.
Adv:
No matter class of service and airlines
Choices of lounge at large airports

Con:
Need to know which lounge is in the problem in advance since clubs will not have a poster saying "PP"
If there is only 1/2 lounges at that airport you may need to walk a long distance (e.g. if in ORD, from AA's gate to DL crown club may take 10mins!!)

But I loved it since basically it is free to me (my Dad paid card's fee)

i have one of those cards, but i seldom use it since my ticket/tier now get me lounge access in most places. but they are useful in US since i only have AC access due to my BA/CX tiers

1. good for most CO/DL/US lounges in US
2. for smaller airports, just try your luck, most of the time if there is one lounge, it is the one. A couple times in beijing, i got a business lounge access from the airline, but PP get me into the F-class lounge

3. they have a web-site, u can log in and/or download a pdf file of the most recent partner list.
(but you need to email them for a password to log in though)

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Old Feb 18, 2001, 3:16 pm
  #30  
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Copenhagen
Programs: British Airways Gold (oneWorld Emerald), Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum
Posts: 1,713
First I thought the IAPA hotel discounts where bogus - and it's true that sometimes you DO get better rates from the hotel itself. However, I am staying a couple of nights at Ramada Inn Vancouver Center for CAD69. That's a special rate from IAPA. When I called the hotel itself, the best they could give me was CAD99. So sometimes it's nice!
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