Originally Posted by
RedSun
I enjoy Centurion lounge so much that, I rarely fly EWR any longer, but PHL. Also, can anyone believe that there is only ONE Priority Pass lounge available at EWR??? This is so pathetic. I do not see any PP restaurants at EWR. And this is one of the most important airports in metro region.... At least AmEx Plat offers Delta lounge at EWR if I fly Delta.
How much does this worth? To a family, this is easily $120 each trip. Sometimes it is crowded. But I have never had problem finding seats, even during busy holiday travel time.
What can CSR give to me?
Priority pass gives restaurant access at many, many, many more airports and terminals than Amex has Centurion lounges. $28 credit per person for you and up to 2 guests.
Considering that most airline club lounges or contract lounges in the US do not have hot food (beyond soup), have only very cheap drinks for free, and a hot meal in many airports will cost a minimum of $20, this is a very valuable benefit for those who travel domestically a lot (or who travel internationally in coach). I consider it more valuable than the lounge access part of PP. The Centurion lounge does have "real" food and drinks, but, again, there are far fewer of them than there are PP restaurants. Also PP restaurants can be used on arrival, while Centurion lounges cannot. I will often stop for a meal when I land.
And, of course, there's no reason to choose. The cards are fairly complementary. The only real overlap is PP lounge, and airline spend. The CSR is good for non-airline travel spend (aided by the fact that so many things count as travel) and PP restaurant access. The Amex is good for Centurion Lounge, incidental airline fees if you pay them (I generally don't, due to status) and IAP if you travel internationally in premium cabins. Someone who travels often (at least monthly) probably should carry both, especially if that travel includes at least one premium cabin international trip a year.