I have never paid a booking fee, I use the PP weekly pretty much, as does my travelling friend who got the partner card, and I've never failed to get into a lounge at Gatwick. Stansted, no chance, and some of the other bucket and spades are difficult. In Europe never had a single sniff of an exclusion, US I usually manage where there's a PP lounge (and there are a few restaurant credits there too). Scandinavia tends not to accept.

But even if you fail and go to Burger King or Wetherspoons, the cost of using a PP plus where necessary buying food and drink, is going to be a lot less than qualifying even for a silver card.