Concerto

I’m having misgivings about having gone and got this card, the version with 10 visits included. The quality is not great from what I’ve seen so far, including the Schengen lounge (Lounge 25) in AMS and the Yotel lounge in Paris CDG.

The_Bouncer

No, the quality is not great when you compare it to, say, CX's J & F lounges. But it is better than sitting at a Burger King in an airport concourse, and it the long run probably doesn't cost all that much more.

Concerto

You’ve got a very good point there. Actually, I’ve weathered waits of 3-4 hours in the last 6 months at both Moscow airports, AMS and CDG and the time does go by if you’ve got a book/ebook or some work to do and can find a place to sit (at DME airport I met a really nice guy, a Russian businessman, in the same predicament, and we hit a few beers together and had a meal in the terminal).

As a self imposed rule, because I bought the 10-visit Priority Pass, I don’t go to the lounge if I have a layover of less than two and a half hours. That way, in the average larger airport (i.e. AMS), I would have around 2 hours total time, maybe a bit less, in the lounge which is more commensurate with the (prepaid) cost of the visit. That way I don’t “waste” a visit if the time there is going to be too short.

Beano

The priority pass card is free with the Wespac World Card (which is also free due to the rebate on spend)
SO well worth having it
unlimited use ...used it three times in a day (3 airports) with a guest ...all free

pinniped

I continue to be frustrated at how Alaska just turns you away now - they don't even bother putting out the sign anymore. So you walk in, maybe wait for 1-2 other people to get let in, and then are told no. At this point, PP should just cut bait with AS - it's clear that AS doesn't want PP around and they aren't particularly nice about it.

On the plus side, I continue to enjoy the restaurants even more than (most) lounges. Timberline Steaks, Terminal C in Denver, nice full dinner for 2 adults and 2 kids with drinks and everything - absolutely no charge to me. ^

This was on a long flight to DEN coming from CDG, and I'll concur that the CDG contract lounge wasn't the greatest. But that's what I've always expected from PP: it's a free (or really cheap) program that gets you into some basic lounges. It's not CX F and never will be. But as long as I know I can actually GET IN, not get the runaround because they arbitrarily decide they don't want PP at that moment, I'm okay with it. Most of the European lounges I'd rate at about the level of a U.S. domestic airline lounge...sometimes slightly better wine/liquor, sometimes slightly worse...but I never had an expectation that they be great. Just that they be *there*.

krazykanuck

I just wonder how sustainable the restaurant part of PP is. I struggle to see how it works for PP. I mean we won't really know how much the CC issuers pay PP for their various levels of access, but with the CSR and "unlimited" guests at a net AF of $150 and the Prestige and Amex in the $200-300 range. it just doesn't jive. I mean your timberline meal cost PP $100ish for the 4 of you. Do you think the CC issuer linked to that paid PP that much for your annual access?

I don't pretend to know what's going to happen, but I think either the restaurants are going to leave, or get removed, as quickly as they arrived; PP is going to up what they're charging the banks for PP access; or both.

1flyer

PP is going to pay a fraction of the prices you see on the menu.

No restaurant which is happy with its capacity utilization is gonna team up with PP. Restaurants which do team up have some slack in their "production". What they want from PP are payments exceeding their marginal cost.

GUWonder

mia

Priority Pass is owned by an insurance company, and they now have 25 years experience doing the actuarial calculations balancing the premiums received (membership fees) versus the claims paid (lounge visits). They operate a few lounges themselves (through another subsidiary), which means they better understand the economics of lounge operation, and this gives them an advantage when setting reimbursement rates.

I assume that they have rolled out the restaurant feature very slowly because they need utilization data. We may see some restaurant redemption rule tweaks before they expand coverage.

Gig103

I spoke with employees at PDX - Priority Pass pays the restaurants $26 person per visit (we receive $28 in credit). The House Spirits Distillery employee said that the increased traffic makes the $2 "loss" well worth participation.

What is opaque to us is how much Chase/Amex pay PP. Because Chase is unlimited guests and Amex is one guest (previously zero guests), my conclusion (read: guess) is that the guests are being covered by the credit card company.

mia

American Express pays for two guests. Citi pays for immediate family or two guests. In practice the annual difference between paying for two guests and any number of guests is probably very small. Also, Chase outsourced their Priority Pass memberships to a third party contractor who probably covers the guest expenses.

seaskybound

Is lounge hopping allowed? (specifically on a "unlimited" subscription)

Gig103

Two guests for Centurion but one guest for Priority Pass.
https://www.americanexpress.com/icc/...rity-pass.html

Interesting about Chase outsourcing it.

krazykanuck

That link isn't for the US Platinum card, it's for the International Currency Card. The terms and conditions for the US Platinum card are here, which says: "At any visit to a Priority Pass Select lounge that admits guests, you may bring in two guests for no charge. You will be charged $27 for any additional guests. Some lounges do not admit guests." https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...0/#offer-terms

Boraxo

You can visit as many lounges as you want (at any airport) in a single day, assuming time and security protocols (i.e. terminal switching) permit. I have personally visited 2-3 @BKK @pek @MEX and @IAD