Priority Pass benefit rapidly deteriorating
#406
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: IND
Posts: 301
#407
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Had another breakfast at SFO this morning before my Alaska SFO-BWI. Must be well over $200 now on paid meals between SFO and SYD just since November. Couldn't be happier.
#409
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Bummer for Seattle is that the restaurant option (Floris I think it was called) is no longer accepting Priority Pass. The sign out front made it sound temporary, possibly related to the closure of the temporary closing of the Centurion Lounge. We'll see if it comes back.
#410
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
I understand why some restaurants don't let you do to-go orders, but I was not allowed a to-go box after eating in, but due to slow service I received my food only 5 minutes before boarding time and had to go before I had a chance to eat it all. They told me PP customers aren't allowed to take their leftovers out of the restaurant. Is this being requested by PP, or does it somehow help the restaurant to have to throw away food already on the table instead of allowing people to take it away or what?
IME - in SFO, I have only dined in once only and everything else are to-go orders for me. In one instances, I was an arrival passenger and I ordered from the 2 PP accepting restaurant to go just to take home.
#411
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Seattle, WA. USA
Programs: MR, AA, UA, DL, AVIS and growing
Posts: 1,172
Was it ever listed as I gave up waiting for PP to have anything other than The Club lounges which aren't very good.
#412
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,722
The restaurant option is clearly designed for departing passengers as an alternative to a snack in a lounge. Not intended for you to stock your home frig on arrival.
#413
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
FWIW - I did not see that as an abuse. As a matter of fact, I could sit down and consume the food there. I simply chose not to and got the food to go.
#414
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
In my role as a lawyer I often say to my clients "just because you can, doesn't mean you should". While you are correct, there is no written rule that you can't hit up a restaurant after arriving and get food to take home with you, it is definitely against the spirit of the rules and something that could likely lead to this benefit disappearing.
#415
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
This is where I criticize you - if there is no rule, where is the spirit or intent?
#416
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
I am not persuaded this is true in the case of restaurants. Priority Pass is testing a new benefit with Grab, which allows food to be ordered through an app, and picked up at an airport restaurant for consumption elsewhere. That might mean on a flight, but it also might mean at home.
https://www.prioritypass.com/en/airport-takeout-faqs
https://getgrab.com/
https://www.prioritypass.com/en/airport-takeout-faqs
https://getgrab.com/
#417
However, common sense and long-term courtesy would apply that “just because there’s a resource available to use doesn’t mean it should be taken advantage of up to the point the resource runs out or causes its availability to be discontinued.”
At Costco the other day, I saw some hilarious elderly ladies at the hot dog bar: They’d purchased the Coke and a hotdog $1.50 meal. Like a geriatric crime wave, they hit the condiment area: filling their now empty cups - one with relish, one with mustard. 24 ounces each of semi-purloined toppings later netted them what? - probably a score of $4?
There were no signs that said “don’t take 100 napkins in your purse for eventual home use” nor a “don’t fill up the Coke cups with as much ketchup as you are able to fit”, but lo, there it happened. Depression-era thrift combined with grandmotherly ingenuity. Kudos, ladies.
If Costco’s management saw this, there might BE some rules, with spirit and intent, printed up soon by the condiment bars nationwide. Because I don’t want detractions from my PP benefits that could be caused by program costs going up, I practice courtesy and only take what resources are appropriate. There’s admittedly going to be different levels of “appropriate” for different people and different circumstances - say I’ve got to catch a long flight in coach to Sydney, it may be deemed appropriate to stuff an extra snack into my backpack for the flight. Say my home pantry is out of honey, it may be deemed inappropriate to stuff ten jars of honey into my backpack on my departure. Just because there’s no law or rule doesn’t mean I don’t know how much “taking advantage of a resource” is too much.
TDM
#418
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: BOS
Programs: BA GLD for LIfe, AA PLT 2 MM miler, B6 Mosaic, Star GLD; HH Diamond; Marriott PLT, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,368
I don't know if this is a a rapid decline in service, but I have tried to use the AF Lounge in SFO more than once when flying JetBlue from the international terminal, but have never gotten in. They seem to restrict PP members to after the AF flight leaves. I'd love to have a lounge to make calls in.
#419
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
I don't know if this is a a rapid decline in service, but I have tried to use the AF Lounge in SFO more than once when flying JetBlue from the international terminal, but have never gotten in. They seem to restrict PP members to after the AF flight leaves. I'd love to have a lounge to make calls in.
Please note new opening times effective 01APR19:
07:30 - 11:30 &
15:30 - 18:30 &
20:30 - 00:45 daily
07:30 - 11:30 &
15:30 - 18:30 &
20:30 - 00:45 daily
#420
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
Was I abusing the benefit? Absolutely not. Why? To make thing simple - assuming I was the bad guy abusing the purported benefits, yet none of you could point out what policy or rule I have violated.
The problem with common sense and long-term courtesy is it can make no sense at all. Remember months ago, when CSR/Citi Prestige sponsored PP Select allowed a larger number of guests. So these PP holders brought their entire families into the PP lounges and made them like zoos. Did that make them abusing the benefits? Some of you did express this as an abuse. However, this was actually allowed by the membership. In that case, when the so-called common sense and long-term courtesy said these people were wrong, they actually did nothing incorrectly.
Also - on the other hand, when you say courtesy, does that mean we should limit ourselves in term of lounge usage as well, so that others can get in as well? I don't think anyone will ever do that.
And the Costco example is nowhere near this situation. I have no doubt that those elderly were abusing. But again - I was purchasing food order below the personal limit PP allows (FWIW - it is easier than you think for you to claim benefits for 2 persons, even I have never tried that). And the PP does not set a limit how many times you can use it a day. So on that basis, if I was wrong, I was as guilty as those lounge hopping people.