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Priority Pass benefit rapidly deteriorating

Priority Pass benefit rapidly deteriorating

Old May 8, 2018, 11:03 am
  #256  
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Originally Posted by euromannn
Ho Chi Minh
SightseeMC was asking about US lounges, though.
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Old May 8, 2018, 2:49 pm
  #257  
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With the exception of the AS Lounges I haven't felt this benefit has deteriorated since I first started using PP in 2015. That said, I like PP because of how much it helps me at second tier airports. For instance I was able to use it in MTY last weekend for a lounge and I've also used it at smaller overseas airports like LCG, SOF, FUK, PUS etc. Even in the US it's nice that if I'm not flying Delta I have a lounge in CVG, a lounge at SJC, CLE, BIW etc. Beyond the Board Room the lounges I access through PP are never crowded.
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Old May 8, 2018, 3:00 pm
  #258  
 
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Originally Posted by SightseeMC
But if they are that bad, who cares if you can get in?
What?! ... and wait with just ... anyone?!

Originally Posted by CMK10
With the exception of the AS Lounges I haven't felt this benefit has deteriorated since I first started using PP in 2015.
TBH, I have to agree, since 2012(?) for me. My home airport (SJC) has a decent PP lounge that to me is better than the AS lounges I've used (PDX, and SFO when it was a thing) and when I've gone in other domestic cities the lounges have been "OK" and better than nothing (and I'm only half joking above, sometimes you just need a break from the crowds of huddled masses).

I actually don't use the benefit as often as I could 'cause between CLEAR and PreCheck I tend to not get to the airport much more than ~45 mins before my flight, and if say, my WN flight ex-SJC is delayed, unless that delay is > 45 mins the potentially-longish walk back and forth shaves a fair amount of time from the visit.
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Old May 8, 2018, 9:44 pm
  #259  
 
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Originally Posted by behyx
Can I check if my wife and me have our own unlimited PP cards (only valid for 1 entry per card, no guests), are we able to bring 5 more guests into Priority Pass restaurants in MEL? I understand we have $36 worth of credits per person ($72 for us), and let's say all 7 of us dine, and total bill came up to $100, we just need to top up $28 will do? And our 5 other guests will not be charged additional 'per-person' fee?
Just an update from my recent tip in MEL. We went to the spanish restaurant and had some tapas. It's excellent!
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Old May 11, 2018, 11:40 am
  #260  
 
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My local airport (CLE) didn't have any options when I first signed up to my PP. Now it added a restaurant/bar from a local celebrity chef. I was bummed we ran out of time, and didn't get to use it on our most recent trip. It gives a $28 credit towards menu items, including alcohol, per person, even for qualified guests. CLE is not some huge hub airport, it's rarely a crazy busy airport. I'm happy to have that option for a quick, prepared meal when I'm flying out in the morning. It's hard to be mad at this option, especially considering there is no Centurion there.

All of my other connecting flights were close together. I wasn't able to explore ORD or ATL. On my return flight home, we did have a long wait in SJU. We walked into Avianca. One guest + me, no issue. It was pretty crowded there at first. It died down after an hour or so. They had small plates to eat and drinks including cocktails, soda, and bottled water. Worked for me. There was clearly a few bigger groups in there. Whether they were with the Sapphire Reserve unlimited guests, that I could not confirm.
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Old May 16, 2018, 10:51 am
  #261  
 
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I think the standards should be higher, for CSR anyone who does not have $10,000 minimum spend in the prior year should not be able to get Priority Pass, otherwise it really dilutes the usefulness of the benefits. There is no point having a benefit if it is difficult to use because people are offered it for nothing essentially, there has to be some filtering standard. I use PP on my CSR perhaps 2-3 times a year and bring no guests, i'm solo... but it's frustrating that I am affected because people have 4 or 5 people in tow since they bring their entire families. I am not blaming the people but rather Chase for not implementing a filter to keep the quality of the benefit to something reasonable.
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Old May 16, 2018, 4:58 pm
  #262  
 
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Originally Posted by k374
I think the standards should be higher, for CSR anyone who does not have $10,000 minimum spend in the prior year should not be able to get Priority Pass, otherwise it really dilutes the usefulness of the benefits. There is no point having a benefit if it is difficult to use because people are offered it for nothing essentially, there has to be some filtering standard. I use PP on my CSR perhaps 2-3 times a year and bring no guests, i'm solo... but it's frustrating that I am affected because people have 4 or 5 people in tow since they bring their entire families. I am not blaming the people but rather Chase for not implementing a filter to keep the quality of the benefit to something reasonable.
Well some good news is that Chase will start limiting free guests to two per cardholder (like Amex Platinum). Your idea of having a minimum spend is interesting, if unlikely to ever come about.
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Old May 16, 2018, 10:04 pm
  #263  
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Ok I will take the bait. It is not the families that are crowding PP lounges in the US. If anything it would be the 1000s of new PP members - Amex, Chase, whatever. Plus for AS lounges you have all the VX flyers cramming in. Families typically travel a couple times a year, and many airports (like my home airport) don't even have PP lounges that are accessible for the vast majority of flights due to terminal security limitations.

I suspect the real reason Chase is making the change is for the same as airlines, hotels that shave elite benefits - cut costs by cutting corners. And if done right there will be little fallout. Sure, it will also eliminate the few abusers who bring dozens of friends into the lounge, but that's a rare occurrence.

Given the lack of a footprint here - I can easily live with 2 PP guests per visit. Would probably be more incensed if PP actually had a decent US network.
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Old May 16, 2018, 10:18 pm
  #264  
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Originally Posted by Boraxo
...If anything it would be the 1000s of new PP members - Amex, Chase, whatever. ... Would probably be more incensed if PP actually had a decent US network.
Completely agree. I posted something similar elsewhere, and while limiting guests will probably help in edge cases, the real issue is adding tens of thousands, if not a hundred thousand plus users, to a system simply not large enough to handle that level of increase.
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Old May 17, 2018, 7:25 am
  #265  
 
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Originally Posted by k374
I think the standards should be higher, for CSR anyone who does not have $10,000 minimum spend in the prior year should not be able to get Priority Pass, otherwise it really dilutes the usefulness of the benefits. There is no point having a benefit if it is difficult to use because people are offered it for nothing essentially, there has to be some filtering standard. I use PP on my CSR perhaps 2-3 times a year and bring no guests, i'm solo... but it's frustrating that I am affected because people have 4 or 5 people in tow since they bring their entire families. I am not blaming the people but rather Chase for not implementing a filter to keep the quality of the benefit to something reasonable.
I like the idea and it would be useful for Chase to discern a bit between people who actually use the card and just Churners who use it as a place to accumulate their other UR points.

That said, it is at the end of the day a proposal to say "they should change the rules to such that they limit others but leave it unchanged with me". Most of the proposals around here tend to be along those lines.
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Old May 17, 2018, 2:06 pm
  #266  
 
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Article
yesterday on the challenge of "making exclusivity accessible"
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Old May 21, 2018, 7:01 am
  #267  
 
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Originally Posted by LupineChemist
I like the idea and it would be useful for Chase to discern a bit between people who actually use the card and just Churners who use it as a place to accumulate their other UR points.

That said, it is at the end of the day a proposal to say "they should change the rules to such that they limit others but leave it unchanged with me". Most of the proposals around here tend to be along those lines.
Accumulate more UR point.......
What value is there in Ultimate Rewards(UR) by buying high lounge price items which I assume is your comment?
What items are being bought?
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Old May 21, 2018, 7:09 am
  #268  
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Originally Posted by k374
....for CSR anyone who does not have $10,000 minimum spend in the prior year should not be able to get Priority Pass,....
Originally Posted by LupineChemist
I like the idea and it would be useful for Chase to discern a bit between people who actually use the card and just Churners who use it as a place to accumulate their other UR points
Originally Posted by euromannn
What value is there in Ultimate Rewards(UR) by buying high lounge price items which I assume is your comment?
The idea is that Priority Pass should be earned by spending a specified amount with the Sapphire Reserve card, rather than provided as an automatic benefit given to every Sapphire Reserve cardholder. I do not see anything about spending in lounges.
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Old May 21, 2018, 8:40 am
  #269  
 
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Originally Posted by euromannn
Accumulate more UR point.......
What value is there in Ultimate Rewards(UR) by buying high lounge price items which I assume is your comment?
What items are being bought?
Many people will just have a CSR for not very much spending and basically as a way to transfer points earned from other UR sources to transfer to partners. Though usually a CSP is best for this, but the priority pass can make it so you basically get a $55 select membership (that's the premium for the CSR over the CSP when you take into account the $300 travel credit)

A minimum annual spend for the PP membership could get around them dealing with lots of people just squatting on the card.

Like I said, I like it because it would benefit me by having fewer PP members since I do use the card for quite a lot of spending.
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Old May 22, 2018, 3:41 pm
  #270  
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Originally Posted by LupineChemist
A minimum annual spend for the PP membership could get around them dealing with lots of people just squatting on the card.
This will be a Chase thing, not PP.
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