Access declined [Priority Pass member experiences]
 

When a lounge is full/at capacity, fire safety regulations say that no more can come it. It really has nothing to do with PP. Some partner lounges restrict the number of PP guests they will/can accommodate.

Nor have I been declined yet either, though I'm only using the Pass once or twice a month. I think it's a genuine risk, and the issues with Alaska are well documented elsewhere in this forum, but for many passengers it is probably something they don't experience.

Declined at IAD Turkish Lounge - after spending time during a long layover in the British Airways Galleries Lounge which then closed at 14:00.

Waited 5 min and returned, asked a different person to have the next entrant with status guest me in. Worked.

That is indeed a result!

I was recently declined at a lounge in ACC (Accra, Ghana) because I had two guests. I was told that this particular lounge admits only one guest. We went to a different lounge and got right in with all three of us.

This is my only experience with being declined. I have Priority Pass Select through Chase Sapphire Reserve.

I had the PP lounge at BOS put me on a waitlist with phone number. After about an hour they did call me and let me in.

I signed up for Priority Pass almost a year ago. I generally use American Airlines Admirals Club access on international flights since I am AAdvantage Platinum. I supposedly have 10 free PP club accesses with my membership but so far have not been admitted on my 2 attempts. Either there is no lounge in the airport/terminal where I am or it is a partner lounge (e.g. Alaska - soon to go away) where access is capacity controlled. I don't consider PP to be a good deal at all. Caveat emptor.

That's the point of booking, so you are guaranteed entry... It seems to be a bit better this year for some reason, I've not been refused once all year and I travel weekly from T1.

Denied at KAL lounges at KIX, ICN (main terminal). Those lounges even have semi-permanent banners for this purpose, addressed to PP members. "Lounge reserved for KAL passengers".

While I haven't been refused access due to capacity controls, I have felt that I snuck in just under the wire on occasion. The Aspire lounge at US departures in YYC can get full sometimes and while it is rare, I have entered and found what I thought was the 2nd to last available seat on the floor.

LAX T6 Alaska Lounge almost always has a no-PP sign out due to capacity. I've never seen no sign. It's a relatively small lounge and usually packed.

MAN T1 Escape lounge frequently has a no-capacity sign, not just for PP but for everyone.

I got lucky -- even though the 'At capacity" signs were out in both PDX and LAX last year, the Alaska lounge dragons, after long pauses, decided to admit me, as if they were sizing me up (I'm sure they were checking upcoming flight arrivals or something). Then the PDX one scolded me for having a to-go bag from Capers until I had to reassure her that I was planning on eating my brownie on the flight, not in the lounge.

So zero denials, but two near-misses.