How does Priority Pass stay profitable?
Apr 27, 2019, 12:11 am
#46
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Flyover Country
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Free Range Airline Chicken
Posts: 202
I am a gold mine for Priority Pass. I have three different cards with PP memberships, and one that gives limited visits. But one of the cards is an AMEX Plat, which gives me Delta lounge access and Centurion lounge access. When possible, I use those in preference to PP. and with the airline banking strategy of having short layovers, I find I seldom have time to go to any lounge on a domestic flight (which is most of my travel). I’m flying to Alaska in a few days and unless there is severe weather or a service interruption, I won’t be visiting any lounges. Counting up for 2018, I believe I visited three actual PP lounges (all overseas) and ate a meal on PP in three restaurants (all domestic US). So about two visits per full membership. Like most everyone here, I’m not typical, but I think there are a fair number of travelers like me.
Apr 29, 2019, 5:03 am
#48
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
I am a gold mine for Priority Pass. I have three different cards with PP memberships, and one that gives limited visits. But one of the cards is an AMEX Plat, which gives me Delta lounge access and Centurion lounge access. When possible, I use those in preference to PP. and with the airline banking strategy of having short layovers, I find I seldom have time to go to any lounge on a domestic flight (which is most of my travel). I’m flying to Alaska in a few days and unless there is severe weather or a service interruption, I won’t be visiting any lounges. Counting up for 2018, I believe I visited three actual PP lounges (all overseas) and ate a meal on PP in three restaurants (all domestic US). So about two visits per full membership. Like most everyone here, I’m not typical, but I think there are a fair number of travelers like me.
Towards the end of 2018, I flew from my home in the Northeast US to India, then to China, then back home. I was gone about 2.5 weeks. IIRC, I visited 9 Priority Pass lounges on that single trip. There was another lounge that I visited at an airport in India that I had to decide whether to enter it with my PP card or with the lounge pass I received with my Air India business class domestic ticket.
(I used my business class ticket pass, so I am not counting that one in my total here.)Two times I walked from one lounge to the next at the same airport, and once I had a guest. So I cost PP 10 visits in a couple weeks' time. However, I don't do that more than a few times a year, so I'm probably still low compared to some of the road warriors out there.
Apr 29, 2019, 12:57 pm
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
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Apr 29, 2019, 1:04 pm
#50
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
The history of airline operated lounges is different in the USA than in Europe. US airline lounges are membership clubs, anyone can join. Status with most USA-based airlines does not include lounge access for domestic flights, airlines do not have lounges at every airport served, and some airlines operate no lounges.
Apr 29, 2019, 1:05 pm
#51
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,040
Last I checked, in the USA, status alone doesn't get you lounge memberships. I'm thinking of a domestic road warrior, often flying on Southwest or multiple legacies in coach. This person might be eating a high percentage of meals at airports that have the $28 or so PP credit. Some days that could be 3x.
Apr 30, 2019, 7:12 am
#55
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
I think the best new benefit is the $28.00 or so credit at different restaurants in various airports. That along with using different PP Cards, you could make bank.
Apr 30, 2019, 7:12 am
#56
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: PGD
Programs: AS 100K, DL DM 1MM, UA 1MM
Posts: 437
I was connecting in SFO last week and went to a restaurant to get food to go as we were flying in Y. In that restaurant, I noticed a pilot who was doing as I was. The light bulb went off in my head and I thought about how heavily flight crew could utilize the restaurant option. No restriction on PP usage by flight crew to my knowledge, and a terrific value for relatively small money.
Apr 30, 2019, 7:48 am
#57
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Falls Gulch VA
Posts: 222
I got a free a Priority Pass along with my Visa Infinite credit card, which I only got because it gave me a free Global Access card. I don't have sufficiently premium access to any airline's lounge and I haven't been interested in buying access. The PP freebie is limited - five times in a year - but since I rarely spend enough time in an airport to use a lounge, I figured that should take care of me. But looking over the list of supported lounges, there are few in the airports that I most use at all, and fewer where I might have a connection long enough to find and visit a lounge. There's an Alaska one at LAX but PP there is only good there in the morning, but with LAX, either I've just gotten off a flight and I'm heading off to my destination, or I've arrived a short time before boarding. And at DCA, one of my "home" airports, when I get home, I want to go home. My most frequent changes are at DFW, DAL, or MCI, and those have pretty slim pickings for PP-offered lounges or restaurants.
Is this a new program that I can expect to grow? Or, the next time I have an early afternoon flight out of DCA, should I plan to have lunch at the (seems to be) pretty civilized restaurant where I can use the PP card?
Is this a new program that I can expect to grow? Or, the next time I have an early afternoon flight out of DCA, should I plan to have lunch at the (seems to be) pretty civilized restaurant where I can use the PP card?
Apr 30, 2019, 8:04 am
#58
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
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Priority Pass is not new., but the restaurant option is. Priority Pass is in the business of monetizing surplus lounge capacity. Consolidation of the USA-based legacy airlines means that AA, DL and UA no longer have surplus capacity, hence no acceptance of Priority Pass. AS still nominally accepts Priority Pass at most lounges, but the hours are restricted and they turn away Priority Pass when they expect to be full.
This means that most domestic lounges which accept Priority Pass are contract lounges which exist to serve foreign flag carriers that often operate only a few flights per day from a USA airport. At other times of the day they are happy to accept Priority Pass.
This means that most domestic lounges which accept Priority Pass are contract lounges which exist to serve foreign flag carriers that often operate only a few flights per day from a USA airport. At other times of the day they are happy to accept Priority Pass.
Last edited by mia; Apr 30, 2019 at 8:27 am
Apr 30, 2019, 8:22 am
#59
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 17
And this's definitely great to us users. Honestly, with abysmal food offering at most US lounges, I'd rather have a real meal at restaurants. Of course, I don't usually fly high-delay airports, so I could be biased here. Just wish the restaurant deals are sustainable given the high fee paid, so that we can continue to have these options (or even more added).
Granted, I'm no longer 100k miles/year - I travel with family more than work. PP lounges are great for that.
Apr 30, 2019, 8:47 am
#60
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: Skymiles
Posts: 2
Restaurant and lounge at same visit.
Last year. i was in gatwick and wanted to go nr PP Nr 1. It was dull but come back after 40min. So I went to Resturat that accept PP. and Had nice meal and came back to Nr one after and did have to wait since Other was declined had wait my wait.. It was definite a nice solution as my layover was 4 -5 hours and food in restaurant was much better than lounge filled gap in 3 hour max stay. But it resulted in 2 PP visits in one airport.
