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-   -   Using Priority Pass When Traveling on AA and no AC (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/2080607-using-priority-pass-when-traveling-aa-no-ac.html)

skippu May 25, 2022 1:50 pm


Originally Posted by VegasGambler (Post 34280011)
If you have a PP restaurant in your home airport it's extremely valuable (assuming you have restaurant access). Note that you can use it on arrival as well as departure. I got great value at SFO when I lived there.

Except for a few very good lounges, even average restaurant food is going to be better than lounge food.

Be aware that if you get Priority Pass Select via AmEx Platinum, the restaurant benefit is not available to you.

skippu May 25, 2022 1:56 pm


Originally Posted by rtpflyer (Post 34279997)
At YYZ and YUL I see no PP lounges accessible in the US Departure areas. If there were, I would be happy to use them.

There is a Plaza Premium Lounge in T3 Transborder. While it used to be part of Priority Pass, it is no longer.
It is a member of the AmEx lounge network, so flashing an AmEx Platinum will still get you in.

In relation to this thread, it's right next to the AC at YYZ.

VegasGambler May 25, 2022 2:04 pm


Originally Posted by skippu (Post 34280026)
Be aware that if you get Priority Pass Select via AmEx Platinum, the restaurant benefit is not available to you.

Yes, that's great reason to carry the CSR in addition to the Amex Plat. $300 travel credit plus PP restaurant early covers the annual fee if you have access to a good PP restaurant (ie, one where you like the food) in your home airport, even if you travel solo. $28 per person per visit on both departure and arrival adds up very fast. And if you have a long connection at an airport with more than 1 PP restaurant you can do a meal at one followed by drinks at another. Overall I prefer this to a club / business class lounge in most cases (first class lounges are a different story)

rtpflyer May 25, 2022 2:25 pm

Noted. I have the Amex HHonors Aspire which has other benefits. I don't fly enough anymore to justify the CSR annual fee for not enough incremental benefit.

VegasGambler May 25, 2022 2:47 pm


Originally Posted by skippu (Post 34280047)
There is a Plaza Premium Lounge in T3 Transborder. While it used to be part of Priority Pass, it is no longer.
It is a member of the AmEx lounge network, so flashing an AmEx Platinum will still get you in.

In relation to this thread, it's right next to the AC at YYZ.

Same with the Plaza Premium lounge in CUN (not PP any more, but still an Amex partner). Is that true for the whole network of Plaza Premium lounges?

Even more related to this thread, there's no AC in CUN, despite there being several AA flights (I count 15 AA destinations from CUN on flightconnections.com; not sure if some are seasonal)

ashill May 25, 2022 2:47 pm


Originally Posted by rtpflyer (Post 34279997)
At YYZ and YUL I see no PP lounges accessible in the US Departure areas. If there were, I would be happy to use them.

Yeah, I guess you're right. It's in YVR and YYC that I've used PP lounges in the US departure areas a few times. (YYZ and YUL are less common airports for me.) I have accessed the door of a nominally-PP lounge in US departures in YYZ when flying WS, but it was full and not accepting PP at the time. But YYZ isn't terribly relevant for the OP anyway since it has an AC. Anyway, the larger point: PP is, I think, in general more useful in Canada than in the US if you want a lounge-type setting.

boerne May 25, 2022 4:07 pm

Have used the lounges in CUN and CZM flying AA in the last 6 months. Its very easy to neutralize the annual fee with CSR. $300 towards travel usually gone in the first month. PP another chunk. 3 points per $1 on travel with 1.5 to 1 redemption on travel. I personally got about $2000 value out of the CSR last year alone. Also have used the LAS and MSY clubs when flying AA pre pandemic. Better than waiting at the gate.

wetrat0 May 25, 2022 4:09 pm


Originally Posted by VegasGambler (Post 34280011)
If you have a PP restaurant in your home airport it's extremely valuable (assuming you have restaurant access). Note that you can use it on arrival as well as departure. I got great value at SFO when I lived there.

Except for a few very good lounges, even average restaurant food is going to be better than lounge food.

Yeah, but the OP is considering buying PP at 10 visits for $299 and $32 thereafter, not getting it bundled in a credit card. That's $29.90 or $32.00 per visit to obtain a $28 food credit. Which is worse than worthless.

I would advise OP either to get a credit card that includes PP as part of a suite of benefits, or just buy day passes at individual lounges/restaurants when needed. I have PP through a credit card and having experienced the "variety" of PP lounges around the world, I certainly would not pay $299 for 10 visits. The lounges just generally aren't that good, and the really good ones (like TK at IAD) tend to frequently exclude PP members because they're full.

VegasGambler May 25, 2022 4:32 pm


Originally Posted by wetrat0 (Post 34280355)
Yeah, but the OP is considering buying PP at 10 visits for $299 and $32 thereafter, not getting it bundled in a credit card. That's $29.90 or $32.00 per visit to obtain a $28 food credit. Which is worse than worthless.

Yeah, my point was that I don't think that this is a good deal. Maybe I wasn't explicit enough. Getting a decent travel CC is a much better deal, if it's possible.

The CSR is $550 and includes a $300 annual stratement credit for travel. It includes unlimited visits with guests, and restaurants, and is $50 cheaper, even if you ignore the other benefits.

Brandinho1 May 25, 2022 8:17 pm

No in the sense that PP lounges largely don't care what flight you are on (there are some like the LH Business lounge in IAD that require LH, LX, OS).

I can tell you that you don’t need to be flying LH,LX,or OS to enter as a PP member as they will allow entry if your flying another airline as I entered flying Avianca just last week.

runnigel May 25, 2022 8:53 pm

I would look at the Capital One Venture x card. You will be further ahead with the $300 travel credit plus access to PP. I transit CLT and DFW. The club at CLT is okay (better now that they have a liquor license). I have heard reports that the lounge has limited access around the international departures. The Cap1 lounge in DFW is amazing and I usually just hit the grab and go section. DEN have a decent restaurant on B.

MaxVO May 25, 2022 11:51 pm


Originally Posted by Antarius (Post 34279539)
...5. Are there limits on how long you can stay on a visit?

The frugal folks at AMS enforced the time limit quite strictly. After 1.5 or 2 hrs they asked me for a 2nd swipe of my membership card. I had a couple of PP cards with me, so was happy to oblige. Otherwise there's typically a limit of 1 lounge visit per location.

NYC Flyer May 26, 2022 6:14 am


Originally Posted by runnigel (Post 34280887)
I would look at the Capital One Venture x card. You will be further ahead with the $300 travel credit plus access to PP.

Definitely--the CSR value proposition has been eclipsed in terms of a "net" annual fee analysis. Free authorized users (with PP benefits for each) and the annual anniversary points + travel credit essentially wipe out the entire membership fee.

rayfes May 26, 2022 9:23 am


Originally Posted by VegasGambler (Post 34280171)
Same with the Plaza Premium lounge in CUN (not PP any more, but still an Amex partner). Is that true for the whole network of Plaza Premium lounges?

Even more related to this thread, there's no AC in CUN, despite there being several AA flights (I count 15 AA destinations from CUN on flightconnections.com; not sure if some are seasonal)

I go to CUN often and wish there was an AC there especially with CUN now being considered "international" so you'd be able to enter when flying J (it's great to use the AUS AC when I fly down there).

You can pre-pay $59 for 2 Plaza Premium passes good for a year but it's still not a great deal since the walk up price is like $35 IIRC.

Now if only CUN had a premium pax security line and expedited immigration...

VegasGambler May 26, 2022 10:22 am


Originally Posted by NYC Flyer (Post 34281598)
Definitely--the CSR value proposition has been eclipsed in terms of a "net" annual fee analysis. Free authorized users (with PP benefits for each) and the annual anniversary points + travel credit essentially wipe out the entire membership fee.

I think it's a good card with a low (for now) AF but I would not value their travel credit at full face value due to the restrictions. The CSR one is a statement credit that applies to a wide variety of purchases (their "travel" category of extremely broad). Cap One requires you to book through their portal, which comes with all the standard issue that arise when you book through OTAs.


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