Using Priority Pass When Traveling on AA and no AC
May 25, 2022, 1:50 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Atlanta
Programs: DL 2MM/GM, AA Gold, Marriott Life Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 8
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.
Except for a few very good lounges, even average restaurant food is going to be better than lounge food.
May 25, 2022, 1:56 pm
#17
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Atlanta
Programs: DL 2MM/GM, AA Gold, Marriott Life Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 8
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.
May 25, 2022, 2:04 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
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)
May 25, 2022, 2:25 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Groveland, FL, USA
Programs: Starriot Platinum, DL PM, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,041
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.
May 25, 2022, 2:47 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
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)
May 25, 2022, 2:47 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,956
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.
May 25, 2022, 4:07 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: I 35 south bound, finally stopped
Programs: LT Plt, 4mm, *A GLD, burned out medical provider, executing our estate plan
Posts: 1,665
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.
May 25, 2022, 4:09 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Sapphire Reserve, WFBF
Posts: 1,573
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.
Except for a few very good lounges, even average restaurant food is going to be better than lounge food.
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.
May 25, 2022, 4:32 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
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.
Last edited by VegasGambler; May 25, 2022 at 4:37 pm
May 25, 2022, 8:17 pm
#25
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: EZE
Programs: UA Gold,Delta Gold Bonvoy Titanium Elite, HH Diamond , AA Platinum, EENational, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,548
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.
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.
May 25, 2022, 8:53 pm
#26
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 259
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.
May 25, 2022, 11:51 pm
#27
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,481
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.
May 26, 2022, 6:14 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NYC/PHX
Programs: IATA, Sabre, AvgeekAgent
Posts: 1,958
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.
May 26, 2022, 9:23 am
#29
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: Free agent AAdvantage LT GLD
Posts: 221
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)
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)
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...
May 26, 2022, 10:22 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
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.