GUWonder

Saturday afternoon being the main time, at hours largely corresponding to when the other two IAD PriorityPass lounges aren’t available via PP either.

captaink

It's that exact attitude that causes great travel benefits & perks to disappear for the 95% who understand that just because the rules don't say you can't, doesn't mean you *should*.

I get that Chase is desperate to get the sort of high-fee market share that Amex has, but advertising "Unlimited" guests for PP lounges just destroys the product for everyone else.

transportprof

I used the Dnata Skyview lounge on my Priority Plus benefit through Amex this morning in Geneva. I was the only person in the lounge! I can't imagine a better experience at GVA. The Swiss lounge is usually packed with TATL departures in the morning.

Points Scrounger

As per the advice in this thread, I arrived a bit early - no hesitation at all for a 2PM admittance. Lounge is busy, but not mobbed (yet).

JHake10

I decided to pop into the KLM lounge at IAH after leaving the Centurion just to check it out. It was comfortably full but not crazy. Then a family of four came in, followed by another family.

Who knows, they can all have cards with PP access. However, if I had to guess it's one CSR with unlimited guesting privileges.

CarefulBuilder14

When bringing many guests into a PP lounge, does Chase pay some fee for all those guests? I'm guessing it would be quite a bit less than $27 per person. If this (heavy use/abuse) is common, maybe Chase will cut the benefit soon?

Or does Chase just negotiate a fixed fee to Priority Pass, and Priority Pass takes the risk of there being huge numbers of guests, paying the contract lounges for however many people enter?

krazykanuck

How's the food and drink in there these days? The quality and selection had become pretty pedestrian once overtaken by PP cardholders. It was still nice right when they first entered PP, I think 3 ish years ago. I haven't been since the Centurion opened last summer though so not sure if it's changed. It was so obvious they were gaming it because I could tell they swapped out the booze for the hours that it served the KLM IAH-AMS passengers and then swapped it back with lower quality stuff for the rest of the day. Maybe I'll drop by on Friday and check it out, depending on how much time I have before my flight.

I would think it's the former, otherwise why would have Amex have negotiated a cardholder +0 rule at first (which has since become +2), Citi Prestige was always cardholder +2, and Chase I think went cardholder +unlimited, to be able to one up its competitors.

JHake10

The spread isn't great. Basically on point with United Clubs. They had salad, hummus and pita, veggies with ranch, and tomato soup. What I like is the self serve cans of soda. The alcohol didn't look to good. Some cheap wine and champagne from what I saw.

I wish Centurion lounges had a soda fountain so I didn't have to wait at the bar for a diet coke.

Points Scrounger

FYI - Centurion Studio @ SEA has cans available, left over from their pre-bar days.

Happy

I tend to agree because the PP benefit providers, be it a lounge or a restaurant, swipe the card and indicated HOW MANY guests for the access. If the number of guests do not matter, why would they enter the number of the guests admitted?

Personally I feel the restaurant benefits are far better than the over-crowded, very sub-par lounges (namely the AS lounges at LAX and SEA the only 2 we have been). Really envy those whose base is PDX - they have 2 food outlets and a drink outlet to choose from, at least for the time being they can visit all 3 and get outsize value from each visit.

Slightly OT
The restaurant at MIA has a ridiculous 18% gratuity added to the bill (regardless whether it is regular patron or PP guest). The waitresses also always forget to deduct the $30 per person PP benefit from the final bill. Service is non-existent. Foods are very average. A Club Sandwich for example, only the breads were toasted, i.e. not cold. Everything inside was just out from the fidge type cold, and the lettuce was wilted.
Grilled Salmon is about the only food you should order. Everything else you get better options from other eateries even in the airport.

lalala

This is the only reason I may get a Amex PLT with PP -- the lounge options for Alaska are nil at IAD.

However, having said this - AS SEA-IAD flight now gets in and leaves at ridiculous times, so it may not be an issue anymore.

Points Scrounger

As a followp, by the time I left around 4:00 the lounge was pretty full, with a line out into the concourse waiting to sign in! I had flown into DCA.

Others are displeased, shall we say, that the Centurion Studio @ SEA has no hot food, only sandwiches, soup, salad, etc. which is ok with me.

ptownca

But, given the current restrictions the SEA Lounge faces, you won't walk out hungry unlike many other lounges from the majors.

dhuey

I used my PriorityPass card twice today at Newark. First, the Art & Lounge in Terminal B. Not too impressive: small, no windows, food didn’t look very good.

Air Canada in Terminal A was much better. Keep in mind that they stop accepting PP at 3 pm. That’s stated on the PP website and app, and they really do enforce the rule. I saw two people turned away after 3 pm. (You can stay after 3, but you must arrive before then).

sdix

Went into the Art & Lounge a couple of weeks ago. Ok place for a free drink but no windows, bad food and a pretty small bar. There was an awful lot of reference to Israel inside it almost looked like an El Al lounge. (maybe it was)