AMEX Priority Pass will exclude Restaurants (August 2019)
Jun 20, 2019, 10:44 am
#271
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I guess the better way to state my question would be “I wonder what drove AX’s private motivations which lead them to this decision and what alternatives, if any, were discussed internally?”
Jun 20, 2019, 11:07 am
#272
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The fact that Priority Pass has not reacted suggests, to me, that negotiations between Priority Pass and American Express are ongoing. American Express has an "advance notice" culture, but it's also a negotiating tool. This will be painful for Priority Pass to implement with only 60 days notice. I think we aren't done.
Jun 20, 2019, 11:13 am
#273
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Jun 20, 2019, 12:36 pm
#274
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From my limited perspective the REAL issue here is utilization. Sure $20 is $20 is $20 but if PPass members are more likely to hit up a restaurant at an airport when they would NOT have hit up a PPass lounge (FWIW I would probably not go to the AF/KL lounge at IAH BUT would go to the restaurants there) then you’ve got a utilization issue where it becomes $20 x [ however many EXTRA visits due ONLY to the fact the vendor’s a restaurant ] comes into play.
Jun 20, 2019, 12:59 pm
#275
Join Date: Dec 2006
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FWIW, I spoke to a server at one of the PDX PP-accepting restaurants and in their words "the writing was on the wall" because of the abuse she was seeing (multiple visits in a day, multiple restaurant visits, etc.).
... so as we'd all suspected, "This is why we can't have nice things"
... so as we'd all suspected, "This is why we can't have nice things"
Jun 20, 2019, 1:03 pm
#276
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
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FWIW, I spoke to a server at one of the PDX PP-accepting restaurants and in their words "the writing was on the wall" because of the abuse she was seeing (multiple visits in a day, multiple restaurant visits, etc.).
... so as we'd all suspected, "This is why we can't have nice things"
... so as we'd all suspected, "This is why we can't have nice things"
Regards
Jun 20, 2019, 1:08 pm
#277
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While I have no doubt there was abuse from travelers and airport/airline employees, I'm curious if anyone knows what if any controls/auditing existed between the restaurant and PP?
Otherwise, given there didn't even seem to be a requirement at some places to verify boarding passes, what's to prevent a restaurant owner from signing up for and scanning their own PP cards once every N hours? And their staff...
Otherwise, given there didn't even seem to be a requirement at some places to verify boarding passes, what's to prevent a restaurant owner from signing up for and scanning their own PP cards once every N hours? And their staff...
Jun 20, 2019, 1:11 pm
#278
Join Date: Dec 2006
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I hadn't used the (restaurant) benefit in a while (as I try to time my time airside to be as short as possible) but I did note they actually scanned my BP yesterday, which was a first for me.
Jun 20, 2019, 3:30 pm
#279
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It is clear from the rules of the program that restaurants (and lounges) are SUPPOSED to ask for proof of a same-day flight from people wanting to use PP there. Obviously, that has not been happening in most cases.
Jun 20, 2019, 3:31 pm
#280
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Well, considering everyone eating/visiting such would have one of these by default, the issue really comes down to using it to track PP spending, which I'm surprised wasn't implemented as of day one.
Jun 20, 2019, 3:57 pm
#281
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Right, although since neither PP nor the restaurant really have any incentive to police this as long as they're getting paid, the impetus would've had to come from AMEX saying to PP "we will only pay you for visits associated with verified BP scans".
Jun 20, 2019, 4:21 pm
#282
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Or those of us that have multiple PP cards will not change their spending patterns but rather change their PP card. I know I'll only travel with my Chase issued PP card post Aug 1.
Jun 21, 2019, 5:58 am
#283
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,857
Airport/Airline employees can have Priority Pass and no boarding pass. There's surely plenty of abuse there.
Jun 21, 2019, 11:20 am
#284
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Yes, and I think that’s probably been a concern with lounge access for a long time. The free food & drink at restaurants really increases the incentives for both cardholders and restaurants to game the system.
Jun 21, 2019, 11:25 am
#285
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