Has Priority Pass Jumped the Shark?
 

I was an early and enthusiastic PP customer. I seldom have an airline choice. Getting status was never possible - business too spread out. So PP was a godsend.

But PP service on my last trip was a disapointment. For IAD-FRA-IST and ESB-MUC-IAD I found no lounge I could use. First of all the Red Carpet in IAD D-terminal refused to accept PP. (There were certain hours in the mouseprint.) The other airports on my trip had PP facilities, but not in my terminals. Access would have required a double trip through security. :mad: Layovers just not long enough.

So what do other FT'ers think. Has PP become less useful? Is it time to drop Priority Pass?

We get ours with the HHonors Surpass card. Athough it's the cheapest form, in which you pay $27 per visit, I like it because I pay only when it's useful to me. I travel less on business than I used to and the TATLs are in Business, but I used PriorityPass just last month at ORD.

I do agree that membership never recovered its luster after they dropped their relationship with the Delta Clubs.

Next week we're going to be in on Coach trips within Europe and they have Clubs in both Valencia and Palma de Majorca, where we'll be. There may even be one accessible for our ZRH-MAD flight. At $54 for the 2 of us we won't use them every time, but it will be good to have the option.

Making a long story short, I changed my Citibank Aadvantage account from a $50/year acct to one that is free with Citigold.

When I talked to the guy on the phone about the benefits of the new card vs old card, I was surprised to hear that the old card offered Priority Pass. I never knew that. I had never used it.

I looked up Priority Pass on the web and discovered they do not include the AA Admiral's Club lounge in my "home" airport, LAX Term 4. That would eliminate any benefit for me. I also discovered that even with Priority Pass, they charge $27 for lounge access. Sheesh.

For $50, I can buy a day pass to AC in the rare event I would ever want/need to go there.

So, I'm sticking with the new credit card. Free is better than $50, and I can use that savings towards the occasional AC day pass.

No more United Red Carpet Club after October 1?
 

I see in a travel newsletter that PP is discontinuing it's relationship with UAL/CO RCC on Sept 30!!!

This may only be for "PP Select" and I am unclear which membership I possess (doesn't say "select anywhere on my card)

Another one bites the dust!!

We get ours with our Amex cards, and it's the variety where you don't pay anything.

I must say that all in all I've found mine extremely useful (I've only had it about a year). I have status with KLM/Skyteam but not with anyone else, and this year I've done a fair few flights on *A airlines and have certainly found it useful then.

The downside is that there are airports where you have to go through some hoops to get lounge access. For example, at GCI (Guernsey, Channel Islands) you have to go to a desk in the check-in area to get an access code as the lounge is unmanned. Fine if your journey starts there but not if you are doing an airside transfer (as I was this morning). I decided I just couldn't be bothered with going landside and clearing security again.

There's a big huge thread going over HERE about the "Select" thingy and loss or RCC