Priority Pass detailed information?
 

I've looked at the web site for PP and read the past posts, but still can't figure out what it is you get for your PP membership.

You get access to the lounges, but do you get free drinks? Do you get discounted drinks? What do you get that someone without a card can get?

Also, if I'm a PP member, can I take a guest or guests with me to the lounges who aren't PP members? Can children go in these lounges, or would I want children in these lounges?

TIA

it depends on the individual (contracted) lounge policies.

Access: depending on what kind/calss of Priority membership you buy, you (and an accompanying guest) get access (you show your Priority card and you will be charged entry fees per person). I have seen children at such lounges, but I am not sure if they entered with a Priority Pass or another membership-card of that lounge.

Drinks: more often than not there is a 'help yourself open bar' in the lounge offering also a very limited wine selection and some spirits.

Food: may be some chips, bretzels, peanuts. More than that are very rare exceptions.

various: one or 2 TV-sets are running, in Europe there will often be an 'open ' smoking section, sometimes (paid) Internet access, TV-screens with departure and arriving informations, rarely a limited selection of newspapers and 'old' magazines.

Priority Pass is a pretty good program - depending on your travel locations and methods.

I was a member for a year at the $299 level (unlimited lounge access for me only - $20/guest/time). I only pd $229 for the year - 20% off promo. Still see it around sometimes. Look or ask for that promo. Also - have a $99 deal where it costs like $20/25 per person per time (including you). So if you only use it 3-4 times for yourself - that is better. Guests are always extra on both plans.

I think it works well for either the single business traveller - OR - the occasional traveller with guest. Airline Club memberships typically allow you 2 guests at no addl charge - so that would be better if you always have guests and use the same main airports. It also is nice for Intl users as they have a lot of Intl clubs.

At the time (pre terror attacks) I used it mainly on my return flights - when I got to the airport 1-2 hrs before the flight. Outbound from home - I scrapped in door to gate in like 10 minutes - so no time for the clubs.

It is accepted at most Delta/NW/Continental clubs in the US - and at the time US Air too. United was doing a test of their non-HUB (ORD/DEN/SFO/IAD) clubs - not sure if they are still in. Intl airport clubs are usually operated by ground FBO's - not airlines - and most Intl airports had several - in the PP program.

You go into the club like all clubs - and show your membership card. For PP they take your card and swipe it in a credit card like swipper - making a "imprint" on a credit card like form. They will fill in the date and # of people (1=just me) and then I sign. They keep a copy and send it in. Most of the attendents had no idea how/what PP was other than they knew it meant access to the club (like Diners/Amex Plat etc). Once they said - "oh that is for Intl citizens right?". (The address that they remitted the forms to was Coryden, England, UK - so I suppose that was their assumption. I think it actually went to Dallas, TX. Anyways - when the slip gets to Dallas - I suppose they "charge" your card for guests - or for you and the guest depending on the membership program you have. )

Then you leave the desk and into the club. No one in the club knows where/how you got in. You have all the rights and privledges of everyone else in the club. Most clubs have sodas and TV, newspapers and magazines, comfortable chairs and quiet nooks. Some have alcholic drinks (some of those are free - NWA/Delta and some cost $ (US Air/UAL)) but that may have changed too.

MSP Flyer

p.s. I kept track of my uses on a spreadsheet and found that I only used the clubs about 10 times in a year. I travelled about 30 weeks - but only found I had the time, right terminal, or right club about 30% of the time. For me - that was $ 23 per time ($230/10 times) and I thought I could have bought my own drinks and a whole lot more for that money. The peace and quiet was nice but again - the value wasn't there for me. Everyones experience on that will be different. But I would keep track - you may find it is more/less valuable.

How does Priority Pass work? Each time you enter a club does PP have to pay a fee to the club/airline? Or do clubs create an agreement to allow PP members in, regardless of how many times they enter? I sometimes visit two clubs when I am in an airport. If one is near my arrival gate, I will stop in to make some phone calls, etc. and then if I have to wait awhile, maybe Ill spend time in a different club closer to my departure gate during connections. Does this mean that PP has to pay more since I visited more than one club in the same day?

Anybody have any idea how Priority Pass works?

http://www.prioritypass.com/

Standard Membership
This low cost plan is designed for the traveler who wants the security of access when needed with a low annual fee - just US$99. After a visit to a participating lounge a fee of just US$24 per person, per visit is charged to the member’s designated payment card.
* Annual Fee: US$99
* Member Visit Fee: US$24
* Guest Visit Fee: US$24

Standard Plus Membership
This plan incorporates Standard Membership with 10 member lounge visits included - for an annual fee of just US$249. After the free visits have been used, each visit is charged at US$24 per visit to the member's designated payment card.
* Annual Fee: US$249
* Member Visit Fee: 10 Visits FREE then US$24
* Guest Visit Fee: US$24

Prestige Membership
Designed for the frequent traveler who would prefer to make a one-off payment to gain access to lounges. For as little as US$399 free access to all the participating lounges in the program is available as often as required.
* Annual Fee: US$399
* Member Visit Fee: All visits FREE
* Guest Visit Fee: US$24

Under all plans accompanying guests are welcome too. The Guest Visit Fee (as stated above) will be charged per guest to the member’s payment card. Please note currency will vary by country of residence

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited Mar 17, 2004).]

Yes, but...

Each time you enter a club does PP have to pay a fee to the club/airline? Or do clubs create an agreement to allow PP members in, regardless of how many times they enter? I sometimes visit two clubs when I am in an airport. If one is near my arrival gate, I will stop in to make some phone calls, etc. and then if I have to wait awhile, maybe Ill spend time in a different club closer to my departure gate during connections. Does this mean that PP has to pay more since I visited more than one club in the same day?

Just wondering how quickly the guest charges hit your credit card? Is it as soon as they swipe your PP card or does it take some time?

thanks!

Is it as soon as they swipe your PP card or does it take some time?

depends entirely on the individual lounge (on how the proceed): from 1 day to never

For guest fees as well, it can vary. In three visits last summer with my partner, only once did a charge go through.

Also a not for UK FT'ers. You get the full access PP as part of Amex Platinum/Centurion. So it may make the Amex Fee worth it if you count the cost of PP.

I've got to say, except for a few occasions, it'w worked out pretty good for me and I've not renewed my UA RCC. Only palces I've been stuck are JFK and CDG2.

[This message has been edited by LHR Tim (edited Mar 18, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by LHR Tim (edited Mar 18, 2004).]

I wish they would bring back some of the other US Airways clubs they removed. Now it is only the hub airports.

I wonder if PP monitors how many lounges one visits in one day? They say unlimited, but sometimes I'll be in 2-3 a day depending upon my travel plans. As someone mentioned on another board, if PP pays nearly $18 per person per entry, that can add up for them!!

1. What clubs participate nowadays?

2. What is a "swipper"?

More questions about using Priority Pass
 

I am interested in the Priority Pass Program, but I have two questions for which I cannot get definitive answers.

My wife and I fly American, Alaska, Delta, and now NW and Continental. We connect through all the usual hubs and frequent SFO, SJC, LAX, LAS, SNA, PHX, and SEA among others.

My first questions concerns access to the designated Priority Pass Lounge when you must leave one concourse and go through a security check onto another concourse. For example, at LAX, when using American Airlines, it is necessary to leave the American Airlines building and go through security in another airline’s terminal in order to access the designated Priority Pass Lounge. Will we be able to do this with ease even though we are ticketed on American and not this other airline?

The second question involves entering, exiting, and re-entering the same lounge. For example, if you leave the longune to get something to eat and then return 45 minutes later, will another Priority Pass entry fee be charged? Of course, this situation is applicable for the lower tier of memberships only.

I talked to Priority Pass about my concerns. For the first question, the only answer they were able to give me was that it depends on the airport and the level of security at any specific period of time. The lady I talked with at Priority Pass told me about a person she had talked with several days early. This individual had no problem entering a concourse of an airline for which she was not ticketed.

For the second question, I did not get an answer.

I was told that Priority Pass does not have any agreements with American Airlines for the use of their lounges. I was also told that Priority Pass uses a number of Delta, NW, and Continental lounges, but at SLC there is no Priority Pass Lounge available. The only Alaska lounge available is in Alaska, and there are some United Red Carpet Rooms used by Priority Pass.

Our home airports are SFO, SJC, and sometimes OAK. Nevertheless, we stopped using United years ago. I am a fairly big guy, and MRTC on American is extremely important. I avoid their 757 and Airbus airplanes. We use Alaska when we must for their service to the Pacific Northwest. I can survive their trips under two hours without MRTC. We are big time American Express and American Express Delta Skymile Card users and fly Delta, NW, and Continental for first class award travel.

We do not want to buy a membership in both the American and Delta Lounges. We cannot justify the cost of doing this.

Any answers, experiences, assistance, or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much.

PriorityPass
 

SFO-SJC- sorry I don't have detailed answers, but here are some observations:

I just flew home from BWI alst weekend and was able to use the USAirClub in one terminal even though I was flying Southwest out of another. I came prepared with the PriorityPass guide in case the people at Security hadn't seen a PriorityPass- it lists every lounge you can use. I didn't need it.

My experiences so far: USAir Club at BWI- open bar. ServisAir lounge at LHR- open bar, coin-operated Internet access- but not too expensive. There was a Kuwaiti Airways lounge nearby- no alcohol. (The booklet tells you what you can get at each club.)

From what I could tell, there are no Admiral's Club lounges in the system. Unfortunate, since AA is my primary airline. Still, I'm happy with the deal. Looks like most of the time I'll be able to find someplace to hang out other than the gate area.