cph_flyer

Was there about a year ago and it is definitely an OK lounge with a good selection of things to drink plus the usual chips, cookies etc. Its located landside and I think they had showers availiable.

IncyWincy

Thanks.

baliktad

That seems like the best deal yet for PP. When it comes time to renew, I will definitely be doing the Ameriprise card.

2Ruse

i'll be flying with a colleague out of IST in late october - there seem to be 2 priority pass lounges there (confusing due to changes in nomenclature etc.) - the primeclass CIP lounge and the HSBC club lounge

i'll be in BA club europe but my colleague won't be and i doubt the BA dragons will allow her entrance - and i'm happy to pay a guest fee for her with my pp card at one of the others

anyone with fairly recent experience who can recommend one over the other? for me, priorities are a nice glass of wine (champagne if poss), magazines and newspapers, maybe something to eat besides olives and crisps, and views of tarmac in a somewhat peaceful place...

tia!

remyontheroad

Neither is spectacular, but I find the HSBC lounge at IST much more pleasant, open and airy and cleaner.

They have a small selection of booze (don't go for the bubbly, but I think it might be there) and a pretty decent spread of breakfast, sandwiches and pastries.

They even some hot food that is not enormously appealing, but pretty decent in a pinch, and soup that's generally pretty good. Strangely, I don't often see broccoli on the menu in restaurants in town, but it's a pretty common to see a tray of (over) steamed broccoli in the hot food corner.

Both the lounges are on the wrong side of the building for tarmac views.

You might find a copy of the English language local paper, but for the most part you'll only get Turkish press.

On the upside, both have free wifi.

MJJ

I have been a member of priority pass for the past year and am so angered by this company I want to tell as many people as possible about it so they do not have to endure the same aggravation. Let me tell you about my priority pass experiences...
PRIORITY PASS IS ABSOLUTELY AWFUL. I have found exactly TWO airport lounges which accept priority pass out of 32 different airports. Correct. Domestically, I have found absolutely no one except continental who would accept it. American Airlines does not take them. Delta/Northwest does not take them. British Airways does not take them. COUNTLESS OTHERS DO NOT TAKE THEM. The one time I had enough time to use to a Continental airport lounge, I could have just paid the $50 entrance fee and not used Priority Pass - Its worthless. And actually, PRIORITY PASS CHARGED ME ANYWAY -- get this, someone was behind me in line and Priority Pass (which requires you to keep a credit card number on file) charged me for the person behind me even though they were there on their own accord and under their own entrance - they did not ask me to confirm if I was paying for this stranger who undoubtedly had their own alternative membership program, they simply billed me for my "guest". When I saw the charge on my credit card, I figured they were not scammers and would fix this, right? WRONG. When I called Priority Pass customer service they told me "there was nothing they could do about it" and suggested I have my credit card company refund me the charge. So they would acknowledge I should not have been charged, but they would not refund me the money they illegally took from me. Instead they wanted the credit card company to eat the charge, which of course would ultimately get passed on to all of us through higher fees. Forget the immorality of the situation by passing on the buck, forcing unauthorized charges in the first place is STEALING. The one other time I actually found a lounge which accepts Priority Pass, I didnt have the worthless physical card with me (hardly anyone accepts it, is it really worth the space it takes??), so they wouldnt let me into the lounge. I called Priority Pass to verify my membership with the program (which they did) and passed the phone to the airport lounge front desk so they could confirm my membership, and Priority Pass actually told the desk I was a member but to never let members in if they do not have the physical card with them. WHAAAAT???? My passport/drivers license is good enough for the government and the TSA to verify my identity and let me on a plane to enter another country, but its not good enough for Priority Pass to allow me to utilize the service I am paying for???? This is THE MOST WORTHLESS program on the face of the earth. The fact they charge money for it is a huge scam, and I also plan on registering a complaint with the better business bureau. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY ON THIS RIDICULOUS PROGRAM.

JerryFF

Sorry about your bad experience regarding the incorrect charge, but of course you can always dispute that through your credit card company.

On the other hand, your rant about what lounges accept PP seems somewhat misdirected. The website clearly lists what lounges accept PP and your list of those that do not - "Delta/Northwest", American, British - are not on the PP list.

Did you go to the website and look up the list of lounges before you joined? Honestly, I cannot understand how you could be upset about which lounges do and do not accept the card when they are clearly spelled out. If they did not meet your criteria, why did you join?

MoreMilesPlease

Agree with JerryFF.

Priority Pass is up front with info. You must read it and make a decision if you want to join or use a membership. If you have a problem then dispute it on with your credit card company. Easy to do.

So you had such a bad experience. Perhaps you will return to Flyertalk and peruse the forums. Lots of good information here.

Diplomatico

Welcome to FT, MJJ. As others have stated, the Priority Pass website lists every single lounge that accepts Priority Pass...about 600 worldwide. They also send members a rather thick guidebook that lists every single lounge that accepts their program.

mia

If you dispute the charge with your credit card company Priority Pass will need to contact the lounge to request a copy of the transaction slip which you signed when you entered, and this will show if you were there alone or with a guest. I don't suppose you retained your copy of that slip?

mileshound

I agree. You need to see what lounges are in the program BEFORE you join. PP is VERY upfront about it. If you do not like the selection, do not join.

PP also states you need the card. So put the 1 little card in your wallet as you travel. If you forget it, it is your fault.

Finally, the airport lounge gives you a receipt and you need to sign a slip noting you entered the lounge. If it lists a guest and you do not have one, address the issue then. You need to be aware of what you are signing.

To be brutally honest, all of your issues are in fact your issues and not PP.

While I do not like the selection of lounges, I knew the rules when I joined so I can not b**ch about them.

ttervooren

I agree with MilesHound. You are way off base here. I find Priority Pass to be a great deal. I paid $165/year through Ameriprise which includes cards for me and my husband. I think that is a great deal for the number of lounges they offer. I check their website before I travel and use whatever lounge is closest to my gate. I think the Alaska and Continental lounges are great. I like them better than the Admiral's Club lounges that AA offers.

cbourl

Hey priority pass is good - try the Swiss Business lounge at JFK, or the Swiss Arrivals Lounge in Zuerich, or if you like try out al lthoe available lounges at JFK,in SIN, in TLV (the Dan lounges are fine!!) or the Wwissport Lounge in Athens Try the full mebership!
^

Mr. Mastodon Flyer

Can anybody share experiences (successful or otherwise) using Priority Pass to get into a lounge at the *arrival* airport? Looking at the T&C, it appears that this should be allowed at US airports, but I'm wondering if anybody has had issues doing this. Thanks.

MJJ

How on earth can you possibly claim I am "off-base"???? HELLOO THIS IS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. This is not speculation, this is not a third-party summarization of someone else's experiences, THESE ARE FACTS. For whoever claimed British Airways and Delta/Northwest accept Priority Pass, HAVE YOU EVER TRIED ENTERING ANY OF THEIR LOUNGES WITH PRIORITY PASS???? I have. And seeing your point that it seems they should accept Priority Pass, I have tried MULTIPLE lounges from each carrier. THEY DO NOT TAKE PRIORITY PASS. And, yes, definitely point taken from those who asked why I didnt look before I signed up - and yes I did - and guess what - lounges have stopped participating. When I signed up, Delta/Northwest lounges were available and no longer are. They are LOSING more lounges than they are signing up, and the majority of any new lounges they gain are international - not domestic, where most of us can use them most. So in response, they no longer provide what they said they did when I signed up, if someone saw a list of non-participating airlines and Delta/Northwest and BA are NOT on them, then they do NOT provide accurate information (blows that support right out of the water), and regardless of ANY of this, NO COMPANY SHOULD BE MAKING UNAUTHORIZED CHARGES. This is just not acceptable. this is STEALING. Just because your credit card company will remove the charge does not make it ok. Credit card companies are a business and need to make money too. do you really think they just eat the loss? they pass it on to all of us! So we all need to pay for what Priority Pass stole! Its one thing for a company to accidentally post an unauthorized charge. But if you call them to fix it and they refuse, do you really trust them to do the right thing anywhere else? And i almost forgot, since I've only ever been able to utilize a lounge through Priority Pass once out of DOZENS of tries, in that one time I never received a slip or statement. I was asked to sign a guestbook where I signed my name for attendance - there was absolutely no mention of a guest or guestname there. But yes I do totally agree that this forum is a great reference for future travel so I will not only know better than to ever pay a dime or support anyone paying a dime for Priority Pass, but would know to expect/take an admittance receipt so I have it for when Priority Pass unlawfully charges me again! Regardless, thanks for all the responses, as you can tell I am so insanely frustrated with this company!!!