Access to airport lounges with priority pass
Do you prefer travelling by air but don't like wasting time in airports? Do you want to enjoy comfort, privacy and additional services while waiting for your flight? Then you should learn about lounges, special areas where you can relax, eat, work or have fun without depending on the public areas of the airport.
An airport priority lounge pass is not just a privilege for business class or airline members. There are different ways to access them. That's what we'll talk about in this article.
How to access airport lounges
If you're a frequent air traveller, you probably know how important it is to have a comfortable and quiet place to wait for your flight. Airport lounges offer comfortable chairs, free drinks and snacks, Wi-Fi, and showers. There are several ways to get an airport priority pass. They differ in cost, terms, conditions, and coverage. Choose the one that best suits your needs and preferences.
Priority Pass
It is one of the largest independent airport lounge access programs. With it, you can visit more than 1,300 rest areas in over 600 cities and 148 countries around the world. You can purchase it on the website https://www.prioritypass.com/ or through the mobile application. To do this, you need to fill out an application form, choose the type of membership and pay for an annual pass. Once you have received your membership card, you can use the services of the lounges.
There are three types of membership: Standard, Standard Plus and Prestige. They differ in the cost of the annual pass and the number of free visits to the lounges.
|
Membership type |
Annual pass price |
Number of free lounge visits |
Cost of additional visits and guests |
|
Standard |
£69 |
0 |
£20 per visit or guest |
|
Standard Plus |
£189 |
10 |
£20 per additional visit or guest |
|
Prestige |
£339 |
unlimited |
£20 per guest |
The Priority Pass allows you to enjoy comfort, privacy and extra services in airport lounges. Here you can:
- relax;
- grab a bite to eat;
- work;
- have fun.
All this is done without depending on the public areas of the airport. Plus, you can invite guests for an additional fee. Some lounges also offer spa services, showers, meeting rooms, and other amenities.
There are some restrictions. A priority pass does not give you access to all airport lounges. You can only visit lounges that partner with the program. You can check the list of available lounges at https://www.prioritypass.com/ or in the mobile app. Note that some areas may have restrictions on dwell time and seating capacity or require reservations in advance.
Amex Priority Pass
If you are an American Express Platinum or Gold cardholder, you can also take advantage of the Amex priority pass. Depending on the type of card you have, you can visit the rest areas for free or for a small fee. In addition, you also get access to other recreation areas such as Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs. This can be very handy if you fly with different airlines or want more choices.
Amex allows access to over 1,200 lounges at 500 airports worldwide regardless of airline or ticket class.
You can activate your priority pass at https://www.americanexpress.com/ or via the mobile app. You will then be able to use the lounges.
The Amex Pass is included with your American Express credit card service fee. You do not pay extra to visit the lounges. However, you can invite guests for an additional fee. The guest fee depends on your credit card and lounge type. It usually ranges from $27 to $32 per guest.
This pass helps you enjoy comfort, privacy, and extra services in airport lounges. You can relax, eat, work or have fun without depending on the public areas of the airport. You can also invite guests for an additional fee. Some lounges also offer spa services, showers, meeting rooms and other amenities.
Other ways to gain lounge access
If you are not entitled to free airport lounge access by your ticket or status, you may want to consider other options that can make your wait for a flight more comfortable and enjoyable.
Day Pass
You can buy a pass to private lounge areas such as the No1 Lounges, which are also under different names: My Lounge, Club Aspire and Clubrooms. They have several lounge areas in the UK:
- Heathrow terminals 3 and 5;
- Gatwick;
- Edinburgh;
- Manchester.
As well as several rest areas in Las Vegas, Orlando and Atlanta.
Heathrow airport lounge area prices start from £35 per person. You can buy a ticket on the day you visit, but then you run the risk of not getting there due to occupancy and it may be more cost-effective to book in advance.
Take advantage of discounts at airport lounges
Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club frequent flyer program gives members benefits in lounge areas. It states that there are discounts on day tickets to No1 Lounges at Heathrow Terminal 3, Gatwick and Birmingham. And No1 Lounges also gives a free glass of champagne for Virgin Atlantic passengers who book in advance.
The HSBC Premier credit card (no annual fee) gives customers access to the LoungeKey network for £20 per person per visit.
Barclays Avios Plus cardholders can get a discounted rate of £18.50 per person for a LoungeKey ticket via DragonPass. There is a monthly fee of £20 for the credit card.
Access through bundled privileges
Some packaged bank accounts offer airport lounge access in their feature set, but there may be minimum income restrictions and you have to pay a monthly fee.
For example, the NatWest Premier Reward Black account, which costs £31 per month, includes DragonPass membership in its list of privileges.
Other countries
If you're travelling outside of the UK, you can also find ways to get a priority pass in other countries. Here are some of them:
- You can use the LoungeBuddy service, which allows you to buy access to lounge areas at airports around the world regardless of your class of service, lounge membership or elite status. They now have over 280 partners around the world.
- You can take advantage of Mastercard Airport Experiences, which gives you exclusive access to over 1,400 lounge areas in 120 countries when you present your Mastercard. You can also enjoy benefits like Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, free drinks and more at these clubs.
- You can choose a credit card that gives you access to the Priority Pass network. The program has more than 1,300 lounge areas in over 600 cities and 148 countries. Some of these cards also give you access to other lounge areas such as Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs.
There are several ways to access lounge areas at airports around the world, depending on your class of service, loyalty program membership or credit card type. Make your travels more comfortable and enjoyable.
