Priority Pass is one of the most valuable perks of elite credit cards. The American Express Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Citi Prestige are some of the cards that come with the membership. Priority Pass allows cardholders to access lounges free of charge. These lounges are part of the network that can be found here. Many of these lounges a
re OK lounges, but some are stellar. It seems that Priority Pass has added what can possibly be their best lounge in the US as well as some other neat additions. At their current rate, Priority Pass expansion will allow it to have lounges at almost every major airport in the world.
Turkish Airlines Lounge Washington Dulles Added
One of the best lounges in the network in the US is the Turkish Airlines lounge at Washington Dulles. The lounge is normally accessible to Turkish Airlines Elites. It can also be accessed by United Club members, as well as Star Alliance Gold members. The lounge is really nice, and it was recently added to the Turkish Airlines network. Gary Leff reports that it had been available for a while to access the lounge via Priority Pass, but now it’s official. Their app shows that the lounge is now accessible.
Priority Pass adds a Restaurant to Network
Another addition to the Priority Pass expanding network is the addition of a restaurant in London. Lucky from One Mile at a Time reports that the Grain Store Cafe and Bar will be added effective immediately to the Priority Pass group. The restaurant is located in London Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal. Priority Pass holders will be given a 15GBP credit, which can be used to buy food in the restaurant. If you go over the amount given, you are responsible for the remaining cost. Their menu can be found here.
Priority Pass probably pays the restaurant a fixed amount per visit, say 10GBP, knowing that most customers will either overspend or underspend their voucher. If they spend 9 GBP, the restaurant made a 1GBP profit, if they buy 20GBP food, then the restaurant added gains from the passenger.
Landing Thoughts
Priority Pass is one of the coolest perks of the premium credit cards. Cards like the Citi Prestige, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and American Express Platinum offer this benefit. There are some other cards that also offer it, but they tend to be from foreign banks. Priority Pass has solid lounges in London. With the addition of the restaurant it offers more choices to customers. They offer lounges across the world, and with larger numbers all the time it sounds like an awesome option for travelers who go to different locations that do not have an airline specific lounge. I have visited the San Juan VIP Lounge, which is a Priority Pass lounge, and the one in St Maarten, as well as various others. They are not as good as the Centurion Lounge, but are a good place to pass the time in most airports.
What do you think? Are you excited for these new additions to the Priority Pass network? Have you ever visited any of them before? Let us know!
Images from View from the Wing, and One Mile at a Time, which are credited of their reports.
I have found PP to be very valuable all over the world…with the exception of the American Airlines lounge in Philadelphia.
I find the European lounges generally very mediocre. The Priority Pass benefit is a very valuable benefit of some of the credit cards but there are places in Europe they don’t have anything to offer. Last week I met someone wandering around the airport at Bucharest, the capital of Romania, who had been turned away from the Mastercard Lounge, as I had. European capital where they don’t have anything to offer.
The lounges outside of US are pretty good. But the ones in US have lots of room to improve.
I’m particular disappointed that there is only ONE lounge at a busy airport like SFO. You can only access that lounge when you are flying JetBlue or some international airlines. The lounge will also turn away PP members at certain times when there’s an Air France flight.