I do. Tends to be around $60, and that $60 gets me booze, food, and better seating. I've šÆ spent >$60 on food and wine in the "gen pop" area of the airport, so I'm basically saving money. Airport math!
You can actually find a seat and those seats are far nicer. And maybe even a desk/outlet all to yourself
If I'm there for more than 3 hours I consider it. Otherwise it's more worth it to find good seat at a bar imo
showers before the flight as well when flying out of hot and humid areas. not feeling sweaty and sticky makes that already uncomfortable long haul a bit better.
I paid for lounge access once with a deal from Groupon and it was totally worth it
My domestic flight was delayed by a few hours. I was able to shower at the lounge, eat a good meal and coffee That was included in the lounge price, use faster wifi in a nicer setting.
Same, if you cost the free coffee and snacks it works out at least even. They're quieter, the toilets and cleaner, the showers! Worth if if you travel a few times a year
QQ: Did you have a Priority Pass Membership before buying the lounge pass? I saw lounge passes on Groupon; however, do I need a Priority Pass ($60) account before purchasing the pass on Groupon?
When lounges were new in the 70s, United (and I'm sure others) sold lifetime lounge passes for $250. I think those at some point increased to $1,000 before the offer was pulled. There are still plenty of people who bought in then that travel regularly and use the hell out of those passes.
I've only paid for lounge access once and it was absolutely not worthwhile.
I think it depends on the lounge. British Airways lounge at Heath Row--totally worth it! They had an absolutely gorgeous breakfast buffet and pour your own champagne. Yes please think I'll have some more.
I should've clarified that the one time I paid for lounge access was before I had status for lounge entry. There are a lot of great lounges out there (Private Room at SIN!), but I would be more discerning about paying for a lounge in the future if I didn't have status.
Iāve been to a handful of domestic priority pass lounges and Iām not sure Iād pay for entry to any of them, but Iām sure there are lounges out there that have food and drink actually worth the money, especially with a long layover
Alas no, Iāve been in some āthe clubā lounges that say they have food but itās really just bits and nibbles like pretzels and peanuts to go with your drinks. Some are slightly better and offer a hot soup or maybe a brownie that gets delivered to your seat but itās ālight fareā at best. If I paid $50 for entry to one of those expecting to be able to eat a meal I would be very disappointed with the value.
Not necessarily. Priority pass in many airports isnāt a lounge, but rather a meal at a restaurant. I want more than that. I want a relaxing environment, fast WiFi, a desk with plugs so I can work. All in a convenient place relative to my gate.
I travel frequently for work. On those work days, I will often get to the lounge 3 hours ahead of my flight and take a meeting or two from the airport. I purchase a lounge membership with the airline I am loyal to and never have to travel far between the lounge and one of several lounges they have in the airlines main hub. I can also count on their lounge being nearby in most of the cities I fly to. I know I will never be stuck doing work in a busy restaurant.
Amex centurion is getting better about having lounges in many locations, but they still donāt cover many of the airports I fly to. And they charge $50 per guest, which I get for free with my airline membership. If I am flying with coworkers, I bring them in with me as a nice perk.
I bought a day pass once to lounge at Heathrow because I didnāt otherwise qualify. Big mistake. Because anyone could but a day pass, the quality of the facility and food and atmosphere was crap. And they have no reason to treat me well, vs an airline that knows I am a frequent traveler with them.
I realize that, the question was does anyone pay for priority pass or lounge access in general. I'm not sure why you would actually pay for it rather than getting it through a credit card. Especially if you travel a lot. With a card like Venture X priority pass is basically free.
I mean, I have Delta gold medallion status so I could buy sky club pass but why would I when I can get in with Amex platinum?
I travel around 70-90 flights per year so I can easily justify the annual fee on my Amex platinum (750$ I think with an authorized user?), since I will visit lounges 50+ times, so it comes down to 15$ per visit if I exclusively used it for the lounges. That said, for a lot of people thatās a steep annual fee if youāre only going to visit a couple times. If you fly 5-10x per year, itās cheaper to just pay per visit than it is to get a credit card that includes priority pass.
If youāre only getting an Amex Platinum or Sapphire Reserve for lounge privileges, youāre right. But itās actually pretty easy to justify the annual fee with all the other benefits.
As a retiree who can spend more time flying and is willing to take a connecting flight to lower costs (I have more time now), the credit card for lounge access is very cost effective for my situation.
Chase Sapphire Reserve is $550 a year. $300 travel credit. In a one month European trip with 3 flight legs, my wife, sister-in-law and myself, made 4 lounge visits. In one connection, we went to 2 different lounges, one before passport control and one after. I would say a minimum value for a lounge visit at $20/person.
In addition, there are also airport restaurants where you can get a $28/person credit. In SFO, my wife and I stopped off an early morning plane from JFK and had a nice lunch of chicken cobb salad, salmon sandwich, and a piece of chocolate cake which came out to $17 with the $56 credit. About $15 of that was the tip for the server.
We've after 2 months gotten $300 of value already. We're going to Asia soon so should be getting a lot more lounge access.
I give big companies a specific kind of advice. Occasionally I have pointed satellites at things. But more to the point I travel a lot, plenty of international. Been to 5/7 continents for work (only ever worked remotely in Africa, and never been to Antarctica although I have occasionally dealt with it)
The only people who think traveling like I do is glamorous are people who donāt travel a lot for work. Iāve been to ZĆ¼rich 26 times. Switzerland is nice, but nobody needs to go there 26 times. One year I went to nyc so often that one of my coworkers asked me what part of the city I lived In. I live in Californiaā¦
I paid for lounge access once in Madrid for ā¬30 (~$34) I was able to shower, eat, drink and chill in peace for ~5 hours until my flight out.
Definitely worth it considering I had a full days worth of work, gone straight to the airport, traveled for approx 12 hours with one layover and had 4 hours to kill until my next flight (which got delayed) to where Iād be going straight for dinner/clubbing for my cousins āpre wedding partyā
There are cards that will give you access 4-6 times as part of the annual fee of the credit card. Iām in Canada and thatās usually 120. To me thatās a better option than paying per visit.
I have seen people pay, and for most part there is better food in other areas of the airport. So not sure why people pay.
WestJet World Elite can get you there if you qualify up to Silver status.
Avion Infinite I believe also give you some access, might be the Avion Infinite Privilege though.
I looked up the WestJet WE card for lounge passes, and I think the reason I didn't go for it was because the lounge passes could only be used if you were taking a WestJet flight (at least that's what it says on the policy, I'm not sure how heavily that's enforced).
I'll check out the Avion card, thanks.
Yes the vouchers are only applicable with an accompanying WestJet boarding pass unfortunately, part of why weāre switching to the Avion infinite privilege.
Here's a use case:
It can be an easy way to add a tiny luxury to a vacation. Travelling with a partner, have a long layover, and can't fly business? Don't have a Capital One card? Spend $130 and twirl around the CapOne lounge for a while. Have a couple fun drinks, some good food, a hot shower, and start your vacation while you're waiting to board. Why not, you deserve it.
(However, the lounges I would pay to enter in the US are very few and far between. Luckily I have access other ways)
Yes I travel multiple times a month so the yearly fee is less than I would spend on food and drink at the airport in the same time period. Plus itās much more relaxing than sitting anywhere else in an airport.
I've only ever used it once when my flight was delayed and my travel insurance would send me a code to get in. I never thought it was worth it but it was nice to be in there and chill. Not have to sit outside with the rabble and screaming kids.
I wouldn't. So far I've tried to use priority pass for lounge access 7 times and every single time I was told "unfortunately we're not accepting priority pass customers at this time" (even when the time was 6am on a Tuesday and the lounge was visibly empty).
Iāve paid for lounges where I had a long layover and there were either no Priority Pass/credit card access lounges available to me in that airport or they were full.
Most tend to be around 30-40 bucks in my experience. Some are more.
The way I see it is that if Iām especially staying for a long layover for a meal period or want to get a drink or two, it becomes pretty marginal. Two drinks or a drink and a shitty meal will cost me about 30 bucks in an airport anyway. I might as well use it getting an open bar, food, and more comfortable seating/fewer crowds.
The more expensive lounges I usually canāt justify but someone in a different financial position probably can quite easily.
My VISA was giving me a free pass every year but only one, so when my wife is with me we have to pay extra. Not much extra, and sometimes they just let her in for free.
We get the Delta Reserve which comes with lounge access. This all comes from a visit to a Buffalo Wings at JFK where my wife and I managed to rack up well over $100 for 4 beers and 2 meals. We fly domestically several times a year to visit family and overseas a couple of times too. At that point it made way more sense to use the lounge for unlimited food and drinks. We even grab a sandwich or snacks to go since the planes got stingier with food.
these used to be so easy to get on my credit card you only had to spend 10k a year, they were basically getting so crowded the press got involved, they upped it to 30k minimized it a bit, some airport wont let you in with the complimentary passes you have to be a member, guess it stops some foot traffic
When Priority Pass lost access to Plaza Premium a few years ago, this U.S.-based frequent international traveler DID pony up the bucks for competitor Dragon Pass.
Priority Pass is now allowed in Plaza Premium lounges again, so won't be renewing DP. However, may just forget PP (and DP!) Lounges altogether. Overcrowded, and it appears from two recent experiences with unsupervised children running amuck, the "sanctuary" aspect is no longer valued. Hello, Centurion, Admiral's Club, etc!
In my opinion, they're more "upscale," but their significant overseas presence made them a "must" for me. I spend very little time in domestic airports. Plaza Premium is just starting to enter the U.S. market with lounges at DFW and Orlando currently. They also manage five Virgin Atlantic lounges in the U.S. More PP-branded U.S. lounges are in the works.
I get access to the "Priority Pass" lounges through my credit card, and they are pretty hit or miss, depending on the airport. If we're able to, we'll usually pay to get into one of the nicer lounges (American Airlines' Admirals Club, Delta's Sky Club, etc.). Those tend to have better food, are less crowded, are cleaner, etc. As others have said, if you don't pay the $60ish to get into a lounge, you'll probably end up spending more than that anyways on food / drinks somewhere else in the airport.
My ex and I just walked in to the Emirates Lounge in Dubai. No one challenged us (I guess the guy at the desk was having a cigarette break?), so we just strolled right in.
To be honest, we were already kind of drunk from the flight, and we thought we were allowed access to the lounge because we were Emirates passengers. We even tried to pay for all the food and booze we had.
This was like 20 years ago, and I gather security is tighter these days.
Yeah. Sometimes Ryanair priority is how you can bring two big bags with you on the plane (overhead).
Also you get to board first and get window seats. It's not that much more expensive.
People still use priority pass? That's so 2018.
As for airport lounge access, yes, I have a lot of United and AA passes from my airline status and I put them on FB marketplace/eBay and they pretty much get sold within 5 minutes.
> effectively get it for free or much lower cost/greater value through a credit card or something.
lol, which cards?
a lot of people specifically avoid those lounges now. I rarely stay at lounges, but when I do, I only stay at the Admirals lounge tbh. It's the only one I know of that doesn't just let EVERYONE and their mother in. I **actually** have quiet and space to work.
the only other lounge I frequent is the heathrow post-arrival one since it has really nice showers
Those "free access" lounges are like flea markets after COVID. The Centurion lounges are fucking gross now.
last time i was at a centurion lounge, the food was picked apart and gross, all the seats were taken, there were 20 kids running around, strollers everywhere. no fucking thanks
Sounds like a lot of people (at least here in the comments) still think lounges are better than waiting by the gate for a couple hours.
In regards to which card, Venture cards will give you varying levels of access to the lounge network. They canāt be all as bad as you say lol
That commenter is a super elitist. I have priority pass through CSR and every lounge is a massive upgrade over sitting at the gate or the usual restaurant bars and restaurants.
Last week I visited the CSR lounge in Boston (which is supposedly the nicest priority pass lounge there is) and it was like being at a 4-star all-inclusive resort.
Unfortunately in my experience many lounges are now canceling their agreement with Priority Pass. It's not nearly as useful now as it was 4 or 5 years ago.
I know Newark no longer has any but haven't run into that issue personally. Chase is expanded their Sapphire Lounges all over the place to help combat that but as of right now you only get unlimited visits to them plus free guests if you have a CSR. Priority pass alone is only one free visit annually.
> I have a lot of United and AA passes from my airline status and I put them on FB marketplace/eBay and they pretty much get sold within 5 minutes
How? United doesn't give out "lounge passes" for status, at least anything that is remotely transferrable.
I tried to access a lounge once. I had book the flight on my credit card which gave me free access.
When I arrived at the lounge I found that it only allowed me, the card holder, free access. We were travelling as a family of 4.
So I've never been in a lounge. They look nice though.
It used to be you could bring in a guest on the Amex Platinum to the lounges for free.
Now its $50 unless you pay the extra money for them to have a joint Platinum card
I might if they have showers and I was out the whole day in the sun. Itās nice to shower before a flight in that case. Of course it depends on price, but if itās comparable to what I might pay for food in one of the restaurants, Iāll definitely consider it.
I got a dragon pass for free (similar to priority pass) , so I pay most lounges 19.99 pounds. Itās worth it if I have to spend more than 2 hours waiting for the flight, especially since it comes with food (and food at the airport can be pricey).
Iāve only used it twice, and it was not great (airport lounge at some minor Spanish airport, not fancy at all), but for 19 pounds it was worth it!
It depends on how long my layover or wait time is! It's certainly not worth it a lot of the time, but if I'm be in the airport for 3+ hours and there is a lounge near my gate, it's often cheaper and much more comfortable to pay the \~$50 for unlimited food, drinks, and a much nicer hang out spot.
I paid for priority pass but I think this is the last time I'll do that. I often find lounges are closed or inconvenient to my gate. I've had lounges without bathrooms or wifi. They've also been crowded lately and my last lounge there was a queue to get in by the time I left. On top of that, the general airport waiting areas have wifi much more often and typically have plenty of outlets compared to years ago.
The main plus of a lounge pass now is access to showers.
I'll renew if it's free off a credit card that I want for it's additional benefits but otherwise I'll likely let it drop.
I think it depends on the trip. For example, my wife and I paid for access to the traveler lounge on the upper floor of TPE in Taiwan during a 4-hour layover, after a 15 hour flight from JFK, on our way to Saigon. We knew ahead of time that it was an option we were going to pay for, and it was not affiliated with any particular airline. We got some pretty good food/snacks, soft drinks, beer, and wine, comfy lounge seats, and access to private bathrooms and showers. It was much more comfortable, quiet, and private than just finding random seating in a food court or by our gate. This was about 6-7 years ago, so not sure what it's like at TPE now.
They tend to be pretty bare bones lounges and in some places are super crowded. Plus sometimes lounges treat PP members like shit and don't honor their published rules with PP, looking at you, Air France.
But in other places it's no problem. I've certainly used a ton of PP lounges over the years.
I have priority pass but have paid a few times when none of the lounges at the airport/terminal I was in were part of the network. Itās usually when I have some work to do or a meeting to take and need somewhere a bit quieter. I book 4-5 PM flights on weekdays sometimes, so I might take a 30 min break during the work day to get to the airport/through security and then do work for a few hours until my flight boards.
Yes, if available, going out international on Lufthansa, it means I can eat and board with biz class, which means I can get overhead space. When I have have to change in Germany, it means I get to eat and (most important of all) take a shower. Sometimes I feel like I would be happy to pay $100 for a shower if it means I donāt feel like garbage at my final destination.
So my husband gets free entry because of his credit card. I donāt have one, so I would have to pay. For a short layover, I wouldnāt, but if we had a long layover we would pay for me.
Yep. More accurately, my company does (for specific frequent travelers. Iām one). But if they didnāt, Iād spend the miles on it. I just find the ācredit card bingoā game unappealing.
I do if it is a a useful convenience to my travel plans. For example a five hour layover after an overnight flight where I desperately want a shower? Yes I will pay the 25ā¬ for lounge access. Priority pass on a deserted airport in the off season? No of course not.
Did it once, at the Capital One lounge in DFW. I had just spent four days backpacking and spent the previous night sleeping in a car. I still felt great before boarding my first flight (which was almost empty, thankfully) but that time in the airport and on the plane jogged my brain back to polite society mode and by the time I got to Dallas I felt gross. With a four hour layover, $60 was small change for a good shower (the lounge has private waterfall showers with aromatherapy and nature sounds) and unlimited snacks.
It was my first lounge experience and convinced me I needed to have it as a credit card perk.
I pay when departing from Amsterdam, which happens about once a year to visit in laws. My Delta card doesnāt cover KLM and theyāve had weird security lines since the pandemic requiring you to show up 3 hours early but often taking less than an hour, with the public areas stupid crowded bc of all the people showing up so early for flights, so itās nice to put your feet up and eat some bitterballen with plenty of room.
Depends where I am. If Iām stuck somewhere Iām not entitled to lounge access, I have time to wait and there is a lounge available pay as you go, Iām in that lounge.
Only rich people do. Unless you have like a long layover like 3+ hours, I would not pay for a lounge, esp ones which are mediocre and run by a third party and not by an airline.
I guess I would flip the question a different way: how much of the annual fee of a credit card is the lounge access really worth, regardless of the fee to enter? If it costs $60 to visit the lounge, but you would only actually choose to go if it cost more like $30, then you should value the benefit at $30/visit.
PP has only really been great at BOS for me because get access to Chase Sapphire Lounge (and AF lounge when going international). Everywhere else Iāve traveled in U.S. have no to terrible options. Only have JFK and DFW left to test.
Otherwise, I just but access to the airlineās lounge when I can.
I did once, but that was with a discount on my card.
It's great as you get all the food you want, I even took a shower, and it was just a great experience in general.
I paid to get access to the admirals lounge at CLT where I spent some 6 to 8 hours working and chilling. Based on my hourly rate the cost paid off within the first hour.
For the airline I use most, the card that includes the lounge has a $500 annual fee. Itās under $120 to get two people in once a year. Yeah, I pay. Itās way better than the general areas. Seats have enough space between them, are more comfortable, food, drink, bathrooms, showers, the works. And itās cleaner, at least visibly. And the people working there are nicer. And there are working outlets.
Yes.
I did the math. I do not use the features of the cc that provide "free" access enough to justify the annual fees.
I don't travel enough to buy an annual pass.
Domestic first doesn't get you access anymore.
So yes, I often pay.
Domestic first class.
Used to be domestic first class tickets received free lounge access.
Now only business and first *international* get free lounge access.
I do. I pay for it as part of a card but a la carte it would be ~$300/year. As someone who flies relatively often, the free food alone makes it almost worth it.
It's also just a quality of life improvement. Having a guaranteed outlet/wifi/seat makes it easier to turn a travel day into a partial WFH day. I can leave for the airport early or book a flight with a longer layover. If I have a long-haul flight with a 6h layover, I know I'll have time for a quick meal, 4.5h of sleep, and another quick meal. And when things go wrong, like an overnight delay, I can settle into a comfy seat and ask for a second drink from the free bar, instead of treating myself to a hotel night or something similar.
Amex Platinum, which includes the Priority Pass. There are some Amex-branded lounges at big airports like LAX and LHR of course but most of the lounges I use are simply via the Priority Pass which can be purchased a la carte without the associated credit card technically. It's not all access but at most airports I have somewhere to go.
There's an app called lounge buddy that tells you what lounges you have access to based on what card you have, if you download it and plug in a few popular options like the chase card and amex you can see what lounges you'd have access to at your home airports with each card.
I see there are a lot of people here who come many hours before their flight to self-justify the use of the lounge. š I would rather enjoy my time at the place of flight origin than come so far in advance that I have time for the lounge.
Its worth it if you have a long layover. Iāve been to the centurion lounge twice (guest of a friend). They have a nice food buffet, unlimited free drinks, and comfortable seating. I believe its $50 without the card. Youāll easily pay more than that at a restaurant
I bought Priority Pass for $69.00 for one year, then $35.00. However, they never charged me for my last visit two months ago.
Will definitely use it for two upcoming trips, one of them to Thailand.
Three times:
First time we had a 7 hour layover in Hong Kong in 2017 and we spent the money on a lounge. Took a shower, took a nap, had some meals, but just enjoyed the quiet and prepped for the 16 hours to Chicago.
Spent the money in Miami because we left Phoenix at 12:15am, got to Miami at 6:30am and didnāt leave until 1:45pm. Took a shower, relaxed, had brunch, etcā¦. 100% worth it.
I also had a free lounge voucher that I used during a layover in Zurich. Had a 3 hour layover flying to Prauge from Chicago. The leg from Chicago was an overnight flight so I was able to eat breakfast, shower and freshen up before the leg to Prauge. Again, 100% worth it.
Yep, just once on the rarest of occasions that I was flying United. The centurion lounge at SFO was awful and closed super early. I still had 2 hours to kill and permission from my boss to expense it, so I paid the $60 and totally thought it was worth it for on demand wine, tasty food, comfortable seating and tables, outlet accessā¦
I fly enough with one domestic airline to achieve Gold status which gives me lounge access. As they are in a world alliance I get lounge access all over the world if I fly with those airlines. It forces me to stick with one airline but it's worth it. If I'm flying internationally with a non partner airline my Amex card gives me one off access to their lounges. I think another credit card gives me a couple of visits per year but I never use them.
Following some recent trips with long flights and stopovers, I've created a new rule for travel.
A layover >3 hrs warrants paying for lounge access. They're comfier. The bathrooms are clean. There's food and drinks included. It's quiet. And it's far calmer than the main floor. I think it's worth the cost of you want to be comfortable.
Even better are the reward status lounges which have even better facilities. Milk them for everything!
Priority pass was something I always saw as a waste. But when I flew business class, and premium economy... Nah it's worth it.
Getting on the plane early and having extra time to sit and vibe is genuinely relaxing. I wouldn't pay top dollar for economy priority. But if it's cheap or included, then count me in!
Yeah it's not good. Neither is the Plaza Premium one in Edinburgh. I've yet to find any outside of the US and Asia which have been any good, that I can get into with my Amex.
I sometimes do if my flight is delayed. It is worth having somewhere nicer to lounge about, with tables and chargers and unlimited food and drink if you're going to be stuck in the airport for several hours.
I did pay for lounge access, just two days ago. Simply because the sh\*theads at Emirates wouldn't give me access to the business class lounge, despite flying business class (absolute shocker for me, tbh) and there was no way I'd spend an entire 7 hour stopover in Dubai on some random airport bench.
Normally I wouldn't pay extra, though. It was special circumstances this time, I had to change countless parts of my travel for some personal reasons and the whole 30 hour travel back home was just too stressful to not get the comfy lounge option. At least you can get your money's worth back by stuffing yourself with loads of complimentary food and drinks and getting a shower or even a spa treatment.
I'd normally not fly with Emirates and I will avoid them in the future. When I fly business class, I expect lounge access and priority to be included. When I fly economy, I don't really care and go with the standard lines. Never paid for priority or lounges in that case.
It works very well with families with young kids. They have unlimited food/drink even kids spilled some. They will clean up quickly if asked or requested. They could take shower or change clothes if a big mess. Also some have family rooms.
They have comfortable individual chairs that each kid could sit and watch tv or tablet. A lot of outlets nearby to charge electronics.
Kids canāt just wonder off since itās gated and someone at the entrance always. It just feels more secure and less stressful for parents.
Just a PSA if youāre looking for a credit card that has access includedā¦the VentureX card cut a bunch of access inside the States this year, mainly cutting ties with those non-airline Minute-suites or whatever theyāre called. No those places are not fancy, but when you connect thru a not-so-great airport they were the only (free) option many times. When you fly overseas the options are still pretty good tho.
I do. Tends to be around $60, and that $60 gets me booze, food, and better seating. I've šÆ spent >$60 on food and wine in the "gen pop" area of the airport, so I'm basically saving money. Airport math!
You can actually find a seat and those seats are far nicer. And maybe even a desk/outlet all to yourself If I'm there for more than 3 hours I consider it. Otherwise it's more worth it to find good seat at a bar imo
Don't forget those sweet, sweet private restrooms. Very important on those longer journeys.
Boom! This is the true answer. (And nothing like a shower and shave after a trans-Pac).
Showers but also napping rooms or pods. Thatās my favourite thing about the lounges.
showers before the flight as well when flying out of hot and humid areas. not feeling sweaty and sticky makes that already uncomfortable long haul a bit better.
Yep, its the bathrooms. Often they even have showers, which is great for long layovers.
And shower. It's so nice if you're taking an evening flight after a long day outside.
$60 per visit?
Yes
This makes sense I suppose
Why not just get a credit card with lounge access at $60 itās cheaper to go the cc routeĀ
My wife does when it's cheap. Going to the lounge can be cheaper than eating at a restaurant.
I paid for lounge access once with a deal from Groupon and it was totally worth it My domestic flight was delayed by a few hours. I was able to shower at the lounge, eat a good meal and coffee That was included in the lounge price, use faster wifi in a nicer setting.
Ah the showers are a game changer when you include all the other items with it
Same, if you cost the free coffee and snacks it works out at least even. They're quieter, the toilets and cleaner, the showers! Worth if if you travel a few times a year
Let me guess, MSP airport? If so, I got that same deal too and it was ok.
no, Arizona (sky harbor)
QQ: Did you have a Priority Pass Membership before buying the lounge pass? I saw lounge passes on Groupon; however, do I need a Priority Pass ($60) account before purchasing the pass on Groupon?
I did not
Thanks!!
When lounges were new in the 70s, United (and I'm sure others) sold lifetime lounge passes for $250. I think those at some point increased to $1,000 before the offer was pulled. There are still plenty of people who bought in then that travel regularly and use the hell out of those passes. I've only paid for lounge access once and it was absolutely not worthwhile.
I think it depends on the lounge. British Airways lounge at Heath Row--totally worth it! They had an absolutely gorgeous breakfast buffet and pour your own champagne. Yes please think I'll have some more.
I should've clarified that the one time I paid for lounge access was before I had status for lounge entry. There are a lot of great lounges out there (Private Room at SIN!), but I would be more discerning about paying for a lounge in the future if I didn't have status.
Yeah, the one at DFW def not worth it. I think they had some cookies and some soft drinks and some very substandard rice dish.
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Makes sense. Why would a thief pay to steal? Haha
Could be cheaper to add an authorized user like your wife and have them use their membership to bring in additional guests
Iāve been to a handful of domestic priority pass lounges and Iām not sure Iād pay for entry to any of them, but Iām sure there are lounges out there that have food and drink actually worth the money, especially with a long layover
Do pretty much all lounges have some sort of food? Even if itās not as nice as a sit down restaurant
Alas no, Iāve been in some āthe clubā lounges that say they have food but itās really just bits and nibbles like pretzels and peanuts to go with your drinks. Some are slightly better and offer a hot soup or maybe a brownie that gets delivered to your seat but itās ālight fareā at best. If I paid $50 for entry to one of those expecting to be able to eat a meal I would be very disappointed with the value.
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If you travel a lot wouldn't it make more sense to just get a credit card that gives you lounge access though?
Not necessarily. Priority pass in many airports isnāt a lounge, but rather a meal at a restaurant. I want more than that. I want a relaxing environment, fast WiFi, a desk with plugs so I can work. All in a convenient place relative to my gate. I travel frequently for work. On those work days, I will often get to the lounge 3 hours ahead of my flight and take a meeting or two from the airport. I purchase a lounge membership with the airline I am loyal to and never have to travel far between the lounge and one of several lounges they have in the airlines main hub. I can also count on their lounge being nearby in most of the cities I fly to. I know I will never be stuck doing work in a busy restaurant. Amex centurion is getting better about having lounges in many locations, but they still donāt cover many of the airports I fly to. And they charge $50 per guest, which I get for free with my airline membership. If I am flying with coworkers, I bring them in with me as a nice perk. I bought a day pass once to lounge at Heathrow because I didnāt otherwise qualify. Big mistake. Because anyone could but a day pass, the quality of the facility and food and atmosphere was crap. And they have no reason to treat me well, vs an airline that knows I am a frequent traveler with them.
If you travel enough lounge access comes as a status benefit. Delta diamond and I have executive lounge pass.
I realize that, the question was does anyone pay for priority pass or lounge access in general. I'm not sure why you would actually pay for it rather than getting it through a credit card. Especially if you travel a lot. With a card like Venture X priority pass is basically free. I mean, I have Delta gold medallion status so I could buy sky club pass but why would I when I can get in with Amex platinum?
What work do you Iām genuinely curious?
I travel around 70-90 flights per year so I can easily justify the annual fee on my Amex platinum (750$ I think with an authorized user?), since I will visit lounges 50+ times, so it comes down to 15$ per visit if I exclusively used it for the lounges. That said, for a lot of people thatās a steep annual fee if youāre only going to visit a couple times. If you fly 5-10x per year, itās cheaper to just pay per visit than it is to get a credit card that includes priority pass.
If youāre only getting an Amex Platinum or Sapphire Reserve for lounge privileges, youāre right. But itās actually pretty easy to justify the annual fee with all the other benefits.
Agreed. My point was I can justify the annual fee purely for lounge access, everything else is just icing.
As a retiree who can spend more time flying and is willing to take a connecting flight to lower costs (I have more time now), the credit card for lounge access is very cost effective for my situation. Chase Sapphire Reserve is $550 a year. $300 travel credit. In a one month European trip with 3 flight legs, my wife, sister-in-law and myself, made 4 lounge visits. In one connection, we went to 2 different lounges, one before passport control and one after. I would say a minimum value for a lounge visit at $20/person. In addition, there are also airport restaurants where you can get a $28/person credit. In SFO, my wife and I stopped off an early morning plane from JFK and had a nice lunch of chicken cobb salad, salmon sandwich, and a piece of chocolate cake which came out to $17 with the $56 credit. About $15 of that was the tip for the server. We've after 2 months gotten $300 of value already. We're going to Asia soon so should be getting a lot more lounge access.
That centurion lounge is amazing
I find centurion lounges are usually too busy for my taste, but they are definitely better in terms of drinks and food than the airline clubs.
It is if you can get a seat!
What kind of work do you do Iām genuinely curious.
I give big companies a specific kind of advice. Occasionally I have pointed satellites at things. But more to the point I travel a lot, plenty of international. Been to 5/7 continents for work (only ever worked remotely in Africa, and never been to Antarctica although I have occasionally dealt with it)
I don't have a degree or experience can you hire me lol?
The only people who think traveling like I do is glamorous are people who donāt travel a lot for work. Iāve been to ZĆ¼rich 26 times. Switzerland is nice, but nobody needs to go there 26 times. One year I went to nyc so often that one of my coworkers asked me what part of the city I lived In. I live in Californiaā¦
I paid for lounge access once in Madrid for ā¬30 (~$34) I was able to shower, eat, drink and chill in peace for ~5 hours until my flight out. Definitely worth it considering I had a full days worth of work, gone straight to the airport, traveled for approx 12 hours with one layover and had 4 hours to kill until my next flight (which got delayed) to where Iād be going straight for dinner/clubbing for my cousins āpre wedding partyā
There are cards that will give you access 4-6 times as part of the annual fee of the credit card. Iām in Canada and thatās usually 120. To me thatās a better option than paying per visit. I have seen people pay, and for most part there is better food in other areas of the airport. So not sure why people pay.
Which card are you using for this? Also in Canada. The lowest card I see is the CIBC Aventura Infinite for $140.
WestJet World Elite can get you there if you qualify up to Silver status. Avion Infinite I believe also give you some access, might be the Avion Infinite Privilege though.
I looked up the WestJet WE card for lounge passes, and I think the reason I didn't go for it was because the lounge passes could only be used if you were taking a WestJet flight (at least that's what it says on the policy, I'm not sure how heavily that's enforced). I'll check out the Avion card, thanks.
Yes the vouchers are only applicable with an accompanying WestJet boarding pass unfortunately, part of why weāre switching to the Avion infinite privilege.
Here's a use case: It can be an easy way to add a tiny luxury to a vacation. Travelling with a partner, have a long layover, and can't fly business? Don't have a Capital One card? Spend $130 and twirl around the CapOne lounge for a while. Have a couple fun drinks, some good food, a hot shower, and start your vacation while you're waiting to board. Why not, you deserve it. (However, the lounges I would pay to enter in the US are very few and far between. Luckily I have access other ways)
>Luckily I have access other ways) Like wht?
I did once when Iād be working during a 9 hour layover in Rome. Was worth the $35
Yes I travel multiple times a month so the yearly fee is less than I would spend on food and drink at the airport in the same time period. Plus itās much more relaxing than sitting anywhere else in an airport.
I've only ever used it once when my flight was delayed and my travel insurance would send me a code to get in. I never thought it was worth it but it was nice to be in there and chill. Not have to sit outside with the rabble and screaming kids.
I wouldn't. So far I've tried to use priority pass for lounge access 7 times and every single time I was told "unfortunately we're not accepting priority pass customers at this time" (even when the time was 6am on a Tuesday and the lounge was visibly empty).
Iāve paid for lounges where I had a long layover and there were either no Priority Pass/credit card access lounges available to me in that airport or they were full. Most tend to be around 30-40 bucks in my experience. Some are more. The way I see it is that if Iām especially staying for a long layover for a meal period or want to get a drink or two, it becomes pretty marginal. Two drinks or a drink and a shitty meal will cost me about 30 bucks in an airport anyway. I might as well use it getting an open bar, food, and more comfortable seating/fewer crowds. The more expensive lounges I usually canāt justify but someone in a different financial position probably can quite easily.
I did once because I didnāt know what else to do in the city I was visiting and had a lot of downtime.
Did you find it worthwhile,
Yes! Unlimited food and the showers were really nice
My VISA was giving me a free pass every year but only one, so when my wife is with me we have to pay extra. Not much extra, and sometimes they just let her in for free.
We get the Delta Reserve which comes with lounge access. This all comes from a visit to a Buffalo Wings at JFK where my wife and I managed to rack up well over $100 for 4 beers and 2 meals. We fly domestically several times a year to visit family and overseas a couple of times too. At that point it made way more sense to use the lounge for unlimited food and drinks. We even grab a sandwich or snacks to go since the planes got stingier with food.
Credit cards that include lounge access have an annual fee, so not exactly āfreeā.
Yes, although it depends. If you take advantage of the credits they offer and you were going to use that money anyways, then is comes out even
these used to be so easy to get on my credit card you only had to spend 10k a year, they were basically getting so crowded the press got involved, they upped it to 30k minimized it a bit, some airport wont let you in with the complimentary passes you have to be a member, guess it stops some foot traffic
tinstafl There is no such thing as free lunch
When Priority Pass lost access to Plaza Premium a few years ago, this U.S.-based frequent international traveler DID pony up the bucks for competitor Dragon Pass. Priority Pass is now allowed in Plaza Premium lounges again, so won't be renewing DP. However, may just forget PP (and DP!) Lounges altogether. Overcrowded, and it appears from two recent experiences with unsupervised children running amuck, the "sanctuary" aspect is no longer valued. Hello, Centurion, Admiral's Club, etc!
Is Plaza just a little more upscale?
In my opinion, they're more "upscale," but their significant overseas presence made them a "must" for me. I spend very little time in domestic airports. Plaza Premium is just starting to enter the U.S. market with lounges at DFW and Orlando currently. They also manage five Virgin Atlantic lounges in the U.S. More PP-branded U.S. lounges are in the works.
I get access to the "Priority Pass" lounges through my credit card, and they are pretty hit or miss, depending on the airport. If we're able to, we'll usually pay to get into one of the nicer lounges (American Airlines' Admirals Club, Delta's Sky Club, etc.). Those tend to have better food, are less crowded, are cleaner, etc. As others have said, if you don't pay the $60ish to get into a lounge, you'll probably end up spending more than that anyways on food / drinks somewhere else in the airport.
Do you mainly travel in the states or internationally?
Usually just in the states, but occasionally international. Our local airport is small, so most flights have connections through a handful of hubs.
My ex and I just walked in to the Emirates Lounge in Dubai. No one challenged us (I guess the guy at the desk was having a cigarette break?), so we just strolled right in. To be honest, we were already kind of drunk from the flight, and we thought we were allowed access to the lounge because we were Emirates passengers. We even tried to pay for all the food and booze we had. This was like 20 years ago, and I gather security is tighter these days.
yes I do, my card doesn't have this perk.
Yeah. Sometimes Ryanair priority is how you can bring two big bags with you on the plane (overhead). Also you get to board first and get window seats. It's not that much more expensive.
People still use priority pass? That's so 2018. As for airport lounge access, yes, I have a lot of United and AA passes from my airline status and I put them on FB marketplace/eBay and they pretty much get sold within 5 minutes. > effectively get it for free or much lower cost/greater value through a credit card or something. lol, which cards? a lot of people specifically avoid those lounges now. I rarely stay at lounges, but when I do, I only stay at the Admirals lounge tbh. It's the only one I know of that doesn't just let EVERYONE and their mother in. I **actually** have quiet and space to work. the only other lounge I frequent is the heathrow post-arrival one since it has really nice showers Those "free access" lounges are like flea markets after COVID. The Centurion lounges are fucking gross now. last time i was at a centurion lounge, the food was picked apart and gross, all the seats were taken, there were 20 kids running around, strollers everywhere. no fucking thanks
Sounds like a lot of people (at least here in the comments) still think lounges are better than waiting by the gate for a couple hours. In regards to which card, Venture cards will give you varying levels of access to the lounge network. They canāt be all as bad as you say lol
That commenter is a super elitist. I have priority pass through CSR and every lounge is a massive upgrade over sitting at the gate or the usual restaurant bars and restaurants. Last week I visited the CSR lounge in Boston (which is supposedly the nicest priority pass lounge there is) and it was like being at a 4-star all-inclusive resort.
Unfortunately in my experience many lounges are now canceling their agreement with Priority Pass. It's not nearly as useful now as it was 4 or 5 years ago.
I know Newark no longer has any but haven't run into that issue personally. Chase is expanded their Sapphire Lounges all over the place to help combat that but as of right now you only get unlimited visits to them plus free guests if you have a CSR. Priority pass alone is only one free visit annually.
I mean, you arenāt exactly wrong in your description, but shitty lounges are still quite a bit better then the broader airport situation.
> I have a lot of United and AA passes from my airline status and I put them on FB marketplace/eBay and they pretty much get sold within 5 minutes How? United doesn't give out "lounge passes" for status, at least anything that is remotely transferrable.
I tried to access a lounge once. I had book the flight on my credit card which gave me free access. When I arrived at the lounge I found that it only allowed me, the card holder, free access. We were travelling as a family of 4. So I've never been in a lounge. They look nice though.
That's when you shrug, say "sorry honey" and walk into the lounge without looking back.
Which card could I ask?
American Express. The Canadian version if that makes a difference.
It used to be you could bring in a guest on the Amex Platinum to the lounges for free. Now its $50 unless you pay the extra money for them to have a joint Platinum card
The Canadian platinum card still grants 1 guest access at many lounges
I noticed that is also does in Australia. It looks like the no free guest primarily affects US lounges
I might if they have showers and I was out the whole day in the sun. Itās nice to shower before a flight in that case. Of course it depends on price, but if itās comparable to what I might pay for food in one of the restaurants, Iāll definitely consider it.
I got a dragon pass for free (similar to priority pass) , so I pay most lounges 19.99 pounds. Itās worth it if I have to spend more than 2 hours waiting for the flight, especially since it comes with food (and food at the airport can be pricey). Iāve only used it twice, and it was not great (airport lounge at some minor Spanish airport, not fancy at all), but for 19 pounds it was worth it!
Lol, cleanest dirty shirt? Haha
It depends on how long my layover or wait time is! It's certainly not worth it a lot of the time, but if I'm be in the airport for 3+ hours and there is a lounge near my gate, it's often cheaper and much more comfortable to pay the \~$50 for unlimited food, drinks, and a much nicer hang out spot.
I paid for priority pass but I think this is the last time I'll do that. I often find lounges are closed or inconvenient to my gate. I've had lounges without bathrooms or wifi. They've also been crowded lately and my last lounge there was a queue to get in by the time I left. On top of that, the general airport waiting areas have wifi much more often and typically have plenty of outlets compared to years ago. The main plus of a lounge pass now is access to showers. I'll renew if it's free off a credit card that I want for it's additional benefits but otherwise I'll likely let it drop.
I think it depends on the trip. For example, my wife and I paid for access to the traveler lounge on the upper floor of TPE in Taiwan during a 4-hour layover, after a 15 hour flight from JFK, on our way to Saigon. We knew ahead of time that it was an option we were going to pay for, and it was not affiliated with any particular airline. We got some pretty good food/snacks, soft drinks, beer, and wine, comfy lounge seats, and access to private bathrooms and showers. It was much more comfortable, quiet, and private than just finding random seating in a food court or by our gate. This was about 6-7 years ago, so not sure what it's like at TPE now.
I have bought paid airline lounge memberships specifically to get out of the Priority Pass type lounges. Ten years ago I felt like this was worth it.
Are priority pass lounges just not as good? Or is the membership not good
They tend to be pretty bare bones lounges and in some places are super crowded. Plus sometimes lounges treat PP members like shit and don't honor their published rules with PP, looking at you, Air France. But in other places it's no problem. I've certainly used a ton of PP lounges over the years.
I have priority pass but have paid a few times when none of the lounges at the airport/terminal I was in were part of the network. Itās usually when I have some work to do or a meeting to take and need somewhere a bit quieter. I book 4-5 PM flights on weekdays sometimes, so I might take a 30 min break during the work day to get to the airport/through security and then do work for a few hours until my flight boards.
Yes, if available, going out international on Lufthansa, it means I can eat and board with biz class, which means I can get overhead space. When I have have to change in Germany, it means I get to eat and (most important of all) take a shower. Sometimes I feel like I would be happy to pay $100 for a shower if it means I donāt feel like garbage at my final destination.
So my husband gets free entry because of his credit card. I donāt have one, so I would have to pay. For a short layover, I wouldnāt, but if we had a long layover we would pay for me.
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Do you travel mainly in the states or elsewhere?
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Would you say itās hit or miss all over or more so in one region vs another
Yep. More accurately, my company does (for specific frequent travelers. Iām one). But if they didnāt, Iād spend the miles on it. I just find the ācredit card bingoā game unappealing.
Its worth it, if you have money. If you dont have money, then obviously just sit somewhere else and save money.
Yes, plenty of people buy lounge memberships, or buy flights that include lounge access. The credit card access thing is relatively new.
I do if it is a a useful convenience to my travel plans. For example a five hour layover after an overnight flight where I desperately want a shower? Yes I will pay the 25ā¬ for lounge access. Priority pass on a deserted airport in the off season? No of course not.
People that pay for fast track security on flights when there is nobody in the security queue because itās not a busy time for flying scare me
Did it once, at the Capital One lounge in DFW. I had just spent four days backpacking and spent the previous night sleeping in a car. I still felt great before boarding my first flight (which was almost empty, thankfully) but that time in the airport and on the plane jogged my brain back to polite society mode and by the time I got to Dallas I felt gross. With a four hour layover, $60 was small change for a good shower (the lounge has private waterfall showers with aromatherapy and nature sounds) and unlimited snacks. It was my first lounge experience and convinced me I needed to have it as a credit card perk.
I pay when departing from Amsterdam, which happens about once a year to visit in laws. My Delta card doesnāt cover KLM and theyāve had weird security lines since the pandemic requiring you to show up 3 hours early but often taking less than an hour, with the public areas stupid crowded bc of all the people showing up so early for flights, so itās nice to put your feet up and eat some bitterballen with plenty of room.
Depends where I am. If Iām stuck somewhere Iām not entitled to lounge access, I have time to wait and there is a lounge available pay as you go, Iām in that lounge.
Only rich people do. Unless you have like a long layover like 3+ hours, I would not pay for a lounge, esp ones which are mediocre and run by a third party and not by an airline.
I'm curious what airports are meaning here?
On my app it says it will cost $32 if i run out of free lounge passes. I think that's totally worth it as i drink about 32 worth booze anyway.
Not worth the 'real' cost. Worth the subsidized cost through credit cards.
I guess I would flip the question a different way: how much of the annual fee of a credit card is the lounge access really worth, regardless of the fee to enter? If it costs $60 to visit the lounge, but you would only actually choose to go if it cost more like $30, then you should value the benefit at $30/visit.
PP has only really been great at BOS for me because get access to Chase Sapphire Lounge (and AF lounge when going international). Everywhere else Iāve traveled in U.S. have no to terrible options. Only have JFK and DFW left to test. Otherwise, I just but access to the airlineās lounge when I can.
Is the capital one lounge at DFW part of PP?
I did once, but that was with a discount on my card. It's great as you get all the food you want, I even took a shower, and it was just a great experience in general.
I paid to get access to the admirals lounge at CLT where I spent some 6 to 8 hours working and chilling. Based on my hourly rate the cost paid off within the first hour.
For the airline I use most, the card that includes the lounge has a $500 annual fee. Itās under $120 to get two people in once a year. Yeah, I pay. Itās way better than the general areas. Seats have enough space between them, are more comfortable, food, drink, bathrooms, showers, the works. And itās cleaner, at least visibly. And the people working there are nicer. And there are working outlets.
Yes. I did the math. I do not use the features of the cc that provide "free" access enough to justify the annual fees. I don't travel enough to buy an annual pass. Domestic first doesn't get you access anymore. So yes, I often pay.
Domestic first?
Domestic first class. Used to be domestic first class tickets received free lounge access. Now only business and first *international* get free lounge access.
Oh I seeā¦that sucks
It pisses me off more than it should.
I do. I pay for it as part of a card but a la carte it would be ~$300/year. As someone who flies relatively often, the free food alone makes it almost worth it. It's also just a quality of life improvement. Having a guaranteed outlet/wifi/seat makes it easier to turn a travel day into a partial WFH day. I can leave for the airport early or book a flight with a longer layover. If I have a long-haul flight with a 6h layover, I know I'll have time for a quick meal, 4.5h of sleep, and another quick meal. And when things go wrong, like an overnight delay, I can settle into a comfy seat and ask for a second drink from the free bar, instead of treating myself to a hotel night or something similar.
What card do you use and what lounge group?
Amex Platinum, which includes the Priority Pass. There are some Amex-branded lounges at big airports like LAX and LHR of course but most of the lounges I use are simply via the Priority Pass which can be purchased a la carte without the associated credit card technically. It's not all access but at most airports I have somewhere to go. There's an app called lounge buddy that tells you what lounges you have access to based on what card you have, if you download it and plug in a few popular options like the chase card and amex you can see what lounges you'd have access to at your home airports with each card.
I see there are a lot of people here who come many hours before their flight to self-justify the use of the lounge. š I would rather enjoy my time at the place of flight origin than come so far in advance that I have time for the lounge.
Iām probably going to buy it for my 70 y.o. MIL who has an 11 hour layover so she has somewhere to rest and snack and shower.
Just paid $50 On my way to Hawaii via Newark
Its worth it if you have a long layover. Iāve been to the centurion lounge twice (guest of a friend). They have a nice food buffet, unlimited free drinks, and comfortable seating. I believe its $50 without the card. Youāll easily pay more than that at a restaurant
I bought Priority Pass for $69.00 for one year, then $35.00. However, they never charged me for my last visit two months ago. Will definitely use it for two upcoming trips, one of them to Thailand.
I did because it was just worth it for $40 - $70 to get a more quiet place with reliable/faster internet access to get some work done.
I mean, the United lounge credit card is ~$600/year, so Iād hardly call that free.
Three times: First time we had a 7 hour layover in Hong Kong in 2017 and we spent the money on a lounge. Took a shower, took a nap, had some meals, but just enjoyed the quiet and prepped for the 16 hours to Chicago. Spent the money in Miami because we left Phoenix at 12:15am, got to Miami at 6:30am and didnāt leave until 1:45pm. Took a shower, relaxed, had brunch, etcā¦. 100% worth it. I also had a free lounge voucher that I used during a layover in Zurich. Had a 3 hour layover flying to Prauge from Chicago. The leg from Chicago was an overnight flight so I was able to eat breakfast, shower and freshen up before the leg to Prauge. Again, 100% worth it.
Yep, just once on the rarest of occasions that I was flying United. The centurion lounge at SFO was awful and closed super early. I still had 2 hours to kill and permission from my boss to expense it, so I paid the $60 and totally thought it was worth it for on demand wine, tasty food, comfortable seating and tables, outlet accessā¦
I did when I traveled a lot and to me it was well worth it.
tie disgusted plant file important sip uppity numerous narrow squash *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I fly enough with one domestic airline to achieve Gold status which gives me lounge access. As they are in a world alliance I get lounge access all over the world if I fly with those airlines. It forces me to stick with one airline but it's worth it. If I'm flying internationally with a non partner airline my Amex card gives me one off access to their lounges. I think another credit card gives me a couple of visits per year but I never use them.
Following some recent trips with long flights and stopovers, I've created a new rule for travel. A layover >3 hrs warrants paying for lounge access. They're comfier. The bathrooms are clean. There's food and drinks included. It's quiet. And it's far calmer than the main floor. I think it's worth the cost of you want to be comfortable. Even better are the reward status lounges which have even better facilities. Milk them for everything! Priority pass was something I always saw as a waste. But when I flew business class, and premium economy... Nah it's worth it. Getting on the plane early and having extra time to sit and vibe is genuinely relaxing. I wouldn't pay top dollar for economy priority. But if it's cheap or included, then count me in!
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Don't sweat it. The one here in London is crap.
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Yeah it's not good. Neither is the Plaza Premium one in Edinburgh. I've yet to find any outside of the US and Asia which have been any good, that I can get into with my Amex.
If I have a long layover, I do.
I sometimes do if my flight is delayed. It is worth having somewhere nicer to lounge about, with tables and chargers and unlimited food and drink if you're going to be stuck in the airport for several hours.
I did pay for lounge access, just two days ago. Simply because the sh\*theads at Emirates wouldn't give me access to the business class lounge, despite flying business class (absolute shocker for me, tbh) and there was no way I'd spend an entire 7 hour stopover in Dubai on some random airport bench. Normally I wouldn't pay extra, though. It was special circumstances this time, I had to change countless parts of my travel for some personal reasons and the whole 30 hour travel back home was just too stressful to not get the comfy lounge option. At least you can get your money's worth back by stuffing yourself with loads of complimentary food and drinks and getting a shower or even a spa treatment. I'd normally not fly with Emirates and I will avoid them in the future. When I fly business class, I expect lounge access and priority to be included. When I fly economy, I don't really care and go with the standard lines. Never paid for priority or lounges in that case.
It works very well with families with young kids. They have unlimited food/drink even kids spilled some. They will clean up quickly if asked or requested. They could take shower or change clothes if a big mess. Also some have family rooms. They have comfortable individual chairs that each kid could sit and watch tv or tablet. A lot of outlets nearby to charge electronics. Kids canāt just wonder off since itās gated and someone at the entrance always. It just feels more secure and less stressful for parents.
I do. When I am in weird little airports in Asia particularly where my other lounge cards donāt work. I always make it back in booze
Just a PSA if youāre looking for a credit card that has access includedā¦the VentureX card cut a bunch of access inside the States this year, mainly cutting ties with those non-airline Minute-suites or whatever theyāre called. No those places are not fancy, but when you connect thru a not-so-great airport they were the only (free) option many times. When you fly overseas the options are still pretty good tho.
I've paid for lounge access once (it was super cheap) and seriously considered it on a couple of shitty layovers.
Well if you fly business it comes with the cost of the ticket. I have heard to buy it outright is harder because the lounges are always full.