tcreath

I received information about Priority Club in the mail yesterday. Basically its a membership-based club that allows you into various lounges in airports around the world. My husband and I are considering a $79/year membership fee (that only one of us has to pay) that would allow us to enter lounges for $24/each. We have a flight scheduled from St. Louis to Nuremberg in May that includes a 6-hour layover in Detroit. I thought that this may be as good of a time as any to see what the lounges are like.

I was just hoping that someone here could tell me about the lounges or give me their thoughts on Priority Club. We've never been in any airport lounges. Are the lounges worth it, or is Priority Club worth it? Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Tracy

Kavey

Do they list which lounges they include?

If the deal got me into, for example, Virgin Upper Class lounges for only $24 per person I'd consider it as their lounges are very comfortable, include full meals and drinks and also have additional services such as shoe shine, massage etc.

Even then, if I were only doing one or two trips a year, I don't know if it would be worthwhile.

If it's only a few generic lounges that are included I'd want to know more about what level of amenities each one provided.

Patrick

I've been a member of American's Admirals Club for years. I think originally it cost me about $100 a year. It is now up to $400, but to not pay one year and rejoin would be way expensive. It's a horrible splurge considering I really don't fly that much any more, but I just can't seem to give it up. A couple years ago we arrived at Laguardia to fly home, just as they closed the airport due to weather. All flights were cancelled and the lines and chaos were unimaginable. I went up to the Admiral's Club where in about 10 minutes a delightful attendant had rebooked us on a flight in two hours from JFK. That incident paid for my year's membership in my opinion.

They are comfortable places to relax if you have long layovers. There is little free in most of them (other than coffee and maybe some peanuts) unless you are in foreign ones, where they may even put out full buffets, and drinks are free as well. Quantas clubs in Australia were amazing. We got stuck in one for something like 9 hours when a flight was cancelled and we drank ourselves into numbness, and helped ourselves first to a breakfast buffet and later to a lunch buffet.
Some also have free high speed internet.

I've never heard of this Priority Club though.

Kate

The lounges I've been to have been nothing spectular, but I do think they make hanging around airports a much more pleasant experience - they're quiet, crowd free, have comfortable sofas and coffee tables, free drinks and nibbles, free papers and magazines, and TV to watch. Whether the expense is worth it is up to you - only you know your own tolerance levels at busy airports - but if I had a 6 hour layover, I'd definately be tempted.

tcreath

I'm sorry and I do apologize: its called Priority Pass and the website is www.prioritypass.com. According to the information I received, the pass membership includes independent lounges plus select America West clubs, Delta Crown Room Clubs, Northwest WorldClubs, Continental, United, USAirways, etc. We also have a layover in Amsterdam during our flight to/from Nuremberg, and KLM lounges are also included.

Thank you both for the information. I would love to hear any more comments!

Tracy

flanneruk

They vary a lot, even within the same airline. Most of the deals we've been offered like Priority Club have got you into what Kavey calls generic lounges, and we've never found one of them with the uhelpful staff you can get in American's Admirals' Lounges, or the often phenomenal creature comforts first-division airlines offer in the premium classes in Asia. I've not found a generic lounge with showers, or real food, for example (though in Europe, they almost alwways have pretty good free booze)

But even the plain-wrapped variety Kate (totally accurately) describes beat sitting in a drab airport for six hours. You might check, though, whether you belong to any organisation that offers all this free, or at any rate just charges you the access fee without a subscription. At various stages of my life, Diners', some gold cards, WEXAS and Britain's Institute of Directors - as well as airlines in the days when I used to squander other people's money on overpriced posh class fares - have all offered some kind of free airport lounge access in at least some countries.

flanneruk

Correction:

"uhelpful staff you can get in American's Admirals' Lounges" should have read "HELPFUL staff you can get in American's Admirals' Lounges". They once, under very similar circumstances to those related by Patrick, took our ultra-cheapo cattle class tickets and upgraded us to First from Dallas to London.

I've been a fan ever since.

Gardyloo

Lounges that accept Priority Pass vary from one airport to another. Sometimes they're the lounges operated by the larger carriers (UA, NW etc.) other times they are more generic lounges shared by several airlines. I don't think any of the oneworld carriers allow Priority Pass but could be wrong. Priority Pass is very protective of the lists of lounges that accept their cards. Wonder why?

For frequent travelers lounge access can be a godsend, especially if you want to get some work done or want to take a shower between flights, things like that. They vary in quality and amenities all over the map - some are palatial, others are one step above the regular waiting areas.

A BIG concern (and a drawback from Priority Pass IMO) is knowing where the lounges are located physically. It will do you no good to discover that you have access to a lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3 when your plane leaves Terminal 4. Some lounges are "airside," meaning after security/customs, whilst some are outside the security area, thereby meaning you have to leave the lounge early enough before the flight to pass through screening, all that - seriously reducing the relaxation value of the lounge.

So it's up to you - is $79 + $24 per visit a good value for a "free" beer and some cookies, or soft seats, or a shower, or access to a fax machine? If so, roll the dice.

Patrick

I just called American Admiral's Club. They said they DO NOT honor Priority Pass at all, so it won't get you into their lounges.

tcreath

Thank you for the information, Patrick. I'm glad you mentioned that, because we usually try to fly American when possible to earn our miles.

I'm still out on the limb about it, but I am leaning towards declining because Priority Pass doesn't give much information about which lounges they use.

Thanks for everyones imput!
Tracy

jay

I am a member of the nwa world club. as a platinum elite flier i was able to join for a year for $250 and no initiation fee. For that price it was worth it. It allows me into NWA, Delta, Continental, Alaska and KLM lounges world wide. So far it has been worth it. I am going to join for three years next time once my membership expires.

Kavey

I do find it surprising that they won't give information on which lounges they give access to...

It's like being asked to buy a computer knowing it's a computer but not being told what processor it's using, how much RAM it has, whether it comes with CD reader, DVD burner, software...

Craziness...

Spygirl

First of all, it is Priority PASS, PRIORITY PASS, not "Priority Club" -that's the Holiday Inn/Intercontinental hotel points logo!

I've been a Priority Pass member for two years. For $99.00 I get into any Northwest World Club, (World Club has the best lounges, hands-down, of the American carriers) Continental, many Delta Crown Rooms, several business lounges all over China, other parts of Asia and Europe. It's a terrific deal-you can pay up to $300, or you can pay something like $24 per visit on top of the $99 initiation fee.

I've definitely gotten my money's worth from the use of PPass in Northwest's World Clubs all over the US-and just recently, while in out-of-the-way Macau, I used my Priority Pass to access their business lounge, where they were serving an entire buffet dinner in addition to free cocktails, free internet, and other snacks and drinks. I can't conceive of travel without it, at this point.

And what do you mean it doesn't give much information about the lounges that take the Pass? You get AN ENTIRE BOOK of all the lounges that accept the Priority Pass, and where they are located in each airport! Sheesh! They update their selection regularly by emailing you

Kavey

Spygirl
Do they provide that information before you sign up or only afterwards?
And tcreath already corrected her error in referring to them as Priority Club in her second post.

Spygirl

I'm having difficulty posting, as usual, my post disappears when I hit the link!

Kavey-all you have to do is go online-www.prioritypass.com-query them as to the airports/lounges you're interested in, and the site will provide you with that information, and so much more-it's not that difficult! As far as the book goes, noo, they don't send that to you until you sign up, why would they? If you want to talk to them, you can call them on their 800 number in the US (I(believe they have one for Europe as well).

tcreath

Spygirl, As Kavey mentioned (thank you!), I apologized in my second post because I did, indeed, have the incorrect name.

Also, I am not a member so I do not have any information on which lounges are actually used by Priority Pass. I'm assuming that you only get that book once you become a member. Their website mentiones how many lounges are available at each of the airports they use, but not which lounges they are. I was hoping their website would give me more information up front.

I'm not critizing Priority Pass at all. I'm just trying to decide if it is right for us.

Tracy

Kavey

Thanks Spygirl, no I wasn't expecting them to send book out before signing up - I was simply wondering about how much detailed information they provided about the exact clubs included to prospective clients...
Sounds like it's been a good deal for you - how often have you used it so far?

AAFrequentFlyer

<b>tcreath</b>,

If most of your flying is with AA and if you only do 1 or 2 trips a year, why not do a day pass with AA's Admirals Club. It's $50 for 1 or $75 for 2 and it will get you in to any AC on the day of your flights. It's not a 24 hour pass, it is only the same day pass so if your first flight is an evening flight than obviously it's not worth it, but if you start your flying in the morning with 1 or 2 connections during the same day, then it may be worth it. Also, the first $100 spent on AC day passes may be applied to the price of a yearly membership as long as it's done within 30 days after a visit.

As <b>Gardyloo</b> pointed out in his post above, it's important to know the location of the lounges. My home airport is Tampa and AA does not have a lounge there so I did look into the Priority Clubs, but found out that the one in Tampa is in terminal D(I think) and all AA flights go out of terminal F. Since you need a boarding pass to get into any terminal I would not be able to use the lounge in Tampa, unless I bought a fully refundable ticket from an airline that flies out of terminal D, go through security, use the lounge, go landside, get a refund on my ticket, and finally go through security in terminal F to board my AA flight. Simply not worth the hassle.

The best airport lounge(s) in the world? Cathay Pacific's The Wing and The Pier First Class Lounges in Hong Kong with the Business Lounges right behind and Singapore's Silver Kris Lounge in Singapore.

No other lounge comes close to the above, although I've heard that the BA's Concorde Lounge in LHR may qualify as one of the best too. Can't confirm, unfortunately I've never had the chance to visit that particular lounge.

Walter_Walltotti

Many airports are now starting to introduce private lounges which offer access for a reasonable fee without having to pay a yearly membership fee on top. Several of these lounges share their facilities with other airlines. Check individual airports web sites for details.