We have recently partnered with some airport loungespriority passMake some comments for members' blogs.Rhys was sent on a non-stop tour of Europe, stopping at some of the most important locations in the Priority Pass lounge network along the way.
Over the next few days, we will publish an expanded version of our review of Priority Pass. Our Reese's Lounge tour visits Barcelona, Venice, Vienna, and London Gatwick North Terminal.
Preview starts tomorrowVisit Clubrooms salon in Gatwick Northu.
Let's see more of ourFor a comprehensive collection of UK airport lounge reviews, click here。
As an introduction to the series,I will review Priority Pass in detailShow you:
- Different types of priority passes available
- Which UK credit and debit cards are free for you
- Which UK airport lounges are part of the scheme
You can learn more and purchase priority passes,on their website。
What is a Priority Pass?
Priority Pass is a card membership program.Gives you access to 1,300 airport lounges around the world.
In the UK, this includes British Airways’ Club Aspire and Plaza Premium lounges at Heathrow Terminal 5.
The full list of UK airport lounges that accept Priority Pass is at the bottom of this article.
Priority Pass lounges are usually independently ownedAlthough the company that owns it - Collinson - is also involved in the ownership of the salon. Collinson owns 50% of a company called Airport Dimensions, which owns the Club Aspire (but not Aspire) and No1 Lounges brands.
What services do airport lounges offer?
Each salon's facilities vary, as does the quality and scope of those facilities.
At a minimum, you should enjoy comfortable seating, free newspapers and magazines, free drinks (often including alcohol), free snacks, and free Wi-Fi. In the nicer salons you will find a full buffet including hot and cold food, IT equipment and showers. However, due to COVID-19 and salon working hours, some salons are currently restricted in their content.
Is it easy to access?
Outside the UK you will rarely have problems getting into Priority Pass lounges due to overcrowding.
Priority Pass ownership is probably higher in the UK than anywhere outside of the US, so they can get you out of the lounge during peak times.10 lounges now allow you to reserve a seat and guarantee access for a £6 fee in advance。
What are the different types of Priority Pass memberships?
As you can see, Priority Pass is divided into three different membership levelson their website。
Here are the levels:
- Standard membership(£69) - Excluding free visits, you and your guests pay £24 each
- Standard Plus Membership(£229) – 10 free visits, then £24 for each additional visit or per guest
- Premium Membership(£419) – All your visits are free, your guests pay £24 each
If an additional fee is stated, you do not need to pay it in the lounge on the day of your flight.
When you enter the lounge, your Priority Pass card is swiped and the number of guests is marked. If payment is required, your saved credit card will be charged through Priority Pass at a later time. Money doesn't change hands at the airport.
Which Priority Pass membership level is best?
There is no "right" answer here. This depends on how often you fly and whether you use an airport with a lounge that accepts Priority Pass. you can applyPriority Pass WebsiteFind participating lounges at the airport.
Standard Plus membership is the most attractive option for most people. As long as you visit 10 times during your membership year, you'll pay just £22.90 each time. My personal measure of value is how much a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine in the terminal restaurant costs compared to the cost of using the lounge - so £22.90 seems ok to me.
Prestige cards may be a better deal, but you have to do the math.You have to visit the salon 18 times a year before the Prestige card gets better than the Standard Plus。
Standard membership isn't particularly attractive. If you visit seven or more salons per year, Standard+ will be better for you. If you visit the salon less than seven times, the "cost per visit" on the standard plan will be very high and I doubt you'll get your money's worth.
Does it have a Priority Pass app?
Yes, that's good too because you can easily find participating salons.
Priority Pass has a digital membership card within the app, so you don’t have to carry around a plastic card.
Can I get Priority Pass using a UK credit or debit card?
You can also get most Priority Pass benefits with a selection of UK credit and debit cards.
you should noticePriority Pass cards issued by American Express don’t come with restaurant points. This means you can't use them at The Big Smoke Taphouse in Heathrow Terminal 2 or any other airport restaurant that offers £15 points to priority pass holders. Globally, there are two exceptions to the "no restaurant points" rule: The Grain Store in Gatwick South and a café in Berlin Brandenburg.
American Express Platinum Card
American Express Platinum CardComes with twoFree priority pass.One is your name and the other is the name of the person you are providing the American Express Platinum Reload Card to.
Priority Pass card issued by Amex Platinum gives free lounge access for two people. This means that if you are traveling with a partner and your partner is your nominated additional Platinum Card holder,The lounge between you can accommodate four people。
I'll repeat it because it's a bit strange:
- You cannot purchase a priority pass directly from a company that allows you to host guests for free, but
- You can get a free Priority Pass with the American Express Platinum Card, which gives you one free guest per visit
The American Express Platinum Card also offers other lounge benefits. When you fly with Delta Air Lines, you have access to Delta airport lounges; when you fly with Lufthansa, you have access to Lufthansa airport lounges; and even more usefully, you have free access to Eurostar lounges.
The Platinum Card isn't cheap, but it comes with great travel benefits. New cardholders can also enjoy cool sign-up bonuses.
You can find out more in our American Express Platinum review. you canApply for Platinum Card here。
American Express Select Rewards Gold Card
You can try the benefits of Priority Pass for free with the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card, which itself is free for the first year.
The American Express Gold Card comes with a Priority Pass for four free salon visits. You can use them for yourself and your guests, or for yourself on four separate visits. It's worth at least £80.
If you make additional salon visits or bring extra guests during the year, your American Express Gold Card will be charged £20 per visit. people.When your American Express Gold card renews after 12 months, you'll get four additional free salon visits, which count towards your Priority Pass。
We call American Express "the best miles and points card for beginners." In addition to the first year free (£160 thereafter), four free salon visits and £120 in Deliveroo points (24 x £5 vouchers),Currently, you can get 25,000 American Express Membership Rewards points when you sign up. These can be converted into 25,000 Avios or many other flight and hotel schemes.
you canLearn more in our full American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review, IYou can apply here。
HSBC Premier World Elite
While it doesn't offer a Priority Pass card, the HSBC Premier World Elite is also worth mentioning.
HSBC Premier World Elite MastercardYou will receive a free LoungeKey card, which gives you access to the LoungeKey network. LoungeKey is a sister product to Priority Pass, but has slightly fewer participating lounges.
Guests pay £20, but it may be cheaper to pay an extra £60 for your partner.
The card costs £195 and there are strict financial requirements to become an HSBC Premier customer. All the details are insideMy review of the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard。
in conclusion
If you're tired of sitting in an airport terminal without airline status or flying business class,Priority Pass is the easiest way to access airport lounges around the world。
You need to carefully consider which of the three membership levels is best for you. If you always travel with your partner, you will findAmerican Express Platinum Cardis a cheaper solution.
You can learn more about Priority Pass and purchase it,on their website。
Appendix - Which UK airport lounges are included with Priority Pass?
Here is a list of UK airport lounges that accept Priority Pass. There are another 1,300 salons outside the UK!
- Aberdeen International Airport – Northern Lights Executive Lounge, premium slices
- Belfast City – Aspire Lounge
- Belfast International Airport – Causeway Lounge
- Birmingham – Aspire Lounge, Aspire South Lounge, No1 Lounge, Club Rooms
- Bristol International Airport – Escape Lounge
- Delhi – Amelia Earhart Salon
- Teesside International Airport – Middleton Lounge
- East Midlands – Escape Lounge
- Edinburgh International Airport – Aspire Lounge x 2, Plaza Premium Lounge
- Exeter – Executive Lounge
- Glasgow International Airport – Upper Deck
- Humberside International Airport – Aspire Lounge
- Inverness – Aspire Lounge
- Isle of Man Ronaldsway – Rendezvous Executive Lounge
- Jersey – Executive Lounge
- Leeds Bradford International Airport – Yorkshire Lounge
- Liverpool John Lennon – Aspire Lounge
- London Gatwick Airport (sjever) – The Gateway, No1 Lounge, Club Rooms, Priority Pass Lounge
- London Gatwick Airport (South) - Grain Store Cafe & Bar (£15 per person off final bill), No1 Lounge, Club Aspire, Clubrooms, My Lounge
- London Heathrow (Terminal 2) – Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen (£15 per person off final bill), Plaza Premium Lounge
- London Heathrow Airport (Terminal 3) - The Oceanic Pub & Kitchen (£15 per person off final bill), Club Aspire Lounge, No1 Lounge
- London Heathrow Airport (Terminal 4) – Plaza Premium Lounge, Blush Lounge
- London Heathrow (Terminal 5) - The Globe Pub & Kitchen (£15 per person off final bill), Plaza Premium Lounge, Club Aspire Lounge
- London Luton – Nolito / Avalon Crafted Coffee / The Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen (£15 per person off final bill), Aspire Lounge
- Southend, London – Skylife Lounge @ Pilot Cafe
- London Stansted – Escape Lounge
- Manchester International Airport (Terminal 1) – Aspire Lounge, The Escape Lounge
- Manchester International Airport (Terminal 2) – Aspire Lounge, The Escape Lounge
- Manchester International Airport (Terminal 3) - Escape Lounge x 2
- Newcastle International Airport – Aspire Lounge
- Newquay – Executive Lounge
- Norwich International Airport – Executive Lounge
- Southampton International Airport – Spitfire Lounge
Thanks to Priority Pass for partnering with us on this project. Stay tuned for our first salon review tomorrow.
How to get free airport lounge access with a UK credit card (September 2023)
Here are four ways to get free airport lounge access with a UK credit card.
American Express Platinum CardComes with two free priority passes, one for you and one for the user of the supplementary card. Each card allows two so-calledFree admission for a family of four. 1300 salons available to youPriority Pass Network - Search here。
You also have access to Plaza Asia, Delta and Eurostar lounges.Our American Express Platinum review is here. you canApply here。
American Express Platinum Card
30,000 points and a wide selection of valuable benefits - for a feeRead our full review
If you run a small business, consider the American Express Business Platinum Card.
American Express Business Platinum Card
40,000 bonus points and £200 annual Amex travel creditRead our full review
American Express Select Rewards Gold CardThe first year is free. it comes with himFour free visits with Priority PassDoAny Priority Pass Lounge – Listen。
Additional salon visits cost £24. For every year you hold the card, you get four more free visits.
Amex Gold waives annual fees in the first year and offers a sign-up bonus of 20,000 points. All the details are insideOur American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review is here。
American Express Select Rewards Gold Card
Your best entry card – 20,000 points, a free year and four airport lounge passesRead our full review
HSBC Premier World Elite MastercardYou will receive a free LoungeKey card, which gives you access to the LoungeKey network. Guests pay £24, but it may be cheaper to pay an extra £60 for your partner.
The card costs £195 and there are strict financial requirements to become an HSBC Premier customer. All the details are insideMy review of the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard。
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
Huge bonus, but only for HSBC Premier customersRead our full review
P.S. You can find all HfPReviews of UK airport lounges have been compiled here - we've gone through most of them。
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