Priority Pass: What Businesses Need To Know

There are many reasons why travelers with income to spare may be attracted to the benefits of a travel rewards credit card. These cards typically carry hefty annual fees, but the frequent flier can make up this value (and then some) by taking strategic advantage of the high-value travel perks that often come with these cards.

One such perk is Priority Pass membership. If you like the idea of transforming your airport experience by getting in on private lounges with free wi-fi, complimentary food and drinks, and other luxury amenities, you’ll want to hear the details!

What Is Priority Pass?

Priority Pass is a global network of airport lounges encompassing over 1,200 lounges in over 500 cities across 143 countries — and each of these numbers only grows with time. With Priority Pass membership, you gain the right to access each of these lounges, regardless of the airline you’re flying with or the class of ticket you have.

At current count, there are 41 US airports offering Priority Pass lounge access, with some airports offering multiple such lounges:

• Anchorage (ANC)
• Atlanta (ATL)
• Baltimore Washington International (BWI)
• Boston (BOS)
• Chicago-O’Hare (ORD)
• Charlotte (CLT)
• Cincinnati (CVG)
• Cleveland {CLE)
• Colorado Springs (COS)
• Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW)
• Denver (DEN)
• Detroit (DTW)
• Ft. Lauderdale (FLL)
• Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP)
• Honolulu (HNL)
• Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
• Indianapolis (IND)
• Las Vegas (LAS)
• Lexington (LEX)
• Los Angeles (LAX)
• Miami (MIA)
• Minneapolis (MSP)
• New York-JFK (JFK)
• New York-LaGuardia (LGA)
• Newark (EWR)
• Orlando International (MCO)
• Orlando-Sanford (SFB)
• Philadelphia (PHL)
• Phoenix (PHX)
• Pittsburgh (PIT)
• Portland (PDX)
• San Francisco (SFO)
• San Jose (SJC)
• San Juan (SJU)
• Seattle (SEA)
• St. Louis (STL)
• Syracuse (SYR)
• Tampa (TPA)
• Tucson (TUS)
• Washington National (DCA)
• Washington-Dulles (IAD)

Remember, these lounges are not actually operated by Priority Pass. Many of them are airline-affiliated while the others are independent facilities. They also vary in terms of size and quality. In fact, not all of them are “lounges” in the traditional sense — some are actually restaurants or “minute suites” (private cushy rooms you can enjoy for hour-long increments).

Priority Pass VS Priority Pass Select

It’s important to make a distinction between Priority Pass and Priority Pass Select.

Priority Pass refers to the membership lounge network itself, with membership offered in three tiers:

Standard

• $99 annual fee
• Priority Pass lounge access will be $32/person for you and any guests

Standard Plus

• $299 annual fee
• Priority Pass lounge access will be free for your first 10 visits (but not those of your guests), then $32 thereafter, while your guests will pay $32 apiece from the start

Prestige

• $429 annual fee
• Priority Pass lounge access will be free for you forever while your guests will pay $32 apiece

For reference, without a Priority Pass membership, access to these lounges will typically cost around $50.

By contrast, Priority Pass Select memberships are obtained exclusively through premium travel credit cards. Some of these cards will automatically enroll you in the program, while others require you to activate your membership. Priority Pass Select membership cards (which you will need) come in both physical and digital form.

The terms of your Priority Pass Select membership can vary based on which credit card granted you access. For instance, with some credit cards, PPS membership will entail unlimited free personal access to Priority Pass lounges, while other cards limit you to 10 free lounge visits per year. Likewise, some cards allow you to bring a certain number of guests with you into the lounge free of charge, while others will require that your guests pay a $27-$32 fee to enter (which still beats the $50 fee that normally applies).

Priority Pass Pros & Cons

Airports are loud, busy, often chaotic places. Gaining access to a private airport lounge obviously lets you opt out of the hustle and bustle while you wait for your flight. You’ll also get your traveling companions into the lounge either for free or at a discounted rate.

Need to rent a car at the airport? Priority Pass members can join the AVIS Preferred Plus program for free, thereby gaining access to priority service, the highest priority for car availability, and other benefits.

Another cool perk of Priority Pass membership? You’ll get free meals and drinks at select airport restaurants and bars. Other luxury benefits available at select airports include massages, spa treatments, and retail discounts. Before choosing your layover flight(s), examine and compare your layover airport choices for their respective Priority Pass benefits.

On the downside, there are several major US airports offering no Priority Pass lounges or benefits. If your travel is mostly within the US (the vast majority of Priority Pass lounges are in airports outside the US), you may find your Priority Pass membership to be worthless depending on the airport in which you find yourself.

Additionally, if you buy a Priority Pass membership (meaning you didn’t get it as a complimentary feature of a travel credit card), you’ll be paying an annual fee for your membership, so if you don’t fly often enough to earn back the value of this fee in benefits, that Priority Pass membership is going to cost you. Also, your guests may end up having to pay a $27-$32 fee for lounge access.

How To Get Priority Pass

Priority Pass Cost

As I laid out earlier in the piece, Priority Pass memberships, when purchased on a standalone basis, come in three tiers: Standard ($99), Standard Plus ($299), and Prestige ($429). Each tier gives you an escalating level of discounts and freebies.

If you plan instead to gain Priority Pass Select membership by getting one of the travel credit cards offering this benefit, be prepared to pay a significant annual fee. However, given the fact that most of the credit cards offering Priority Pass Select membership give two of your guests free access to the lounges while a standalone Priority Pass membership will see your guests paying $27-$32 apiece, we recommend getting Priority Pass benefits through a travel credit card. This will get you more value, particularly if you travel frequently with business colleagues or if you take vacations with a large family.

I’ll lay out which credit cards get you which Priority Pass Select benefits and at what annual cost in the next section, but I should mention that only one such travel card, the Black Card Mastercard, offers unlimited free access to Priority Pass lounges for both you and an unlimited number of your guests. Other travel cards offering PPS membership offer free lounge access for just 2 guests or fewer.

Credit Cards With Priority Pass

Priority Pass Select membership is a complimentary feature of eight travel credit cards. However, not all Priority Pass Select benefit packages are created equal. Here’s what you get with the credit cards sporting Priority Pass Select benefits.

Final Thoughts

If your business or your personal life sees you traveling often — and particularly if your travels take you overseas with any regularity — you may want to avail yourself of the exclusive Priority Pass airport comforts and benefits most flyers never experience. While you can purchase a standalone Priority Pass membership, getting a travel credit card with Priority Pass Select membership will, in most instances, give you more value in terms of lounge access for your guests, as well as providing you all the other travel benefits of a high-end travel card.

For more on the world of travel credit cards, read the following articles!

• Best business credit cards for travel