Priority Pass lounges - any good?
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Priority Pass lounges - any good?
I'm going on a fairly lenghty trip to the far east/australia over the winter, involving about 10 to 12 flight sectors and to try to make life more comfortable I was looking at purchasing a lounge access pass as some of my layovers are 5 or 6 hours, often at very busy airports.
Priotity Pass seems to have a large number of lounges - certainley covering everywhere I'll be flying and it works out at about £12 per visit when I purchase 10 passes in advance.
I was suprised not to find a specific thread here on this subject. Anyone got any views or recommendations? Are they any good (I assume they vary a bit)? The only lounges I've previously used have been BA Club and First - I'm not expecting anything up to this standard, but at most of their locations they advertise showers, free alcohol and internet access - the three things I need most other than somewhere to relax and nap.
Some seem to charge for alcohol while others have a 2 or 3 hour time limit, but this is stated in the descriptions. My most important location is DXB where I'll be spending 5 hours in each direction - right in the middle of the overnight rush.
Is this the way to go, or does anyone have better suggestions for other schemes?
Thanks
Priotity Pass seems to have a large number of lounges - certainley covering everywhere I'll be flying and it works out at about £12 per visit when I purchase 10 passes in advance.
I was suprised not to find a specific thread here on this subject. Anyone got any views or recommendations? Are they any good (I assume they vary a bit)? The only lounges I've previously used have been BA Club and First - I'm not expecting anything up to this standard, but at most of their locations they advertise showers, free alcohol and internet access - the three things I need most other than somewhere to relax and nap.
Some seem to charge for alcohol while others have a 2 or 3 hour time limit, but this is stated in the descriptions. My most important location is DXB where I'll be spending 5 hours in each direction - right in the middle of the overnight rush.
Is this the way to go, or does anyone have better suggestions for other schemes?
Thanks
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I have a Priority Pass that was paid for by work and find it very useful never had any problems with it and would definately recommend it.
The total selling price of it does come accross as expensive but bearing in mind that entry into each lounge is usually approximately £15 you are not long in getting your monies worth from it.
The total selling price of it does come accross as expensive but bearing in mind that entry into each lounge is usually approximately £15 you are not long in getting your monies worth from it.
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I would say this warrants more investigation It does depend on the airports you will be laying over in, but usually, it is possible to find a quiet, yet interesting spot to while away the hours and most main airports have "pay per use" CIP lounges, where you can get a shower and freshen up, which are not going to work out much more than what you are budgeting. I would say it is worth it to look at which airports you will be spending the most time in before doing this. If you can be more specific about which airports you will lay over for more than say, a couple of hours, then I am sure there are guys out there who can advise.
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I have PP through my Amex card, so although I don't pay directly for it the cost is certainly there in the steep annual fee to Amex! Either way though I don't think you would regret joining based upon the itinerary you mention.
If you are going to be spending 5 - 6 hours laying over in airports you will certainly appreciate the ability to get out of noisy and crowded public areas. And as you are clearly a person who appreciates a self-service bar (who doesn't?) you will almost certainly find that the Pass pays for itself.
I once got stuck with a colleague at CDG for fourteen hours due to severe weather. There was nothing for it but to repair to the lounge and empty all the Vodka bottles. I think we consumed my annual fee on that day alone.
If you are going to be spending 5 - 6 hours laying over in airports you will certainly appreciate the ability to get out of noisy and crowded public areas. And as you are clearly a person who appreciates a self-service bar (who doesn't?) you will almost certainly find that the Pass pays for itself.
I once got stuck with a colleague at CDG for fourteen hours due to severe weather. There was nothing for it but to repair to the lounge and empty all the Vodka bottles. I think we consumed my annual fee on that day alone.
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If you're not doing long-haul and don't need to sleep or work I really can't think of many Business Lounges in Australia or the Far East I'd really want to spend 5 or 6 hours in and some that you'd probably need depression therapy after such a stay. 5 or 6 hours feels like a run into town for a spot of sight-seeing, shopping, visit-a-friend, a nice break from airline food or a 'sample-the-ambiance-of-the-place.... ' trip. Add them all up and you'll have spent over a day of your holiday watching CNN, eating uninspiring muck and gazing at the usual mottley assortment (me included) of 'Business Travellers' who usually have a far better rapport with their laptops than they have with people... Get away from the airport.
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I've been using PP for some time and find it very useful, particularly when there is a delay. However you need to be prepared to accept a wide variety of differing lounge standards. In some places its a seriously simplistic option, in others its really good. In the UK its generally simple lounges run by the resident handling company although there are some gems if you look for them. Most of the major airports get several options too. As far as DXB is concerned the lounge there is OK until its gets super busy, but then the whole of DXB suffers like that occasionally.
Where its really useful is that, whilst there are many lounge systems you can prebook, with PP you can just turn up if you suddenly find you've got a 4 hour wait instead of the hour you though you had. The main benefit for me really is that you end up somewhere mostly reasonable and with all your facilities, toilet, showers, wifi, snacks, etc in one place. A lot of the lounges also have a bag store so you can go wandering without lugging your cabin bag verywhere.
I tend not to use the facility for a stop of under 90 minutes or so unless the airport I am in is seriously naff!! From a financial point of view the £15 charge can soon be reduced dramatically when you consider the cost of coffee, snacks, papers, wifi, etc in the main part of the terminal. In some places 1 alcoholic drink, 2 coffees, a couple of sandwiches, a cake and wifi actually puts you in profit!!
There are several options when you purchase PP. Mine is the simplest and cheapest as my travelling varies widely from occasional to frenetic.
Its also very useful on the odd occasion you are travelling with a work colleague who you can seriously impress when you invite him to join you in the Business Lounge!!
Where its really useful is that, whilst there are many lounge systems you can prebook, with PP you can just turn up if you suddenly find you've got a 4 hour wait instead of the hour you though you had. The main benefit for me really is that you end up somewhere mostly reasonable and with all your facilities, toilet, showers, wifi, snacks, etc in one place. A lot of the lounges also have a bag store so you can go wandering without lugging your cabin bag verywhere.
I tend not to use the facility for a stop of under 90 minutes or so unless the airport I am in is seriously naff!! From a financial point of view the £15 charge can soon be reduced dramatically when you consider the cost of coffee, snacks, papers, wifi, etc in the main part of the terminal. In some places 1 alcoholic drink, 2 coffees, a couple of sandwiches, a cake and wifi actually puts you in profit!!
There are several options when you purchase PP. Mine is the simplest and cheapest as my travelling varies widely from occasional to frenetic.
Its also very useful on the odd occasion you are travelling with a work colleague who you can seriously impress when you invite him to join you in the Business Lounge!!
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Although I normally travel C or J, I have a PP card for exceptions, such as economy only flights.
The quality of the lounges does vary, as others have said, but sometimes the PP lounge is better than the airline lounge, e.g. Milano Malpensa. The Holideck at T4 LHR is also very good.
I regard it as being very good value for money.
The quality of the lounges does vary, as others have said, but sometimes the PP lounge is better than the airline lounge, e.g. Milano Malpensa. The Holideck at T4 LHR is also very good.
I regard it as being very good value for money.
Paxing All Over The World
I can agree to almost all of the above and routem in particular. Although I now have PP through AmEx Platinum, I used to buy the annual sub for myself as I was doing so much travel as a freelance consultant - but the clients would not usually pay for Biz! That's how good I think it is.
The 'Just-Turn-Up' aspect is vital, particularly if you get a sudden cancellation/delay. The PP website is very good and you can download details to a PDA. If I am visiting an airport I do not know, I usually just print out the location details in my itinerary. Bangkokeasy is correct that you might want to search and some places will have quiet corners however, my guess is that, if you can afford a trip of this nature - then you can afford some lounge passes of this nature!
It is true that food/service/facilities are variable because PP is an umbrella company that provides access to lounges all around the world. Otherwise, you have to research each airport web site individually and find out what kind of lounge it has and where it is. PP does all that for you.
For example, a number of the UK Servisair ones don't offer more than pre-packaged buscuits, cake and bags of crisps (but there is some fruit), whereas the ones in South Africa are brilliant and the sandwiches are the best going with a never ending supply. In particular, in the mornings there is a loaf of sliced bread and a toaster!!! You get to make it to the setting you want.
On my last trip there, we had a four hour layover in JNB and, after checking in for the domestic sector, we had a shower and food and internet and snoozed in the arm chairs. Worth every cotton picking penny.
The 'Just-Turn-Up' aspect is vital, particularly if you get a sudden cancellation/delay. The PP website is very good and you can download details to a PDA. If I am visiting an airport I do not know, I usually just print out the location details in my itinerary. Bangkokeasy is correct that you might want to search and some places will have quiet corners however, my guess is that, if you can afford a trip of this nature - then you can afford some lounge passes of this nature!
It is true that food/service/facilities are variable because PP is an umbrella company that provides access to lounges all around the world. Otherwise, you have to research each airport web site individually and find out what kind of lounge it has and where it is. PP does all that for you.
For example, a number of the UK Servisair ones don't offer more than pre-packaged buscuits, cake and bags of crisps (but there is some fruit), whereas the ones in South Africa are brilliant and the sandwiches are the best going with a never ending supply. In particular, in the mornings there is a loaf of sliced bread and a toaster!!! You get to make it to the setting you want.
On my last trip there, we had a four hour layover in JNB and, after checking in for the domestic sector, we had a shower and food and internet and snoozed in the arm chairs. Worth every cotton picking penny.
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Thanks all. I think it's decided - this is something I'm really going to appreciate.
In particular - 5 hours in DXB, I'm told, is not particularly nice - apparently even 'squatting on the floor' room can be at a premium
For some reason, my other long stopover will be at AMM, Jordan - 5am until lunchtime 
Has anyone actually used the 'Royal Jet Lounge' there?
It was the quality of lounges that bothered me - if this scheme is so popular and they admit any old rabble (i.e. me!), I worried that the lounges would just be as over-crowded and noisy as the terminals, but most users here seem resonably happy.
Great point about the cost of a couple of beers and a sandwich nearly being as much as the lounge access btw
and I promise to do my duty and to have at least 4 beers in each to even the balance even more. And of course, this way there's no worry about obtaining (and being stuck with) local currency on stopovers.
The 'Standard Plus' deal seems pretty good value as there's no 'membership fee' as such - the cost of bulk buying 10 passes is the same as paying for individual access would be after you'd paid the membership. Think that's what I'll go for. In particular, as several people say, the ability to just walk up is good - I really can't be bothered to pre-book. Other comanies such as Lounge Pass offer a pre-book service which is sometimes cheaper (sometimes quite a bit more expensive!), but then limit you to only 3 hour stays (I do wonder if this is actually enforced) and they have nowhere near as many locations.
Just one gripe. Paying in £ sterling is £169 for 10 passes, but US residents get to pay $249 which is currently around £125. So I'm paying 30% more than the americans! Is this a US company or are they based elsewhere? The 'contact us' telephone number quoted is a UK 0208 London number.
In particular - 5 hours in DXB, I'm told, is not particularly nice - apparently even 'squatting on the floor' room can be at a premium
For some reason, my other long stopover will be at AMM, Jordan - 5am until lunchtime Has anyone actually used the 'Royal Jet Lounge' there?It was the quality of lounges that bothered me - if this scheme is so popular and they admit any old rabble (i.e. me!), I worried that the lounges would just be as over-crowded and noisy as the terminals, but most users here seem resonably happy.
Great point about the cost of a couple of beers and a sandwich nearly being as much as the lounge access btw
and I promise to do my duty and to have at least 4 beers in each to even the balance even more. And of course, this way there's no worry about obtaining (and being stuck with) local currency on stopovers.The 'Standard Plus' deal seems pretty good value as there's no 'membership fee' as such - the cost of bulk buying 10 passes is the same as paying for individual access would be after you'd paid the membership. Think that's what I'll go for. In particular, as several people say, the ability to just walk up is good - I really can't be bothered to pre-book. Other comanies such as Lounge Pass offer a pre-book service which is sometimes cheaper (sometimes quite a bit more expensive!), but then limit you to only 3 hour stays (I do wonder if this is actually enforced) and they have nowhere near as many locations.
Just one gripe. Paying in £ sterling is £169 for 10 passes, but US residents get to pay $249 which is currently around £125. So I'm paying 30% more than the americans! Is this a US company or are they based elsewhere? The 'contact us' telephone number quoted is a UK 0208 London number.
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A diners club card will get you into a steadily decreasing number of lounges. They have one in Dubai. There is an annual fee for the card but cannot remember what it is, probably around USD100 per annum. Now usable like mastercard. If you rent a car regularly the primary loss/damage covers the cost very quickly.
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Yes, knobbygb it is a UK company. Incidentally, on the cost of advance purchase against membership. If you are a member there is no cost for each individual stay - for the card owner. If you take in a guest there is a £15 per visit fee. So you can consider the possible benefits of a 12 month usage against the Standard Plus deal. Also, if you have a companion on this trip, that will affect the equation.
In my experience, they tend not to be crowded other than at the usual times of day. What you can get is a lot of coming and going with folks just stopping in for 30 minutes. So try and get yourself a seat in a corner out of the way.
In my experience, they tend not to be crowded other than at the usual times of day. What you can get is a lot of coming and going with folks just stopping in for 30 minutes. So try and get yourself a seat in a corner out of the way.
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knobby - the lounge at AMM isn't up to much. There's a few sofas scattered about a sectioned off area of the terminal and that's about it. Catering extends to a few biscuits on a platter from what I recall. Forget showers, massages and Moulton Brown products! Mind you, the rest of AMM is such a shower of sh1t I'd eat the biscuits and thank your lucky stars you're not outside with the rest of humanity....
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Agreed AMM lounge is not up to much but comfy sofas and fresh coffee may be all you need. Did a recent round trip via Kuwait and was amazed by the 'Full English' self service breakfast available there with waiter service drinks - returned to earth with a bump at AMM !
Had a card and found it invaluable - used it in Jordan following a bout of food poisoning on my way home and the lounge gave me my first decent meal in a few days!
Great to have in 3rd world airports particularly - thinking of some of the african ones I've used here, as the firm has ties to a lot of smaller cities. The other thing worth noting is that in smaller places, you're getting access to a lounge which the majority of carriers would use anyway. Ironically PP can get you into Lisbon lounge, and I remember when unless you were BA silver or above, even travelling J wouldnt get you in there.
Great to have in 3rd world airports particularly - thinking of some of the african ones I've used here, as the firm has ties to a lot of smaller cities. The other thing worth noting is that in smaller places, you're getting access to a lounge which the majority of carriers would use anyway. Ironically PP can get you into Lisbon lounge, and I remember when unless you were BA silver or above, even travelling J wouldnt get you in there.
