Is Priority Pass worth it?

I was scrolling through Facebook and I happened to come across this ad:

The advertisement makes some rather bold claims (or what I would classify as mere puffs) of the life changing effects of having a Priority Pass: “free food” , “drinks” (while the word “free” wasn’t included, the general idea is that it would be free too), excellent wifi connections and a place to unwind in a nice, cozy lounge.

This is to be contrasted with the other alternative of not having a Priority Pass: “Overpriced food and drinks”, “spotty wifi”, “many people” and “no chairs”.

Is it really that great?

I am a Priority Pass holder and the answer, I guess, is not so clear cut.

But let us get rid of some falsehoods (or fake news) first.

There is no such thing as free food or drinks. The Priority Pass is a paid service where you can pre-purchase a number of visits to airport lounges per year (US$99 standard member annual fee + US$32 per visit, US$299 standard plus member annual fee with 10 free visits and US$32 thereafter, or US$429 prestige member annual fee for unlimited visits). This is just for the card holder. Guests are all charged US$32. It is therefore technically not “free”.

While there are free passes that come with credit cards, these passes have limited uses and once expended you revert to the pay per use scheme. There is one benefit though of having such free passes. You avoid paying the initial US$99 sign up fee. So if you already have a credit card with this benefit, do consider taking up the free Priority Pass card and saving it for certain occasions which I will cover below.

At US$32 per visit, unless you are guzzling down alcohol by the glasses or pints in the lounge, you can in most cases get a cheaper meal at an airport’s public area. Since we are on the topic of alcohol, a point to note is that some lounges don’t serve alcohol or it is something you have to pay extra for. So free food and alcohol shouldn’t be your top reason to get a Priority Pass.

As regards “spotty wifi connections”, it is not always the case. It ultimately depend on the airport you are at. I have no issue connecting in major airports around the world. So it isn’t really a deal maker for me.

So, when then is a Priority Pass worth it?

The ideal situation is when you are flying economy and transiting on a long haul flight at an airport with a Priority Pass Lounge. Getting off the plane and checking into a lounge has many advantages. First, you don’t have to fret about local currencies as you would have already prepaid or can charge the pay-per-use fees to your credit card. Second, such lounges typically have free shower facilities. A hot shower after a long flight is definitely inviting. That said, be sure to do your research beforehand as some lounges don’t. For example, if transiting in Heathrow Airport, there are no free shower facilities in the lounges!

The second situation I can think of is when you happen to have lots of time to kill maybe because of lousy flight timings. The unlimited food and drinks in the lounge may be worth it then instead of having to keep buying drinks or food while waiting. This applies especially in certain countries where airport food is exorbitantly expensive (e.g. having a cup of coffee in China can set you back quite a bit!) that it really doesn’t differ too much from you just using the lounge.

Third, although this seldom apply, the card can shine in cases when you happen to visit a second-rate or third-rate airport with little facilities. The lounge can offer some comfort. Although, on the flip side, such a lounge wouldn’t be too good anyway. So again, do your research before splurging or wasting your one free visit.

Fourth, when you make a calculated choice to maximise the money spent. This comes from personal experience. When I was in University, I used to fly budget flights quite a fair bit. The flights were always early morning and taxi fares were painful for me (SG$35 per way). I instead chose to take the last train to the airport and spend the money saved on the lounge. It’s a worthwhile trade. I get to load up on food before my flight and also indulge in a few glasses of alcohol. Just be sure to do it moderately and not be a flight hazard =P

I hope this helps in your decision making process if you are deciding whether to get a Priority Pass card. If you can get it free, go for it. If not, maybe consider whether you really need it. To allow you to have a feel of what such lounges entail, consider my review here (SATS lounge in Changi T2)

If you are really travelling a lot, you may be better off with a frequent flyer award. The benefits are better – Better lounges and preference queues when checking in. I have previously covered my experience using JAL’s lounges here (JAL’s Bangkok Lounge) and here (JAL’s Haneda Lounge) and also Malaysia Airlines lounge in KL here. Both airlines fall within the One World Alliance. Typically, such lounges are way better and should ultimately replace your Priority Pass with the latter being used only in cases of desperate need ><

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