Airport Lounge/Priority Pass Hacks

[kudy]

I've just received my "Priority Pass" after signing up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card - I assume many of you will be getting one soon as well! I've never been into an airport lounge, and there is a bit of mystery around the whole experience for me. For those of you who are old pros, can you share any info or tips?

My first tip comes directly from the "welcome" letter that came with my Priority Pass, which answered a question I had:
"You and your accompanying guests may visit participating lounges at no charge compliments of Chase Sapphire Reserve as often as you wish during your membership year."

This seems to confirm that guest(s) can come along for free, which is awesome, because I never travel alone!

Also, I downloaded the Priority Pass app on my phone, which is a simple way to look up locations of lounges and their amenities. It also looks like there is an option at some lounges to check-in using just the app.

So, what can you share about your Priority Pass or general airport lounge experience so that us less experienced travelers can maximize the few times we'll visit a lounge this year? If a lot of good info is shared, I'll try to edit the first post to summarize all of the tips and info.

[scottish]

Free drinks and low quality food.   A bit more comfy than the normal departure lounge.   IIRC some of them have showers, so it's handy if you just got off a red-eye and want to shower before your first meeting.

[arebelspy]

Free drinks and low quality food.   A bit more comfy than the normal departure lounge.   IIRC some of them have showers, so it's handy if you just got off a red-eye and want to shower before your first meeting.

+1. We've found it okay, but not a life changer.

Supposedly there are some really baller lounges somewhere in the world, but the ones we've been in have been eh. Better than nothing, but I probably wouldn't pay $5 to enter unless I was super hungry (they charge like 20-25 typically if you don't have the pass).

[monstermonster]

I love them for long layovers and the free coffee and drinks. They have outlets and comfy chairs!

[llorona]

I've only been to Air France's lounges. They have decent finger food and free drinks, including champagne, but the primary benefit is getting away from the crowds and noise. I've heard that they offer mini Clarins facials at their lounge in Paris.

[erutio]

If my wife and I both have a pass from CSR, will they let our children (ages 2 and 4) in with us for free?

[arebelspy]

If my wife and I both have a pass from CSR, will they let our children (ages 2 and 4) in with us for free?

I think kids under a certain age don't count anyways, but definitely if you both have passes, cause then you both get a guest.

[kudy]

Free drinks and low quality food.   A bit more comfy than the normal departure lounge.   IIRC some of them have showers, so it's handy if you just got off a red-eye and want to shower before your first meeting.

Any free food or drink is appreciated :) I am used to paying $15 for some mediocre food while waiting for a flight.

[kudy]

...I probably wouldn't pay $5 to enter unless I was super hungry (they charge like 20-25 typically if you don't have the pass).

Good observation - if you're hoping to get a few drinks, it sounds great - I can drink $5 worth of alcohol is 20 minutes!

[HAPPYINAZ]

Got my pass today in the mail.  Hoping to try it out sometime, but it seems we are never at the airport long enough either before or after a flight to make time for this.  We try and fly nonstop, but if we ever have a layover somewhere, hopefully they have one of the good lounges there!

[RobFIRE]

I think I've been to an airport lounge once and a train travel first class lounge once. I have heard of Priority Pass (they advertise in UK in flight magazines), but for the limited air travel that I normally do (two or three short return flights a year) it didn't seem worth it.

Airport lounge was BA in London, about 7 years ago, was breakfast time and had a decent cold breakfast offering plus soft drinks, coffee. Plus WiFi, power, newspapers, space, tables. I would not necessarily expect a commercially-run lounge to have more than free soft drinks, fruit and snacks (if the airline provides the lounge for business/first they can build the cost into the plane ticket/run it at cost, if the lounge is a standalone entity it has to be profitable by itself). But with normal airport food prices, and the lack of space, WiFi issues and noise, access to a lounge even for the basics could be well worth having.

Train lounge was Virgin Trains in London. Lounge was full of people, quite noisy. Free soft drinks and very basic snacks only, I mean can of orange juice and small packet of pretzels was about it. Tables with power and free WiFi but too busy. I had booked a first class train ticket as it was the cheapest option (UK train ticket pricing is sometimes quite nonsensical), went to the lounge to see what it was like, would not make a particular effort/pay to go back there again.

Hopefully Priority Pass airport lounges are a bit closer to BA standards than the train ones...

[iwasjustwondering]

I used to fly business class to Europe for work a few times a year, and lounge access usually came with the tickets.  For me, the great thing about the lounges is that they come with reliable wifi and an easy place to charge your electronics.  We have also used the United lounge with our kids, on the way to Europe, and it's a nice way to kick off a trip, to have a few free snacks and a glass of wine. 

I have showered at Heathrow Airport on my way somewhere else in Europe, but that wasn't part of a lounge.  There's a place where you can just pay 10 pounds and take a shower in a clean, decent stall.  If you're tired and dirty and heading to catch another flight to an afternoon meeting/dinner/evening entertainment somewhere in Eastern Europe, that shower is priceless. 

[fa]

We have used the lounge of Thai Airlines in Bangkok.  It was really nice.  Quiet, great coffee, breakfast pastries, newspapers etc.  Highly recommended.  Access came with our business class tickets, so I don't know what entry normally costs.

The airline lounges we have visited in the US are okay but nothing to write home about.  Maybe just a place where it is a little quieter and you don't pay for drinks.  The food is usually very basic snacks.  If you don't drink alcohol, they are definitely not worth it.  But then again, you have free passes, so why not.

[arebelspy]

We have used the lounge of Thai Airlines in Bangkok.  It was really nice.  Quiet, great coffee, breakfast pastries, newspapers etc.  Highly recommended.  Access came with our business class tickets, so I don't know what entry normally costs.

Cool!  We have a layover there about a month from now on our way to Chiang Mai, so we'll be checking it out.  If this thread is bumped anytime after that, I'll be sure to report back.  :)

[fa]

Chiang Mai is fabulous!  I am so jealous.  Speaking of food, there is a well known restaurant very close to the the airport in Chiang Mai.  I don't remember the name but they have a large garden and grow their own food.  Very cheap and one of the best meals we ever had.

Don't forget the Queen's gardens as well as an elephant ride.  Terrific memories.  You make me want to go back.

[bryan995]

Was in the Virgin America Loft lounge at LAX yesterday. My wife has the CSR (still waiting for my 5/24 to lapse). We both got in under her PP card without issue. Nothing to write home about. Free coffee, mimosas, beer etc. Lots of fruit (took some to go) and food you can order (sandwich/salad). Free wifi - speed seemed ok, did not attempt to download a movie though. I think I saw one guy streaming Netflix, so that could be a plus. Only stayed there about an hour. Very very quiet though, much more relaxing than the normal waiting areas. Bathrooms are cleaner and there are no lines.

[lizzzi]

As part of the bonus for signing up for a U.S. Airways/American Airlines credit card last year, I got a one-time free pass to the AA Admiral's Club lounge. I used it at JFK during a five-hour layover, and it was pleasant. Quieter, easier to read or go online than out in the main part of the terminal. Staff very helpful and pleasant--very willing to explain things, answer questions, etc. It included one free drink, so I had a glass of wine. There was a pretty good selection of free food--not fabulous--but you could put together a light lunch. There was food for purchase, too. There was restaurant and bar seating, and also big, comfortable lounge type seating, with plug-ins for your technology. There were showers. Restrooms were spacious, pleasant, clean. There was a coat closet. For five hours (and for free) it was a no-brainer to use this lounge. It was fairly busy, but not elbow-to-elbow crowded. They would call you when it was time for your flight, but I was super-paranoid about missing it, so I thanked them and left a little earlier than necessary to go down to the gate for boarding call. Depending on the length of my layover, in the future I would be likely to just pay the money and use this type of lounge again. But only for a long layover.

[Paul der Krake]

There is a huge disparity in the quality of Priority Pass lounges. For me the selling point is reliably good internet access and comfortable chairs. Food/snacks and booze are a nice touch and save you from purchasing a $10 ham sandwich in the terminal, but not what I look forward to.

The ones with showers are the bomb. Take one after a long international redeye and you will feel like a million bucks.

[2buttons]

So far unimpressed with the quantity of lounges with priority pass.

[HAPPYINAZ]

We have used the lounge of Thai Airlines in Bangkok.  It was really nice.  Quiet, great coffee, breakfast pastries, newspapers etc.  Highly recommended.  Access came with our business class tickets, so I don't know what entry normally costs.

Cool!  We have a layover there about a month from now on our way to Chiang Mai, so we'll be checking it out.  If this thread is bumped anytime after that, I'll be sure to report back.  :)

I just watched a show on the amazing food in Chiang Mai....lucky you! 

But be careful of mosquitos...also read they have been getting cases of Zika there recently.

[arebelspy]

Getting Zika out of the way would be sweet. Get some immunity, then we can travel to S. America and get pregnant without fear!

[dragoncar]

Is there a bartender?  Do you tip?

[Paul der Krake]

Is there a bartender?  Do you tip?

Some do, some don't. The last one I tried to tip (Alaska lounge in Seattle) politely informed me that they don't take tips.

[lizzzi]

I tipped the bartender in JFK's American Airlines Admiral's Club lounge, even though the glass of wine was free. Just seemed like the right thing to do.

[Cromacster]

Most lounges I've been in are alright.  They are nice if you have a long layover.  Puerto Rico had a really nice lounge, though it seemed very out of the way.

My favorite thing about the lounges is the quiet.  No constant announcements, not as many people, no beeping carts.  I wouldn't pay for it, but when it's free or covered by work, I definitely take advantage if time allows.

[AlanStache]

I have paid the 20-25$ a few times for the Delta lounge and gotten in for free many times.  The quite relaxed environment is very nice, you can spread out and get actual work done or chill with a free drink.  Delta at JFK has a really cool outside section you can watch the airplanes from, there is a mild smell of jet exhaust but that just adds to the ambiance :-)  Some of the worst part of flying is that everywhere in the airport you can hear a constant stream of tv "news" the lounges let you get away from this.  I figure if I am going to eat in the airport with a 2+hr layover going into the lounge is about breaking even cost wise-bringing your own food from outside gets impractical with work travel. 

[691175002]

Its not life-changing or anything, but its pretty nice for a no-cost credit card perk.  Having guaranteed seating, a power outlet, and snacks makes travel more enjoyable.

The quality of lounges varies dramatically.  Some just have prepackaged snacks whereas others have full buffets and alcohol.  You can go to the prioritypass webpage on your phone for an overview of the available lounges by airport.  Lounges that have won awards are uncommon but tend to be notably better than average.

[albijaji]

I have been to the Lufthansa lounge in munich, germany
I dont have perks or anything.. they asked us to step back from a flight
but the main perk were the 600 euros and free hotel + food for the night
upgraded our flight to business (they were hopelessly overbooked on the flight and
nobody wanted to step back , which i will never ever understand - with those perks)
the lounge was a great bonus
the food was excellent, it was quiet and my (then) 8 year old ate and drank till he almost exploded
maybe i was just so happy about the whole thing that i cannot objectively rate the lounge :o)

[BeardedLady]

Chiang Mai is fabulous!  I am so jealous.  Speaking of food, there is a well known restaurant very close to the the airport in Chiang Mai.  I don't remember the name but they have a large garden and grow their own food.  Very cheap and one of the best meals we ever had.

Don't forget the Queen's gardens as well as an elephant ride.  Terrific memories.  You make me want to go back.

Avoid elephant rides in Thailand as those elephants are nearly always mistreated or malnourished. We spent a day at Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai, a sanctuary and rescue for elephants and other animals. We signed up for the "Pamper a Pachyderm" day which allowed us to spend lots of time with the elephants - feeding them, walking with them, and giving them a bath in the river. It was my favorite day of the trip. Check it out: http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/ Be sure to have the theme from Jurassic Park in your music queue for the drive in!

[Ceridwen]

I used to travel internationally extensively for work, and lounge access was a godsend.  I often had 6+ hour layovers, so I could get free food & drinks, wifi, get away from the noise, and best of all - nap! Most international lounges have a quiet room.  Bliss.

[JoJo]

following.  My PP arrived yesterday.

[Grogounet]

I got two Quantas club passes when signing up for a new CC offer earlier this year (free of course).
I sold $70 each on ebay and pack up my food before going to the airport

Net worth = +130
Effort = Nothing
Happiness = +++

:-)

[SunnySaver]

The most important tip is do some advance research to avoid surprises. Lounges vary considerably in terms of amenities, fees (entry may be covered by Priority Pass, but some will charge for alcohol, showers, food, etc.), comfort, and opening hours. Start with Priority Pass website or app for the basics and rules, but also do a web search for reviews.

Don't forget to consider access. You can use a lounge on arrival with Priority Pass, but only if you can physically access it. For example, in many non-US airports, you are not allowed airside upon arrival without an onward boarding pass. There may be multiple terminals with no access between them, or it could just be too much time/hassle to bother. There can also be different zones within the same terminal, e.g. Schengen vs. non-Schengen in the EU.

Here's a technique that some might consider a hack: Long connections are often allowed on international itineraries at no extra cost, so plan a connection where you arrive early and depart late. Visit the lounge on arrival to eat breakfast and shower, head into the connecting city for a day of sightseeing, and then visit the lounge before departure to eat and perhaps shower again (after a full day in a hot or humid city, you will probably feel like it).