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Priority Pass continues to expand in the United States. In March 2021, Alaska added three more of its lounges back to Priority Pass — but then pulled them all out in July 2021. Then in April 2021, Lufthansa added more lounges to Priority Pass. Now, British Airways has added three more lounges to Priority Pass.
Getting a Priority Pass membership is becoming more of a sweet deal — especially now that international travel is booming and more people need lounges for delayed flights.
New British Airways Priority Pass Lounges
British Airways now have four lounges in the Priority Pass network:
- British Airways Newark (EWR) — Available from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Located airside after security, near gates 50. International and in-transit flights only. Maximum stay of 3 hours. Complimentary luggage storage is available inside the lounge.
- British Airways San Francisco (SFO) — Available from 5 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. daily. The lounge is located airside in International Terminal A, near gate 5.
- British Airways Seattle (SEA) — Available from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily. Located inside security. International and in-transit flights only. Complimentary luggage storage is available inside the lounge.
- British Airways Washington Dulles (IAD) — Available from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Located airside on the 2nd floor. The entrance to the lounge is on the right-hand side, once you exit the escalator. Maximum 6-hour stay. Children under 2 years are admitted free. Complimentary alcoholic drinks are limited to wine and beer only.
The Washington DC British Airways lounge was already available to Priority Pass holders, but the other three are new additions to the network. Newark and San Francisco hours are the usual lounge hours, while Seattle and Dulles are open to Priority Pass members before the normal lounge times.
Lufthansa Priority Pass Lounges
In October 2018, Lufthansa — Germany's largest airline — added its Detroit Business Lounge to Priority Pass. In April 2021, Lufthansa added three more of its 5 US lounges to Priority Pass, but later removed its Newark lounge. This departure leaves the new British Airways lounge as the only Priority Pass lounge currently available in Newark.
After all of that shakeup, here are the Lufthansa lounges currently available to Priority Pass members:
- The Lufthansa Business Lounge New York (JFK) — accessible from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 7 to 10:45 p.m. every day. Located airside after the security checkpoint on the left-hand side. International and in-transit flights only. Maximum stay of 3 hours.
- The Lufthansa Business Lounge Washington Dulles (IAD) — accessible from 12 or 1:30 p.m. (depending on the day) to 2 p.m. and then from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Located airside near gate B50. Maximum stay of 3 hours.
- The Lufthansa Business Lounge Detroit (DTW) — accessible from 6 a.m. to 12 noon Monday-Saturday and 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Located airside in the Warren C. Evans Terminal near gate D8. Maximum stay of 3 hours
Due to COVID-19 restrictions at this time, masks must be worn at all times (except when eating) per the website. Masks made of fabric are not allowed.
Neither Lufthansa's Newark or Boston lounges are currently accessible to Priority Pass members.
More on Priority Pass
Priority Pass is not just for North American lounges. The pass gives you access to over 1,300 lounges and airport experiences (including restaurants) around the world.
In the past, airlines were reluctant to allow Priority Pass members access to their lounges due to overcrowding. During the pandemic, that limitation was no longer necessary. Whether British Airways and Lufthansa lounges will remain accessible to Priority Pass members now that travel is hitting new heights is yet to be seen.
If you don't already have a Priority Pass, memberships start at $99 a year. At this membership level, you pay $32 per person to access each lounge. Or for $429 a year, all your lounge visits are free. However, it usually makes much more sense to get a complimentary Priority Pass membership through one of the following credit cards:
| Credit Card | Complimentary Cardholder Access | Number of Free Guests (when allowed by the location) | Digital Priority Pass Card | Card Annual Fee | Authorized User Lounge Access | Authorized User Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries | 2 guests | Yes | $550 | Can gift access to three other people - don't have to be AUs | $0 |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries | Unlimited | Yes | $395 | Yes | $0 (up to four authorized users) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Unlimited lounge access | 2 guests | Yes | $550 | Yes | $75 |
| The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card | Unlimited lounge access | Unlimited (as far as we've found) | Yes | $450 | Yes | $0 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries (Enrollment Required) | 2 guests | Yes | $650 - Rates & Fees | No | $0 - Rates & Fees |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries (Enrollment Required) | 2 guests | Yes | $695 - Rates & Fees | Yes | $195 for each additional Platinum Card for Authorized Users - Rates & Fees |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries (Enrollment Required) | 2 guests | Yes | $695 - Rates & Fees | Yes | $300 - Rates & Fees |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Unlimited lounge access (Enrollment Required) | 2 guests | Yes | $450 | No | $0 |
| Citi Prestige® Card | Unlimited lounge access | 2 guests or immediate family | Yes | $495 | Yes | $75 |
| Crystal® Visa Infinite® Credit Card | Unlimited lounge access for the primary cardholder. | $35 per guest | Yes | $400 | Can gift access to one other person - doesn't have to be AU | $95 |
| Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card | 10 free passes per year, then $35 per visit (Enrollment Required) | $35 per guest | Yes | $95 | No | $0 |
| The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card | 10 free passes per year, then $35 per visit (Enrollment Required) | Must use a 2nd pass for a guest | Yes | $95 - Rates & Fees | No | $0 - Rates & Fees |
| U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card | 8 free passes per year, then $35 per visit | Lounge passes can be used for guests or primary cardholder. $35 per visit after all passes used. | No | $400 | No | $0 |
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Our Take
Having access to lounges is particularly important these days with so much uncertainty around flights. Airlines and airports are imploring passengers to get to the airport early to deal with long check-in and security lines. With a lounge membership, you don't have to worry about being stuck in the terminal if you clear through security quickly.
Just note that being a member of Priority Pass does not guarantee access to an airport lounge. Airlines have the right to deny entry at any time due to overcrowding or other reasons.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Left off the list: Capital One Venture X Visa Infinite card comes with unlimited Priority Pass access for cardmember and guests. In additional to unlimited access to Plaza Premium and Capital One lounges for cardmember and 2 guests. https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/more-than-money/all-about-priority-pass-and-venture-x/
You’re exactly right. That teaches us to use an old chart without double-checking it! Updated now. Thanks for pointing that out.
Your table of PP credit cards is missing the Capital One Venture X card…
It sure was. Thanks for the heads up. We added it now.
The Ritz is unlimited guests. Used it three times in the past month and they allowed three guest each time and all were different lounges in different airports
Thanks for the data point. I updated the chart. And I really do want to put this to the test at some point by trying to guest in an entire tour group!
Hi. I wanted to point out that the authorized user fee for the Citi Prestige card is $75.
Thanks! Fixed that in the chart too.
This is exciting news, EWR needed more (and better) Priority Pass lounges!
A little good news.
Lately I’ve taken less flights than usual.
The use of Priority Pass has been almost insistent considering that a lot of lounges are currently closed.
Can’t wait to try one of these out!
It is good news. Let’s hope that the pandemic will not interfere with the work of these lounges, and we will receive a full service.
Unfortunately, the pandemic understandably is still negatively affecting all lounges in multiple ways. Many aspects should return to normal, at some point, but I suspect that certain elements, such as food service, will be forever altered.
excellent – we will have a long IAD layover upcoming
Kudos to Priority Pass for improving the program! In Canada, Priority Pass is widely available through multiple premium credit cards. I have been using PP for almost a decade and am very grateful for their hard work.
This will be a nice upgrade for IAD. IAD has been a Priority Pass lounge desert outside the weirdest hours.
Excellent. I really can’t wait to be able to travel again …
This is nice! Thanks for this update
With my flying very much reduced due to Covid-19 I think it will be very much harder to maintain status in the future form flying. The lounges offered by Priority Pass will became even more important going forwards.
Nice to see that Priority Pass is adding new lounges.
This is awesome. Love seeing more benefit to my priority pass too.
Once you open a card, say Amex Biz Plat, do you know how long you have to sign up for complementary Priority Pass?
There is no time limit. You can contact Amex any time after your account is opened to enroll in Priority Pass.
Better than nothing I guess, but I sure don’t see this lasting very long once travel rebounds post-pandemic. Best we can hope for is they will stick around with severely reduced hours and substandard fare between the hours when Lufthansa flights are departing.
Great to see a new lounge at Newark, I used to frequent the Art & Lounge but it looks like it’s not listed in Priority Pass anymore?
Say it ain’t so! Thanks to the pandemic, I haven’t flown since 4Q2019, but before then I frequented EWR’s Art & Lounge. I’d hoped to keep doing so when I resumed flying.
Anyway, Priority Pass has been losing access at many lounges, so I’m glad Lufthansa Business Lounges were added at EWR and JFK.
That seems to be a very strong position to take re specific mask types in a lounge, although I suppose it makes sense to align with whatever is required on their planes.
Does Lufthansa have a lounge in IAH too?
I don’t believe so. https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/lounges
This is exciting! I just wish that I was traveling to take advantage of the new lounges. I wonder how long it’ll last. Since PP lost a good option in some lounges I hope they can convince AS and LH to remain.
It is unfortunate that “real” food will not be served a the lounges anytime soon.
Always a win when good lounges are addd to priority pass!
Ok, it is down to German beer, soft drinks, liquor, peanuts, hard pretzels and Haribo gummy bear at the lounges. That’s sad.
The Aspire doesn’t give restaurant credits either.
Hmm, excited to see Dulles on here but it’s a United hub and this is in the wrong concourse. Oh well. They’re only offering water and snacks anyway.
Great News!!!! I used to travel to NYC twice a year so next time i will try this lounge club by using my priority pass card!!!
Lufthansa + Priority Pass = what perfect match that is!
Used to have Priority Pass through Amex CC. Nice to see that they are adding more properties.
Good news at last for Priority Pass users. With so many news of VIP lounges leaving the alliance, I welcome this decision by Lufthansa.
It is great to see some new lounges being added to Priority Pass. These Lufthansa lounges look like a really useful addition.
2 guests means cardholder plus 2 guests or 2 total?
Cardholder plus 2 guests = 3 total people can enter the lounge.
Though the hours are limited, more options are still a good thing. I’m a bit confused about the restriction of “masks made of fabric are not allowed“. Aren’t all masks made of fabric? Obviously I’m not understanding what the word fabric means in this context.
Lufthansa requires passengers to wear medical-style masks: “This includes masks of the standard FFP2, KN95 and N95, or surgical masks. Masks made of fabric, visors or masks with a valve are not permitted.” So, it seems that Lufthansa is expanding this to include lounge guests as well.
Wow! Ultra strict mask rules there. I certainly won’t be going.