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Priority Pass announced in an email to members that the price of chargeable lounge visits through their Priority Pass membership associated with their American Express card is increasing to $32 per visit as of October 1, 2018. This represents an 18.5% increase on the current cost of a lounge visit of $27. That said, this, in theory, is a non-issue for many people. This is only an issue if you exceed the complimentary guest benefit of your card.
This change only impacts you if you have your Priority Pass membership through an American Express credit card and you exceed your guest limit. If you receive your Priority Pass benefits through a Chase or Citi card nothing changes. And if you never exceed the guest limit on your card, this is a non-issue!
Our Take
In general, we wouldn't pay for Priority Pass lounge access anyway. Considering that you can easily obtain a membership through credit card enrollment, stick with the guest policy and you'll see no impact. Much ado about nothing, but it is important to know if you do exceed the guest policy and get charged.
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Found this post on an AMEX search as I just received my new AMEX credit card. Thanks for the heads up!
I seem to have received the price increase email and my PP membership is through Citi Prestige so i’m not sure if this is only for AmEx.
It doesn’t affect me that much since i rarely need to bring in more than 2 guests (me + 2 guests are already covered for free).
I would still like to know if the allowance in restaurants has increased from 28 to 32 or is it still 28 ?
The allowance has not changed.
I have a paid Prestige Priority Pass.
Sometimes, my partner come with me and so I’m debited the entry fee.
With this increase of price I would not invite her anymore into the Lounge except special cases.
I think it’s better she’s spending the equivalent money going to a restaurant or a coffee bar.
Got the email indeed but not impacted by it.
It begins with Amex I bet that the price increase will get to other card issuers as well its just a matter of time. But what happens when you visit one of the Priority affiliated restaurants in the airport . I aint going to pay 32 dollar for guest after the limit to get food value at 28 dollar
Thanks for the information on Priority Pass lounge access. I earned a Priority Pass membership earlier this year through the Ritz Carlton credit card, and it has been a nice benefit. I used it for the first time in Boston last week, and it really improves the travel experience.
This is definitely a non-issue for those of us who keep within the deal limits.
Complete non-issue for most people I would say. Certainly for me, as a single traveller with the unlimited membership.
As stated, most PP lounges are not worth the full price, unless you feel like a decent session on the booze.
Thanks, good to know in any case.
Definitely good to know. Another reason to use the Priority Pass from the Sapphire Reserve rather than the Amex. If there ever is a time that I would want to pay to guest someone in to a lounge (and I agree with the other posters, that would be a rare occasion) I may as well pay the lower price! In the past, I always used the Sapphire Reserve Lounge benefits due to the unlimited guests but I think Chase has changed that to only two guests anyway.
If you have more than the usual amount of people and really needed some down time then I can imagine paying it once in a while. How much is some quiet time to you? As a parent, relaxed time is precious. I do see why most would not pay it though. PP has really been adding more restaurants and lounges lately. Wonder why the increase on just Amex cards?
Not an issue for me (and most card holders?), since I am only using the free lounge visits. $28 was allready too expensive to consider paying for most lounges.
doesnt matter to most. they are overcrowded and this change will not make much of a difference.
first amex card members, next all pp select members! (chase!!)
Quite an increase all at once. I wouldn’t pay either. May help to somewhat thin the ranks of those utilizing.
Wasn’t going to pay before, definitely not now
I also wouldn’t pay, but nice to know!
As a more frequent AA flyer this doesn’t really matter to me and most people seem to use this benefit through a charge card anyhow.
The only Amex Cardholders who would need to pay these extra charges are families who travel with more than three children or bring Grandparents along, as normally up to 4 people are covered (2 Amex Cards with one guest added to each).
That is a very good point that this is really a non issue for most as they won’t be paying for lounge access anyway. Certainly if it was costing me $32 a visit I’d being giving the lounge a miss.
Really? Although I’m generally always successful at avoiding paying lounge fees, $32 (which would be a discount on the normal rate for any lounge) would totally be worth it for access, to me, to escape the zoos that some terminals are… particularly if on an extended layover.
Is the guest limit constant for all users or it varies by some factors (such as card limit, yearly spending, etc)
It is based on your card issuer and particular card.
Agree that I wouldn’t pay anyway