Priority Pass is a program offering access to partner airport lounges worldwide. Find out how the program works and, more importantly, how to take advantage of its benefits.
Priority Pass is a membership program offering privileged access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. Designed for frequent travellers, it enables them to enjoy comfortable spaces away from the hustle and bustle of airport terminals, regardless of their ticket class or chosen airline.
Depending on the level of membership chosen – Standard, Standard Plus or Prestige – access to lounges can be free or for a reduced price. These lounges offer a range of services: Wi-Fi, drinks, meals, showers, rest areas and work spaces.
Priority Pass is used exclusively online, either via a mobile application or on the dedicated website. Members can use it to locate partner lounges and easily manage their membership.
In Canada, there are lounges in most major cities. At Montreal-Trudeau airport, for example, there’s the Banque Nationale lounge and the Air France lounge. In Quebec City, there’s the VIP Club Med lounge and, in Ottawa, the Aspire lounge. In Toronto, there’s the Aspire Lounge at Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ) and the multiple Plaza Premium lounges at Toronto Pearson (YYZ), like the one in Terminal 1.
Priority Pass is not as well known in France as it is in Canada. Yet Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport is home to two lounges: Star Alliance Lounge and YotelAir Paris Charles de Gaulle. Elsewhere in France, there are eight other lounges.
In total, Priority Pass provides access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, on every continent – Africa, Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and the Middle East.
To find out whether a particular lounge is a Priority Pass member, or whether an airport has a Priority Pass lounge, visit the Priority Pass website.
To join Priority Pass, you have two options: pay an annual subscription, or purchase a credit card that gives you access to the program.
The cost of a Priority Pass subscription ranges from USD 79 to USD 469 per cardholder, depending on the package selected. There are three packages to choose from:
You can subscribe directly on the Priority Pass website. To register, simply enter your personal information and credit card details.
Although the subscription is appealing, we advise less frequent travellers to check out the offers available with credit cards, in particular American Express (Canada) and American Express (France).
In addition to the “official” Priority Pass subscription levels, there are also “unofficial” levels offered by credit cards.
Not all offers are created equal. Be sure to study the credit card proposals carefully before making your choice.
In Canada, only American Express Platinum cards offer Priority Pass membership. The American Express Platinum Card and American Express Corporate Platinum Card offer the highest level of membership, with unlimited access to all lounges and the possibility of bringing a guest free of charge with each visit.
This is better than the official “Prestige” membership offered by Priority Pass at USD 469 per year, which doesn’t even allow you to invite a guest free of charge.
Since American Express Platinum cards also give you access to American Express Centurion lounges, they’ll quickly pay for themselves if you travel frequently.
Unlimited for the holder and one guest
No conversion fee for foreign currency transactions
2 points per dollar on all purchases
Premium insurance
It’s the same in France, only the American Express Platinum and American Express Business Platinum cards offer their holders a free subscription to Priority Pass. Admittedly, the price of these cards is particularly high, but with all the benefits offered to travellers, such as a wide range of insurance, concierge service and the possibility of accumulating Membership Rewards points redeemable for flights and hotel accommodation, they quickly pay for themselves.
Priority Pass is a useful service for frequent travellers who don’t necessarily have a status with their airline, but who want to be able to relax before and/or after their flight. After all, it’s always nice to spend time in a lounge, rather than in the hustle and bustle of the airport.
We regularly take advantage of this in our travels, and you can learn about our experiences in some of our articles:
Priority Pass is a program offering access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. To access Priority Pass, you need an annual membership or a credit card that includes it in its annual benefits package.
Priority Pass subscriptions range from USD 79 to USD 469 per cardholder. For USD 79, you will be entitled to the Standard Pass. This means that, in addition to your annual subscription, you must pay for each of your visits and those of your guests. For USD 279, you’ll be entitled to the Standard Plus membership; ten visits are offered each year, but you’ll have to pay for your guests’ access. Finally, for 469 USD, you’ll have unlimited access to all the lounges, but you’ll have to pay for your guests’ access.
Priority Pass gives access to certain Air France lounges, including the Air France lounge in Montreal and the Air France lounge at New York JFK. At Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Air France lounges are not members of Priority Pass.
The best way to get a Priority Pass card is with a credit card. American Express offers annual subscriptions to Priority Pass to holders of its highest-end credit cards.
Savings are here:
