Priority Pass: How to Invite the Maximum Number of Guests into Airport Lounges

Amex – Cards with Acess to Priority Pass

If you’re an occasional traveller, the best way to gain access to the Priority Pass program is by applying for a credit card. In both France and Canada, there are a number of cards that offer Priority Pass membership and, consequently, free airport lounge visits.

For those who prefer to avoid the use of credit cards, it is also possible to purchase a Priority Pass membership directly from the company by visiting the Priority Pass website. Subscriptions range from US 79 to US 469 per cardholder, and do not include free visits for guests.

Credit Cards in Canada

Here is the list of credit cards that provide a Priority Pass account in Canada:

Credit Cards in France

Here is the list of credit cards that provide a Priority Pass account in France:

Strategies for Inviting the Maximum Number of Guests to Airport Lounges

Before applying for a credit card, the first important step is to define your lounge access needs for the next 12 months. It’s often mentioned, but it’s best to have a clear idea before diving into this process.

Define the Number of Annual Lounge Accesses

Begin by asking yourself these questions:

• How many total lounge accesses do you estimate you’ll need (counting yourself and each guest)?
• Is it necessary to have access to the lounges at every airport you visit?
• • Will your layovers be long enough to visit the lounge?
  • Is it necessary/desirable to go to a lounge at the final arrival airport? If so, is the lounge accessible on arrival (most lounges are only accessible for departures)?
  • Is it necessary/desirable to go to the lounge when leaving your home town?

Will you have Business Class or First Class tickets on certain flights? If so, lounge access is included in the ticket (usually, airlines offer this even with reward tickets).

This list does not need to be accurate down to the decimal point! The idea is mainly to realistically assess your needs in order to apply the right strategy for optimizing your lounge access while minimizing associated costs. This does require some preliminary research, but the goal is to optimize subscriptions and their timing over the long term.

Priority Pass accounts cannot be combined. Each account is independent of the other and must be managed according to the type and number of accesses it provides.

Apply for a Credit Card…

In France and Canada, American Express’s premium cards give the cardmember and one guest unlimited access to Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide.

As you’ve read in our previous articles, we don’t usually recommend taking out the extra card for your spouse. It’s often best for everyone to take out a card in their own name, both for the welcome bonus and, in this case, for lounge access.

If everyone subscribes to one of American Express’s premium cards, for example, the « pair » could have four unlimited lounge accesses. This could be useful in the case of a mini world tour as a family. Additionally, if one partner refers the other for the second card, they will also earn points for the referral.

… Or Take out More Than One Credit Card

To be able to invite the maximum number of people to the airport lounge, you could sign up for multiple credit cards.

A Canadian could, for example, ask for the American Express Platinum Card^® and the Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card to obtain two separate Priority Pass accounts. The American Express Platinum Card^® would allow them to invite one guest for free, while the Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card would give them ten free annual admissions. They could therefore invite up to eleven people with them.

Be aware that closing the credit card linked to a Priority Pass account will result in the closure of the Priority Pass account within 24 hours. Therefore, the credit card linked to the Priority Pass account must remain active for as long as you wish to access the lounges.

However, it’s not necessary to have the credit card with you. It can just as easily be in your drawer at home. What’s important is that the credit card account is active (i.e. not closed).

Inviting Guests With Priority Pass – Managing Priority Pass Accounts

Priority Pass – Online Management

Each Priority Pass account is accessible online. We suggest creating a user name for each account rather than using the series of numbers proposed by Priority Pass.

What you could do to make managing your different accounts easier, for example, would be to use a simple coding system.

• FIRSTNAME+LASTNAME_SCOTIA-10: For a Priority Pass account obtained with a Scotiabank American Express Platinum Card (10 for 10 access).
• FIRST NAME+LAST NAME_AMEX-UNLIM: For a Priority Pass account obtained with a American Express Platinum Card^® in Canada or American Express Platinum Card in France (unlim for unlimited)

Priority Pass – Smartphone Management

After creating each of your accounts, we recommend that you download the Priority Pass application (iOs, Android) to your smartphone.

When you launch the application, you’ll be able to log in to each of your Priority Pass accounts and display the digital membership card that gives you access to airport lounges.

In the app, only one account at a time can be displayed. So, if you wish to use several accounts when accessing lounge, you must:

1. Login to the first account
2. Show the digital membership card for this account
3. Log out of the first account
4. Login to the second account
5. Show the digital membership card of the second account

This of course requires an Internet connection. If you don’t think you’ll have Internet access at the airport where you’ll be, take a screenshot of each of your cards and save it in your phone before you travel.

On iPhone, the solution is to add the cards to the Wallet app. To do this, simply go to the Priority Pass app, connect to each of your accounts and add each card to the Wallet. You will then be able to display all your Priority Pass cards simultaneously.

Unfortunately, if you use the Wallet app, you won’t be able to identify which account is which, either the one with unlimited access or the one with six accesses per year. You’ll have to memorize it to make sure you choose the right Priority Pass account.

Inviting Guests With Priority Pass – Bottom Line

With a minimum of preparation and planning, it’s relatively easy to estimate the number of lounge accesses you’ll need over the next twelve months. Based on this calculation, we’ve shown how simple it is to obtain and manage multiple Priority Pass accounts simultaneously, in order to invite the maximum number of guests to airport lounges and maximize your visits. All that’s left to do is plan your subscription requests carefully, and you’ll be able to travel with ease, enjoying the magnificent privilege of airport lounges.

In addition to the undeniable relaxation provided by lounges, as opposed to communal waiting areas, this also results in significant savings on meals and drinks. Have a good trip!

Inviting Guests With Priority Pass – Frequently Asked Questions

Priority Pass is a program offering access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide.

The best way to get a Priority Pass card is by signing up for a credit card. For example, American Express offers annual Priority Pass memberships to holders of its premium credit cards.

Priority Pass subscriptions range from USD 79 to USD 469 per holder. 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.

Go further with American Express Membership Rewards

To maximize your Membership Rewards earning, check our complete American Express Membership Rewards program guide and our best American Express Membership Rewards credit cards ranking, updated monthly by the Milesopedia team.