How many Priority Pass Memberships is too many?
Priority Pass memberships are everywhere. Sign up for almost any premium credit card from the banks and you’ll be offered a Priority Pass lounge membership. This flooding of the market has started to cause problems in lounges of overcrowding and limitations of hours of use.
As with most memberships in life, one is usually enough. But, if you’ve got 3 or 4 credit cards that all give you priority pass membership, do you need to sign up for all of them? Does it make sense to have more than one?
Priority Pass Benefits
Credit Cards offer the “Priority Pass Select” membership, which is different from the memberships that they sell on their website:
- Free visits for members
- Guests are $27 per visit (unless otherwise noted)
- Authorized Users usually get memberships
- Full Lounge Access
In Nepal we got into the Radisson Executive Lounge.
In Hyderabad, the Plaza Premium Lounge
And in Seattle, the Alaska Airlines Lounge.
A Priority Pass Lounge in India
Which Cards offer Access?
The list gets longer and longer every day, so I’m sure that I’m going to miss some. But if you’ve got one of these cards, you’re in for a free membership!
- Platinum Card from American Express
- You and 2 guests for free
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- You and 2 guests for free
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- You and 2 guests for free
- Citi Prestige
- You and 2 guests for free
- Ritz Carlton Credit Card
- SPG Amex Luxury Card (coming soon)
Do you need more than one?
A lot of you out there have more than one of the cards above (and since authorized users get access too, there’s a lot of cards and memberships out there). But do you NEED more than one? The answer is a resounding “maybe.”
It really depends on where you’re going, but in most instances, one membership is enough. You’ll be able to get in and get 2 of your friends/family members to come in with you.
Priority Pass offers not only airport lounges, but they also offer certain restaurants/bars/cafes as well. In these places, you get a credit towards your final bill instead of lounge access. We wrote about the Timberline Steaks and Grill in Denver not too long ago, where each entry gets you $28 towards your final bill (for you and guests).
We also wrote about two new Miami lounges as well that you can get $28 towards your bill too!
Priority Pass restaurant access in Miami
Get the employees on your side…
If you get a cashier or waitress on your side, this can be a very very lucrative option for you. If you have 4 memberships, then technically you should be able to swipe your card 4 times. That means $28 for you (4 times) and $28 for each guest (4 times).
One of my favorite places to use the Priority Pass membership is at the Capers Bar and cafe in Portland, OR. You get $28 in merchandise for each “lounge entry.” 4 memberships for you means $112 in free merchandise and if you have any guests with you, then boom. Thats $112 for each of your guests.
The first time I tried it was no problem. The second time the cashier didn’t want to work with me, so your mileage may vary.
There are restaurant locations in Cleveland, Denver, Lexington, Miami, New York, Portland, and St. Louis.
May 24, 2018
I don’t think PP gets you into *A lounge LAX, only KAL lounge
May 26, 2018
Jacky is correct. PP doesn’t get you into *A lounge. You guys got in because you were flying VA Business.
May 26, 2018
I meant to tag the Star Alliance Paris lounge, but yes you’re right. Sorry, wrong link!
May 26, 2018
You mentioned the Aspire but forgot the Hilton Honors Ascend amex card gives you membership in priority pass good for 10 visits per year
May 25, 2018
Two
May 25, 2018
You might be confusing the LAX Star Alliance Lounge with the KAL Lounge. Star Alliance Lounge is not accessible with a PP membership.
May 26, 2018
I admit that I have several Priority Pass memberships from various premium credit cards. I don’t use them all, but having multiple does help when I’m traveling with a group and want to get friends into the lounge for free now that most cards limit you to 2 or 3 guests.
May 26, 2018
The Citi Prestige let’s you bring in immediate family members. If you have a family or four or more, that is the one you need. Presumably if you had more than two guests, you could get the check in people two swipe two different cards too.
May 26, 2018
We’ve done this before traveling with a group of 3 friends.
May 27, 2018
While entitled to do stuff like getting $112 in food at a restaurant that is the sort of activity that breaks the system down and results in a reduction of benefits or devaluation I think. Not trying to be negative but a bit like helping to kill the golden goose.
May 27, 2018
agree with DaninMCI
May 27, 2018
Perhaps. But look at it this way. If I honestly did go in with 3 guests and we all did it, would this be bad? Or is it only because of the taking advantage of the system?
Portland DOES have two locations, so if you go with A to one (you plus 1) and B with another (you plus 1) that’s fully in the rules of the plan. Wouldn’t you agree?
September 17, 2018
So just to make sure, PP lounges are ok with swiping two separate PP cards on one visit registered to the same person?
Got a family of four. now that CSR only allow 2 guests, thinking I might want to get the Amex Plat or Aspire. Thanks in advance.
September 17, 2018
Depends on the PP establishment. Some of them do and some don’t. Some USED to, and some don’t. Truly your mileage may vary. I’ve found that a proper lounge doesn’t care so much as the restaurants do.
December 23, 2018
Seriously? The annual fee that is paid for EACH card entitles us to ALL the benefits that come with it. I can assure everyone that there is very little we can do to kill the corporate golden egg even if every cardholder maxed out all the benefits offered by each card. The moment one card’s egg shows the slightest crack, they will reduce the benefit. This might cause people to close the account, thus, moving all the pieces for capitalism to remain strong. Some cards will gain more cardholders and likely increase benefits.
A little egg-crackling is what keeps the “big boys” awake and attentive to consumer demands.
Luring and retaining “THIS” caliber of cardholders are top of their marketing “to-do” list.