For a long time, membership in the Priority Pass program was seen by many as having access to airport lounges in far flung locations like Azerbaijan or Guinea — with not so many practical applications for the mainstream business traveler. But now, thanks to a better source of members and smarter planning around airport amenities, that sentiment is starting to change.
On the supply side, new members are being driven to Priority Pass by a surge of consumers interested in signing up for premium credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the American Express Platinum. Each of these cards gives travelers free Priority Pass membership in addition to myriad other benefits.
The utility of the card is also changing. In addition to simple airport lounges, Priority Pass is now expanding to add restaurants (where one might, for example, get a $28 meal credit) and mini-suites to its offerings. As Christopher Evans, joint CEO of Collinson (which runs Priority Pass) sees it, "The airport of 2018 is very different to that of the early '90s — now with more sophisticated dining options, spas, and increasingly experiential offerings." To adapt, Priority Pass is now stepping up in a big way.
There's more on Collinson's vision and the future of Priority Pass in last week's profile of the group and its direction on Skift.
