Priority Pass Reviews 

I am extremely disappointed with Priority Pass. I pay a premium annual fee expecting seamless airport lounge access, but the system is completely broken due to massive overcrowding and systemic overselling.

Today at Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), I tried to access the Sala VIP Puerta de Alcala lounge before my morning flight. There was a massive queue outside the lounge, and it was completely stalled. As a paying PP customer, you are treated like a second-class citizen and left stranded in the terminal corridors.

Shockingly, this was not my first bad experience. Some time ago, on a single trip, my Priority Pass was denied at three consecutive airport lounges due to the exact same "capacity issues."

Priority Pass keeps selling memberships and partnering with banks to issue cards to millions of people, while knowing perfectly well that the airport lounges cannot accommodate the volume. Selling a premium service that cannot be delivered when needed is borderline scamming. I am already filing a compensation claim through my bank. Do not waste your money on this membership.

In trying to renew a membership, it took one hour to find out (by calling customer service) that I could not renew online. I had to call. Once I called, I spent over an hour with someone trying to enter the same information I could not enter online. I gave up - it was taking too much time. I now abhor Priority Pass and will use other lounge access options.

I got my Priority Pass free with my bank credit card and even so it’s a waste of time. Firstly it’s seldom that I travel alone so any use would involve paying for my companion. That’s understandable, and one would think just paying for one and getting the benefits for two would be good value. But no, recently in Dublin Ireland we were directed to the Liffey lounge where a long line of people waiting outside meant we were never going to get in and out in time for our flight. We had firstly gone to the very pleasant Phoenix lounge thinking the Priority pass was accepted there. No long line there. Equally so that The Martello lounge. I did use the Priority pass in Seattle where the offering is very poor, and in some UK airports where it’s equally bad. While I can’t remember the other places where I used or attempted to use Priority Pass, I have yet to find it a pleasant experience.

Just don't bother - in over five visits this year to give different airports I've not once got in when I wanted. Long queues to get in, lounges closed, or in some cases lounges empty but "priority" is given to first class passengers of a particular airline, so you're not even priority anyway. The food and quality of the lounges are also very poor, even the busy ones. Honestly, just don't bother and save your money.

THIS IS A RIP OFF!

I got a 'priority pass' membership via American Express and what a joke this is!

As a member you do not get a 'pass' AND beware the 4 visits include yours - THESE ARE NOT GUEST VISITS - which is how both myself, my guests and the lady at the reception of the lounge read it on my app.

I have just been hit with a £75 charge for myself, husband and child to stand (as there were no seats or food!) in a room for an hour!!!

I was not made aware that the cost to stand in this full room was £25 each!?!?!

I am not sure what the benefit is to be a priority pass member and I WARN ANYBODY Considering signing up.

Misled by Staff & Charged $69.20 – Total Rip-off

I really wish I’d read the reviews before using this lounge. I received two free lounge passes through my Amex card and used them for the first time at Auckland Airport. Before entering, I specifically asked the staff if I could use both passes to cover myself and my companion. The staff member explicitly said yes.

Five days later, I discovered a $69.20 charge on my account for my partner’s entry. I’ve emailed customer support multiple times, but they refuse to help, hiding behind a clause that states passes are non-transferable. Staff misinterpretation shouldn't cost customers $70. To make matters worse, the lounge experience itself is definitely not worth $69. Avoid!

Yet another attempt to use my “Priority Pass” , this time at Birmingham airport.
Total waste of time.
Was told there would be a 40min wait to get into the lounge, and a £40 per person surcharge!
It’s a complete con.
and the company is clearly not interest in all the negative reviews it receives, as the service they provide gets worse each time.

Bureaucratic to set up and the lounge experience is not worth it.

My partner and I both held valid Priority Pass memberships entitling us to complimentary lounge access. However, when we entered the lounge, staff did not explain that my partner needed to present her own membership separately. Instead, she was processed as my guest, resulting in an unexpected USD $35 charge.

Had this been clearly explained at the point of entry, she would simply have presented her own membership and the charge would never have occurred.

Priority Pass has since confirmed that lounge staff cannot see the access entitlements attached to a member’s account. That is an extraordinary failure in their system: staff are admitting customers without being able to explain whether they will be charged, leaving them to discover unexpected fees afterwards.

The complaint process has been equally disappointing. Despite already providing extensive details for both memberships, I received repetitive, poorly written responses requesting further information rather than anyone taking ownership of what should be a straightforward correction. At the time of writing, the charge remains unresolved.

Customers should be given clear and accurate information before entering a lounge, not charged first and forced to argue about it afterwards.

Based on my limited experiences using Priority Pass lounges and the complete lack of care demonstrated in resolving this matter, I have lost confidence in the service and have no intention of renewing my membership. Prospective customers should be aware that “complimentary access” may still result in unexpected charges if lounge staff fail to explain the entry process correctly.

Very disappointed. Bottom tier lounge priority at YYC despite plenty of seats available. I was made to wait 90 mins for access despite the fact that the lounge was FAR from full. Reception staff communicate poorly, and seem to be unable to welcome guests efficiently (and logically). The lounge itself is great, but good luck getting in...

Just sent an email re changing app …. Terrible experience… totally painful … awful

I have had a Priority Pass membership via 4 different credit cards (including American Express platinum ) over the years. Over time, its value has decreased greatly.

1. In the early days, membership included a restaurant option (i.e. a $US36/person credit) which was really valuable if you a) needed something to grab and go or b) the lounges were full.

2. Quality of food has diminished greatly. Last weekend, I had 20 hours to kill at Singapore Changi Airport, so I visited every PP lounge. It was as if the lounges all had the same penny-pinching head chef. There were no dishes that had beef or lamb, and only a tiny number with chicken or pork. Cheapskates!! The desserts (apart from one lounge that had little tubs of ice cream) were also very very poor.

3. Lounges (e.g. all of them in Singapore) are regularly full at the times when you really need them. If you go to a lounge and are not able to get in, there should be an automatic credit on your PP account.

(I’ve now read the reply that Priority Pass have made to this review and it’s obvious that they aren’t prepared to address the issues that I raised directly. How predictably disappointing.)

You can read their generic sounding reply below.)

I paid for a years pass and when I went ot check into the lounge in Australia I was refused entry even though I had 7 passes still to us eon my yearly account. I did not see why an expired credit card affected my entry when I had paid a year upfront. I had to pay for the lounge, a random person let me pay them and go in as their guest then the same thing happened again when I had a 7 hour lay over in China. I was refused entry again. The lounge would not take card, I had to go to the exchange booth and change my money into yuan and pay to go in. After copious amounts of emails -PP kept refusing, then gave me one free pass on top of the seven I had which I did not want, all I asked for was reimbursement of one lounge , the one in China as I did not have a receipt for the one in Australia. In the end they offered me part payment for the China one. I feel I should be reimbursed at least for the China lounge, as I said to priority pass, you don't pay for a gym membership for a year and when your credit card expires in that year, they refuse you to enter the gym. After 7 years with them, I am giving them the flick. Waste of money now and by the way they reimbursed me a single sent. Please PP dont tell me to contact you through facebook, I have sent you 13 emails and it is not resolved, now you say to go through facebook for help. Not likely.

My Partner and I both have the top tier unlimited access. We're going to cancel as it's not posible to use the lounges when required. We live in London. Stansted Airport no longer has a lounge to use, or any eating alternative. Both of Luton Airports lounges turn you away mid-day on a Thursday and host an impossible waiting list that puts Priority Pass members bottom of the growing queue. A complete waste of money at this point. Far better to pay the airport lounge fee individually and have guaranteed access as this is less expensive than the membership when you can't get 10 lounge visits a year (even though unlimited) due to bad service level agreements on access.

Adding to the same complaint everybody has: overcrowded lounges with little to no access.

Like what is the point???? I’m glad this is via my credit card and not me spending my cold hard cash to be a client of PP.

This service needs either a revamp or a bankruptcy because they cannot deliver the goods.

Another pathetic performance by Priority Pass. Embarrassing, humiliating and a complete waste of my money and time. This is meant to make my journey more comfortable, more relaxed and more enjoyable. It has quite the opposite of winding me up to destruction by the time I’ve been told that I can’t get into the lounge despite having paid for the opportunity. My Priority Pass comes with the guest pass as well so the humiliation is compounded by neither me nor my guest being allowed. For goodness sake get this sorted out and stop offering something you can’t provide or provide it.

Another turn away, this time at Edinburgh Airport. I tend to get turned away more often than I get into lounges. I get this pass through Amex and with the Amex charges plus the unavailability of Avios flights I’m on the verge of giving the whole game up.

Haven't had too many problems over the years. But the app seems to have fallen off of a cliff. They replaced it with a different app (they cant just update it like everybody else?). I had to relogin, but they had the wrong email address so i had to go down that rabbit hole. Then they had to send a code which didn't come promptly. Then they couldn't give me my member id. Get it from the card. I don't have a card, thats what the app is for. Finally in and need to get the email updated. Nope cant do that in the app. Call customer service. Serious?

i dont know about the lounges because they have the one of the worst software development teams in the world. I have a chase reserve card. I want to make a reservation for a lounge. It says go to website. I go to website, i enter my membership number, it says install the app. I install the app, it says install the NEW app. I install the new app, it says go to website for activating your account. I go to website, i enter my membership number and it says install the app and everything starts all over again.

Wonder if anyone has a brain there or if everything is done with the sloppy AI that is supposed to replace the software engineers ( LOL ).

The lounges used to be worthwhile but they are simply too busy now. Every credit card gives you access and you always have to queue. There really is no point in using these anymore as the food is also pretty rubbish. You used to be able to relax in these lounges but now it’s more stress than being in the terminal. The customer service team online are also a waste of time trying to resolve any issue. Just not impressed anymore. Please don’t message me and say we would love to hear about this and resolve it, as I’ve literally spent the day and over 30 emails trying to resolve an issue that you aren’t interested in resolving.