Priority Pass Increases Guest Fees From 1st October

Priority Pass has announced that from the 1st October it will be increasing the guest fee from £20 to £24. This change affects not only memberships purchased directly with Priority Pass but also the additional guest/visit fees on credit card issued Priority Pass memberships from cards such as the Platinum Card, Gold Card & Premier Credit Cards from HSBC (HSBC are switching to Priority Pass on the 1st October.)

Why are guest fees increasing?

Inflation basically…

Like many other companies we need to balance our pricing with rising costs. We have held our prices for over four years, however, at a time when businesses face unprecedented challenges and cost increases, we do now have to make an adjustment to our visit fees.

Pay for a Priority Pass?

If you currently pay for a Priority Pass currently it might be time to reevaluate your options as the increased fee makes the credit card versions even more appealing…

The Amex Gold Card (free for the first year, £160 afterward) comes with four free Priority Pass visits each year. These can be used by the cardholder or by the cardholder and guests. A standard priority pass membership is £69 add in 4 visits at £24 and you already at £165 which is £5 more expensive than the Gold Card which also has additional benefits…

The Platinum Card (£575 annual fee) comes with two Priority Pass cards (one for you, one for your supplementary cardholder.) These both offer unlimited access to the cardholder and one guest. This is a saving of £96 per lounge visit for a family of four. Only two trips with lounge access would set you back £384 paying the standard visit/guest rate so if you regularly use Airport lounges the Platinum Card could be a good option for you. Particularly when you consider the Platinum Card comes with an array of other benefits including elite hotel status, £300 of annual dining credit & £100 of annual Harvey Nichols credit.

HSBC Premier Credit Card (free but tough eligibility) comes with lounge access (changing to Priority Pass from the 1st of October.) This is similar to the standard priority membership where you have to pay £24 per visit however there is no annual membership fee.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard (£195 annual fee and tough eligibility) comes with free lounge access (changing to Priority Pass from the 1st of October) for the primary cardholder and for the supplementary cardholder (£60 annual fee.) Any additional guests are charged at £24 per visit.

Conclusion

Will the increase in fees see an increase in the accessibility and quality of lounges? Probably not but like most businesses Priority Pass is feeling the squeeze in the current climate. At £24 a visit (if you have to pay) it’s getting harder to see what value there is in having access/membership direct with Priority Pass. Particularly if you need to pay £6 to guarantee access (£30 total) when you can purchase guaranteed access to lounges cheaper than this with providers such as Holiday Extras & Lounge Buddy.