Priority Pass Adds Additional Lounges To The Global Portfolio, Plans 20% Expansion For 2021

More good news for members of PriorityPass as the company is continuing to add additional lounges to their worldwide portfolio and a 20% increase until the end of 2021.

By the end of the year Priority Pass aims for a 20% expansion globally which includes the opening of over 150 new airport lounges by the end of the year, plus 100 new premium airport lounges experiences.

This comes on the heels of the companies new agreement with Lufthansa to most of their lounges at U.S. airports and the unfortunate news of most Plaza Premium locations exiting the network.

With a constant come and go in the system it’s important that there is a constant recruitment of new locations to not leave gaps on the map.

Now we received an Upgrade from Priority Pass (Collinson) that the company is planning big expansions this year:

Today, Priority Pass, the leading global airport lounge programme, has announced it will add over 150 new luxury airport lounges across the world in 2021. Alongside 100 new premium dining and relaxation experiences and railway and sea port lounges, this represents 20% growth for the network.

This announcement comes at the same time that evidence mounts that travel is set to return, with encouraging growth in domestic travel in the US, China and Russia, as well as recent announcements such as the EU saying that vaccinated travellers will be welcomed without restrictions. But the needs of travellers have also changed – with premium experiences more in demand than ever.

Priority Pass has already added 32 new airport lounges this year – including Lufthansa Business lounges in New York Airport (JFK), Newark International Airport (EWR) and Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), and 14 lounges in China alone. Other new lounges have been added in locations important to Priority Pass Members such as Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and India. Priority Pass has also added 8 new premium dining experiences.

The lounges and facilities already added to the register YTD are:

Download (PDF, 46KB)

A very positive development is the procurement of three restaurants at Toronto Airport where options have been rather sparse so far.  China also got a huge boost although I find the lounges there lacking in substance most times.

Remember: Airport experience facilities have become more popular in recent years but it’s important to note that Priority Pass cards issued through American Express do no carry the benefit of using these options free of charge.

Conclusion

It’s great to see Priority Pass growing and especially the Toronto options are positive as when Plaza Premium disappears at least cardholders can use the new cafe/restaurant options prior to their flight.

The current situation of reduced travel must have been challenging for Priority Pass as during a travel slump people don’t renew paid memberships and often times also cancel their premium credit cards that come with a PP membership attached.

Many lounges have closed down due to local requirements… in short it’s been a mess for the past year. Hopefully more positive times are ahead and again it’s good to see the company keeping the ball rolling and trying to make up for lounges that leave the system by procuring new partnerships.