Everything You Need To Know About Priority Pass (Beginners Guide)

by Daniel | Last Updated Oct 27th, 2024

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Imagine this: over 1,600 airport lounges worldwide at your fingertips, giving you access to free food, drinks, and a peaceful space to unwind before your flight. With a Priority Pass membership, you’re not just buying lounge access—you’re unlocking a suite of premium experiences that transform your airport time from stressful to sensational.

But the perks don’t stop there! Beyond lounge access, Priority Pass opens doors to unique privileges, such as complimentary massages at select airports or restaurant credits at partner venues around the globe. Whether you need a quick recharge or a tasty pre-flight meal, these extras take your travel game to the next level.

The goal of Priority Pass is to reimagine airport travel, making even long layovers enjoyable and productive. And here’s the best part: it doesn’t matter if you’re a frequent flyer or an occasional traveler—every trip feels elevated with Priority Pass.

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Two Easy Ways to Get Priority Pass Membership

Now there are a couple of ways you can get a Priority Pass Membership.

Through a Premium Credit Card

So one very common way to acquire a Priority Pass Membership is via a handful of different top-tier credit cards that offer complimentary Priority Pass Select memberships as part of their perks, giving you access to this luxury without any added cost.

Direct Membership Purchase

Now another way you can get a Priority Pass Membership is to sign up directly through the Priority Pass website, and best of all, you can save up to $50 off your first-year membership by using this exclusive link!

Choose the Membership That Fits You

So Priority Pass offers three membership tiers, designed to suit different travel lifestyles—whether you’re looking for occasional access or planning to lounge-hop on every trip. No matter how you enroll, you’re signing up for more than just a card. You’re investing in a travel experience designed to make every journey smoother, more comfortable, and infinitely more enjoyable.

Now if you receive a Priority Pass Select Membership from a credit card, the benefits that you receive will vary quite a bit depending on which credit card your receive it from.

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So in the article I’m going to take you through everything there is to know about every version of Priority Pass Membership.
This will include how and where to sign up for a membership, how to get the most value out of your Priority Pass Membership and which credit cards actually offer a Priority Pass Select Membership.  

What Is Priority Pass And How Does It Work ? 

Priority Pass is essentially your golden ticket to airport lounges. It’s a membership program that gives you access to over 1,600 lounges in more than 600 cities across the globe, no matter which airline or class you’re flying.
These lounges are essentially a traveler’s best friend—think comfy chairs, free snacks and drinks, high-speed Wi-Fi, and even showers in some locations. 

Now, here’s the cool part, Priority Pass isn’t just about lounges. Depending on where you are, you might also get dining credits or access to airport spas. So, it’s more than just a simple pass that provides you with access to relax. It’s a pass to that allows you to level up your entire airport experience!

How To Choose The Right Priority Pass Membership 

So it’s worth noting that there are a couple of ways you actually obtain a Priority Pass membership.
The quickest and easiest option would be to apply directly through their website: https://www.prioritypass.com/ 

Now if you choose to get your membership directly from their website you will see that there are 3 different membership options to choose from, which are:

Standard Priority Pass Membership 

So the Standard Priority Pass Membership is a good choice if you only travel by air a few times a year and want to test out what some of the lounges actually like.

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Standard Plus Priority Pass Membership 

Now if you do manage to use all ten free visits within a calendar year, it will then cost you the same $35 per visit per person.
So the Standard Plus membership is a good choice if you travel on a regular basis and like having access to everything Priority Pass has to offer.

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Prestige Priority Pass Membership 

So the Prestige Priority Pass Membership is most suited to anyone that travels quite frequently and really values the free food, drinks and comfort that comes with unlimited lounge access.  

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Save Up To $50 Off

Now if you are considering purchasing a Priority Pass Membership and would like to save a bit money, it’s worth noting that you can save up to $50 off a Priority Pass membership by using my link below.

Get Discount Pricing Here

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Credit Cards That Come With Priory Pass Select Membership 

Now thankfully there is a second option for getting a Priority Pass Select Membership, which just happens to be the most cost effective.
And this is by applying for a credit cards that offers Priority Pass Select membership as a free perk.

So currently in the US there are at least 11 different credit cards that offer a version of Priority Pass Select membership as a free perk.

Now it’s worth noting that these memberships actually vary somewhat depending on which card you receive your membership from.
Generally speaking, the more affordable credit cards will come with a limited amount of access to Priority Pass Lounges, whereas the more premium credit cards that offer membership quite often allow for unlimited access for both the card holder and two guests.
Another thing to be aware of is that the restaurant credit that used to be included with a few select credit cards is not available anymore. 
So let’s take a closer look at some of the credit cards that currently offer a Priority Pass Select Membership in the US.

Chase Cards

Starting first with Chase there are currently two cards that come with a Priority Pass Select Membership.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card 

The first card, which is a very popular credit card that I’ve actually had since 2016 is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. 
Now with this specific Priority Pass Select Membership, you will be have unlimited access to all Priority lounges for you and two guests.
And if you decide to bring along an additional guest (so a third guest) it will cost $27.

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Chase Ritz Carlton Credit Card

Then the second credit card from Chase that offers a Priority Pass Select Membership is the Chase Ritz Carlton Credit Card.

Now unfortunately, this card is only available via a product change through Chase, so you can’t just apply for this card.
Thankfully I’ve made a review that shows you how to actually get this card, so if that interests you, just read this article here.

So just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve card you will receive the same unlimited lounge access free of charge.
The main difference with this card is that you can bring unlimited guests along free of charge (assuming there is space in the given lounge that you want to visit).

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American Express Cards  

Next up is American Express which currently has 3 different cards that offer a Priority Pass Select Membership. 

Amex Platinum Personal & Business card

The first 2 cards and most expensive cards on this list are the American Express Platinum Personal and Business cards.
So both of these cards provide you with unlimited lounge access for you and up to 2 guests free of charge. 
And if you want to bring along a third guest assuming there is room in the lounge, it will cost $35. 

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Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card

So the third card from American Express that offers a Priority Pass Select Membership is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card.
And this card offers the same unlimited access to Priority Pass lounges for you and up to 2 guest free of charge.
If you bring along a third guest it will cost $35. 

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Capital One Cards

Next up is Capital One which currently has 2 cards that offer a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership.

Capital One Venture X Personal and Business card

So the two cards from Capital are the Venture X Person and Business cards, and these are both very popular cards the provide a ton of value.
Basically both of these cards provide you with unlimited access to Priority Pass Lounges for you and up to 2 guests free of charge.

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Bank of America

Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite credit card

So the next card on the list is the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite credit card, and whilst this card has a relatively high annual fee of $550, it does provide quite a lot of value.
When it comes to lounge access, this card provides you with unlimited access for you and up to 2 guests free of charge. 
One thing that makes this card stand out from the other cards on this list is the fact that you can have up to 4 authorized users on this account which will receive the same Priority Pass benefits as the main card holder.
So this card is a great choice if you have a relatively large family, and is actually quite valuable seeing that a Priory Pass Prestige membership will cost you $469 per year per membership.  

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US Bank

Next up is US Bank which currently has two credit on offer that come with a Priority Pass Select Membership.

US Bank Altitude Connect Signature card

So the first card on offer and the cheaper of the two is the US Bank Altitude Connect Signature card which is free for the first year of card ownership and then just $95 for each year thereafter. 
Now seeing that this card is substantially cheaper on an annual basis than all of the previously mentioned credit cards on this list, the befits on offer are somewhat limited.
Basically you will receive 4 compliment Priority Pass lounge vists each calendar year.
If and when you manage to use up the complimentary passes, it will then cost you $35 per visit per person. 

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US Bank Altitude Reserve card

The second card on offer is the US Bank Altitude Reserve card, which has an annual fee of $400.
This card allows for 8 complimentary lounge each year, after this is all used up it will cost the same $35 per visit per person. 

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UBS

UBS Visa Infinite credit card

So the last card on this list that offers a Priority Pass Select Membership is the UBS Visa Infinite credit card.
Now whilst this card doesn’t come with a sign up bonus, it does come with some pretty valuable perks.
In terms of Priority Pass lounge access, essentially you will receive unlimited lounge access for you the card holder and up to 2 guests free of charge. 

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So as you can see, all of the cards on this list offer some variations of Priority Pass lounge access.

Beside the two credit cards from US Bank, you can get unlimited complimentary lounge access for you and up to 2 people which is really good value. 
Now if you want the full range of benefits that are on offer from Priority Pass, like the Restaurant credit, Spa treatments and more then you can just purchase a membership directly from the Priority Pass website here. 

How To Get A Physical Priority Pass Card

Ok so now that I’ve gone over the basics of what Priority Pass is and how it actually works, let’s take a look at how you can get your physical Priority Pass card.

Receiving A Priority Pass Membership From Their Website

So if you purchase a membership directly from the Priority Pass website, they should have your Membership kit produced within 3 business days.
Then depending on where you live in the world will determine how long your physical card will take to arrive to your address.

Receiving A Priority Pass Select Membership From A Credit Card Provider

Now if you have one of the credit cards that I mentioned before that provides you with a complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership you should be able to enroll directly through their online portal.
However, if this doesn’t work or isn’t possible I would recommend calling the helpline that is listed on the back of your credit card.
By doing this you will be able to talk to a representative from the bank that should be able to point you in the right direction. 
Now once you have competed your enrollment, it generally takes around 1 – 2 weeks to receive your physical card.

How To Activate Your Priority Pass Card 

So when you do finally receive your physical Priority Pass card you are going to need to go over to the Priority Pass website to activate your card.

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Once you have clicked on ‘Activate Your Account’ you will come to a page where you will see a prompt that asks you to enter your membership number.
After you have put your number in, go ahead and click ‘Continue’ 

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Now in some cases you may need to also provide the last 4 digits of your credit card (as you can see in the picture below)
So put that number in the space required and then click ‘Continue’

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So once you have completed the previous step the following page will then ask you to create your account.
Basically all you need to do is input your personal details in to the required fields and then click ‘Create Account’

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Once you have completed this section your account should be active and ready to use!

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So from here, just click the ‘OK’ button it will bring you to directly to your Priority Pass account, and here you will be able to see a whole range of different things that include:

• Your general details
  
• Lounge you have recently visited
  
• The ability to rate lounges you have visited
  
• When your Priority Pass Membership expires

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Downloading The Priority Pass App 

Now one thing I highly recommend you do from here is to download the Priority Pass app.
By doing this you will be able to use it in place of your physical card if you happen to forget the card or misplace it.
Along with this, the app provides you with In depth information about all of the lounges on offer, such as when it is open, how many guests are allowed and if there are any restrictions. 

A Few Things You Need To Be Aware Of

Now there are a few things that you should know before you decide to go and visit a Priority Pass Lounge.
The first thing is that all Priority Pass lounges are independently run, so they tend to have slightly different terms and conditions of entry. 

And for this reason it’s important to have a look at the specific lounge you might want to visit on the day of your travel to make sure everything goes smoothly. 
As an example, some lounges will only allow access into their lounges a maximum of 2-3 hours before the customers scheduled flight, and this is usually to help reduce the chance of overcrowding in the lounge.

So by checking the terms of any lounges you want to visit before you arrive at the airport can potentially save you a lot of stress, as turning up to to lounge 5 hours before your flight and then realizing you can’t access it for another couple of hours is not much fun, And I should know as I’ve made this mistake in the past! 

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Another thing to be aware of is that sometime lounges get very busy, if this is the case they sometimes stop accepting entry in to their lounge for both paying customers and Priority Pass members.

Now one way to potentially avoid this from happening is to see if the lounge you are visiting has a waitlist that you can join, but I must say that it can be a bit hit or miss using this method. 
From my experience of being put on a waitlist for lounge, there have been times where I have only waited 15 mins, but other times where I’ve been told the wait will be 2 hours (which doesn’t usually work).

Now at some airports there are Priority Pass lounges that allow you to ‘Pre Book’ your visit up to a few months in advance.

And you will be able see this as an option on the Priority Pass app or website when you are looking at specific lounges, essentially it will have a text that says ‘Pre-book available’
Another way to find lounge that allow for pre-booking is to go to the website: https://www.prioritypass.com/lounges-prebook

Now I’ve used this method a number of times specifically when I have been traveling through LHR during the summer month, as it tend to get very busy during this time.

I generally make my lounge booking a couple of days before my scheduled flight to make sure there is still room in the lounge for me.

And to make a booking at a lounge that offers pre booking, you can do it through the Priority Pass website or app, and at the time of making this video it costs £6 to make a booking.

Additional Benefits That Also Come With Priority Pass 

Now if having access to over 1,600 airport lounge all over the world wasn’t enough, specific Priority Pass memberships also come with quite a few nice additional perks that can help to make your time traveling much more enjoyable.

Note: A few of the credit cards that I talked about before also offer some of these perks, but not all of them.

Complimentary WithU Membership 

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Restaurants And Cafe Credit

Another benefit that can be quite useful if there is no room in your  lounge of choice is the restaurant credit which ranges from $28 – $30.
This can be used at around 24 different airport restaurants and cafes in the US alone, with even more options available overseas. 

Now this perk is automatically included with your Priority Pass membership if you purchased it directly from their website.
Up until earlier this year (2024) there were a few credit cards that still offered the restaurant credit on their Priority Pass Select memberships.
Unfortunately most credit card companies have now removed this benefit, assumedly to save more money.

To find out if your Priority Pass Select Membership actually still provides access to the restaurant credit all you need to do is sign in to your Priority Pass account and then search an airport that usually offers access to a restaurant. 
If a restaurant option comes up, then you have this benefit, and if no restaurants come up, it’s more than likely that you don’t have access to this benefit. 

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Spa Treatments 

Now another nice benefit that is included with Priority Pass memberships is access to a whole range of different spa treatments from 2 different companies across the US.

Xpres Spa

The first company is called Xpres Spa which has around 20 locations in the US, and then more in the UAE, Turkey and the Netherlands.
Now depending on the location you visit, you can use your Priority Pass membership to get 25 minutes in a zero-Gravity Chair that usually costs around $30.

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Be Relax Spa

The second company that offers Spa treatments is Be Relax Spa, which has over 30 locations located over 14 cites in 3 continents.
And 14 of them are located in the US.
Now here you can choose between wider range of treatments compared to Xpres Spa which include different back, hand or foot massages that range in time from 10 – 30 minutes.

The current complimentary spa treatments available are:

• Be Back 15-minute Massage plus O2 (a US$38 value)
• Be Back 30-minute Massage (a US$38 value) 
• Polish Change plus Hand Massage (a US$38 value)
• Be Feet on lounger 10-minute plus O2 (a US$44 value)

So I’ve visited a Be Relax Spa at LAX and it was pretty good! 
Now if you are considering visiting a Be Relax Spa, it’s worth getting there well before your flight leaves as they can get a little busy.
If this is the case you will usually need to put your name on a waitlist.
This is what I had to do when I visited the Be Relax Spa at LAX, and thankfully it only took around 20 mins to get in.

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Minute Suites

The next benefit that is on offer that is really quite useful if you are on a long trip is access to 15 different Minute Suite Locations across the US.
Essentially, Minute Suites provides you with a nice private room that has a day bed with pillows and blankets where you can sleep, a smart TV, WiFi, a work stations and luggage storage.
With your Priority Pass Membership you will receive 1 hour free hour that is valued at $55, and if you choose to extend your stay, you will recover a discounted rate of $34 per additional hour.

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Gameway

So another benefit that is available with most Priority Pass memberships is access to approximately 8 different Gameway locations in the US.
Here you will receive 1 free hour of gaming using either a PlayStation or Xbox on a 43 inch 4K TV that has premium gaming headphones, charging ports and plenty of room for your luggage.
Along with this you also have the option of choosing 1 free alcoholic drink, or 1 non- alcoholic drink and a snack (like a bag of chips or chocolate bar).

Are All Priority Pass Lounges Equal?

So like a lot of things in life, not everything is perfect, and the same can be said about Priority Pass Lounges.
Over the past 8 years that I’ve been using Priority Pass, most of the lounges that Ive visited ( all over the world) have been really quite good.
There has been one or two lounges over this time that have been a bit simple in terms of the food and drinks they offer, but overall most lounges are really quite good.
And best of all, you will generally always have access to free food, drinks and a comfortable place to relax before your flight.

Final Thoughts 

Ok, so that covers just about everything you need to know about what Priority Pass is and how it works.  
And as you can see from this review, there is plenty of value to be had if you take full advantage of the Priority Pass Membership. 

Seeing that I have both the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and the Amex Platinum card I actually have 2 Priority Pass Select memberships that I have been using over the last 8 years.
And because I travel a lot, I have been able get a great deal of value by using my Memberships at just about every airport I visit.

Now don’t forget that you can save up to $50 off a Priority Pass membership just by using this link.

And if you’re looking for a great airline related credit card that works well with Priority Pass, make sure to read my review and comparison of the Amex Delta Sky Miles Credit cards.