Priority Pass has entered the next chapter of rather questionable precedent for the lounge access network, allowing locations to charge premium admission fees in addition to the card swipe for access.
The lounge in question is the stunning, new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Los Angeles LAX Airport and Priority Pass has advertised on their social media pages that access would incur a “$35 top-up fee” payable locally.
While this lounge is absolutely beautiful and offers great F&B, maybe even totally worth the $35 fee, I’m very concerned about the precedent it sets for other lounges.
If Virgin is able to ask for $35, then what is stopping other random operators from asking for money ranging from $15-$50 per visit?
I became aware of this when Priority Pass posted it on their Facebook page yesterday.
I can absolutely see why Virgin wants additional money for the space and service they provide here. The little cash they receive from PP isn’t going to make up for a single visit and one has to notice the stark differences between this lounge and the average PP lounge facility operated by whoever the partner is.
Here are some images of the new Virgin Clubhouse in Los Angeles:
It all looks very nice, which is uncontested.
My issue here is that Priority Pass sets a dangerous precedent with this policy. I wonder who will be allowed to ask for additional money under this new policy? What is the decision-making process to approve something like that?
The readers on PP’s Facebook page aren’t taking too kindly to this topic either:
I can honestly see the point to the frustration many people feel here. That being said, one has to consider that Priority Pass these days has become a mass market tool. Pretty much everyone who can get approved for a somewhat decent credit card has at least one, and you can also purchase the standalone membership.
When I contacted Priority Pass, they responded with this:
Hi Sebastian, thank you for your comment. While we aim to provide a consistent experience across our network, some lounges do choose to implement supplemental charges or specific access terms based on their own operating models. We do our best to clearly communicate any additional fees in the app and on our website, and we continuously review partnerships to ensure they align with the value we strive to offer our members. Your feedback is important and has been shared with our team as we continue to improve our service. Regards, Priority Pass
Yes, they do communicate it, but IMHO it sends the wrong message. Maybe Priority Pass should handle this the same way it does with the Airport Food Partners that are no longer included with PP Select which are generally issued by credit card companies.
Conclusion
The new Virgin Clubhouse at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is once again a Priority Pass partner but this time the card alone won’t be enough to get you in.
Priority Pass publicly advertises that a Premium Access Fee of US$35 will be due to be paid directly to the location as a supplement.
This lounge is undoubtedly extremely nice and might even be worth $35, but I fear that this trend will ultimately grow like a cancer on the network. It’ll only be a matter of time before other operators become greedy and want more money, too.
Would you pay extra to visit a Priority Pass Lounge?
