Hey, how's it going? It's Ernest from Trip Astute. Hope you all had a fun
Halloween. In this video, I wanted to share a quick update on the Priority
Pass lounge program and how you can get even more value from your membership.
(light chiming music)
First off, I want to say congratulations to Julie T. for winning our Travelon
Wheeled Underseat Carry-on Bag Giveaway. Julie,
you should be receiving your bag shortly. I know a lot of you have a Priority Pass
lounge membership, especially through a premium credit card like the Chase
Sapphire Reserve, American Express Platinum, Citi Prestige, Ritz-Carlton
Rewards, and Hilton Honors Aspire American Express card. We've actually
done a few videos on the Priority Pass program, so check out our Priority Pass
playlist for those videos. We did a video last year on getting a digital Priority
Pass card through the app and also another video on using the Priority Pass
program to get a discount at select airport restaurants. Well today, I want to
share another way to get more value from your membership, and that's by using
offers for in-airport purchases. But first, if you're new here, welcome to our
channel. Trip Astute is a travel channel that is focused on sharing ways to make
travel easier, affordable, and more enjoyable. Traveling can be stressful and
expensive, so we're looking for ways to help you maximize your experience
through travel tips, points and miles, and innovative gear. If that sounds
interesting to you, please consider subscribing. You all know that I love
trying to find ways to reduce the cost of travel, and maximizing perks from
credit cards is definitely on the top of my list. According to Priority Pass, you
can get discounts, upgrades, and even free gifts with purchases at 146 airports in
32 different countries. Some of these might not seem very valuable, but others
were actually ones that I could see myself using. In general, I'm usually not
one to spend too much money at the airport. In fact, I try to eat and drink
at the lounge whenever possible to save money, and I try not to buy souvenirs since
the prices are generally higher at the airport. That being said, there have been
a few times where I needed to do some last-minute shopping for a birthday or
even just visiting relatives abroad. In this scenario, you could definitely save
some money with these offers. As an example, let's look at a few airports. At
LAX's international terminal, after getting a $30 reimbursement at PF
Chang's, you could then get a 10% discount at the America Store which is full of
souvenirs and general travel items. You could also get an additional five
minutes at the XpresSpa, if that's your thing. Now let's look at the
international terminal in Atlanta. You'll find a ton of retail offers, even from
some high-end boutique stores like Coach, Montblanc, Emporio Armani, and Michael
Kors. If you look at an airport abroad, for example the Hong Kong Airport,
there are several retail offers listed as well. Again, even if you're not much of
a shopper at the airport, it's worth checking to see what might be available.
I'm excited to see Priority Pass expanding the program and giving members
more value. Even the number of supported restaurants in the program keeps growing,
which is great news to me since it's one that I likely use when traveling.
Priority Pass has also been adding more lounges which is always a good thing. To
see the retail offers, you'll need to download the Priority Pass application
and set up an account if you don't have one already. If you need help with that
process, check out our video on getting a digital Priority Pass membership card.
Once you're all set up, you can search airports and terminals to see what offers
are available. To use the offer, you just need to tap on the generate code button
which generates a QR code that can be used in the store. It's basically just a
digital coupon that you'll use when checking out. It shouldn't require you to
show your Priority Pass membership card, but you'll have your digital membership
card in the app just in case you need it. In addition, here are a couple of tips to
keep in mind when using the Priority Pass membership program. 1. Check
different terminals: Just because your flight is in one terminal doesn't mean
you can't necessarily visit another one if you have the time. Though make sure to
check the airport map to see how easy it is to get from one to the other. For
example, we had a few instances where we wanted to use a lounge at a different
terminal at LAX, but we couldn't without having to exit the security area and
re-enter again. It wasn't worth the risk, even though I was trying to save some
money on food and drinks. 2. Check reviews on stores, restaurants, and
lounges: I recommend using either Trip Advisor or an app like Gate Guru to see
how others rate the amenities at the airport. For example, we flew from
Las Vegas to Los Angeles in August and stopped by The Club lounge in the Las
Vegas airport, which is part of the Priority Pass network. I don't want to
sound high-maintenance, but it was a really sad lounge. Yhey had very limited
seating, a long line at the bar, and the food options were limited to instant
noodles, popcorn, fruit, and chips. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but we ended up
going to PF Chang's in the same terminal since the snacks weren't cutting it.
However, had I checked the reviews in advance, I probably wouldn't have wasted
my time going to The Club lounge. I'm hoping the next time I travel to Las
Vegas there'll be some other restaurant offers through the program. What do you
think of these new Priority Pass offers? Have you used one yet? Let us know in the
comment section below. If you enjoyed this video, please like it and share it
with others. Make sure you also enter our latest giveaway for a Nodus Compact
Coin wallet. The giveaway ends next week. Also, I'm going to start sharing more stuff
through my community tab, so definitely check it for updates, questions, and polls.
Until next time, travel safe and travel smart.