【July 31, 2026 update】 From August 15, 2026, Priority Pass memberships that do not come with a Chase premium card will no longer get complimentary access to Chase Sapphire Lounges. If you still have this year’s one complimentary visit sitting unused, use it soon.
How the program works
Priority Pass launched in 1992 to give frequent travellers independent airport lounge access worldwide. It now has millions of members across more than 145 countries and regions. There are paid membership tiers for different travel styles. Plenty of credit cards include Priority Pass for free, and this blog’s advice is not to buy it. The version bundled with cards is called Priority Pass Select.
Most airport lounges have soft drinks, alcohol, and simple cold food. Better ones have real hot food. Calgary’s WestJet lounge, for example, lets you scan a QR code and order a proper hot meal—you can actually leave full. Seats, sofas, and work desks are standard; some lounges also have showers or sleep rooms. On the whole, Asian airport lounges are far better than North American ones. See the review links later in this post.
Benefit: airport lounges and VIP rooms
Priority Pass currently partners with more than 1,600 lounges and experience venues at airports around the world.
On the official site (top-right corner) or in the app, type an airport code to find Priority Pass partners. Searching Vancouver, for example:
Tap through for lounge details: location, hours, how long you can stay, guest policy, facilities, and so on.
As noted above, Priority Pass is useful—but it is not worth paying hundreds of dollars for a membership. Get it as a credit-card perk instead.
🇨🇦 Canadian cards that include PPS
The blog post (🇨🇦 Canadian credit cards — airport lounge benefits) lists the Canadian cards that include PPS:
| Annual fee | Card | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 399 | Scotiabank Platinum Amex | 10 visits for the primary card, 4 for authorized users; can be used for travelling companions |
| 699 | Amex The Platinum Card | Unlimited visits; you can bring one guest |
| 499 | Amex Business Platinum Card | Unlimited visits; you can bring one guest |
🇺🇸 U.S. cards that include PPS
The U.S. has more cards with PPS. Among the ones Canadians often apply for:
🇺🇸 Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, 🇺🇸 Amex Hilton Honors Aspire, 🇺🇸 Chase The Ritz-Carlton
Common PPS lounge reviews
Search the blog for “机场休息室” / airport lounge to find lounge write-ups.
- Inside Canada, PPS partner lounges are not numerous, but most major airports have one:
Toronto Pearson International, KLM Crown Lounge @ YYZ, T3
Toronto Island Airport Aspire Lounge | Air Canada Café @ YTZ
Vancouver Airport SkyTeam Lounge @ YVR
Calgary Airport WestJet Elevation Lounge @ YYC | Canada’s best PPS lounge
Ottawa Airport Aspire Lounge @ YOW
Québec City Airport V.I.P Lounge by Club Med @ YQB
- Outside Canada:
Taipei Taoyuan – Oriental Club
Tokyo Narita IASS Superior Lounge -NOA- @ NRT T1 (the only PPS lounge)
Incheon T1 SKY HUB LOUNGE EAST
Hong Kong Airport Chase Sapphire Lounge @ HKG
Guangzhou Baiyun international first-class Premium Lounge @ CAN T2
Beijing Capital PEK T3C two-cabin lounge
High-speed rail lounges in China
Some high-speed rail stations in China allow PPS members in, though access does not always look stable.
【December 31, 2024 update】 The Priority Pass site can now find available high-speed-rail VIP rooms. Link (in the full list, choose Asia Pacific).
【December 26, 2024 update】 Online DPs and reader CarryShow confirmed in person that Priority Pass can be used at high-speed-rail VIP rooms in China.
Other benefits
1️⃣ Dining
None of the Canadian credit-card PPS memberships currently include this benefit.
2️⃣ SPA
In the Priority Pass app, enter an airport code to search. At Dallas, for example, Be Relax Spa shows up in Terminal D.
It is easy to spot from outside—you can see massage chairs. Tell the staff you are a PP member and they will explain which services are complimentary.
3️⃣ Gaming
At Dallas again, searching DFW in the app shows a Gameway benefit in Terminal B.
It is an open, highly visible space. Tell the front desk you are a Priority Pass member and they walk you through the perks:
- Sit and play as long as you like
- One free bag of snacks and one drink
- You can skip the games entirely and just take the snacks and drink
4️⃣ Car rental and airport transfers
【May 1, 2025 update】 Priority Pass added airport transfers and car rental. The rental prices look solid—worth a look. Official pages say both services are app-only.
- Airport transfers
I only did a quick check at YVR. There are plenty of vehicle types, from sedans to SUVs to minivans. Prices sit a bit above a taxi.
- Car rental
There are many partner rental companies—more than Costco Travel. Cancellations are free and there are no hidden fees. At YVR, Priority Pass rental beat Costco Travel.
Renting through Costco Travel, you do not even see the cheapest Routes option.
Things to watch
1️⃣ Priority Pass does not own the lounges. It only partners with them.
At peak times, PPS members can be turned away and asked to come back later. That happened to me at the WestJet lounge in Calgary.
2️⃣ Cards all bundle Priority Pass Select, but the benefits are not identical.
Read the fine print after you get the card. Canadian Amex Platinum lets you bring one guest into the lounge; U.S. Amex Platinum lets you bring two into Priority Pass partner lounges. Chase’s Ritz card is the outlier: its Priority Pass does not cap guests, so in theory you could invite an entire plane.
Chase also treats its own Sapphire Lounges differently for regular PPS versus PPS that comes with its premium cards.
3️⃣ Register an account, log into the mobile app, and save the membership QR code to your wallet.
That is usually enough. Scan at the lounge desk, show that day’s boarding pass, and you are in. A few lounges are supposedly still old-school and imprint a physical membership card. I have never run into that.
4️⃣ Watch your boarding time yourself. The lounge will not remind you.
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