If you’ve used Priority Pass to access an airport lounge, you may be underwhelmed by the free food offerings, depending on where you are. But there’s a way to get higher quality food without shelling out any more money.
One benefit you may not be aware of is that Priority Pass offers meal credits, typically of $28, in partnership with some airport restaurants, as Sally French writes for the Wirecutter. This helps with lounge overcrowding, and gives members an extra perk. French explains (emphasis mine):
Some of the restaurants allow you to bring a guest too, netting you and a lucky friend a combined $56 off your bill (even if your friend doesn’t have Priority Pass).
You simply present your card and order off the menu, and you get $28 off. You’re on the hook for any charges beyond $28, and gratuity is always extra (you should tip on the full amount, not the discounted amount you pay).
That’s a great deal if you get to the airport early (or have a layover) and don’t want to deal with potentially sub-par offerings in the lounges themselves. French notes, too, that she uses the perk to snag food for later:
Sometimes I’m not hungry at the airport, as was the case during a layover in Sydney en route to Queensland, Australia. When I landed in Sydney, I went to Movida (a restaurant that offers AU$36 off the bill) and grabbed a roast pumpkin and hummus sandwich ($14) and a chocolate croissant ($6), which I saved for the next day to nosh on during a hike in Springbrook National Park.
Priority Pass’s website notes that the offer “may vary by location and/or time.” The Points Guy has a list of all of the Priority Pass restaurants, in the U.S. and abroad.
To become a Priority Pass member, you either need to sign up on its website (you pay an annual fee, and then a fee each visit), or access it through a travel rewards card, if you have one, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, or The Platinum Card from American Express, which include it as a perk.
