Buzz
If you hold an American Express travel card that offers Priority Pass membership, be aware that Amex has recently limited your ability to save on dining at the airport.
Priority Pass provides travelers with access to over 1,200 airport lounges globally. While you can buy your own Priority Pass membership, it’s often offered as a perk with premium travel credit cards.
As more people gained Priority Pass access, lounges became overcrowded, leading the program to introduce discounted meals at select restaurants as a convenient alternative. Business Insider explains:
To address overcrowding
and provide more value to members, Priority Pass has started collaborating with “non-lounge experiences” at airports, such as restaurants, offering cardholders a credit of $25-$30 towards their meal. This initiative has been quite successful; while
lounges remain busy
, travelers are more inclined to visit terminal restaurants before their flights instead.
All these restaurant credits incur costs for credit card companies, prompting Amex to revoke restaurant access. Business Insider reported a statement from Amex highlighting that its Priority Pass benefits were intended to provide “a premium lounge space to relax and unwind in while traveling,” and that “complimentary access to non-lounge airport experiences” would be discontinued as of August 1.
If you own an American Express Platinum or Centurion Card, or an Amex Hilton or Marriott card with Priority Pass, get ready to solely visit the airport lounge. Or, as The Points Guy suggests, you can always switch to Citi, Chase, or U.S. Bank, which still offer Priority Pass restaurant credits as part of their premium travel credit card rewards.
The following credit cards currently offer Priority Pass restaurant credits as a travel perk:
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Citi Prestige Card
U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card
Just be sure that you haven't opened too many credit cards recently, or your application could be rejected.
