Five honest ways to visit the airport business lounge without overpaying. How to get to the airport business lounge? Bank card VIP airport lounge

If you are wondering how to get a Priority Pass for free, then you often fly around the world and why not do it comfortably?

What does the Priority Pass card provide?

The card is not intended to pay for purchases; it gives you access to the VIP areas of the airport while you are waiting for your next flight. Typically, such areas are equipped with everything a premium visitor needs

• • Comfortable chairs and sofa
  • Free alcohol and drinks
  • Possibility to recharge your phone
  • Fresh press
  • Massage rooms
  • Playrooms for children
  • Air conditioner
  • Computer
  • And much more - it depends on the airport

How to use Priority Pass

To use the card, you need to have a plane ticket with you, with the departure date for the duration of your visit to the VIP area, and the card itself. The card holder has the opportunity to invite friends with him, the number depends on the card tariff. For each visit, the amount on the card is deducted from each visitor. Then you will need to sign it in the slip - this is a kind of visit ticket, it is recommended to save it.

How to get Priority Pass

The first and longest, and possibly also expensive, way is to apply for a card directly, through the official website. But you will have to wait for delivery.

• • • Standard - cost 99 euros. You get the opportunity to visit VIP areas by paying 24 euros for each visit
    • Standard plus - cost 249 euros. You get the opportunity to visit the VIP zone 10 times for free. For subsequent visits, you will have to pay 24 euros again
    • Prestige - 399 per year. During the year, you can visit VIP areas at airports for free, but you will still have to pay for an invited guest.

This is rather a free-of-charge way to receive a card; it is given as a gift if you apply for premium cards or prestigious service packages from banks.

Priority Pass card from Sberbank

The Priority Pass card from Sberbank is the most profitable; it is given as a gift if you sign up for Sberbank Premier or Sberbank First packages. These packages are purchased by wealthy people, and the Priority Pass gift card allows unlimited access to VIP lounges.

• • • Maintenance 2500 rubles per month
    • Free service - 2 months
    • No commission is charged if the account has 2.5 million rubles in the current month

Priority Pass card from VTB 24

The Priority Pass card from VTB24 is given when you sign up for the Privilege package. The commission is also 2,500 rubles per month, if you do not want to pay a commission you need to:

• • • Have 2 million rubles in your account
    • Conduct transactions in the amount of 55,000 rubles

With the Priority Pass card from VTB 24, you will have 8 free visits throughout the year

Priority Pass card from Promsvyazbank

By becoming a member of the Orange Premium Club program, you receive a coveted card. A service fee of 2,800 rubles per month is charged. In order not to pay a commission, you need to have 1 million rubles in your account and make a transaction for 50,000 rubles per month. These conditions are required to receive unlimited visits to the VIP lounges. If you do not comply with them, you will only be given 2 visits.

Priority Pass card from Avangard Bank

If you apply for classic Mastercard and Visa cards, you have the opportunity to receive a Priority Pass card for free, the main condition is to carry out transactions worth 20,000 rubles per month. And if you want to get a Priority Pass card right away, just sign up for elite cards like Platinum and MasterCard World Elite.

Priority Pass card from Alfa-Bank

A Priority Pass card is issued when you apply for an Alfa-Miles Signature bank card, but visits remain paid - $27.

You can get 4 free visits by meeting some conditions:

• • • 3 million rubles in the account
    • Or 1 million rubles in the account and transactions per month in the amount of 50 rubles or more

You can also get a Priority Pass Card with unlimited visits:

• • • 6 million to a bank account
    • 2 million rubles in the account and transactions for 100,000 rubles

It's good when planes fly strictly on schedule. Then it is enough to show up at the airport at the time of check-in for the flight (and for those who managed to do this online, at the time of boarding) and not languish over a long wait. But force majeure circumstances occasionally arise, and you have to wait for a flight for several hours. Then the question arises, how to spend this time more comfortably?

Waiting rooms

Air terminals have publicly accessible departure lounges. But not all of them are convenient for long stay there. The places in them are usually sedentary, and you won’t be able to truly relax. It will be especially uncomfortable for people with health problems, pregnant women and passengers with children.

To have a snack while the plane is delayed, you will have to leave the waiting room and go in search of a cafe or at least fast food outlets. It is not a fact that during this time your chair will not be occupied, and you will not have to look for a new one.

The common halls of airports are, in fact, a “passage yard” where people are constantly scurrying about and there is a din. Such conditions cannot be called comfortable - neither relax in silence, nor concentrate on reading. And not all waiting rooms have free Wi-Fi.

Another thing is the lounges. Among airport lounges, the business lounge is the most comfortable place to relax. VIP persons who can rightfully use the services of such waiting rooms are business class passengers.

The delights of business lounges

Priority fares for air tickets apply to the creation of amenities not only in the cabin of the aircraft, but also while waiting for the flight in the terminal. Business class passengers can visit special lounges that provide the opportunity to enjoy maximum comfort:

• there are comfortable soft chairs and sofas where you can relax;

• in the prestigious recreation area there is a buffet where cold or hot snacks, aromatic coffee and other drinks (including alcohol) are served, for which you do not have to pay - everything is included in the ticket price;
• being in silence and solitude, you can read entertaining literature or watch TV, which is installed in the business lounge;
• VIP passengers are provided with showers where they can freshen up free of charge;
• some lounges offer the services of a hairdresser, cosmetologist or massage therapist;
• Children have not been forgotten here either - most business lounges have game rooms;
• The lounge will also provide a comfortable stay for nursing and pregnant women.

The prospect of such a break during a long wait attracts many passengers. Business lounge services at the airport may also be available to holders of economy class tickets (subject to availability and availability) if they pay for this service to the lounge administration at the rate established by the specific airport.

Note! One of the options for gaining access to business lounges around the world is to become one of the members of the Priority Pass “club”.

Comfort with Priority Pass

Having economy class tickets in hand, but being the owner of Priority Pass or its electronic version in the smartphone application, passengers begin to enter the lounge area of ​​a number of hubs.

All the delights of such a holiday become available to them. At the same time, the passenger can relax here with his family or invite friends with him (no more than 10 people in total), who will help brighten up the waiting time.

People on a business trip will find it more comfortable to work here. They will be provided with office equipment: a computer (if you don’t have a laptop with you), a copy machine and scanner, and a fax. Free internet is available in all business lounges.

The lounges have a conference room where you can hold a business meeting, negotiations or arrange a meeting with colleagues. To be able to enjoy the benefits of priority lounges, you should inquire about how to obtain a Priority card.

How to apply for a card

The Priority Pass card itself is neither a credit nor a debit card. This is something akin to a club business card confirming participation in the priority recreation program. There are several options for purchasing it:

• Most Russian banks offer it to their clients who are holders of Gold level plastic and above;
• The client can take the initiative by submitting an application for membership in the program to his bank;

Important! Registration of Priority Pass by the bank is free for the client.

• Another option to get a card is to visit the website www.prioritypass.com and apply for its issue; this will already cost money and will cost from 99 €/year. To do this, you need to have a cash account of one of the banks participating in the program, from where annual fees and payments for lounge visits will be withdrawn in the future (if this implies a tariff).

In the future, in order to enter the priority lounge and use its services, it is not necessary to present the card itself - you can download the application to your smartphone from the same website.

How to use the card

When visiting the business lounge, you do not have to pay in cash - at the entrance you scan the code of your Priority Pass card (or application on your smartphone). This is followed by the debiting of funds from the bank client’s main card according to the tariff in force in a particular financial institution. Each bank sets its own conditions for using the service, which need to be clarified in advance:

• some cards provide a fixed number of visits to the business lounge by the client himself free of charge;
• other banks reward customers with free unlimited data for a year;
• third option - each visit is paid, with a fixed price of 24 € / person.

When visiting airport business lounges using a card received online, slightly different rates apply (they are chosen by the client):

• basic option - 24 € will be debited from the main account (and for guests too) for each visit to the business lounge; This tariff costs 99€ per year;
• the average level, the price of which is 249 € / year, gives the cardholder 10 free visits to the lounge throughout the year, but for each guest you will have to pay 24 €;
• the third tariff is the highest, for 399 € per annum, which allows the client unlimited access to the business lounge throughout the year without payment, but guest visits are paid here too.

Note! The opportunity to enjoy comfort for free many times throughout the year at airports around the world is quite a profitable purchase for those who often use airplanes.

Some nuances

Before ordering a Priority Pass card, you should take into account some of the nuances associated with this program:

• Not all airports in the world (and in Russia as well) participate in the program, so you should first go to the website www.prioritypass.com and carefully study the list of hubs with available prestige lounges;
• Some major airlines (such as Emirates) have international airports own lounges, and here the Priority Pass program will not be effective;
• Each airport has its own list of amenities for such lounges; It’s better to know in advance what you can expect; to do this, you should visit the website of the hub where you plan to wait for the flight;
• When planning a relaxation in the business lounge, you should take into account the time of day - some lounges are not open at night (for example, in Spain);
• You should also take into account the waiting time for your flight - a standard visit to the business lounge is usually determined by 4 hours; after they expire, the countdown for the next visit begins, which is not very profitable with paid tariffs.

Note! The priority lounge card is linked to your main bank account.

If the Priority Pass tariff involves paying for your own visits, as well as for invited guests, then you need to monitor the availability of funds on the main card. Due to their shortage, the lounge administration has the right to refuse to provide you with comfortable services.

Rules for using business lounges

The lounge is a comfortable area for waiting for a flight. And the conditions here are created not only by the airport administration. It's not enough just to get into comfort zone– visitors must comply with the rules of conduct:

• the main advantage of these recreation areas is silence; if the company accompanying the visitor becomes noisy, the administration has the right to remove them from the lounge;
• Passengers with small children may be asked to leave the VIP lounge if they cause discomfort to others;
• the availability of free alcohol may affect the inadequacy of some visitors - they will also have to leave the business lounge early;
• the very name of the lounge determines the dress code in appearance - women in swimsuits, men in shorts and beach slippers have the right not to be allowed into the business lounge;

• Fans of “nicotine sticks” should check whether there is a smoking area before relaxing in the lounge.

Important! Each violation of the rules has its own moral or material consequences. If a Priority card holder who violates the conditions suffers damage, then neither the administration of the business lounge nor the airport operating company will be held responsible for this.

Review of business lounges at major Russian airports

Row Russian airports participates in the Priority Pass program and provides services to passengers on different conditions. The table below provides a brief overview of the lounges of some Russian hubs, indicating a number of restrictions.

Brief overview of business lounges at a number of Russian airports

Business lounges are an opportunity to brighten up the hours while waiting for a plane with maximum comfort, which you should not refuse.

Video

Every year I have up to a hundred different flights. Despite this, I have never flown business class in my life, and I have been to airport business lounges twice. I don't see any point in overpaying.

It turns out that you can enter these business lounges completely free of charge. So why not take advantage of this? Now I’ll tell you how.

1 I usually arrive at airports two hours before, or even earlier. Not for the sake of reinsurance, but rather to save time. Let me finish my chores at home an hour earlier and work at the airport. I go through the pre-flight formalities and go to the cafe.

2 In general, it's convenient. I’ll pay even 10 euros for coffee and a sandwich, at least not on a bare bench in the waiting room. But sometimes the cafes are crowded, the airports are small, there are also crowds milling around duty free... how can you concentrate?

I have long heard about the miracles that happen in business lounges. They feed and water there for free, there are no crowds. But the main thing is there is Wi-Fi! Actually, his frequent absence from the cafe is the main inconvenience when waiting for a flight.

3 Most often, VIP/CIP lounges belong to an airline or alliance, and access is available to business class passengers, as well as frequent flyers with “elite” bonus cards. It is possible to accumulate the required number of miles, but this is only if you fly really often, and with the same company. And of course, no one will let you into the S7 hall if this time you are flying Transaero, no matter what card you have.

There is a clever card that allows you to go to such halls, regardless of the company, and without any loyalty programs. Pay the money once a year, buy a Priority Pass, and in almost every airport one of the business lounges with which the system has an agreement will open its doors.

The card has only one drawback - it costs 400 euros per year (the version with unlimited visits to the halls). But there is one way to get it for free!

4 A month ago I opened an account with UniCredit bank with the Prime service package. Together with the MasterCard Black card, they issued just that same Priority pass, which allows you to go to business lounges around the world, plus take one guest with you. You don’t need to be flattered by free cheese, you will have to pay for servicing the bank tariff, but there are a lot of useful things there, and withdrawal of money all over the world without commission, and 10% cashback, and insurance, both medical and for trip cancellation.

5 The girl at the business lounge counter swiped my card, smiled and gave me instructions for accessing the Internet.

6 What is this place like? It seems that in the Soviet interpretation this is called a “waiting room” increased comfort” or “hall of official delegations”. A separate flight waiting area, where there is no fuss and crowds. In all other respects, they can differ greatly from each other.

7 For example, it is accepted that there should be drinks and snacks for guests, and they will be in any room, the question is which ones. Somewhere they will put a sandwich, somewhere salads. It happens that they don’t skimp on passengers and hire a cook who cooks steaks on demand. But this is only in the Emirates or Singapore, of course.

8 V international terminal Turkish Antalya offered tea, coffee, soda, fresh salads and even a couple of hot dishes.

9 Some people pay for silence. There will be no screaming and running children, one of the main irritants at the airport.

10 Because there is a special playroom for them!

11 A nice bonus from the Turkish mobile operator, the ability to charge your phone if you forgot the charger at home.

12 Of course, there is a departure board. I heard that there are business lounges from where passengers are taken directly to the gate on a separate transport. But not at this time.

13 When I arrived at the landing, there were already crowds of passengers there. Somehow nervous, noisy. Of course, you can sit on a bench nearby for an hour and a half, plugging your ears with music and burying your face in your laptop, but it’s more pleasant to relax in a separate room. Especially when it doesn’t cost any money, and I already use the card. It won't take long to get used to it!

The Priority Pass card allows you to visit lounges (business lounges) of airports around the world (subject to availability in Priority program Pass and at the airport). Majority major airports Mira has not just one, but several halls participating in the program.

Airport business lounges help you spend time at the airport comfortably; as a rule, they have meals and snacks, a wide selection of drinks, alcohol, showers, newspapers, etc. In general, all conditions are created for comfortable work and relaxation before and between flights .

The card is not a credit, charge or debit card. It's more like membership in a cardholder club. Moreover, now in most airports a physical card is no longer needed; it is enough to install the special Priority Pass application on your smartphone. Before visiting the hall, employees scan the code from the smartphone screen and from the one linked to Priority Pass map funds may be debited (depending on your tariff). The application will also help you find and select a lounge at the airport you are interested in.

Which lounges are included in the Priority Pass program?

Answering the question whether all airport business lounges participate in the Priority Pass program - no, not all, you won’t be able to visit any lounge. Firstly, not all airports participate in the program; for example, in Russia, until recently, only the airports of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sochi and Kaliningrad participated in the Priority Pass program. Now the list has expanded significantly, Anapa, Belgorod, Chelyabinsk, Gelendzhik, Irkutsk, Kazan, Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Murmansk, Nizhnekamsk, have joined the program. Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Sochi, Tyumen, Ufa (data as of July 2016).

That is, in other cities of the Russian Federation you will not be able to visit the business hall according to the program. There are also separate lounges for specific airlines, and not all of them participate in the Priority Pass program. For example, some of the best lounges in the World - branded lounges of airlines and Etihad in Abu Dhabi cannot be visited with the Priority Pass program. You can visit them only when flying business class on these airlines.

The list of halls participating in the program can be viewed on the official website prioritypass.com, or in the special Priority Pass application for smartphones.

How to get a Priority Pass card?

Sometimes Priority Pass cards are issued by banks to their clients, namely those who have bank cards high level(in some banks starting from the Gold level).

That is, a credit (debit) card in itself is not a Priority Pass card, but banks often provide an additional Priority Pass card together with it. Information about this should be clarified with your bank.

You can also become a card owner by submitting an application for a card on the website prioritypass.com. In this case, you will have to pay for participation in the program - from 99 Euros per year.

Do I need to pay to visit the lounge if I have a Priority Pass card?

If you received the card from your bank, then the conditions for visiting the hall need to be clarified with the bank itself. Some banks issue cards with a fixed number of free visits for the cardholder, some with unlimited free visits to halls for a year, or a card with a paid visit.

A paid visit to the hall costs about 24 Euros per person. Fixed price.

If you purchased a card on the website, then it all depends on your tariff.

There are three tariffs: the first allows you to visit the halls for a fee of 24 Euros (the same fee for each guest), the second gives you 10 free visits throughout the year for yourself (you must pay 24 Euros per guest), and the third annual tariff allows you to visit the halls for free , pay only for visiting guests.

That is, if you fly frequently, then for 399 Euros you can provide yourself with an unlimited number of visits to VIP lounges throughout the year.

Priority Pass nuances

When choosing a hall, pay attention to how many hours are allocated for one visit to the hall. In my experience, most often this time is 4 hours. After this time, you will have to pay for the visit again. For example, during a long-term transplant this may be important.

When planning to spend time comfortably in the business lounge when connecting, pay attention to the lounges' opening hours. They do not work 24 hours a day everywhere; for example, in Spain they do not work at night.

Having the card itself is not a prerequisite for visiting the lounge; you just need to download the Priority Pass application on your smartphone and present it for scanning. The program says that this function works in most halls. In practice, I have never met a hall where they did not accept an application on a smartphone.

Priority Pass bank cards - anyone who owns it can freely enter all VIP lounges at more than a thousand airports around the world, in addition, thanks to this function, you can use various business services in establishments that participate in this program. Currently, there are many Russian organizations that provide this opportunity for their clients, but this article lists only seven of them.

What is Priority Pass?

A card that gives its owner access to all first class lounges. But for each visit to such halls you will have to make a payment, which depends on the tariff. In addition, you will have to pay an additional amount of from 100 to 400 dollars for annual service. But, some organizations also have special conditions under which you can receive the service absolutely free.

Conditions for obtaining Priority pass in banks

Each bank has its own characteristics in providing such cards, so we will tell you in more detail about each of the seven best representatives in Russia.

Sberbank

Anyone can purchase a Priority Pass card from Sberbank. But basically, only wealthy and financially independent clients use this function.

The format is as follows:

• First you need to go to any of the Sberbank branches, or go to their official website.
• There you need to fill out an application for a Premium level; there are two types of products of this level in the above organization: World MasterCard Black Edition and Visa Platinum.
• After completing the application, you can additionally order a Priority Pass connection.
• As soon as the client is issued a Premium card, he will additionally be provided with a special plastic card that has the Priority Pass function.

VTB 24

To receive a Priority Pass at VTB 24, the client must order a connection to the Privilege package.

You can do this as follows:

• Go to the official website, or come to their branch.
• Write an application for the “Privilege” service package.
• Select the type of bank card you need, including debit and credit.
• You wait for a decision from an employee of the organization (usually a decision is made within a few minutes).
• Upon approval of the application, a service fee must be paid.
• The card is issued when ready and looks like personalized plastic, with a special security chip. After which you will be able to take advantage of all the bonuses of this service package.

Tinkoff Bank

It’s easy to sign up for the Priority Pass option, which will allow you to gain access to business lounges at Tinkoff.

To do this you need to do the following:

• Go to the official website of the bank.
• Select the S7 Airlines black edition card and click the “Apply” button.
• After that, all that remains is to fill out all the data and send it to the bank.
• In a few minutes you will receive a response from an employee of the organization.
• If the application is approved, within a certain period the card will be delivered directly to the address you specify, after which you can use the connected services.

Alfa Bank

Alfa Bank offers clients several ways to receive a card with the Priority Pass option:

• For free— free receipt of this option is provided as a bonus in addition to some types of premium banking services.
• Package Maximum— this package has various attractive bonuses, including membership in the Priority Pass system. To apply for such a package, you must order a banking product not lower than the “Platinum” level.

Opening

For free

Otkrytie offers customers free registration of the Priority Pass service subject to the following conditions:

• Over the last month, an amount of 600 thousand rubles remained in the client’s bank account.
• Over the past month, the client had an amount of at least 300 thousand rubles remaining, but the monthly cash turnover is at least 45 thousand rubles per month.

If at least one of the listed conditions is met, then the client can write an application for the free provision of the Priority Pass option.

Paid

• Anyone can also apply for this service, but to do this they will have to pay a certain amount of money.
• An application for a card can be submitted on the official website or at any branch of the organization.

Binbank

You can apply for a card with the Priority Pass service at a bank as follows:

• Go to the official website of the bank, or come to any branch.
• Write an application for the Premium package.
• Make an initial payment to service the feature.
• After this, the client will be provided with a Premium level card for use.

Rosbank

Only platinum cards have the Priority Pass service at this bank.

To register, you must complete the following steps:

• Go to the official website. You can also go to a bank branch.
• Write an application for a platinum card.
• Wait for the decision of an employee of the organization.
• Upon receipt of consent for issuance, an annual service fee must be paid.
• As soon as the plastic is released, it will immediately be provided for personal use by the client.

Advantages of service with Priority Pass

• In more than a thousand airports around the world, there are VIP lounges, access to which is available only to members of the Priority Pass club. In such lounges you can relax calmly after your flight. In addition, VIP visitors will be offered free snacks and drinks.
• Each room is equipped with free wi-fi.
• Many branches also have special rooms for business meetings in a calm and quiet environment.
• Premium technical support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Technical service staff will help resolve issues related to Priority Pass. In addition, the support team communicates in different languages.

Video about the capabilities of the Priority Pass card: