A new Priority Pass option lands at London Heathrow, but ….

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• Mark Maynard says:

  8 Jul8 July 06:49

  We live just around the corner from their original pub, The Antelope.
  Their beer is excellent and the takeouts helped get us through lockdown. Food is also great, this is quite exciting for Heathrow.

• K says:

  8 Jul8 July 07:10

  Big Smoke is a great little microbrewery and pub chain mainly in London. Excellent beers and great food in their pubs! Let’s hope it’s the same at Heathrow!

• MQ says:

  8 Jul8 July 08:04

  Priority pass is becoming a joke. 50% of the time lounges are full and now there is a distinction between “free” priority pass members…?

  • Tonei Glavinic says:

    8 Jul8 July 08:19

    The issue isn’t “free” vs paid memberships, it’s Amex-issued vs non-Amex-issued. Priority Pass cardholders who get their cards from other banks (like chase and citi in the US) are able to access restaurants – it’s Amex that has chosen not to participate in that aspect of the program.

    • Sam G says:

      8 Jul8 July 09:41

      Yes that was my understanding, this isn’t a PP decision, it was an Amex decision, presumably to lower the cost of the PP cards they issue (mainly driven by the US where there are many of these bar / restaurant options)

      • Rob says:

        8 Jul8 July 09:52

        I doubt it, because why is Grain Store in Terminal 2 included? Seems very simple to me – Priority Pass pays the restaurant close to £15 for giving £15 credit, Amex pays Priority Pass less than £15, sums don’t work.

        That said …. I know that a small non-UK bank where a friend works pays £19 to Collinson each time a Priority Pass they issue with their credit card is used. Amex will have literally hundreds of times the volume of those guys though.

        • Sam G says:

          8 Jul8 July 12:24

          Exactly. Sums don’t work for PP , they asked Amex for more $$ per visit, Amex said no and they agreed on the non-restaurant option to get the cost per visit to an acceptable level. Amex UK secured Grain Store as an option as the lounges can’t handle the volume & they didn’t want to upset their plat holders here, but for whatever reason haven’t done so for LHR. That’s my theory anyway 🙂

          It’s quite a weak offer in the UK anyway IMO as the lounge operators do a very good job here of selling access so you can rarely get in on the door. Great in Asia though, many airports have a pretty decent option (less so now PP have left) and I’ve never been turned away

      • Lady London says:

        8 Jul8 July 13:39

        Noting though, that the Amex-issued Priority Pass admits 2 people to a lounge. Each supp card (even on same account) admits 2, also.

        Even Priority Passes sold by PP themselves do not have the admit 2 free per card.

• Yorkieflyer says:

  8 Jul8 July 08:37

  Related news. DragonPass refund in my card account a week after they cancelled them

• John T says:

  8 Jul8 July 08:58

  You would be crazy to pay for a Priority Pass membership this year. I cannot remember the last time I saw a PP lounge open and accepting PP members. It’s a pretty useless membership.

  Collinson Group are very quietly making a killing issuing all these memberships and delivering almost nothing in return.

• Alex W says:

  8 Jul8 July 09:05

  The Plaza Premium T2 arrivals lounge was one of the best perks of Amex Plat. I would regularly swing past LHR, trough a 3 course meal with drinks and then carry on my way to London. Amex Plat is a lot less worthwhile now!

  • Rob says:

    8 Jul8 July 09:32

    Er …. you can still access all Plaza lounges with Plat, just not with Priority Pass.

    • Alex W says:

      8 Jul8 July 11:15

      Wahoo! Sorry I should have read the article properly!

  • Ollie says:

    8 Jul8 July 11:40

    Me too! Or I would accompany a departing friend to the airport and we’d both have a free dinner before he went through security.
    Just looking at the Amex app now though, since the Platinum card and not PP is accepted, that a “same day boarding pass” is required. I can’t remember if it said this before, but I was never asked to show a boarding pass at the arrivals lounges. Is this a new (and enforced) rule for landside lounges?

    • BuildBackBetter says:

      8 Jul8 July 13:11

      I remember it being enforced since 2018. Surprised people like Alex could get away with no boarding pass.

• Lady London says:

  8 Jul8 July 09:22

  Would people choose The Grain Store over others at LGW South if paying cash and looking for breakfast at LGW South? I know that terminal will be closed for a while yet just seeking opinions.

  Btw the dining benefit of PP is quite useful at SEA and PDX – there is a choice of outlets there.

  • tony says:

    8 Jul8 July 16:18

    Grain Store at Gatwick certainly did a competent enough breakfast for us a couple of years back on an early flight to Austria. We were in the cheap seats. Downside of the venue for me is no windows, but i’ve used it again since – service was always quick and friendly.

  • Louie says:

    9 Jul9 July 02:14

    Only tried it once (pre-Covid), but I thought it was very good.

• T says:

  8 Jul8 July 09:34

  Ah Big Smoke is awesome! Happily pay for a few beers and a meal there!

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