Another new Luton Airport option for non-Amex Priority Pass customers
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Priority Pass has added another new option at Luton Airport for cardholders.
Unfortunately it is NOT available to anyone who gets their Priority Pass via American Express. It is available to anyone who gets their pass directly from Priority Pass or via another financial partner. It should also be available for LoungeKey customers, which in the UK primarily means HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard holders.
The new deal is with Avalon Crafted Coffee in the departures area, airside.
To quote:
“Avalon offers travelers at Luton Airport a very special coffee experience. Delicious dishes are served here throughout the day using local produce such as eggs, biscuits, breads, baked goods and honey to provide customers with fresh groceries and snacks.”
Priority Pass customers will receive a £15 credit towards any transaction. If your Priority Pass allows a free guest and you arrive with someone else, you will receive a £30 credit.
Avalon Crafted Coffee is open from 4am to 10pm daily.
If you’re not a coffee fan, Priority Pass has similar deals with The Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen and Italian restaurant Nolito on the same terms.
There are a grand total of TWO restaurant experiences globally that Amex-issued Priority Pass customers can use. One is The Grain Store at London Gatwick’s South Terminal. Given that this is the British Airways terminal, it is at least convenient for most HfP readers. The other is the Moevenpick Cafe in Berlin Brandenburg.
My best guess is that Priority Pass wants to charge American Express a higher fee for restaurant visits, as it pays out more than it pays a lounge operator, and that the two parties could not reach an agreement.
This is something that American Express may want to look at again given the frustration over being unable to access UK lounges with Priority Pass due to overcrowding. The fee differential cannot be more than £1-£2 per visit, given that no other bank or credit card provider has brought in a similar restriction.
There is also the Aspire lounge at Luton (our last review of the Aspire lounge at Luton Airport is here) which IS accessible with an Amex-issued Priority Pass. Recent reader feedback has not been too impressive though.
You can see all of the Priority Pass options at Luton on this page of their website.
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