Priority Pass adds $20 'upgrade fee' for access to The House lounges
The House lounges now offer Priority Pass access, as long as you pay an additional $20.
By David Flynn, September 14 2019
Priority Pass card-holders can now add The House lounges at Sydney and Melbourne to their list of pre-flight options, but with one catch: they'll also need to pay A$20 when they flash that membership card.
It's a new twist to the Priority Pass model, being the first time an additional fee has been added to the cost of entry which is nominally included with the card or offered at a standard rate of US$32.
Access to The House "is available to cardholders using a standard visit allocation and an additional upgrade fee of AUD$20 per person is payable directly to the lounge at time of entry," Priority Pass notes.
Melbourne's The House takes advantage of Etihad's latest lounge design.
No1 Lounges, which operates The House lounges – both of which in Australia are the former Etihad lounges – has been looking beyond Etihad and Virgin Australia as a source of customers.
The House in Sydney is now the preferred lounge for British Airways, although BA travellers can still use the Qantas business class and first class lounges.
Sydney's The House is also used by British Airways, along with Etihad and Virgin Australia.
While there's no challenging the Qantas First Lounge as Sydney's best airport lounge, consensus among travellers seems to be that – barring some crowding as the daily departure of flight BA16 draws near – The House trumps the Qantas Business Lounge for its à la carte dining and tended bar.
Adding The House lounges to the Priority Pass network will bring more paying guests into the fold.
The House is now the only lounge at Sydney's T1 international terminal which accepts Priority Pass, although travellers in Melbourne can opt to use the Plaza Premium Lounge, which doesn't come with that $20 surcharge.
Review: Plaza Premium lounge, Melbourne
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
07 Dec 2014
Total posts 173
Is there any indication on when to expect the '50% increase in size' what was mooted when No1 Lounges took over the Sydney Lounge?
04 Jul 2013
Total posts 7
It's not the first priority pass lounge with a co-payment. The plaza premium first lounge in Hong Kong would be the first in the PP network to take that gong.
Personally, I am for this arrangement. At Melbourne you have the choice of using the plaza premium lounge included in your membership. But if you want to get out of the dungeon, see some natural light, have a glass of champers and a la carte meals, then $20 is more than reasonable.
As long as PP keeps the standard lounge situation going, adding more options helps everyone.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Dec 2012
Total posts 38
Do they still accept guests with the priority pass? And assume if they do it's $20ea for the guests as well, not more?
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Priority Pass adds $20 'upgrade fee' for access to The House lounges