Priority Pass started added things other than lounges to appeal to cardmembers, because they get paid every time a card is swiped. Banks balked at this because their costs rise every time a card is swiped. They want their cardmembers happy, but not too happy.
Bobby Van’s Steakhouse is no more at New York JFK’s terminal 8, and most credit card-issued Priority Pass cards no longer honor $28 credits at participating restaurants as a way to cut down on cost.
But back in the day you could get some really decent food there, all for free at $28 per person. And they didn’t check boarding passes. I used to stop in on arrival after a flight, for a meal before heading into the city. And I used to tell American Airlines crew friends based in New York that all they needed was to be airside with a card for a good meal before they flew.
Capers Market in Portland was another place you could spend the credit, and that was a great grab ‘n go. Also a crew hot spot!
So it really didn’t surprise me to see that TSA employees have learned this trick, “invading” the Aspire Lounge at the Ontario Airport in California run by Swissport. They don’t ask for boarding passes either. After all, that means more card swipes – and they get paid per swipe.
I’m in the T2 Aspire Lounge at ONT and a whole parade of TSA screeners just marched in and started eating from the buffet.
When I complained to the staff, they replied the screeners have Priority Pass and use that to enter the lounge – which it appears they do daily as a group for lunch and dinner.
Priority Pass itself says a same-day boarding pass is required, so this TSA and airline crew opportunity could close any time of course.
Admittance to a Lounge or Merchant is strictly conditional upon Customers possessing (i) a valid Means of Access, (ii) a valid boarding pass and (iii) any additional identification that the Lounge or Merchant may require from Customer and guests, which may include passport, national identity card or driving license.
The no annual fee U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature actually offers Priority Pass Select with 4 free visits, and allows use at participating restaurants. But if you’re TSA or a crewmember you like free but don’t want just four visits!
Bank of American’s $550 annual fee Premium Rewards Elite Credit Card is chock full of perks and comes with up to four unlimited-use Priority Pass memberships and includes restaurants. And, of course, unlimited standard lounge visits.
Then again, the Ritz-Carlton card (only available at this point via product change from a Chase Marriott card) still honors unlimited guests. Treat your whole crew to a meal! This card is the pilot’s friend. Back when Sapphire Reserve offered unlimited guests we saw one cardmember bring in 19 guests and a reader of this blog may have set a world record with 35 people entering an airport lounge on a single Priority Pass card.
[W]e were a group of ~35 people on a wedding trip flying [Bujumbura, Burundi to Kigali, Rwanda to Dar Es Salaam to Saadani National Park in Tanzania] and had to wait around 6 hours in Kigali (nice airport by the way).
We all went in on a single chase [Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass] subscription. The lounge wasn’t that full but we did fill a around half of it. Lounge is great also, good food etc. So yeah, there you go, 35 people haha
The trick to TSA and airline crew leveraging these opportunities is that many lounges do require showing a same-day (or within 3 hours of travel) boarding pass and that’s not ideal for airport employees or crew, though of course some will buy tickets (not on the airline they work for!) and cancel those, retaining credits to do it all over again. At some point, eventually, one might get banned for doing so. I wonder whether Southwest’s tech would ever catch it.
Several years ago the story went viral about a man who ate free for a year buying a refundable ticket, accessing the China Eastern lounge in Xi’an, China, and the refunding his ticket. Every. Day.
Around the same time Lufthansa sued a passenger and won 200 euros after the man booked and cancelled 36 tickets in a year for the purpose of obtaining business class lounge access.
Another man was arrested after living in 9 different Priority Pass lounges at the Singapore airport over the course of 3 weeks.
And still another lived temporarily in an airport because he couldn’t afford the change fee on his ticket.
What would you expect? They’re government employees. They all exist courtesy of the productive efforts of other people.
Always know where the crews eat. They’re experts at finding good food and good deals airside if there are any.
The scammers and lawyers will always find a way.
Sounds like the issue is Priority Pass nor enforcing their terms and conditions.
This is why we can’t have nice things due to scammers and crooks
By all means the system should require a valid boarding pass to admit guests
Not just swipe a card
Personally I despised most of the food on offer with some rare exceptions
Talk about creativity!
As usual, @Mike P has a bad take, quick to go after all workers (especially, ‘the government’). At least you’re consistent with your animus. Sir, try just going after the actual rule-breakers. Might actually do some good.
I used to see rampers and even pilots do the restaurant credit thing, sadly killing it for actual flyers.
Which part of my comment is wrong? Instead of offering your typical mindless “take”. Point out the error in my logic.
And who said there is no such thing as a free lunch?
I would not be surprised if this is the reason the Priority Pass restaurant benefit went away on most cards. Back in the day, I went to PF Changs at LAX when they participated in Priority Pass and was surprised to see how many airline employees in uniform were eating here- clearly the restaurant did not enforce showing a boarding pass
The abuse doesn’t surprise me. I have a friend that works for TSA at LAX. He buys refundable tickets so he can have lunch at the Centurion Lounge. When he done he refunds his ticket.
It’d be nice if the credit card companies would spend a little less time going after hobbyists and spend more time on huge abuse like this.
@ Rafael – That’s really clever, particularly if he rotates the airlines. There are about 70 of them there, so in theory he could buy around 4-5 tickets per airline annually to eat there every day, which isn’t likely to catch a ton of scrutiny from any individual airline – especially if the purchases are at least a month apart.
That’s bold. If I were inclined to cheat the system I’d change out of my uniform to avoid attracting attention. And/or do what @Rafael and @Mike Hunt mentioned — that’s big brain stuff.
The actions of these selfish TSA agents will result in increased costs for everyone.
Lounges are often overcrowded.
We don’t need non-travelling TSA freeloaders making lounges even more crowded.
Woofie is correct in that lounges must enforce the terms and conditions and require a valid boarding pass. Anyone caught misusing Priority Pass should have their membership cancelled and be banned from getting a new Priority Pass membership.
I’m all-for enforcement of rules and laws; so, once we’ve solved this lounge-abuse, may we please go after corrupt politicians, insider trading, tax cheats, and corporations that abuse their power? Would be nice, because all I’ve seen is a vilifying of the ‘little guys’ while the ‘big fish’ get away with far worse, every gosh-darn day, dawg.