Alaska Airlines seems to have a love-hate relationship with Priority Pass when it comes to lounge access. Interestingly the brand new Alaska Lounge SFO has just joined Priority Pass, so let’s cover where that leaves us.
Continue reading: Which Alaska Lounges Belong To Priority Pass? (SFO Added)
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I finally broke down and joined the Alaska lounge. I got sick of the consistent and unannounced closures of the SEA and other AS lounges due to crowding issues (even when they took Priority Pass). I almost exclusively fly AS and have status with them. So I downgraded my CSR to CSP and put that money towards the AS lounge.
In theory, Priority Pass sold me on being an AS lounge member. I always enjoyed my AS lounge experience and Priority Pass allowed me to sample over the years before I finally bought.
Alaska needs to understand its own (and OW’s) lounge policy better. Here’s a customer service response I received from AS about QF Gold (OW Sapphire) being rejected entry:
“Unfortunately, Alaska Air Lounges are excluded from the oneworld agreement as we offer a paid membership program for guests to gain access. The only exception to this is when Emerald and Sapphire members earned through Alaska or American Airlines are eligible for complimentary lounge access when they travel on an itinerary to Mexico City, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, or Australia. I am truly sorry, but a Qantas Sapphire guest does not have complimentary access to our lounges.”
So it seems that AS has an unwritten exception from OW rules… or at least AS CS thinks so!
Been thinking of going in with a bunch of friends to get the AA credit card. If five or 6 of us get it it's under $100 a year for AA (and therefore AS) lounge access. The SEA Centurion is so full until they move "it's so busy no one goes there anymore" as they say. LOL
Sounds like they are confused since joining OW. I had very similar experiences at the DL lounge many years back after they shifted some policies (the agents were completely clueless .. yes you can access the DL lounge with international ticket as a DL gold).
SFO also charges $25 for entry, which is an objectively good deal when paying cash for entry compared to other lounges. Sucks Terminal 2 isn't connected to anything airside, though.
SFO Amex lounge is the same thing. It's like a stampede of people itching to take off their masks for ~3 hours prior to their flight.
That’s one of my few gripes with SFO, incomplete airside connections.
But AFAIK construction is underway that will ultimately correct that.
If I’m wrong, please don’t tell me. I want to keep hope alive.
Supposed to be finished this month to walk through, though other apects of that project were delayed: https://www.flysfo.com/media/press-releases/sfo-postpones-additional-construction-projects-due-covid-19-pandemic
Just a heads up, if you get the card with friends only the primary cardmember would get access to Alaska Lounges. The primary cardmember gets an Admirals Club membership, and hence Alaska Lounge access, but any authorized users only get "Admirals Club Access", which does not extend to Alaska Lounges. It could still make sense if you're based in SEA/PDX and your other friends are based in other AA hubs but its not like all of you will be able to get into Alaska Lounges at will.
Without an airside connection, the AS lounge at Terminal 2 has little risk of overcrowding with AA elites from Terminal 1 or OW elites from the Int'l Terminal. So why not have PP members overcrowd it instead!
LAX does NOT show up in the PP system or App.
KAL now closed
PP now sux at LAX
This article is inaccurate. Just tried to use Priority Pass at the Alaska lounge in SFO and they didn't accept it. The front desk attendant said only the JFK lounge is taking Priority Pass. Interestingly they said it was because they just opened, which doesn't make sense to me.
Priority pass is now either a scam or just straight up worthless.
Alaska Lounges are some of the worst lounges I have encountered and when I have commented before to them they deny the reality. Their selection of food is awful and fit for rabbits not people. Their lounge availability at most airports is non existent or extremely limited. They charge for items that should come for free. Why would you join?? By the way I am a loyal Alaskan Flyer.
I see this article was just written/updated in June 2022. However, I just tried to enter the AS lounge at SFO and was denied (Priority Pass through Amex Platinum). They offered to let me in for $30.