Priority Pass has been on a roll lately when it comes to adding new Priority Pass locations. In the US much of this growth has come in the form of Priority Pass restaurants, where members receive a certain dollar credit that they can use to dine at restaurants. This is a great addition to the network that adds a lot of value for members.
Once in a while we also see Priority Pass lose some locations, clearly because the arrangement is no longer mutually beneficial or practical. For example, at the beginning of the month we saw the Alaska Lounges in Seattle removed from the Priority Pass network.
Priority Pass has quietly removed another lounge from their network which some might find significant. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at New York LaGuardia has been removed from Priority Pass. This is significant because this is the only Priority Pass location at the airport, leaving members without anywhere to visit.
I’m not sure if this relationship was ended because the demand just consistently exceeded the capacity, or if this is because of the construction happening at LaGuardia, which may impact the size of the lounge long term.
Those with The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express continue to have access to the Amex Centurion Lounge at the airport, though the lounge tends to get crowded, and I imagine it will only get more crowded with this change.
I can’t think of another lounge that Priority Pass could add at the airport, since most of the lounges are airline specific, and belonging to airlines that don’t partner with Priority Pass. So I guess out best hope at this point is that they add a restaurant or two that Priority Pass members can receive a dining credit at.
Did anyone regularly use the Air Canada Lounge LGA? Was it consistently crowded, or…?
(Tip of the hat to @foofiter)
The app now shows no lounges at LGA. I am currently enduring a delay going on 3 hours and a lounge sure would’ve been nice, especially after paying $4.29 for a Perrier, post-security.
Perhaps its to start training customers of things that are to come with the new terminal (i.e. AC MLL LGA no longer open to PP). Much easier to start grooming customers with an old space, than deal with backlash when the new lounge opens.
Is it effective immediately? As of now, LGA Air Canada Lounge still shows up on Priority Pass app?
jmw2323,
Problem with us Republicans is we can't only mind our own business. We have to mind other people's business too. The only way we will learn is if you liberals come to power and make mockery of everything that us evangelicals stand for. A good start would be the handouts Republican Christian scumbags get as non taxed entities. Talk about hypocrisy.
Anyway what were you saying about the bible? Don't take lords name...
jmw2323,
Problem with us Republicans is we can't only mind our own business. We have to mind other people's business too. The only way we will learn is if you liberals come to power and make mockery of everything that us evangelicals stand for. A good start would be the handouts Republican Christian scumbags get as non taxed entities. Talk about hypocrisy.
Anyway what were you saying about the bible? Don't take lords name in vain. I may have done some very bad things in life but never taken the lords name in vain. And that makes me a good person.
Did Alaska drop LGA as well?
@debit
I thought the AC Lounge was BYOB
This lounge was never very crowded even during peak hours from 4-8pm I always had a place to sit. Food choices were lacking but the bar was good.
All the restaurants and lounges are being remodeled and relocated as part of the terminal makeover. Once the construction is completed, all the lounges will be on the airside instead of landside. Granted, this does not really explain why the Priority Club relationship ended - my guess the demand from PC is greater than they anticipated, and it's affecting available seats for *A and business class passengers.
That part of the terminal will be demolished to make way for the new concourse. Concourse B opens in about a month. Will there be a new Air Canada Lounge in there?
This was probably the lounge I used the most. I never experienced any capacity issues that seem to be getting worse within the PP network. Max I've seen was probably 75% capacity during IRROPS and really bad storms.
It was pretty basic but you could actually get in. Food is minimal but open bar and always open seats. In the mornings at LGA, there's often nowhere to sit by the gates, so that was the...
This was probably the lounge I used the most. I never experienced any capacity issues that seem to be getting worse within the PP network. Max I've seen was probably 75% capacity during IRROPS and really bad storms.
It was pretty basic but you could actually get in. Food is minimal but open bar and always open seats. In the mornings at LGA, there's often nowhere to sit by the gates, so that was the biggest benefit to me. Getting to LGA has been such a crap shoot this year that I never know if I'll arrive an hour early or run to the gate so this gave me a place to at least get some work done.
@Debit: are you off your meds? Nice rant.
The United Club at LGA is a good space. Food isn't anything special, but I can always find a seat which is something I can't say about Centurion lounges.
This is for the better, believe me. I was one in the lounge once and couldn't even find the bible. As a catholic who had been tempted and trapped by non believers in high school and college to drink, do drugs and rape them I did not want to bring my two young daughters in some filthy lounge where the lord's word is not to be found. I am going to protect my daughter's from the life I was forced to live when I was younger.
Good riddance!
As of last week, the Air Canada Lounge moved post-security as part of changes made for the next phase of construction. My guess is with the move post-security they felt it would get more crowded, since you don't have to play chicken with the security lines anymore.
Been there once, for a morning Southwest flight. Quite small but pleasant. Problem is that it's landside and the security in B is extremely variable so you need to leave plenty of time to get to the gate.
Are there even any sit-down restaurants in B for priority pass to negotiate with?
All in all, a loss, but I imagine nothing will happen until the new terminal opens.
Small and dark, with no real food, but never crowded and a decent bar. It was okay. As another poster said they are probably closing it because they are about to migrate that pier over to the new one as part of the slow transition to the new Central Terminal. The new terminal once completed will have all new (and larger) lounges, Centurion included.
I used the lounge quite often in the past year, and as snic said, it's small but I also always found a place to sit. I'm usually there in the evening, and AC has a consistent flow of flights departing to Toronto and Montreal at that time so I would say that the lounge occupation that I've seen is pretty typical.
I don't really like the lounge though because it's dark inside. They have...
I used the lounge quite often in the past year, and as snic said, it's small but I also always found a place to sit. I'm usually there in the evening, and AC has a consistent flow of flights departing to Toronto and Montreal at that time so I would say that the lounge occupation that I've seen is pretty typical.
I don't really like the lounge though because it's dark inside. They have some kind of sunblock plastic film on the windows, which makes the lounge really dark. You can't really see outside. The view wouldn't be good anyways, as it's the roof of the terminal, but still, some natural light would be nice!
I'm looking forward to Air Canada's new lounge when they move in the new terminal!
It was previously reported that a new airside Maple Leaf Lounge is actually supposed to open with the new pier at Terminal B (which is supposed to be at the end of the year, but I don’t know if a date has been set yet, and of course there can always be delays).
The headhouse where the current MLL is (and don’t forget, it’s right down the hall from the Centurion Lounge) is still going...
It was previously reported that a new airside Maple Leaf Lounge is actually supposed to open with the new pier at Terminal B (which is supposed to be at the end of the year, but I don’t know if a date has been set yet, and of course there can always be delays).
The headhouse where the current MLL is (and don’t forget, it’s right down the hall from the Centurion Lounge) is still going to be around for awhile, so there’s no reason they would have to close the existing MLL lounge before the new one opens.
So it’s anyone’s guess why it left PP, although the LAX one left last year as well when AC moved terminals and opened a new lounge.
I used that lounge a few times. It's small, but I always found a place to sit. The food options are not spectacular, but they are also far from the worst I've seen in airport lounges. I seem to remember putting together a decent lunch with some small sandwiches and some fruit. One big grumble about it is that it's landside, and security lines in LGA can get very long. So you never quite know when to leave.
I'm guessing the lounge may be closing since that part of the airport is about to be torn down with the first part of the new terminal opening in the next 6 months or so. Presumably at some point AC may open a new lounge though I have no idea when that's likely to happen.