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As of today you can no longer enter the MSP Escape lounge with your Priority Pass card. Now the only way to get in (free) is to hold either The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. If the latter is the case you and two guests may enter just like at the AMEX Centurion clubs.
This shift is really intriguing to me as a frequent flyer. We have seen an explosion of high end travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® that offer some kind of Priority Pass membership over the past year or two and it must be having an impact on the volume of people using 3rd party lounges.
Clearly, with the amount of people and how packed flights and airports are, there has to be big money in play with more and more travelers expecting to get away from the gate area for some of the amenities lounges provide.
It also seems like each lounge or airline lounge is trying to “one-up” each other with some new drink or feature or snack choice. Even higher offerings in certain markets where competition is stronger than in other parts of the country.
Since I hold long term a non-Delta AMEX Business Platinum card (learn how to apply) I have no issue with the change for not just the Minneapolis location but the other MAG group ones in the USA as well as all the new ones set to open down the road. Personally I hope more lounges go this same route as it will add even more value to me as a card member and maybe impact the volume of travelers in the lounges. Time will tell.
What do you think of this change as of today? Do you expect more lounges to exit from Priority Pass? – René
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
It certainly devalues the Citi Prestige card for me since I often route through MSP. The Priority Pass benefit has been an important component of the card’s value for me. It bears watching.
Cheers.
This is exasperating on multiple counts. Why was no notice provided in advance? It devalues the Sapphire card for those of us holding it. In addition, they had promised users who visited–months ago–a coupon for a free meal for completing a user questionnaire. That never happened and was then promised “in the near future.” Now: nada.
The escape lounge at MSP has been nuts every time I’ve gone there the past few months. Barely any food out and no place to sit. I’m happy for the change just because I have a platinum card and I suspect many people with a platinum card traveling alone will go to a Delta Club if they’re flying Delta.
The priority pass lounge access in the US is getting more and more limited to the point where it’s almost useless. Especially with MSP being a Delta hub.
this location is ripe for becoming a DL hub Centurion Lounge (studio) hopefully this the first step. Keep the Brie and retire the dehydrated sliders…a Lil 1229 and we are on our way.