Priority Pass - DJ lounges gone from August 1

[LuisT]

Hi All,

Just got an email from Priority pass saying that the Virgin Lounges will be gone from August 1st.

Will Amex look to replace the benefit on the Plat charge card with some other arrangement? Maybe a direct link between the charge card and DJ?

I don't fly Virgin much, but when I do it's nice to have that availble...

 

[mitchy123]

Hi All,

Just got an email from Priority pass saying that the Virgin Lounges will be gone from August 1st.

Will Amex look to replace the benefit on the Plat charge card with some other arrangement? Maybe a direct link between the charge card and DJ?

I don't fly Virgin much, but when I do it's nice to have that availble...

Got the same email. There is a note on the PP website under each lounge about this as well. Disappointing.

I do hope AMEX compensate plat charge card holders with something.

 

[ma1trix]

Priority Pass/American Express have to do something otherwise we will only have access to 1 lounge in Australia that is only open 3 hours a day!

 

[Ricardo]

Priority Pass/American Express have to do something otherwise we will only have access to 1 lounge in Australia that is only open 3 hours a day!

I have almost lost interest in the Amex Plat Charge/Credit Card (Reserve) offers/cards, since this year the following have devalued the required fee in my opinion.

1. The change of due date and possible late charges to pay accounts
2. Constant errors when booking tickets for events from the Concierge service, meaning I have to spend time chasing up credits etc
3. The travel service errors when booking my rental car with Hertz, in that the booking was not made! More chase ups and complaints
4. And now this change to the lounge access through priority pass, it was very useful in Japan and Asia for me, just as well I got a Koru membership late last year.

I will be writing to Amex and asking for a reduced fee ....

 

[markis10]

There was quite a bit of speculation here from January as reported in the main thread with a similar subject that this would occur, I would imagine the demise of local lounges will be counted by the argument that 5 out of 600 is hardly a big drop, however as correctly pointed out its a big drop locally!

 

[serfty]

Well, with DJ Gold (/NZ GE) and WP, I'm quite well covered in Australia for the next few years.

With the Plat Reserve card I have a 2 visit PP account. Already used it once at the CO lounge in LAS.

In reality, most with PP in OZ would probably fly enough to have lounge access of some sort in any case, so aside from a few (like, possiby Ricardo) there really would not be that many affected who had no alternatives.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Priority Pass/American Express have to do something otherwise we will only have access to 1 lounge in Australia that is only open 3 hours a day!

And even then that lounge is extremely basic and small.

 

[gregff]

Along with the decreased points earning ( spend rounded down before points awarded), the reduced "grace" period for charge card payment (making it lower than amex credit cards for which people pay far less annual fees), it seems that amex is either in financial trouble or wishing to ensure that its most loyal customers (plat charge and centuion) are paying extra for the huge annual fees Ames needs a rethink!

 

[oz_mark]

Along with the decreased points earning ( spend rounded down before points awarded), the reduced "grace" period for charge card payment (making it lower than amex credit cards for which people pay far less annual fees), it seems that amex is either in financial trouble or wishing to ensure that its most loyal customers (plat charge and centuion) are paying extra for the huge annual fees Ames needs a rethink!

While I am sure that this really was not an Amex issue, it would be nice if they can come up with something to plug the perceived loss of benefit from this.

 

[kalboy]

Received something in the mail through the week about a co-branded Velocity/Amex card that has 2 Lounge passes a year attached to it.
Didn't seem very attractive to me. I think from memory it was close to $200 a year for the card as well.

 

[Jane-Doe]

My Amex free flights are with Virgin, but AMEX has no lounge arrangements with them. Centurion provides complimentary Qantas Club membership, but no Qantas flights.
Something has to change, surely!