Priority Pass Just Lost 2 More Airports and Travelers Are Fuming

If you're one of the millions of Americans who carry a Priority Pass membership, you may want to check your airport app before your next trip. The popular lounge access program has quietly dropped two more airports from its network, and the timing couldn't be worse heading into peak travel season. Priority Pass, which sells itself as the golden ticket to free food, drinks, and a quiet seat away from the chaos of the terminal, has been shrinking its footprint for months. The latest cuts mean travelers who paid hundreds of dollars a year—or who got the membership as a perk on a premium credit card—are showing up to airports expecting a lounge and finding nothing. **Why This Keeps Happening** Here's the uncomfortable math. Priority Pass works by paying lounges a fee every time a member walks through the door. As more people signed up—often for free through cards like the Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve—lounges started getting crushed. Too many guests, not enough seats. So instead of expanding, some lounges just walked away from the deal. That means your annual fee didn't go up, but what you get for it quietly did go down. Classic move. **What You're Actually Losing** The two latest airports to lose Priority Pass access join a growing list that has frustrated members for over a year. For frequent flyers, this isn't a small inconvenience. A lounge visit can easily be worth $40 to $60 when you factor in a meal, a couple of drinks, and Wi-Fi. Lose access at two airports you fly through regularly, and you've wiped out the value of your membership before spring. And here's the part that stings: many travelers only signed up for that premium credit card *because* of the lounge access. The card's annual fee might be $550. If the lounge perk keeps shrinking, you're paying a lot for a benefit that's slowly disappearing. **How to Protect Your Wallet** First, stop assuming. Priority Pass updates its airport list constantly, and the app is the only reliable source. Check it the night before every flight—not the day you signed up. Second, look at alternatives. Some airports now have their own pay-per-use lounges that cost $25 to $50 at the door. If you only fly a few times a year, paying as you go can beat a $400-plus membership. Third, if you're holding a premium card mainly for lounge access, run the numbers. Add up what you actually used last year. If it's less than the annual fee, it may be time to downgrade. Finally, don't sleep on restaurant credits. Several cards now offer a fixed dollar amount at airport restaurants instead of lounge access. For a lot of travelers, that's a better deal—you get food you actually want, and you don't have to fight for a seat. **The Bottom Line** Priority Pass isn't dead, but it's no longer the slam-dunk perk it was five years ago. The network is thinning, lounges are pushing back, and members are the ones absorbing the loss. Treat it as a bonus, not a reason to keep a card—and always verify before you fly. *Our take: Loyalty programs love to shrink benefits quietly and hope you won't notice. Notice. Check your list, do the math, and let your wallet do the voting. If enough travelers cancel, maybe the lounges come back.*