How to Get Priority Pass for Free: Every UK Route Explained

In the UK, Priority Pass is a benefit that comes with several premium credit cards. The primary benefit of Priority Pass is free access to airport lounges – which naturally comes with terms and conditions.

A popular choice is the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card, which currently has no annual fee during its first year and includes four complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits. Following that, the fee is currently £195 per year.

However, if you do not qualify for a premium card, there is an easier alternative: simply book airport lounges as and when you need them.

Does Priority Pass actually offer a free membership?

Priority Pass currently lists three direct membership levels: Standard £69 a year, Standard Plus at £229 and Prestige at £419.

The Standard membership offers lounge access but charges £24 for each member visit. Standard Plus includes 10 additional member visits, while Prestige offers unlimited member visits. Guests are charged separately.

As such, a Priority Pass does not necessarily give you free unlimited airport lounge visits, but a premium credit card membership can give you a complimentary Priority Pass as part of its perks, which can be used towards airport lounge access and other similar benefits.

A notable example of this is Amex Gold, where Priority Pass membership is complimentary, but this is limited to four free lounge visits per year.

The credit cards and bank accounts that include free Priority Pass

The majority of standard credit cards and current accounts do not come with Priority Pass as part of their membership. However, many premium credit cards do. Here are some notable examples.

Amex Preferred Rewards Gold

This is the most obvious option if ‘free’ is your main priority. Amex currently lists four complimentary Priority Pass visits every year, and with an annual fee of £195 afterwards, it is also one of the most budget-friendly options. The four visits can be used by either the cardholder or the cardholder and one additional guest.

Amex Platinum

This card is significantly more expensive than its Amex counterpart mentioned above, but it offers additional benefits. At £650 per year, Amex Platinum holders can enrol in Priority Pass and receive complimentary access at participating lounges, with one accompanying guest free of charge.

Lloyds World Elite Mastercard

Another strong contender, the Lloyds World Elite Mastercard is a good option for frequent travellers who want lounge access as part of their perk. With the option to pay £180 up front, or a more manageable £15 per month, this card includes unlimited Priority Pass access. A second cardholder can be added free of charge and also gets the benefits included, while extra guests must be paid for.

Halifax World Elite Mastercard

Similar to the Lloyds World Elite Mastercard, the Halifax World Elite Mastercard is also priced at £15 per month. In addition to Priority Pass access, it also includes airport security fast-track and cashback. An additional cardholder can also share the benefits at no extra cost.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard 

This is another unlimited access option, but it is worth bearing in mind that it is tied to HSBC Premier. The card has a £290 per year fee, although it does give the main cardholder and additional cardholders (according to HSBC) access to over 1,700 Priority Pass lounges. The HSBC Premier current account does not make lounge visits free, but rather it is the World Elite Mastercard that supplies the unlimited benefit.

Do I qualify for free access without a premium card?

There are several ways that you can qualify without owning a premium card.

One of the most obvious options is if you have status with an airline. Many airlines operate frequent flyer schemes which reward frequent flyers with additional perks, such as Priority Pass for airport lounges across the world.

In addition, if you have booked a premium cabin – such as business class or first class – then often you will qualify for access to either the business or first class lounge, if that airline operates one, as part of your ticket perk.

If you are not a frequent flyer, then it makes much more sense financially to only pay for airport lounge access when you really need it: with some airport lounges starting from as little as £30 per person, it makes much more sense to put this money aside and book a lounge for the one or two times that you fly per year, rather than paying upwards of £500 for a premium credit card when you might use an airport lounge once or twice a year.

If you don’t qualify 

Pay-per-visit is a much better option for airport lounge access if you do not qualify for a premium card.

Paying for a lounge when you actually need to use one rather than paying for a premium card on the off-chance that you might fly once or twice per year is a much better option.

For instance, bookable lounges at Heathrow Airport start at around £30 per person, meaning that for £60, you can book space in the lounge for two pre-flight: much better than paying over £500 for a premium card that you may end up using once or twice over the course of a year.

Instead of paying for a premium card, and then Priority Pass on top of it, it is much easier and more financially sensible to pay for airport lounge access as and when you need it, on a pay-as-you-visit scheme.

Comparison Table

*Amex Gold includes four complimentary visits during the membership year; the fifth and subsequent visits are chargeable

**Illustrative £24 charge for two visits beyond the four included. Actual lounge charges can, will and do vary.

As the table shows, if you fly once or twice a year, pay-per-visit is by far the most financially sensible option. However, if you are a regular flyer, an unlimited-access card is definitely the better option in the long term.

Technically, the closest thing to a ‘free’ route is if you use the Amex Gold benefit and remain within the four complimentary visits; that way you are not paying for any of the four lounge visits through the year, while not paying for the card for the first year, either.

How Can I Get Priority Pass for Free With a Credit Card?

As stated above, the simplest route is by opting for the Amex Gold route.

However, after applying (and if you are successful), you must be careful not to overspend on the credit card. This is not simply a Priority Pass card – it is a real-life credit card which accrues large amounts of interest very quickly if it is not paid off.

It is by no means whatsoever a permanent airport lounge or Priority Pass free subscription.

After the first year of use, the card fee is £195 per year. In addition, during the first year, if you exceed the four visits to an airport lounge, the visit fee is added on at the prevailing Priority Pass rate – so again, be aware of this if you are planning on more than four visits during your first year, as this cost will be added to the outstanding balance.

Another alternative is to use an unlimited card, such as the Lloyds World Elite or Halifax World Elite cards. While these cards have a monthly subscription fee of £15 per month, you can easily save money on Priority Pass and airport lounge access, but this only works if you are a frequent flyer, such as you fly for work, business or leisure at least once a month.

The HSBC Premier World Elite card could also be taken into consideration in this sense too, although this costs £290 a year – so still a saving on airport lounge access if you are a frequent enough flyer.

The most important thing to remember, though, is this: do not take out a credit card just for ‘free’ airport lounge access. You will accrue a balance and pay interest, and if you cannot keep up with repayments, you can end up in serious debt. In addition, the interest cost on such cards can quickly wipe out the value of the benefit, so ensure that you are financially sound enough before committing to one of these cards.

Is There a ‘Best’ Way to Get Free Priority Pass in the UK?

The short answer is that it entirely depends on how often you fly.

If you fly once or twice a year, then do not chase the benefits of a Priority Pass. Simply book an airport lounge as and when you want or need one, on a pay-as-you-visit basis. This way, you avoid annual membership fees, the risk of accruing huge amounts of interest on a premium credit card, and only need to pay for the trips that you make.

If you fly a few times a year (at least four or five times per year), then the Amex Gold card is the best bet. With four free visits included in the first year, with no membership fee either, this is the closest that you can get to ‘free’ Priority Pass in the UK. Just remember that the membership fee is £195 per year thereafter, and any additional visits on top of the four complimentary ones will still be charged.

If you are a frequent flyer (at least once a month), then unlimited cards are your best option. These cards include Lloyds World Elite, Halifax World Elite and HSBC Premier World Elite. The fees are for the overall card, but frequent lounge users can gain significantly more value from unlimited visits, rather than a pay-as-you-visit basis and paying up front for a lounge every couple of weeks or every month.

However, it is very important to be transparent: ultimately, the honest answer is that Priority Pass is rarely ‘free’, in the sense that it costs you absolutely nothing. In the UK, it is usually a benefit as part of a premium bundle – such as attached to a premium credit card, as explained above.

The best way to look at it is to choose a product where the total cost makes sense for how frequently you travel. And for occasional flyers, simply book the airport lounge access as and when you need it, to avoid the complications of credit cards and skip the Priority Pass membership altogether, for a financially safer and more sensible option.

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FAQs

How do I get Priority Pass for free?

The most straightforward route for UK customers is to opt for a premium credit card which includes Priority Pass as part of its package. Amex Gold is the best example, as the first year's membership is free and includes up to four complimentary airport lounge visits.

How much does Priority Pass cost if I buy it myself?

Priority Pass is currently listed at £69 per year for Standard, £229 for Standard Plus and £419 for Prestige for UK customers. Standard charges members £24 per visit, Standard Plus includes 10 member visits, and Prestige includes unlimited member visits. Guests are charged separately.

Can I get Priority Pass for free without a credit card?

There is no standard UK customer route to unlimited Priority Pass access without another product paying for the benefit. You may have lounge access through airline status, an employer, a corporate card or another business venture, but these are all separate benefits with their own eligibility rules.

Is Priority Pass worth it for a few trips per year?

It is best to compare direct lounge bookings with the annual cost of membership for a premium card or for Priority Pass membership. Pay-per-visit is generally the simplest and most cost-effective option for infrequent flyers, and especially if you are planning on fewer than 4 or 5 trips per year.