Summary

  • Priority Pass has 1,500+ lounges globally, highlighting exceptional facilities in its annual Excellence Awards.
  • Award winners include Advantage VIP Lounge in Brazil and AMAE Lounge in Argentina.
  • Membership fees for Standard, Standard Plus, and Prestige plans vary with varying benefits.

For those lacking airline or alliance status, Priority Pass is the easy way to make your time at the airport just a little bit nicer. These quiet, private lounges offer food and drink to recharge before your flight and space to work or relax comfortably away from the terminal crowds.

Priority Pass has more than 1,500 lounges worldwide in its club, including more than 120 in Latin America and the Caribbean alone. To make choosing an amazing Priority Pass lounge even easier, the company runs its annual Excellence Awards to highlight facilities that go above and beyond.

If you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean or Latin America soon, here are the winners from that region to help you find an incredible lounge for your vacation.

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Ranked: The Best 5 Priority Pass Lounges In The World In 2024

These lounges offer passengers unique amenities and a peaceful ambiance.

Lounge of the year

Winner: Advantage VIP Lounge, Curitiba Afonso Pena International Airport, Brazil

The Advantage Lounge in Curitiba has scooped the top spot for this year’s ranking. Located at Curitiba Afonso Pena International Airport, the lounge is on the left past boarding pass control and before you get to the X-ray machines.

Here, a plethora of comfortable leather armchairs greets guests, with separate areas for dining and free WiFi, of course. The lounge combines bold infrastructure with luxury and culture to create a pleasant space that’s perfect for relaxing before a flight.

An extensive buffet is available, and the drinks menu includes wines, prosecco, and beers.

Highly commended: Macondo Lounge, Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, Colombia

The runner up in the Lounge of the Year category was the Macondo Lounge in Barranquilla. Located next to Gate 9, the lounge is a wonderfully playful space, with a variety of seating options and a genuinely luxurious ambiance.

A large bar forms the centerpiece of the facility, with club seating and low tables around it. Large silver sofas provide the wow factor and some comfortable seating (or sleeping) options, while smaller sofas and tub chairs are located around the edge of the lounge, ideal for quiet working or reading.

The lounge is open 24 hours every day, and provides snacks, beer and wine, spirits and premium food options.

Pioneer of the year

Winner: AMAE Lounge, Argentina

Pioneer of the Year looks to recognize lounges that go above and beyond to deliver groundbreaking service and amenities to their guests. For 2024, Argentina’s AMAE Lounge scooped the top prize in this category.

Founded in 2018, AMAE operates lounges across nine airports in the region. These include Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Comodoro Rivadavia, Cordoba, Rosario and Mar del Plata. According to the judges,

“AMAE attracted our attention with their genuine commitment to people and their active involvement in the local community, demonstrating an admirable community spirit and a strong emphasis on sustainability, leading the way to make their lounge a valuable asset in the region.”

AMAE Lounge endeavors to bring a touch of sustainability to airports and is the world’s first certified B Corporation lounge provider. Alongside promoting responsible tourism, the operator donates to community projects, offers ‘gifts with purpose’ at selected lounges and is committed to working with local suppliers for as many of its consumables as possible.

“They operate a landmark B-Corp certified lounge whose content-rich posts highlight the complementary role of their employees, nurturing a positive environment for everyone involved.”

All Star of the year

Winner: Daniela Potes Flechas, W Premium – 5th Avenue, Terminal 3, São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil

The all star of the year celebrates not the lounge itself but the people who work there. The staff of these exceptional lounges demonstrate an unmatched commitment to providing excellent customer service every day.

Daniela received outstanding feedback from the judges, who noted she had already achieved ‘Employee of the Month’ twice in one year, which says a lot about her dedication to the lounge and its clients. The judges noted,

“The inspiring story of making a life in a new country won praise among the reviewers, earning much-deserved positive feedback. Valued by management and her peers, Daniela also stood out for her contributions to providing excellent customer service and for leading by example.”

How to get into a Priority Pass lounge

Priority Pass membership gives you access to all these lounges and hundreds more every year. There are three different Priority Pass membership plans available, depending on the frequency of travel:

Membership Cost Member fees Guest fees
Standard $99 $35 $35
Standard Plus $329 $0 (10 visits) $35
Prestige $469 $0 (unlimited) $35

Many travel cards also include access to Priority Pass Select membership as one of their benefits. For example, the Platinum from American Express gives cardholders access to Priority Pass lounges, alongside many more (such as Delta Sky Club and Centurion). However, it comes with a hefty $695 annual fee.

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What Is Priority Pass Select And Which Credit Cards Provide It?

Priority Pass Select is a membership obtained through your credit card.

In some cases, it’s actually cheaper to take out a credit card than it is to purchase membership from Priority Pass. The Capital One Venture X credit card, for example, has an annual fee of $395 which gets you unlimited entry to Priority Pass lounges – less than the $469 the company charges for the same.

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Priority Pass Lounge Access: The Simple Flying Guide

With thousands of lounges around the world, here’s everything you need to know.

If all other options are exhausted, some lounges will allow you to purchase a day pass at the airport. The costs vary by lounge, and priority will be given to premium passengers and Priority Pass members, but it’s worth a try!

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