Priority Pass Reports Increase in Airport Lounge Visits

Collinson has reported that Priority Pass lounge visits increased by 46% in the first half of 2021 when compared to the second half of 2020.

Currently, over 75% of Priority Pass lounges across the globe are open for business, and visit data shows a 28% month-on-month increase between June and July 2021.

Average visits per lounge are also up 34% for H1 2021, compared to H2 2020.

“While we look forward to a broader recovery including international flights once the pandemic is brought under further control, we are meanwhile seeing better utilisation of our domestic lounges in particular – which means we are serving our members well in these challenging times,” said Andy Besant, Director of Travel Experiences at Collinson, the operator of Priority Pass.

In the U.S. nearly 3.8 million flights (of which 95% were domestic) were taken in the past year compared to 8.9 million in 2019.

Domestic travel hotspots in the US are focused on the southern part of the country - with the two most-visited lounges located in Miami; followed by lounges in Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Orlando.

Russia and China are already at 70% and 87% of flight volumes compared to 2019 - both countries where Priority Pass has a comprehensive lounge presence, covering 96% and 86% of all flights respectively.

Globally, domestic flights are forecast to be at 90% passenger capacity by April 2022.

While recovery is taking off globally, some regions are doing better than others. The US is forecast to be the first region to see flights recover to pre- pandemic volumes, while Asia Pacific is expected to be the slowest region to recover with APAC markets only forecast to be at 40% flight volumes as compared to pre-pandemic levels by April 2022.

“The green shoots of regrowth are showing across both international and domestic flights. Priority Pass has invested significantly in tracking and supporting this recovery to ensure that we will be there for our members as they return to the skies. Tracking our lounge coverage against flight patterns is key to our strategy, and we will continue to ensure the expansion of our offering and services to our Members in the most relevant locations,” added Besant.

Despite all the problems facing the airline industry, Priority Pass has added over 110 lounges and airport experiences to its network since the start of 2021.

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