American Express Drops Priority Pass Restaurant Credit Perk for Cardholders

Airport lounge membership Priority Pass says that travelers enrolled in the program as an American Express card benefit will no longer be able to use their membership for the usual $28 meals and drinks at participating restaurants. So far, membership through other premium travel cards has not been affected.

If you’re a frequent flyer—or if you have a premium credit card from American Express, Chase, or Citi—you probably already use Priority Pass. Those credit cards automatically give you top-option Priority Pass Membership, which offers no-fee access to “more than 1,200” airport lounges, worldwide. But at airports where it was unable to sign up actual lounges, Priority Pass added a deal where members get a credit, normally $28, toward food and drinks at airport restaurants. That’s the benefit that’s been canceled for members enrolled through AmEx.

The blogosphere speculates that the cost of the deal, around $23 per use, became too much due to high rates of use by the large AmEx membership. If that’s the case, travelers who enrolled through Chase or Citi cards could face a similar restriction soon.

Overall, even without the restaurant option, Priority Pass remains an attractive proposition to anyone who signs up for one of the premium AmEx cards. I use it frequently, and I suspect most others who have the card do so as well. The main problem is, of course, that you might not find a good deal at some popular airports.

Readers: Do you use these popular restaurant credits through a premium travel card? Comment below.

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