Brisbane Plaza Premium Lounge joins Priority Pass network

JAMES SLACK

22 August 2016

The Priority Pass lounge network has gained its second Australian airport lounge with the addition of the Plaza Premium Lounge at Brisbane International Airport.

Members of Priority Pass will be able to access the lounge when flying internationally from Brisbane, with a couple of caveats – the maximum stay in the lounge is 3 hours (paid entries to the lounge allow up to 5 hours) and alcoholic drinks are not complimentary for Priority Pass members.

Membership in lounge networks such as Priority Pass can be useful for regular travellers who do not fly enough with a single airline to obtain a high enough ‘status’ to receive lounge access as a complimentary benefit. Another distinct advantage is that travellers do not have to be flying with any particular airline to gain entry to the lounge.

The Plaza Premium Lounge is a relatively new addition to the International Terminal at Brisbane Airport, opening in May 2016. According to the Plaza Network, the lounge aims to “offer travellers a tranquil and comfortable environment” and the lounges’ décor combines “rustic features with modern structures and fine materials”. It offers all the usual services and amenities including:

Free Wi-Fi
Newspaper and magazines
Food and beverages
Power outlets and USB charging ports

For a number of years, the only other Australian airport lounge in the Priority Pass network has been the Reef Lounge at Cairns Airport, making Priority Pass particularly useful to Australians doing significant travelling through airports in other countries where the network’s more than 900 lounges are located.

Membership to Priority Pass comes at three different pricing tiers; depending on how often access is required:

Membership Tier	Annual Fee	Included Visits
Standard	99 USD (~AU$129)	None*
Standard Plus	249 USD (~AU$325)	10*
Prestige	399 USD (~AU$520)	Unlimited
*Additional visits can be purchase for 27 USD (~36 AUD). Guests are charged at 27 USD for all memberships. Current at 19 August 2016

Complimentary Priority Pass membership or individual lounge passes are available on a number of Australia credit cards. You may already be eligible to use the Plaza Premium Lounge if you hold one of these cards (please note all information below is current at time of writing; please check the car provider’s details for updates):

American Express Platinum Charge Card

Annual Fee: $1200
Currently offering 80,000 Membership Rewards Points for new sign ups (after spending $1,500 within 90 days).
Includes two unlimited Priority Pass lounge entries per year for both the primary and one supplementary cardholder.
Also includes unlimited access to Virgin Australia Lounges when travelling domestically on Virgin Australia as well as unlimited access to the American Express lounge at Sydney International Airport in Terminal 1.

Citibank Signature Visa

Annual Fee: $395 ($199 in the first year)
Currently offering 75,000 Citibank Rewards Points for new sign ups (as of August
2016).
Includes two complimentary Priority Pass lounge entries per year

Citibank Prestige Visa

Annual Fee: $700
Currently offering 70,000 Citibank Rewards Points for new sign ups (as of August 2016).
Includes unlimited Priority Pass lounge entries.

St George Bank / Bank of Melbourne / Bank SA Amplify Signature Visa Card

Annual Fee: $279 ($0 in the first year for new customers until 29 September 2016).
Includes two complimentary Priority Pass lounge entries per year.

Westpac Altitude Rewards Black

Annual Fee: $395 ($0 in the first year for existing Westpac customers until 11 October 2016).
Currently offering 50,000 Altitude Rewards Points for new sign ups (after spending $2500 within 90 days).
Includes two complimentary Priority Pass lounge entries per year as well as two entries to the American Express lounge at Sydney International Airport in Terminal 1.

Compare Frequent Flyer Credit Cards for a $60,000 annual spend