Are you tired of ponying up for overpriced food at the airport or visiting the lounge only to find empty trays and stale crackers left? Over the last several years, Priority Pass, the world’s largest network of airport lounges, has begun adding airport restaurants to its growing portfolio of places that cardmembers can take advantage of. By partnering with restaurants and cafes, Priority Pass cardholders can now skip the guesswork on what the lounge soup of the day is and enjoy a sit-down meal of their choice at many U.S. airports instead.
How Much Money Do You Get Off at Priority Pass Restaurants?
When dining at one of the participating restaurants, Priority Pass cardholders will receive a $28 credit (per person) to deduct off the final bill. Some eateries provide up to $30 off, while the PGA MSP Lounge in Minneapolis only offers a $15 credit per guest, but for the majority of U.S. restaurants participating in the program, it’s 28 dollars in credit.
Since the dining credit is on a per person basis, if you happen to be traveling with a guest, they’ll also receive the $28 off, for a total of 56 dollars in credit if dining on the same bill. Many restaurants participating in the program cap the discount at two diners (cardholder + 1 guest). However, at a handful of locations, you can register 2 or more guests, but double-check with your server before ordering as each location varies and the fine print is always changing.
Another thing to note is that restaurant credits don’t count against your ability to visit a lounge. So, if you find yourself at an airport with both a restaurant and lounge, you can redeem your allotment in meal credits plus visit the lounge on the same trip. The same applies to airports with multiple restaurants, each location counts as a separate “lounge” visit, entitling the cardholder to use dining credits at each place, potentially leading to hundreds in savings on an extended trip.
For example, a party of two traveling from an airport with a member restaurant can use their meal credit before departure, then again that same day during a layover at a connecting airport with a participating eatery. That’s an easy $112 saved during just one journey.
How to Sign Up for Priority Pass
The most common way of attaining a Priority Pass membership is by signing up for a credit card that includes the benefit among its perks. These include The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, both of which offer a full membership, as well as the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card which provides ten complimentary lounge visits per year. And as I mentioned above, just by making 4 or 5 trips to participating restaurants, you’ll save over a hundred dollars against most cards’ annual fees. Amex issued cards no longer included restaurant benefits
Alternatively, you can sign up for a Priority Pass membership directly on their website with three different plan options, but by in large attaining membership through a travel credit card will be your best and most cost-effective avenue.
Related: These Are the Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards for 2020
Current List of Priority Pass Restaurants in the US
Restaurants are continually being added and occasionally dropped from the program, as of this posting here is the current list of Priority Pass restaurants and bars offering deductions and in which airports you can find them:
Boston (BOS)
- Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar and Grill – Terminal C (before security)
- Stephanie’s – Terminal B
Cleveland (CLE)
- Bar Symon – Concourse C
Ft. Lauderdale (FLL)
- Kafe Kalik – Terminal 4
Greenville (GSP)
- RJ Rockers Flight Room – Concourse B
Houston (IAH)
- Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar – Terminal A
- Landry’s Seafood – Terminal C
Indianapolis (IND)
- The Fan Zone – Concourse B
Lexington (LEX)
- Kentucky Ale Taproom
Los Angeles (LAX)
- Rock & Brews – Terminal 1
- Point the Way Cafe – Terminal 6
Miami (MIA)
- Air Margaritaville – Concourse E (before security)
- Viena – Concourse E
- Corona Beach House – Concourse D (before security)
Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)
- PGA MSP Lounge – Terminal 1
New York-Kennedy (JFK)
- Bobby Van’s Steakhouse – Terminal 8
Portland (PDX)
- Capers Café Le Bar – Concourse C
- Westward Whiskey – Concourse C
St. Louis (STL)
- The Pasta House – Terminal 1 (before security)
- The Pasta House & Schlafly Beer – Terminal 2
San Francisco (SFO)
- San Francisco Giants Clubhouse – Terminal 3
- Yankee Pier – Terminal 3
Seattle (SEA)
- Bambuza– North Satellite
- Trail Head BBQ Bar– Central Terminal
Syracuse (SYR)
- Johnny Rockets – North Concourse B
Tampa (TPA)
- The Café by Mise en Place – Airside F
Tucson (TUS)
- Noble Hops (before security)
Washington DC-Dulles (IAD)
- Chef Geoff’s – Concourse C
Washington DC-National (DCA)
- Bracket Room – Terminal B
- American Tap Room – Terminal C
Related: This One Credit Card Gets You Into 1,000+ Airport Lounges
Priority Pass Restaurant Etiquette
If you plan on using your Priority Pass card at one of the participating restaurants above, its best to let your server know when seated. Some locations will run the card up front, and others will swipe when the final bill is presented. By letting your server know in advance, it will cut down on confusion or an extra trip to grab the card reader when you’re in a hurry to get up and go to your gate on time. In some instances, there is only one or two at the restaurant, and the server will have to hunt one down.
While the food and drinks might end up being free, don’t skimp on the gratuity. Airport waitstaff work hard dealing with tired and testy travelers on the regular, so tip the proper amount on your final total before the discounts are applied. It may also come in handy to have some cash on hand for tipping; if your check falls under your $28 limit, some restaurants won't allow separate charge transactions for gratuity.
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