How to get to the Sheremetyevo business hall. How to pass the time at the airport: lounge, business lounges and priority pass. Airlines whose passengers can be served in the International Business Lounge

Priority Pass is a program of free or privileged access to VIP lounges at airports around the world. In fact, the service is provided by the airlines themselves, and the access card is an opportunity to use it on promotional terms. And one of the closest partners of this “promotion” are the Visa and MasterCard payment systems, which offer Priority Pass to their “VIP clients”, that is, who use bank cards and have considerable financial transactions with them. How to apply for a Priority Pass card and where to get it? How much does this service cost? How to get Priority Pass without using traditional bank cards?

The easiest option is to order on the official website

What is the easiest way to get a Priority Pass? Apply for it on the official Priority Pass website. Initially, you just need to register there, by following the link

In the window that appears, you need to select your country of residence
After this, the program will automatically generate for you the tariffs in force in your country. In order to receive a Priority Pass, you must select one of the presented tariffs. If you have a promotional code, you must enter it in the appropriate field.
After you have chosen a tariff that is convenient for you and clicked on the “Join the Club” button, you need to fill out the necessary information in order to receive a Priority Pass in the future
Next, you indicate your name to be printed on the Priority Pass card
In the next step we indicate the address to receive the Priority Pass
Next, we move on to the stage of creating your account in the loyalty program.
Please note that when you apply for a Priority Pass card on the website, you will need to pay for it immediately. You can do this using a bank card, bank account, PayPal. You can even use a virtual bank card. It is possible to receive Priority Pass only after payment on the website
At the final stage, you give permission to process your personal data, indicate your preferred methods of contacting you and sign the participant declaration to apply for Priority Pass
So - we answered the question of how to get a Priority Pass!

Before you apply for a Priority Pass, you need to clarify how all the above data is written in Latin - if you try to fill out the form in Cyrillic, the system will give an error. The name that the client indicates must necessarily coincide with the one that will be indicated on the boarding ticket (it is checked upon access to the VIP lounge for identification purposes so that no one else can use their personal Priority Pass card)

Where can I get a Priority Pass card? Her will be delivered free of charge to a location convenient for the client, be it his place of residence, office, educational institution (this information should be indicated when filling out the form on the website). The courier will also contact him in advance to clarify a convenient time and place of delivery.

On average, it takes from 2 to 15 banking days to apply for and receive a Priority Pass.

How much does it cost to issue a Priority Pass card? According to information from the official website:
$99 – for a regular Priority Pass;
$249 — Priority Pass Standard Plus, which gives you the opportunity to visit VIP areas and airport lounges 10 times for free;
$399 – Priority Standard Prestige card, which gives unlimited access to VIP areas and lounges.

The above amount is the cost annual subscription. It can be debited automatically from the card account (if the client agreed to these conditions).

How to get a Priority Pass for free?

How to get Priority Pass for free? Some banks provide this service to their clients when opening premium card accounts. Unfortunately, each bank has different conditions for issuing a card, so they should be clarified individually.

How to get a free Priority Pass from the bank? In most cases, you will need to open a card account of the Gold, Platinum, Infinite, World Elite type. It is worth considering that not in all cases banks are ready to provide such cards to their new clients. The exception is the presence of a positive credit history. Otherwise, the bank will only be able to issue a Standard card, and Priority Pass will have to be purchased separately (and this will no longer be free, in the same Sberbank - from 2.5 thousand rubles per month).

How to get Priority Pass and how much does it cost in Russian banks? Currently, the conditions are as follows (but they change frequently - you should always check this information with a bank representative):
How to get it? If you have a card balance of 1.5 million rubles or more on the card, Priority Pass Prestige is issued free of charge, otherwise such a card will cost 2.5 thousand rubles per month;
how to apply for a Priority Pass in this bank? You should know that when you top up your card account by 75 thousand rubles monthly and with a balance of over 150 thousand rubles, the Priority Pass Standard Plus card is issued free of charge (but no more than 2 visits to VIP lounges within one calendar month);
Binbank - how to get Priority card Pass being a client of this bank? With a balance of over 600 thousand on the card and with a turnover of over 150 thousand rubles per month, a Priority Pass Prestige card is issued free of charge;
– if you have a card balance of 2.0 million rubles or more, as well as maintaining monthly expenses on the card in the amount of 100 thousand rubles or more, you can receive a Priority Pass
You may notice that in some cases it is easier and more profitable to apply for a Priority Pass card through the official website.

Where is the best place to get a card in 2018?

Where is the best place to get a Priority Pass in 2018?

On at the moment– at UniCredit Bank. There is a promotion under which each client who has signed up for the Premium Service package is given a card free of charge. The only condition is to have a balance on an open bank card of at least 150 thousand rubles and a monthly replenishment in the amount of 75 thousand rubles. In this case, the client gets the opportunity, using Priority Pass, to visit VIP rooms 2 times a month (you will have to pay separately for guests). The conditions are maintained only as long as the condition for the balance of funds on the card account is met (this means only personal funds, and not in the amount of credit funds).
Avangard Bank also offers its clients free Priority Pass Standard, but only to holders of Gold, Platinum, World Elite, Infinite, World Premium cards. A prerequisite is that the average monthly turnover on the card over the last 6 months must be at least 20 thousand rubles. With an average monthly turnover of over 150 thousand rubles, the bank offers individual conditions for receipt (including unlimited access to VIP rooms).
Russian Standard Bank offers to receive a Priority Pass card for free when opening an Imperia Platinum card account. It is worth considering that the release of Imperia Platinum will cost 15 thousand rubles. The proposed Priority Pass option is Standard, that is, you will have to pay $27 for each visit (children under 6 years old with an air ticket and accompanied by a parent or guardian with a Priority Pass are free).

Information about using Priority Pass

Information on where and how to obtain Priority Pass is provided in convenient form in the official mobile application club (available for iOS, Android). Always provided there current information and about restrictions and additional services that a Priority Pass card holder can count on at a particular airport.
So, how to get a Priority Pass card? Either on the official website https://www.prioritypass.com, or at the representative office of the bank where the client is served (and which issued the bank card). In some cases, you can get a Priority Pass for free (most often - Standard or Standard Plus); in others, you can get a Prestige card, with which you can visit VIP lounges at airports as often as you like.

To be honest, I have never been to business lounges at airports. But when I got into the lounge area during the flight and long docking at Sabiha Airport in Istanbul, I decided to study this issue in more detail. Because the comfort and benefits of staying in such halls increased comfort worth more than the money you have to pay for them.

I was introduced to the lounge area at Sabiha Airport in Istanbul. The flight was from long transfer, there wasn’t enough time to get there and see the city, so I decided not to sleep for 7 hours on a bench, but to go to the lounge area.

This pleasure cost 15 euros. For this money you could sit in a more comfortable chair, get free Wi-Fi and a small buffet with alcoholic drinks and snacks. One thing is that at that airport the hall was small and not everyone ended up with enough space to sit comfortably. But overall, I appreciated this kind of leisure time. And I even made a short video about this lounge area.

You could sit as long as you wanted, unlike business lounges where the time of stay is limited, from 2 hours or a little more. The lounge areas do not belong to any airlines and any airport visitor waiting for their flight can stay there.

Anyone can gain access to such a zone; they just need to find where it is and pay for the entrance.

Business lounges at airports

Business lounges offer a different range of services different airports. It might just be a comfortable chair and Wi-Fi with drinks, or it might be a fully stocked buffet. There is also a shower, sometimes for a fee, and a capsule hotel where you can sleep for a couple of hours. Children's room. But what will definitely happen there is that it will be a little quieter than at the airport itself.

As a rule, business lounges belong to certain airlines or alliances, but access to them is not limited to passengers with a business class ticket or with gold and platinum frequent flyer cards. Visiting the halls is free with a ticket or by presenting the same card regular customer airlines.

But it happens that at some airport there is no business lounge for your airline and there is no lounge area. But there is a business hall of another alliance. How to get there?

The option for money will not work. Entry costs 20 euros or more. At the same time, you get access to all the services of this room, from the Internet to food. Sometimes there are restrictions, for example on alcohol, you can only drink welcome champagne, and then only beer or wine. But not everywhere you can get by paying an entrance fee.
Option 1 - buy a “subscription” card with annual access to priority pass, dinners club or. It costs from 99 to 399 euros and the tariff plan depends on the number of visits per year to such halls. Moreover, if you have family or friends with you, they enter for an additional fee and are cheaper than the cost of entry for everyone else.
Option 2 is to open a bank payment card, fulfilling a number of conditions, and receive a priority pass for free. Moreover, as a rule, such cards allow not only you, but also those with you, to visit the hall for free. Conditions in banks are different. And as a rule, this is a separate tariff plan. That is, it is not enough to simply open a card at a bank; you either need to deposit a certain amount into the account or spend a certain amount per month or simply pay more for the service. But in addition to the priority pass, such tariffs also include free insurance with very good coverage.

Of my friends, the only one who uses a priority pass from the bank is the “Privilege” tariff from VTB. However, there is a whole list of banks that issue a priority pass card for free. Conditionally free. You either pay more for the annual fee than for a regular card, or you meet certain conditions, such as having a balance in your account or being required to spend a certain amount per month.

VTB24. Privilege package.
Alfa-Bank. Package "Maximum+".
Unicredit Bank. Prime Club package.
Raiffeisen Bank. Premium 5 package
Sberbank. Premier package.
Promsvyazbank. Package "Orange".
Citibank. Ultima package.
Russian Standard. Empire package.
Opening. Premium package.
Bank of Moscow."Height" package.
Binbank. Premium package.
Rosbank. Premium package.

In some banks you can use your card to bring 1 companion with you for free, in others you can bring a companion, but this visit will be deducted from your visit limit. The number of visits varies from 4 per month at Alfa Bank, 12 per year at Rosbank, to unlimited visits at Moscow and Otkritie banks.

Priority pass is a club card for visiting business lounges (vip zones) at the airport. For those who fly frequently and want to do it in comfort. Only the owners can use the club card. Business class lounges are available only to club members, their guests or relatives. For others, access is available upon payment at the entrance or with a business class ticket. It is not possible to pay for a visit to the business waiting area at the entrance everywhere.

Features of using Priority Pass

priority pass card is not used to pay for purchases;
Together with the holder, his companions can visit the VIP lounge (the number must be clarified in advance in the selected waiting room);
it is possible to use the Digital Membership Card as an alternative to Priority Pass - transfer to third parties is prohibited;
fee per person for each visit;
upon presentation of the card, an imprint is made or the data is entered into the database, and a receipt is issued against signature;
visiting the halls with children may not be available - you need to check in advance;
the company is not responsible for the provision or non-provision of services, or for the conditions of the visit;
not missing your flight is the responsibility of the card holder; lounge operators are not required to announce flights;
alcoholic drinks may be provided free of charge or absent if this is contrary to the law of the country in which the airport is located;
alcohol and telephone use may be charged separately;
Only passengers of upcoming flights are allowed into the lounges, in some - only for 4 hours, after which additional fees may apply;
access to the halls of the Schengen zone upon presentation of a Schengen card;
in the US, a valid boarding pass is required for access;
The Priority Pass card is linked to a bank payment card, from which money for visiting VIP areas is automatically debited.

Airports participating in the program

The Priority Pass card is valid at 900 airports, 1000 lounges, in 130 countries - a comfortable wait for a flight in almost any country. Used as a pass to the VIP lounge. Visiting conditions must be clarified in advance - lounge areas have different conditions from dress code to maximum number of guests.

Available to the owner:

free food and drinks;
free alcohol (in some rooms, to be clarified);
Wi-Fi;
ability to charge gadgets;
comfortable furniture;
air conditioner;
office equipment;
the possibility of visiting the hall with a small group;
24-hour provision of services regardless of the class of plane ticket.

Additional features (not available in every room)

mother and child room;
opportunity to take a shower;
gaming;
Possibility of visiting with children.

If any of this is important for you and your comfort, select a suitable room in advance. All information is available in the club application or on the website. Sometimes the general condition of the room may differ from the information brochure.

3 service packages for club membership

When registering for Priority Pass, you need to choose a suitable package of services, there are three in total:

Standard

Membership fee 99 EUR per year

Cost of one visit per person 24 EUR

Standard Plus

Membership fee 249 EUR per year

10 free visits available, the rest for 24 EUR

Prestige

Membership fee 3 99 EUR per year

All visits to the lounge are free for the holder

For the guest - 24 EUR

You can get a card by leaving an application on the official website. This requires:

fill out the form,
make a contribution,
indicate your postal address.

Or you can get it from one of the banks. In most cases, the service is included in the Premium package by default - you will have to refuse it if you do not need it.

Top 10 cards with Priority Pass: conditions and cost

To register using the Premium package, you must have sufficient financial resources and stability. Often the choice is made in favor of a bank whose client a person has been for a long time, which guarantees the operation of the banking service system and communication with managers according to expectations. Let's consider offers from Russian banks.

Sberbank of Russia

The Priority Pass card from Sberbank is available in the Premier package.

receipt: free.
Service from the 3rd month is paid - 2,500 rubles. monthly
service is free if the amount of remaining funds for the billing period exceeds 2.5 million rubles. (the balance is taken into account for all card accounts in total)

Promsvyazbank

The bank included Priority Pass in the Orange Premium Club Premium program.

registration is free
1 month preferential, no payment. From 2 months - 2,800 rub. monthly.

Conditions for beneficial use:

the total account balance at the end of the month should be 2 million rubles.
total balance 1 million rubles. and the amount of settlement transactions performed is at least 50 thousand rubles.

Bank Unicredit

The Priority Pass service is included in the Prime package.

subscription fee 3000 rub. per month.
with a total amount of residual funds for the billing period of 2 million rubles. - service is free

Rosbank

The service is available when purchasing the Premium package. Monthly payment 2500 rub., 30 000 rub. per year.

Payment is not required if one of the conditions is met:

the total balance on all accounts is not less than 2 million rubles;
the amount of monthly income is 150 thousand rubles. or more;
the amount of balances is from 750 thousand rubles, expenses on the main card are not less than 50 thousand rubles.

AlfaBank

Provided free of charge when purchasing Alfa-Miles Signature. Visiting VIP rooms is paid separately per visit - 27 Euro per person.

VTB 24 Bank

The service is included in the Privilege package. Subscription fee 2,500 rub. per month.

Free if one of the conditions is met:

non-cash payments in the amount of at least 55,000 rubles.
receipts to the account from 120,000 rubles. monthly
the balance on all accounts is at least 2 million rubles.

Otkritie Bank

For each visit to the VIP lounge, Visa Platinum and MasterCard holders will need to pay $27 per visitor. For Visa Infinite holders - free

RaiffeisenBank

The service is included in the “Premium banking” package - you can earn free visits for yourself and guests by gaining five stars.

For compliance with one of the conditions - one star:

for every 500,000 rub. on any ruble accounts;
for every salary 100,000 rub. received to the account from a legal entity;
for every credit 3,000,000 rub. from Raiffeisen Bank;
for every 10,000 euros in foreign currency accounts or in the form of a deposit;
for every RUB 50,000 spent.

If there are not enough stars, the subscription fee is 5,000 rubles. monthly. The first month is free.

Gazprombank

Priority pass is available only to owners of the Premium package of services.

Free registration for Mastercard World Elite, World Signia, Black Edition or Platinum "Gazprombank Premium". Paid maintenance: In the 1st year - 15,000 rubles, from the 2nd year - 25,000 rubles.

Bank Avangard

The annual fee for servicing with a classic credit card is 600 rubles. - €25, with premium, Platinum class - 5500 rub. - €200 — Free receipt when spending over 20,000 rubles. or when applying for a Premium credit card

Important

If none of the proposed options from banks suits you, you can order a card with postal delivery on the Priority pass website by selecting the desired format and paying the fee.

you receive a card even if you do not use Premium services in the banking system

unlimited visits only in the “Prestige” plan

Additional terms of use

To cancel Priority Pass, you need to write an application or wait until its expiration date.
To renew, you need an application for re-issue or an application for automatic renewal of membership until written refusal.
If a transfer to a third party is detected, the card is closed and the owner is deprived of privileges.
For damages due to inappropriate behavior or appearance you or your companions may be fined and asked to leave the hall.

The Priority Pass card is not a payment card intended for payments for goods or services, but a club card certifying membership in the international Priority Pass club. Having this card allows a person to use the services of business and lounge facilities at airports in many countries.

The Priority Pass service began its existence in 1992. Since that time, the network of airports where you can gain access to individual lounges using the Priority Pass card has exceeded 1,000, and the number of members has long crossed the mark of several million people who live in 130 countries around the world.

Business lounge Blues at Sheremetyevo

The main and only function of the card is to provide its holder with access to Priority Pass VIP lounges at airports. A traveler, in order not to wait for his flight among a crowd of people, can go to the lounge and relax there from the hustle and bustle, as well as take advantage of all the benefits of premium service:

comfortable chairs, air conditioning;
newspapers, magazines;
free drinks and snacks;
free alcohol (in some rooms);
free Wi-fi;
TV;
computer, printer, fax;
chargers for gadgets.

The Priority Pass card is a convenient accessory for travelers who value peace of mind and want to wait for their flight away from crowds. Convenient if you travel with family and children. The maximum age of children admitted free of charge varies depending on the specific hall (usually 2-3 years). Some rooms have a children's room, shower, massage chairs, and a room for smokers. All this will help while away the wait for your flight in comfort and convenience.

The quality of each VIP room varies significantly: from luxurious to squalid.

How to use the card

To access the lounges, you just need to show your Priority Pass card at the entrance. The card holder has the right to invite guests as well. The maximum number of accompanying persons depends on the rules of the VIP room (no more than 10 people).

The hall employee makes an imprint from the card or immediately reads information about the owner from the card. After which he issues a visit ticket or enters information into a special journal. Next, the holder must sign on the slip or in the electronic terminal. The cardholder is recommended to keep a copy of the “Cardholders Copy” slip. The cost of the service is determined on the basis of the receipt for the visit voucher or in the registration log.

For each personal visit and for guests, a fee is charged in accordance with the service tariffs. The commission is deducted from the client's main payment card by the issuing bank of the Priority Pass card.

Some VIP lounges may also allow people with a Digital Membership Card to enter. This is a special barcode. It is valid only for a certain period of time and can only be used by the card holder.

Also, Priority Pass users can install a special application on their phone that performs the function of an electronic club card.

It is worth considering that people who have plane tickets in their hands, the departure of which is scheduled on the day of the visit, are allowed into the VIP lounges. In addition to documents for the flight, passengers must have a boarding pass with them (not required in the USA). It is also typical for Europe to place VIP lounges in the Schengen areas of the airport. This means that only people with a Schengen visa can get there.

The list of airport lounges where you can use the Priority Pass card is listed on the club’s official website https://www.prioritypass.com.

Tariff plans

The Priority Pass card provides three tariff plans for its members:

standard - its price for a year of use is 99 euros. For this money, the holder receives the right to use the services of business lounges at airports around the world for 24 euros and to accompany a guest, for whom he will also have to pay 24 euros;
standard plus— will cost the client 249 euros per year. The advantages of this tariff are 10 free visits to the card holder, over this number you must pay 24 euros for each visit;
prestige— an annual subscription for this tariff is 399 euros. Having Priority PassPrestige gives the user the right to free access to VIP rooms, but for each guest you will have to pay the same 24 euros.

How and where can I get a Priority Pass?

The card can be issued in two ways:

independently on the official Priority Pass website. Disadvantages of this method: expensive, long wait for receipt, you will have to pay for delivery;
free from your bank. The Priority Pass card is not presented in banks as a separate product, but comes as an addition to or to a premium package of services.

The number of times you can use the VIP lounge for free and the number of guests is determined by the issuing bank of the card to which the Priority Pass card is linked.

You can apply for a card at many banks. The most popular offers in the following banks:

Sberbank

Sberbank issues a Priority Pass card free of charge when you sign up for a package of services.

To become the owner of this package, you need to pay a monthly service fee of 2.5 thousand rubles. (30 thousand rubles per year). The commission for Sberbank Premier is not paid if all accounts, cards, deposits in total on the last day of the month have a balance of at least 2.5 million rubles.

There is no fee for the first 2 months of service. The service can be terminated at any time at the bank office.

Sberbank provides completely unlimited and free visits to lounges. The limit for visitors per 1 card depends on specific VIP room.

It is the most popular and profitable offer. It is also available to holders of the Sberbank First package, on the same terms as Sberbank Premier. is a premium service for very wealthy clients.

VTB24

The VTB24 Priority Pass card is issued within the framework. It will cost the client 2500 rubles. per month. To avoid paying a commission, the user must ensure that one of the following conditions is met:

carry out non-cash payments on all debit cards for a total amount of 55 thousand rubles,
ensure cash receipts to the card’s master account in the amount of 120 thousand rubles,
balances on absolutely all bank accounts must be at least 2 million rubles.

For fulfilling these conditions, the client is given 8 free passes to individual rooms or 4 with a companion.

Promsvyazbank

The bank offers for users bonus program Orange Premium Club. Clients with a Priority Pass card have access to services in VIP lounges at international airports.

The monthly fee for the premium service package is RUB 2,800. from the second month of service. You can avoid expenses provided that the total monthly balance on all bank accounts is 2 million rubles. or 1 million rubles, but the amount of settlement transactions with payment cards is at least 50 thousand rubles.

As a bonus, in the first month the client receives the right to 2 free visits to the lounges. If in the future the user fulfills the above conditions for free service, then he and his guests are given complete unlimited access to business lounges for free.

Gazprombank

Gazprombank issues a Priority Pass card for holders of premium Mastercard World Elite / World Signia / Black Edition or Platinum cards.

The cost of the first year of card servicing is 15,000 rubles, the second – 25,000 rubles;

Bank Avangard

Avangard Bank provides the card as additional service to Mastercard (except Cash back) and Visa (except Visa Electron) cards.

The cost of an annual subscription for servicing classic credit cards is 600 rubles. / 25 dollars / 25 euros, premium Platinum class costs 5,500 rubles. / 200 USD / 200 EUR, and MasterCard World Elite.

You can get a card for free by making average monthly payment transactions worth more than 20,000 rubles. Elite card users receive Priority Pass for free.

The cost of visiting the hall for one person is 27 US dollars.

Unicredit Bank

Unicredit Bank issues a Priority Pass card to holders of the Prime package. Its cost is 3000 rubles. per month. The client can save and not pay this amount if the average monthly balance of balances on all his bank accounts and mutual funds exceeds 2 million rubles.

Unicredit Bank also provides clients with additional bonuses:

if his accounts contain from 2 million to 4 million rubles. – 2 free visits to the hall,
from 4 million to 6 million rubles. – 4 free visits,
more than 6 million rubles. – 2 free visits to the hall per day.

Rosbank

Rosbank issues a Priority Pass card free of charge for Premium package holders. The monthly service fee is RUB 2,500.

You can avoid costs if:

the average monthly balance on all accounts is more than 2 million rubles;
or monthly salary receipt in the amount of 150 thousand rubles;
or the amount of average monthly balances on all accounts from 750 thousand rubles. At the same time, the average monthly expense transactions on the main card are more than 50 thousand rubles.

The package includes 12 free passes to airport business lounges throughout the year.

Alfabank

The Priority Pass card is issued free of charge to those who have issued an Alfa-Miles Signature card. At the same time, visits to the VIP room will be paid ($27).

4 visits per month to the business lounge are free for those who meet the following conditions:

3 million rub. on accounts;
or 1 million rubles. on accounts + purchases were made for goods and services in the amount of 50 thousand per month.

Without restrictions, those who have:

6 million rub. on accounts;
or from 2 million rubles. on accounts + purchases were made for 100 thousand per month.

When receiving a Priority Pass club card from a bank, remember that the bank can change the terms of service for the card at any time. Before using the card, you need to look at the current tariffs so as not to worry about the written off commission later.

If your work or lifestyle involves frequent flights, then you have probably encountered flight cancellations or delays, long connections, and similar circumstances when you want to make the wait as comfortable as possible. the site will tell you how to get to the business lounge with minimal costs or even practically free.

Method 1. Buy a first or business class ticket

In this case, you will receive the right to be in the business lounge of the airport or your airline automatically. The method is the most expensive, simple and therefore uninteresting. Although the element of luck cannot be ruled out. If at check-in you are informed with an apology that there is no seat in economy on your ticket (change of flight layout, replacement of aircraft, finally, just resale), as a way out of the situation you will be offered the opportunity to fly to your destination on the next flight or given a seat on business -class. In the latter case (ask and politely insist), you will most likely, along with boarding pass They will also give you a free invitation allowing you to enter the business lounge.

Method 2. Become a privileged passenger

If you often fly with a certain airline or several that are members of one of the international airline alliances (Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld), then it is worth getting an appropriate plastic card that gives you the right to privileges, including access to business lounges. If you really fly a lot or use a co-branded bank card, then you may have enough miles in your bonus account for free visit airport business lounge.

Method 3. Get the “correct” bank card

Nowadays, most citizens have a bank card. At least the one on which the salary is calculated. If you are the lucky owner of one of the premium World Elite MasterCard® or World MasterCard Black Edition® cards, then you are promised access to MasterCard business lounges. They are at the airports of Prague, Bucharest, Vienna, Budapest and Kyiv. Last December, the first MasterCard business lounge in Russia opened at Sheremetyevo Airport, in the departure hall of terminal E.

Method 4. Participate in the Priority Pass program

Perhaps the most optimal solution today. With your Priority Pass card in hand, you get access to more than 1,000 business lounges at airports in 130 countries. There are two ways to become a participant in the program and receive a card in your hands.

The first is to register on the program website, choose one of the three proposed participation plans and pay the annual fee (99, 299 or 399 €). If you fly very often, then it makes sense to choose the most expensive unlimited option. In this case, you will have the opportunity to use business lounges without restrictions (their list is also on the website) at airports and see off your friends or relatives who are flying on the same flight with you, for a special price of 24 € per person. For comparison: buying a ticket to a business lounge “at the counter” at Moscow airports costs from $75 per person. The benefit is obvious. Many tourists, in their reviews on the Internet about their experience of using the Priority Pass card, note that some business lounges abroad sometimes allow participants of this program to accompany the whole family or one guest for free. By the way, for Priority Pass members, the status of their flight is not important. It can be regular, charter or low-cost. The attitude of the administration of the business lounges towards everyone is equally friendly.

The second option is the opportunity to receive a free Priority Pass card. Some large banks (Sberbank, VTB 24, Raiffeisenbank, Citibank, etc.) give participation in Priority program Pass if your account size or purchasing activity allows you to have bank cards non-standard level: Gold, Platinum, Infinity, Selective. Some banks issue a Priority Pass card along with classic credit cards. But everywhere has its own rules. Please check.

Method 5. Find the right travel companion

See Method 4. If your flight companion has a Priority Pass card, then you will be able to get into the business lounge inexpensively or even for free.

We almost forgot to tell you what a business lounge is (aka VIP lounge, aka Executive Club, etc. - the essence is the same), if you do not have such experience. The business lounge is a closed, privileged seating area at the airport. It can be located both in the international sector and in the local departures terminal, both in the “clean” zone and in the passport control area. In most cases, the residence time limit is 3-4 hours. Then you need to renew if necessary, for money or free of charge. Depends on the specific room. The range of services (paid and free) also depends on the location. Usually you have access to a light snack with snacks and salads, doshiraki, soft drinks and beer, fresh newspapers, TV, wi-fi, toilet (sometimes shower + towel), smoking room (where allowed), children's room. You will be notified in time about the start of boarding for your flight, and if boarding is not via the jet bridge, you will be taken to the plane by a separate minibus. Some good business lounges (in the USA, UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.) have SPA salons, massage chairs, and offer good choice hot dishes and high-quality alcohol.

In any case, it’s worth feeling like a “white” person at the airport at least once. Give it a try.