Priority Pass

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panmotor
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Priority Pass

Post by panmotor » September 13, 2017, 7:34 pm

I flew down to BKK from Udon a couple of days back and arrived early so had a mooch round the airport.

Always fly Smile so never had cause to go down the far end but, noticed a few signs for VIP areas. That set me wondering whether Udon now had a Lounge. I last checked a few years back.

I have Priority Pass membership so checked their website and, lo and behold it mentions a lounge at Udon.

It says it is in International Terminal 2 and can only be used for international flights which makes it a non starter 99% of the time.

Anyone used it? Is it accessible for domestic flights?



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vidmaster
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Re: Priority Pass

Post by vidmaster » September 14, 2017, 4:32 am

Hi how do you get Thai Smile Priority Pass membership?

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mak
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Re: Priority Pass

Post by mak » September 14, 2017, 7:19 am


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tamada
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Re: Priority Pass

Post by tamada » September 14, 2017, 8:24 am

I flew Thai Lion to Don Meuang a couple of months back and used the Coral Lounge using my lounge access card. It is upstairs towards the parking lot side of the new terminal, left-side of departure lounge as you face the boarding gates (opposite side from the other eating/shopping outlets). It's new, nice and quiet and I was the only one in there for an early morning departure. Limited snacks but the usual coffee, tea and refrigerated drinks, TV, etc... didn't check if they had beer though but since it isn't operated by THAI, it probably has.

Maybe the domestic low-cost carriers don't have the option to provide lounge access gratis but if you have a paid lounge subscription like Priority Pass, you can use if for domestic departures. If/when there are carriers using Udon as an international gateway and offering Business Class travel, it may get a bit busier.

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Re: Priority Pass

Post by wazza » September 14, 2017, 11:45 am

vidmaster wrote:
September 14, 2017, 4:32 am
Hi how do you get Thai Smile Priority Pass membership?
The TG Gold Card would work also

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vidmaster
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Re: Priority Pass

Post by vidmaster » September 14, 2017, 12:01 pm

WTF is a TG Gold card?

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Re: Priority Pass

Post by wazza » September 14, 2017, 12:05 pm

TG = Thai Airways code

So its a Thai Airways Gold Card

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tamada
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Re: Priority Pass

Post by tamada » September 14, 2017, 3:17 pm

vidmaster wrote:
September 14, 2017, 4:32 am
Hi how do you get Thai Smile Priority Pass membership?
AFAIK Thai Smile doesn't have their own frequent flyer card but you earn points/miles on Thai Smile flights on your Thai Airways Royal Orchid membership, same as flights on other Star Alliance member carriers.

Priority Pass is a paid lounge access membership, including some airline lounges but is NOT airline affiliated.

They also operate Lounge Club which is only offered by third-party entities such as certain banks and charge cards. You can buy membership of Priority Pass choosing different annual membership cost/tier based on how frequently you fly and would use lounges. You get x amount of free lounge entries per year and pay a nominal fee for any that exceed you annual allowance.

You cannot buy Lounge Club membership, it is only offered by third-parties with no annual membership charged but a fixed amount of complimentary lounge entries/year with a nominal fee for subsequent lounge visits.

The Coral Lounge at UTH accepts Priority Pass and Lounge Club, same as their lounge at Phuket airport (HKT).

https://www.rewardexpert.com/blog/airpo ... unge-club/

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Re: Priority Pass

Post by panmotor » September 14, 2017, 8:01 pm

tamada wrote:
September 14, 2017, 8:24 am
I flew Thai Lion to Don Meuang a couple of months back and used the Coral Lounge using my lounge access card. It is upstairs towards the parking lot side of the new terminal, left-side of departure lounge as you face the boarding gates (opposite side from the other eating/shopping outlets). It's new, nice and quiet and I was the only one in there for an early morning departure. Limited snacks but the usual coffee, tea and refrigerated drinks, TV, etc... didn't check if they had beer though but since it isn't operated by THAI, it probably has.

Maybe the domestic low-cost carriers don't have the option to provide lounge access gratis but if you have a paid lounge subscription like Priority Pass, you can use if for domestic departures. If/when there are carriers using Udon as an international gateway and offering Business Class travel, it may get a bit busier.
Yes, I use my pass for internal flights in UK and have used it Phuket/BKK before (no Priority Pass lounge in Suvarnabhumi domestic area though)

From your description (assuming it is airside??), flying Smile, I couldn't get access to it.

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Re: Priority Pass

Post by tamada » September 15, 2017, 6:11 am

panmotor wrote:
September 14, 2017, 8:01 pm
Yes, I use my pass for internal flights in UK and have used it Phuket/BKK before (no Priority Pass lounge in Suvarnabhumi domestic area though)

From your description (assuming it is airside??), flying Smile, I couldn't get access to it.
It's a shame that none of the major lounge club operators have managed to do a deal with Thai or Bangkok Air for domestic lounge access at Suvarnabhumi. Mind you, only Bangkok Air could handle extra pax as the THAI one is small and a bit rubbish.

Thai Smile and Nok Air still use the old terminal at UTH which has bugger all lounges. I was flying Thai Lion Air who like AirAsia, use the new, east terminal and yes, the Coral Lounge is airside. Since there's no usable air-side connection between old and new terminals that I know of, there's no way for a Thai Smile or Nok passengers to use it right now.

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