Let’s face it, on the whole airports are pretty poor places to be, a means to an end as such. With flight prices dropping and more people flying they are getting more overcrowded.
Airport lounges can be looked upon then as a safe haven, a place to relax before you take to the sky. At £30-40 per person per visit though they don’t typically come cheap.
Step forward DragonPass.
| Classic | Preferential | Prestige | |
| Yearly Membership Fee | £68 | £128 | £268 |
| Lounge Access 970+ Lounges Worldwide | 1 Free Visit Then £19.50 per visit Guest’s £19.50 Per visit | 8 Free Visit Then £19.50 per visit Guest’s £19.50 Per visit | Unlimited Visits Guest’s £19.50 per visit |
The card also comes with perks like up to 25% off dining in up to 1000+ restaurants worldwide, 5% discount on limousines at over 300+ Airports and 5% discount at the meet and greet services at over 100+ airports. I typically put very little value on these but they are perks that the likes of Priority Pass don’t offer. Let’s break it all down.
Classic
I would deem this tier pointless. You basically have to be spending £280 a year at restaurants in or near airports for it to be of any value to you. If you were to work it out on lounge visits you want to be using your card 5 times in a year just to break even. Even then you’re having to spend an extra £78 on lounge visits, effectively spending £146!
Preferential
This is the rate at which you start to get some serious value, never mind breaking even. I think this is aimed at your casual traveler who gets away on 4 return trips a year. At £128 for 8 free visits, I work that out as almost halving the cost of lounges at what should be roughly £240. That’s £16 per visit.
Prestige
The balls to the wall tier, for those that just love being in the air or can’t get enough of getting away. £268 a year means you’ve got to be doing some serious travelling, I work it out as at least 16 lounges a year to be better off. That being said, a summer trip to the States (2-4 visits), a return Christmas shopping trip (2 visits), a long haul visit to somewhere like Bali with 1 sometimes even 2 layovers (4-6 visits), a trip to Europe (2 visits) and you’re almost there.
The initial costs seem high but when you break them down they’re palatable. And when you’re sat in a lounge on your first trip with the card having a free pint and some food in a comfy seat you’ll know you made the right choice.
If you want more info or to take a look head here.
p.s. Natwest Premier Reward Black Accounts get a Prestige card or 2 included.