New insights from Collinson’s Priority Pass reveal the extent of the increase in airport lounge visits, in line with the growing momentum of flight numbers. Across the Priority Pass network, total lounge visits are up by 46 per cent for the first half of 2021 compared to the second half of 2020. The lounges are well positioned along the most travelled international flight routes based on data from OAG, with 91 per cent of the top 100 busiest airports and 79 per cent of the 100 busiest terminals globally featuring a Priority Pass lounge and airport experience.
Currently, over 75 per cent of lounges across the globe are open for business, and visit data showed a 28 per cent month-on-month increase between June and July 2021. Collinson has been working closely with its lounge partners to ensure that travellers are supported and can experience Priority Pass lounges wherever possible.
Domestic air travel in some parts of the world is recovering quickly; in the US and UK, airlines report scheduling up to 60 per cent of flights compared to pre-pandemic levels, and Indian carriers are now permitted to operate 65 per cent of flights, compared to 50 per cent prior to July 5.
According to Priority Pass, with this added boost from increased domestic travel, average visits per lounge are also up 34 per cent for H1 of 2021, compared to H2 2020 – which is in line with previous data showing that 48 per cent of Priority Pass members are more likely to use airport lounges compared to before the pandemic. Furthermore, 87 per cent of travellers in a broader survey reported that they wanted access to socially distanced spaces in order to ‘de-stress’ and ‘relax away from the crowds. Building on these studies, Priority Pass’s demand-focused network expansion is supported by ongoing research and analysis, based on data points including lounge visits and flight data.
“While we look forward to a broader recovery including international flights once the pandemic is brought under further control, we are meanwhile seeing better utilisation of our domestic lounges in particular – which means we are serving our members well in these challenging times,” said Andy Besant, Director of Travel Experiences at Collinson, the operator of Priority Pass.