When airport lounges open or close, all entities involved are usually on the same page; they update each other, as well as their respective websites, so passengers will know what to expect when visiting the airport in question.
I just discovered that’s apparently not always the case.
On our trip to Southeast Asia, we visited Luang Prabang, Laos. While we enjoyed our time there more than anywhere else, the Luang Prabang Airport is still recovering from the Covid shutdown.
There were four gates on the ground floor, and this was the area’s gift shop. There was also a duty-free area and a coffee shop that served snacks. That’s it.
This explains why there used to be a direct flight between Luang Prabang and Siem Reap, Cambodia but it now took us three flights to travel about 250 miles.
When we arrived at the airport, I pulled up the Priority Pass app and it showed the Bangkok Airways lounge, but said it was currently closed due to travel restrictions.
Laos and neighboring nations no longer had travel restrictions, so I wanted to check out the lounge, which looked nice on the Priority Pass website.
I went up to the 2nd floor, which was deserted except for one lonely shop. There, I found what was left of the Bangkok Airways lounge.
The glass box remained but all of the furniture and fixtures were removed. Even the name has been ripped down from the wall.
I wrote on Twitter (and tagged Priority Pass and American Express) that this lounge looked more than temporarily closed.
Here’s the reply I received.
Hello there, thanks for your tweet. Should there be any confirmation of the permanent closure of the lounge, it will be removed from our website and mobile app… 1/2
— Priority Pass (@prioritypasscom) February 15, 2023
… The lounge is still part of the program and is temporarily closed until further notice. Best regards, The Priority Pass Team 2/2
— Priority Pass (@prioritypasscom) February 15, 2023
According to Priority Pass, this lounge is still a part of its network and is only temporarily closed. They are waiting for confirmation from Bangkok Airways that the location is permanently shuttered.
If the fact that they removed the signage from the wall and there’s no furniture isn’t enough, the lounge is no longer listed on the Bangkok Airways website.
I’m not sure what Priority Pass requires to know a lounge is closed, but I’m sure this location isn’t reopening tomorrow. And when it does, I’m sure adding it back to the app and website is not difficult.
There’s another lounge at the airport, but they’re tired of people trying to use Priority Pass to enter.
The sign reminded me of the one outside the Admirals Club in Orlando telling people they are not a part of the Priority Pass network.
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3 comments
When was your trip? There is a Loa Air flight between LPQ and CNX I think 3/week.
I must have been really tired when I wrote this. I meant Siem Reap, not Chiang Mai. Anyway, since we were on a tour we couldn’t just rearrange the trip when the flights changed.
Priority Pass is essentially useless. It’s accepted at less and less places. Sorry but you wasted your money.