Priority Pass, the original and market-leading airport experiences programme, owned and operated by Collinson, today commences a programme of celebrations in honour of its 30th birthday.
While the industry looks very different today than in 1992 when Priority Pass launched, its members remain at the heart of everything it does. As the world emerges from a global shutdown and a busy summer, travel is firmly back on the agenda. The Middle East tourism sector is showing a remarkable recovery by registering a year-on-year growth of 132% in Q1 2022, and Collinson wants to reward Priority Pass Members and reignite their love for travel once again in 2022 and beyond.
Commenting on Priority Pass’ sustained success with eyes set on the future, Priyanka Lakhani, Senior Vice President at Collinson said, “Over the past three decades, the trust our members have placed on us has been an essential pillar for our success. The UAE and KSA tourism sectors are back on track, with Dubai hosting over 5.10 million international tourists in the first half of 2022, and international visits to KSA increasing by 130% in 2022 compared to 2021. Moreover, Qatar hosting the first FIFA World Cup is set to bolster tourism across the region, and the country expects 1.2 million visitors, or nearly 40% of its total population, during the final months of 2022. Dubai is likely to be the most attractive satellite base for World Cup fans. Understandably, GCC travellers are keen to make up for lost time when it comes to travel. An analysis of over four million social media posts and comments from more than two million Arabic-speaking unique users in the GCC highlight that travel conversations and posts about travel increased by 110% and 151%, respectively, between 2019 and 2021.”
These figures demonstrate that the Middle East region has a strong travel appetite, and we remain committed to providing customers with market-leading airport lounge and travel experiences. As we turn 30, we want to reward our members and continue to forge purpose, value, and seamless experiences to deliver unparalleled services.”
Designed exclusively for its 30th birthday, the company is launching a Limited-Edition Priority Pass 30th Birthday Membership Card, which comes loaded with Priority Pass lounge access for 30 round trips (60 visits) over the course of five years. It arrives in a sleek Priority Pass gift box and is accompanied with some luxury travel merchandise.
Priority Pass will be giving away only 30 of these limited-edition membership cards* worldwide to a variety of travellers:
The first group is a selection of Priority Pass’s loyal and long-standing members, invited to be part of the celebrations as a way of saying thanks for their membership and ongoing love of travel. They will experience a moment of ‘surprise and delight’ when they receive the card in the exclusively designed gift box in the post.
A second group is able to win a limited-edition membership card by entering the Priority Pass #LiveLoveLounge Instagram competition. Travellers can show just how much they are loving life in the airport lounge and their return to travel by sharing a photo or video of what they love most in the lounge alongside the hashtag #LiveLoveLounge. Participants are asked to get as creative as possible with their entries, and Priority Pass will select the winners over the next two months.
The third set of winners comprises ‘Travel Heroes’ from around the world recognised for outstanding contributions to the world of travel, either assisting travellers or the industry during the pandemic, or perhaps playing a critical role in helping it to safely return for the future.
In addition to revealing the exclusive card, Priority Pass is also launching a Spotify playlist, asking members to add their favourite songs – but especially those that make them think of travelling or joyful celebrations. People can make their suggestions for the playlist on Priority Pass’s Instagram, and are encouraged to follow the page for more details – and to find out which tunes have made the cut.
“Turning 30 is a landmark for us, and something we’re really proud of. We’ve spent the past 30 years helping to transform airport experiences and working to become one of the most loved, trusted travel companions. We know we’re nothing without our members, so it’s them that we wanted our birthday celebration to be all about,” said David Evans, Joint CEO, Collinson.
“Our turning 30 has come at a really important time for the industry. As the world is recovering from the pandemic, people are planning and starting to take their first trips in a long time. It’s a real moment to celebrate all that travel has to offer, which is why we’re rewarding those who are the embodiment of all that travel is, has been, and can be. It’s been a wonderful 30 years, but we’re especially excited for what’s next: continued investment in the very best propositions so our members can really love their journeys again. We want people to spend the next 30 years with us, starting every journey with Priority Pass.”
Priority Pass launched in 1992 with the view that travel is as much about the journey as the destination, and to offer frequent travellers the premium experience of airport lounges without the first-class ticket. Today, Priority Pass provides travellers with access to 1,300 lounges and experiences in over 650 airports in 148 countries. Members can access an ever-growing range of premium experiences – from spas to sleeping pods to dining – that help elevate every journey into something special.
*A truly limited-edition membership card, it will only be available as part of the birthday celebrations, not for retail.
