Priority Pass extends $36 dining credit to Gold Coast Airport

Priority Pass members flying through Gold Coast Airport can now trade in a ‘lounge visit’ under their membership for $36 of food and drink at Velocity Espresso & Bar, located after security in the airport’s domestic departures area.

Open from 5:30am until 9pm daily, the café naturally features barista-made coffee, along with a selection of cakes, pastries, sandwiches and rolls, and a full bar during licenced hours.

The process is the same as when using your Priority Pass card to dine at Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane airports, where similar dining credits are available.

Just present your membership card before you order, and confirm whether you’re flying solo – in which case, one ‘lounge visit’ will be processed on your account – or whether you’re travelling with others and would like to charge extra ‘guests’ to your account, each adding $36 to the value you can spend.

(Be aware though that most Priority Pass memberships will charge you extra for any ‘guest’ visits, so unless your membership is provided via the AMEX Platinum Charge Card or the Citi Prestige Visa Infinite cards which cover one complimentary guest with every visit, you might want to stick with one $36 dining credit.)

The layout of Gold Coast Airport makes it easy for passengers travelling on international flights to use this too, because all travellers jetting from the Gold Coast go through domestic security screening first, and this café is located just beyond that checkpoint, near Gate 3.

From that airside zone, international travellers later complete a second round of security checks and go through passport control, before reaching their international boarding gate – so arrive early and you’ll be all set.

Through its partnership with Virgin Australia, AMEX Platinum Charge Card holders can also visit the airport's Virgin Australia Lounge prior to Virgin Australia domestic flights on presentation of the AMEX Platinum card: so if that's you, pack both your AMEX and your Priority Pass card and you'll be spoiled for choice.

However, travellers won’t be able to access this café if transiting the Gold Coast as an international passenger, such as on AirAsia X flights from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland via the Gold Coast, or Hong Kong Airlines’ flights from Hong Kong to Cairns via the Gold Coast, as you’ll remain in the airport’s international departures area.

Priority Pass continues to grow

In other news, Priority Pass has signed-up yet another restaurant at Sydney Airport’s international terminal – Chicken Confidential in T1, located in the public food court area before security and passport control – where travellers can again trade one ‘lounge visit’ for $36 of dining credit.

Once largely irrelevant for Australian travellers, Priority Pass is now accepted at 22 lounges and restaurants across the country, with seven major airports boasting Priority Pass offerings including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin and Cairns, joined this week by the Gold Coast.

Many of those locations have joined the program this year alone, with Priority Pass members now welcome in Regional Express lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and the new Plaza Premium Lounge in Melbourne, among other locations.

Other recent, notable additions overseas include the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge at Newark Airport (New York), and the Barney’s Beanery restaurant at Los Angeles Airport Terminal 2 – primarily used by Virgin Australia partner Delta Air Lines – where one ‘lounge visit’ covers US$28 off the bill.

Also read: Best Australian credit cards for Priority Pass airport lounge access

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.