Priority Pass releases new lounge finding app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

Global airport lounge network Priority Pass has launched a new iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad app, letting business travellers find their nearest lounge using GPS or an airport search function.

The app's useful even for business travellers who aren't Priority Pass members: in many airports, Priority Pass lounges allow pay-per-use entry for the equivalent of A$10-20. Since the app itself doesn't ask for membership details, anyone can use it. With a bit of Google-sleuthing it's easy to find the lounge's entry fee.

In a well thought out move, the app downloads the lounge directory so you can use it online or off -- a real benefit when in flight mode. The app has a favourites function for saving frequently visited lounges and shows a list of recent searches.

Here's what the iPod Touch and iPhone version looks like:

The iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad versions are similar, although it's refreshing to see a user interface that takes full advantage of the greater screen real estate of the iPad on a binary app (one that works on both smaller iPhone/iPod Touch screens and the larger iPad).

Here's the larger iPad app:

We did find that the lounge directory data was out of date because that the app was having difficulty updating it, so you might want to hold off on downloading it until a new version comes out. From the reviews on the app's iTunes webpage, it doesn't seem like we're the only ones having problems.

The problem with out of date lounge information was shown up pretty quickly: when searching by GPS in Wellington, home to New Zealand's only Priority Pass lounge (which we reviewed when it opened), the app showed the nearest lounge being in Sydney.

Once the Priority Pass team fixes the problem, this app will certainly find a place in our travel apps folder.

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.