Bank card with access to business lounges. Terms of use of the Priority Pass card

Priority Pass- it special program, which allows users to relax in airport VIP lounges. You can become a member after filling out an application on the program website. However, today many banks offer their customers an alternative electronic card Priority Pass.

More about debit cards with Priority Pass

Debit card with Priority Pass option is usually a plastic card with which you can pay for your purchases. But thanks to the Priority Pass feature, customers can use the card for free lounge access at participating airports around the world. Thus, a bank card can replace the plastic and electronic card of a registered Priority Pass member.

Main features of cards with Priority Pass

Debit cards with Priority Pass have extended functionality. With their help, you can:

• withdraw money from ATMs;
• pay for purchases and services via the Internet or terminals in stores;
• pass to the airport lounges, as well as take guests with you at no extra charge.

Various banks may offer additional features. For example, interest on the account balance. Also, in most cases, Priority Pass debit card users receive service from a personal manager.

Terms of receipt

Debit cards with Priority Pass cannot be found and ordered in the section with others plastic cards jar. They are issued individually when connecting a whole package of services. Depending on the bank, service packages within which the client receives a card with Priority Pass, will be named differently:

• Premier at Sberbank;
• Premium in Otkritie Bank and Binbank;
• Maximum+ in Alfa-Bank.

You can specify in which particular package the necessary option will be in the bank branch. There is also a contract for the connection of services and the issuance of personalized cards.

Priority Pass Debit Card Terms and Service Fees

Priority Pass conditions will differ depending on the bank in which the client opened the card. Also an important attribute is the financial well-being of the user and his monthly expenses. Many banks allow you to use the option Priority Pass only if certain requirements are met:

• monthly expenses more than 50-55 thousand rubles;
• account balance is from 1 million rubles and more.

Depending on the amount of the balance on the account, the bank may improve the conditions. For example, in Unicreditbank citizens receive 2 free visits to airport business lounges if the account balance is 1.5-3 million rubles. After reaching the balance mark of 4 million, customers receive 4 passes per month, and for users whose balance is not less than 6 million, they are given the opportunity to enter the VIP lounges 2 times a day.

Subject to the conditions, users not only receive free access to comfortable lounges, but they are also not charged a fee for servicing the card.

In other cases, citizens receive a minimum set when paying 1.5-3 thousand rubles a month.

Benefits for Priority Pass members

Debit card holders with option Priority Pass receive the same range of services as program participants who independently registered and received a plastic pass. However, bank cards often provide free access on more favorable terms.

Airports

The cardholder can use the services of business lounges at the airport only after check-in for the flight. You will also need to present your boarding pass when visiting. In the VIP zone itself, visitors have the opportunity to use for free:

• light snacks;
• soft drinks;
• fresh newspapers and magazines;
• WIFI;
• shower cubicles;
• couches for sleeping;
• conference rooms.

Note! List available services depends on the airport. Also, some features will be paid. Most often, the use of a shower and a couch for sleeping is additionally paid.

In addition to the free pass for the cardholder, the program Priority Pass implies the possibility of escorting guests. Their number will be limited either by the terms of use of the debit card, or by the administration of the superior class lounge.

Additional features

The rest of the options available to the debit card holder are not related to the Priority Pass option. The program itself operates in more than 1000 airports around the world. Banks that issue such cards can, among other things, offer customers:

• rent of bank cells;
• life insurance;
• bonuses for purchases and miles;
• make deposits at a more favorable rate;
• receive credit line with a lower percentage.

The list of possibilities depends on the policy of the bank.

How to get a debit card with Priority Pass?

A debit card is issued at a bank branch with a passport. Some banking organizations require an additional identity document. Cards with the Priority Pass function are registered, so after opening an account, the card itself can be received only after a few days. It will be possible to use the account itself and all services immediately from the moment the contract is concluded.

Some banks offer to pre-apply for a package connection via the Internet. In such cases, the personal manager calls back within a few minutes and invites the client to the branch for a personal meeting and signing the contract.

Frequent flyers are familiar with the tedium of waiting in the lounge for a flight. Crowded rooms and long queues at eateries will not suit everyone. The Priority Pass card will help make waiting more comfortable. What it is and what advantages its owner has, you will learn from this article.

Acquaintance

Card holders can change their lives for the better. Priority Pass is an international access program to one of the 600 airport VIP lounges around the world. Regardless of the airline and the class that will be flying, a pass to the lounge area (lounge) is a card and an air ticket for the current day's flight. Cardholders are guaranteed peace and quiet in a separate waiting room, as well as low prices subject to the purchase of an annual subscription. Separately, a range of business class lounges is provided in more than 300 cities around the world.

Card holder options

A Priority Pass cardholder can invite friends to the Lounge for a free meal, drink, and shower before the flight. But in some VIP rooms there are restrictions on the number of invited guests, as well as their age (not all of them allow children). The fee (if any) for the use of the telephone, Internet, Wi-Fi, fax is paid directly to the VIP-lounge staff. The list of free available services includes a TV, fresh newspapers and magazines, the ability to charge popular models of phones, smartphones and tablets.

Visits are recorded in one of two ways: through the electronic terminal, which is installed at the entrance to the hall, or the cardholder is issued a "Visit Voucher". In the second case, the cardholder must check the correctness of the data indicated in the coupon regarding himself and all the people accompanying him.

The administration of VIP lounges may limit the maximum stay time (usually no more than 4 hours) in order to avoid overcrowding of the room. To increase the time spent in a comfortable lounge, you will have to pay twice for visiting the lounge. The fee for visiting the VIP-lounges is charged per visit per person, based on the conditions of participation in the program. The program provides access to meeting rooms.

Access to the hall is available to persons with an air ticket of the same day, provided that it was purchased without a discount. Outside the US, you must also provide the current flight at the entrance to the lounge. In some European countries, access to VIP lounges is open only to tourists traveling within the Schengen countries.

How to become a member of the program

Great opportunities open up for members of the Priority Pass program. How to access it? This card is not a means of payment, valid until the date indicated on the front side, and if the owner's signature is on the back side. The Priority Pass card is an application to Gold cards, Platinum, Infinity, Selective. Sometimes it is issued together with classic credit cards. But every bank has its own rules.

In Sberbank, only participants in the Sberbank-Premier program can receive a card, that is, customers who have issued Platinum card american express. The cost of annual maintenance is 15 thousand rubles. Subject to a pre-approved order, you will have to pay 10,000 rubles for the annual Priority Pass service. Banks Uralsib and Avangard issue a card for free. The first service fee for 365 days is 6,000 rubles, and the second - 3,000-5,000 rubles, depending on the type of main payment card (GOLD or PLATINUM). In some cases, Avangard Bank employees may offer to issue a Priority Pass for free if the Mastercard Standard turnover is large enough. Raiffeisenbank issues a card upon activation of the "Premium" package and charges 3,000 rubles a month.

How much is it

The Priority Pass card in Russia is also issued by Rosbank, Absolut, Unicredit Bank, SNGB. In Ukraine, the card can be issued in Privatbank, OTP, VTB, VAB, Russian Standard, and recently Delta Bank has joined the program. Before issuing a card in any bank, you need to clarify the service fee. Practice shows that banks issue the first category of Priority cards to customers more often? There are three main categories of tariffs:

1. 100 euros annual fee, each visit of the owner or his guest is paid 24 euros at a time.
2. 250 euros - 10 visits included, each subsequent 24 euros per visit per person.
3. 400 euros per year - unlimited card holder visit and 24 euros for a one-time guest visit.

But if you spend time and issue a card in the "right" bank, you can find tariffs at which the issuance of a card and all visits will be free. This best option for a big family.

Alternative way

The second way to get a card is via the Internet, on the Priority Pass website. But, in addition to registering on the site, paying a membership fee and shipping costs, you will also have to link new map to a regular bank, from which funds will be debited. The entire process takes approximately 30 days. The amount of the membership fee depends on the tariff:

$399 per year - unlimited.

$249 per year - $27 for all visits from the eleventh.

$99 per year - $27 for all visits by the owner and his guests.

Scope of application

When issuing a card, a bank employee is required to provide a directory with a list of airports around the world where this program operates. The presence of a directory can significantly reduce the time to find the right airport with a VIP lounge. But even if there was no directory at hand, the list of airports can be found in two ways. First - on the official website of the service in the "Find you lounger" sign in the left column, you need to enter the country, city and airport. The second is through an application for gadgets with the iOS, Android operating system, and more recently also BlackBerry.

Interestingly, anyone can install the application. At many airports, it is possible to enter the lounge area at a rate of $ 10-20, on the terms of the “fee for use” of the application. When you first start the program does not require you to enter any membership data. And you can use the application without an active Internet connection. Within the application, you can save your favorite bookmarks and view your search history.

On practice

The advantages of the card are obvious - the opportunity to relax between flights in the lounge advanced level comfort. But there are some nuances of participating in the Priority Pass program. User reviews on the forums confirm this. Firstly, each VIP room has its own rules: in some, the number of admissions to the lounge areas is limited, in others, you need to pay separately for guests. Two cards can be issued different banks in your name, then the guest will be admitted free of charge. The second option is to issue a card at Raiffeisenbank. When connecting to the "Premium" package, guests can be admitted to the lounge areas for free.

Secondly, in Russia, the possibilities of the card can only be used at Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Pulkovo airports. In Ukraine - Kharkov airport, Boryspil and Zhuliany. Much more opportunities open up at international airports. Forum members actively share useful information. In Barcelona and Hong Kong, food, hot showers, drinks, Internet access are provided free of charge in the lounge areas. The Nairobi Airport VIP Lounge is air-conditioned, unlike the airport itself. The ideal use of the card is when traveling with children. In such cases, free places in the rooms with food and drinks are guaranteed.

Summary

If a tourist travels more than 3 times a year, and, moreover, with a family with two children, then issuing a card will significantly save the budget and allow you to comfortably pass the time between flights.

The Priority Pass card is not payment card, intended for payments for goods or services, and a club card certifying belonging to the international club Priority Pass. The presence of this card enables a person to use the services of business and lounge halls at airports in many countries.

The Priority Pass service began its existence in 1992. Since that time, the network of airports where you can access individual lounges using the Priority Pass card has exceeded 1000 pieces, and the number of members has long crossed the mark of several million people who live in 130 countries around the world.

Business Lounge Blues in Sheremetyevo

The main and only function of the card is to provide its holder with access to Priority Pass VIP lounges at airports. A traveler, in order not to wait for his flight among the mass of people, can get into the lounge and take a break from the hustle and bustle there, as well as take advantage of all the benefits of premium service:

• comfortable chairs, air conditioning;
• newspapers magazines;
• free drinks and snacks;
• free alcohol (in some halls);
• free Wi-fi;
• TV set;
• computer, printer, fax;
• charging for gadgets.

The Priority Pass card is a handy accessory for travelers who appreciate peace of mind and want to wait for their flight away from the crowds. Convenient if you are traveling with family and children. The maximum age of children passing free of charge varies from a particular hall (usually 2-3 years). Some halls have a children's room, a shower, massage chairs, a room for smokers. All this will help pass the waiting for the flight in comfort and convenience.

The quality of each VIP-lounge varies significantly: from luxurious to wretched.

How to use the card

To get into the lounges, you just need to show your Priority Pass card at the entrance. The cardholder has the right to invite guests as well. The maximum number of accompanying persons depends on the rules of the VIP lounge (no more than 10 people).

An employee of the hall makes an impression from the card or immediately reads information about the owner from the card. After that, it issues a visit coupon or enters information into a special journal. Next, the holder must sign on the slip or in the electronic terminal. The card user is recommended to keep a copy of the "Cardholders Copy" slip. The cost of the service is determined on the basis of a receipt for a visit voucher or in the registration log.

For each personal visit and for guests, a fee is charged in accordance with the tariffs of the service. The commission is withheld from the main payment card of the client by the issuing bank of the Priority Pass card.

Some VIP lounges may also allow people with a Digital Membership Card to pass through. This is a special barcode. It is valid only for a certain period of time and can only be used by the cardholder.

Priority Pass users can also install a special application on their phone that functions as an electronic club card.

It is worth considering that people who have tickets for a plane that is scheduled to depart on the day of the visit are allowed into the VIP lounges. In addition to the documents for the flight, passengers need to have a boarding pass with them (not required in the USA). Europe is also characterized by the placement of VIP lounges in the Schengen areas of the airport. This means that only people with a Schengen visa can get there.

The list of lounges at airports where you can use the Priority Pass card is listed on the official website of the club https://www.prioritypass.com.

Tariff plans

The Priority Pass card provides three tariff plans for its members:

• standard - its price for the year of use is 99 euros. For this money, the holder gets the right to use the services of business lounges at airports around the world for 24 euros and to bring along a guest, for whom you will also have to pay 24 euros;
• standard plus- will cost the client for 249 euros per year. The advantages of this tariff are 10 free visits of the cardholder, over this amount, 24 euros must be paid for each visit;
• prestige- An annual subscription for this tariff is 399 euros. The presence of Priority PassPrestige gives the user the right to free access to VIP rooms, but the same 24 euros will have to be paid for each guest.

How and where can I get a Priority Pass

The card can be issued in two ways:

• independently on the official website of Priority Pass. Flaws this method: expensive, long wait for receipt, you will have to pay for shipping;
• free, from your bank. The Priority Pass card is not presented in banks as a separate product, but comes as an addition to or to a premium package of services.

How many times you can use the VIP-lounge for free and the number of invitees is determined by the issuing bank of the card to which the Priority Pass card is linked.

You can get a card in many banks. The most popular offers in the following banks:

Sberbank

Sberbank issues a Priority Pass card for free when registering a service package.

To become the owner of this package, you need to pay monthly for maintenance - 2.5 thousand rubles. (30 thousand rubles per year). Commission for Sberbank Premier is not paid if all accounts, cards, deposits in total have a balance of at least 2.5 million rubles on the last day of the month.

The first 2 months of service - no commission is charged. The service can be terminated at any time at the bank office.

Sberbank provides completely unlimited and free visits to lounges. The limit on visitors with 1 card depends on specific VIP room.

is the most popular and advantageous offer. It is also available to owners of the Sberbank First package, on the same terms as Sberbank Premier. is a premium service for very wealthy clients.

VTB 24

The Priority Pass VTB24 card is issued within the framework of. It will cost the client 2500 rubles. per month. In order not to pay a commission, the user must ensure that one of the following conditions is met:

• spend non-cash payments for all debit cards on the total amount from 55 thousand rubles,
• provide cash receipts to the master account of the card in the amount of 120 thousand rubles,
• balances on absolutely all bank accounts must be at least 2 million rubles.

For the fulfillment of these conditions, the client is provided with 8 free passes to separate halls or 4 with a companion.

Promsvyazbank

The Bank offers its users the Orange Premium Club premium program. Clients with a Priority Pass card get access to services in the VIP lounges of international airports.

The monthly fee for the premium package of services is 2800 rubles. from the second month of service. You can avoid expenses provided that the total monthly balance of all bank accounts is 2 million rubles. or 1 million rubles, but the amount of settlement transactions with payment cards is at least 50 thousand rubles.

As a bonus, in the first month, the client receives the right to 2 free visits to the lounges. If the user subsequently fulfills the above conditions free service, then he and his guests are provided with a full unlimited access to business lounges for free.

Gazprombank

Gazprombank issues a Priority Pass card for Mastercard World Elite / World Signia / Black Edition or Platinum premium card holders.

The cost of the first year of servicing the card is 15,000 rubles, the second - 25,000 rubles;

Bank Avangard

Avangard Bank provides the card as an additional service to Mastercard (except Cash back) and Visa (except Visa Electron).

The cost of an annual subscription for servicing classic credit cards is 600 rubles. / 25 dollars / 25 euros, Platinum premium class costs 5500 rubles. / USD 200 / EUR 200, and MasterCard World Elite.

You can get a card for free by making average monthly settlement transactions in the amount of more than 20,000 rubles. Users elite cards receive Priority Pass for free.

The cost of visiting the hall for one person is 27 US dollars.

UniCredit Bank

Unicredit Bank issues a Priority Pass card to holders of the Prime package. Its cost is 3000 rubles. per month. The client can save and not pay this amount if the average monthly balance of balances on all his bank accounts and mutual funds exceeds 2 million rubles.

Unicredit Bank also provides customers with additional bonuses:

• if on his accounts from 2 million to 4 million rubles. – 2 free visits to the hall,
• from 4 million to 6 million rubles – 4 free visits,
• more than 6 million rubles - 2 free gym visits per day.

Rosbank

Rosbank issues a Priority Pass card free of charge for Premium package holders. The monthly service fee is 2500 rubles.

You can avoid expenses if:

• the average monthly amount of balances on all accounts is more than 2 million rubles;
• or monthly salary in the amount of 150 thousand rubles;
• or the sum of the average monthly balances on all accounts from 750 thousand rubles. at the same time, the average monthly debit transactions on the main card amount to more than 50 thousand rubles.

The package includes 12 free passes to airport business lounges throughout the year.

Alfa Bank

The Priority Pass card is issued free of charge to those who have issued an Alfa-Miles Signature card. At the same time, visits to the VIP-hall will be paid ($ 27).

4 visits per month to the business lounge are free for those who meet the following conditions:

• 3 million rubles on accounts;
• or 1 million rubles. on accounts + made purchases for goods, services in the amount of 50 thousand per month.

You can visit the hall without restrictions for those who have:

• 6 million rubles on accounts;
• or from 2 million rubles. on accounts + made purchases for 100 thousand per month.

receiving club card Priority Pass from the bank, remember that the bank can change the terms of service on the card at any time. Before using the card, you need to look at the current tariffs, so that later you do not worry about the debited commission.

Priority Pass is a program designed specifically for people who have to deal with flights around the world very often. Almost every major airport has lounges. They have a great opportunity in order to wait time from one flight to another. In order to always have access to the VIP lounges of any major terminal around the world, it is enough to have a priority pass card with you. It will become a kind of pass to additional services of any of the 700 major airports in the world.

What features does the Priority Pass card offer?

Today, the priority pass card is one of the most sought-after products, which everyone who has to make frequent flights must have. In Russia, such a card can be used at the following airports:

• Sheremetyevo,
• Vnukovo,
• Pulkovo.

Many people before its design think about why it is needed. After all, when you come to Big City world, you don't count on spending time at the airport anyway. However, no one knows what can happen at any given moment, and when the flight will be delayed, or how long it will take to spend after arriving at the airport due to unforeseen situations. The Priority Pass card will come to the rescue in any situation when you need to spend time at the airport for one reason or another, but you want this pastime to be in the most comfortable conditions.

So, what do the owners of such a card get? For starters, when a person who often has to use the services of various airlines has it, it allows you to visit the VIP lounges of the largest international airports in the world. They offer a variety of business services that can be used to resolve urgent issues and to comfortable rest. Passengers with a priority pass have the following:

• Fax,
• Internet access,
• telephone,
• the meeting room.

These services are almost basic and can be used at all international airports that accept Priority Pass. However, some of them provide Additional services, among which are:

• free drinks and snacks,
• shower visit,
• separate sleeping room.

The provision of specific types of services depends on the airport. Many of them may be paid or free.

Additional privileges are always good. And when there is such an opportunity, then why not take advantage of them. The Priority Pass program can be used by people who are completely different levels prosperity, which carry out flights with landing at major international airports in the world.

At the airport where this program operates, you must present your ticket and card. You can use it even if you were flying not in business class, but in economy. It happens that travel is carried out by passengers with family or friends. If you have one Priority Pass card, you can take your companion's VIP zone with you.

How to use the Priority Pass card at the airport?

People who have not previously used a priority card mistakenly consider it a payment one. However, it is not. She is not. At its core, it is a kind of membership card that is valid only within the framework of a specific program. It can only be used by its owners. Without an air ticket along with it, the privileges of an international airport cannot be used. The card has an expiration date on the front. On the back side, as well as on debit or credit cards of banking organizations, the owner's signature must be signed.

When a person visits the airport VIP lounge, his employee is presented with priority map to take an impression. Then its owner is given a document to sign. In it, he confirms that he will visit the VIP zone of this place at a specific time.

At the end of the month, the amount of services provided that were not included in the tariff issued upon receipt of Priority Pass will be debited from the card that was linked to Priority.

Not all passengers who participate in the Priority program can use the VIP lounge. Persons who do not have an acceptable dress code for such a place, or behave immorally, are not allowed into such an area of ​​​​an international airport.

If you travel frequently and use the services of international airports, then this card will be your passport to the world of comfortable stay in such places. Privileges are available after registration of such a product. To date, there are two methods that everyone can use.

The first method is to get a card through a bank. It is available to clients of the following credit institutions:

The annual maintenance banking product is estimated at 30,000. However, customers of certain categories can take advantage of the bank's offer and pay 5,000 less as an annual service.

Priority is provided only after registration of such a product as MasterCard World Aeroflot Bonus. The procedure is free, but you will have to pay 6,000 rubles for maintenance during the year.

Priority is provided to users of the tank services if they have used any credit card of this institution. However, only if money turnover on a credit card is at least 20,000 rubles per month. Annual maintenance cost credit card Bank Avangard is an average of 600 rubles.

If a platinum or gold product is issued by clients in a given banking organization, then priority is given in any case, even if a person’s card turnover is the smallest.

To apply for Priority in this bank, you will need to use the premium offers of the organization. The annual maintenance of such products averages 3000 rubles.

Important: In the above banking institutions, only entry-level priority cards are provided. They cost only $99. This must be taken into account when contacting such institutions.

In order to issue a card for obtaining privileges at airports through banking institutions, you will need a personal presence. However, you can also do this online using the second method. If you are interested in the question of how to get a priority pass card, then you involuntarily start to wonder if such a program has an official website. Of course it exists. And with its help, it is possible to order such a product. Registration is carried out in several stages:

• registration,
• making a membership fee,
• delivery and receipt of the card.

Waiting for the coveted card will be approximately one month.

Many are interested in the question of what the amount of the membership fee can be. To use the product to obtain privileges at airports, clearance fees are set. They are membership fees, which can be as follows:

• $399 per year gives you the opportunity to visit the VIP lounges of the terminals an unlimited number of times,
• $249 per year allows you to visit vip zones 10 times for free, and then each such visit will cost $27,
• $99 - use of airport privileges after paying the amount of $27 per visit.

Changes from 05/01/2017 access to business lounges by Priority Pass VTB24

VTB 24 changes the terms of access to Priority business lounges Pass since May 1, 2017. New rules.

At the end of April, VTB24 Bank notified its customers about the change in the conditions for access to business lounges by VTB cards 24 Priority Passes issued as part of the Privilege premium service.

Priority Pass members can visit more than 1,000 business lounges at airports around the world, regardless of which airline is flying and regardless of the class of service.

A Priority Pass card at VTB24 can be obtained by issuing a black Mastercard Black Edition or Elite card.

By the way in black Mastercard, you can visit the business lounge of the same name at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport in Terminal E, as well as at some other airports in the world where there are Mastercard lounges. , does not serve members of the Priority Pass program.

VTB 24 terms Priority Pass before May 1, 2017

Under the terms offered by VTB24, until May 1, the owner of the Priority card could visit business lounges for free 2 times a month, the rest of the visits had to be paid according to the Priority Pass tariffs - this is about 25 euros for each visit.

VTB 24 terms Priority Pass after May 1, 2017

According to the new access rules, from May 1, VTB24 abolished free visits to basic version, but increased the number of free visits from 2 to 8 for those clients who fulfill at least one of the following conditions:

1. The balance on deposit accounts exceeds 1.5 million rubles
2. Account balance (including savings accounts) exceeds RUB 750,000
3. Transactions by bank card from 55 thousand rubles. Transactions mean card payments at retail outlets, both offline and online.

The changes are not unambiguous, they certainly benefit someone, and someone will remain the loser.

The first two conditions under which 8 free passes per month are available intersect, with the conditions under which the premium banking service VTB 24 for free. Its cost is 6 thousand rubles per quarter. If these conditions are met, the bank returns the commission to the client's account. The same thing happens if the account turnover is from 150 thousand rubles, while any turnover is taken into account, even if the client simply deposits money through an ATM.

Thus, those bank customers who fulfill the conditions remain the winners - the balance on deposit accounts exceeds 1.5 million rubles or the balance on accounts (including savings) exceeds 750 thousand rubles. For them, service premium package remains free of charge and there is an opportunity to enter the Priority business lounges yourself and see off your fellow travelers 8 times a month.

The rest will have to pay for each visit to the business lounges at the rates of the program according to the rates of Priority Pass.

In early May, I used the Priority card under new conditions. Before flying to Zagreb, we went in four. We wait financial result, I hope it will be zero, as VTB24 promises.))

VTB 24 terms Priority Pass with July 1, 2017, new rules

VTB24 often with changes. Not much time has passed since recent changes, but from July 1, 2017, the bank again changed the conditions for the Privilege package. The changes affected the criteria for free service of the premium package, as well as the conditions for access to business lounges under the Priority Pass program. But first things first.

From July 1, 2017, VTB24 Bank switched to a monthly schedule for writing off commissions. Let me remind you that before that the bank charged a commission on a quarterly basis. The transition to the monthly schedule will take place from the 1st day of the calendar month following the month of prolongation of the Privilege package.

Change of free criteria from 07/01/2017

The criteria for free maintenance of the Privilege package have also changed. For the client, the service will be free if he fulfills one of the following conditions:

• credits to the Privilege card from 120,000 rubles
• balances on accounts and deposits in VTB24 from 2,000,000 rubles

Otherwise, a service fee of 2,500 rubles will be charged monthly. For those who connected the premium package before 05/02/2017, the cost of service remains 2000 rubles, until the moment of prolongation.

The changes also affected the conditions for access to business lounges with the Priority Pass card issued by VTB24.

Changes in the conditions of access to Priority Pass VTB24 business lounges from 07/01/2017

From July 1, 2017, for the holder of the Priority Pass card issued as part of the Traveler premium package, 8 free visits to business lounges are available, subject to one of the following conditions:

• payment by Privilege cards from 55,000 rubles
• balances on accounts and deposits in VTB24 from 2,000,000 rubles;

The criteria for the free service must be met in the month of the passage to the business lounge. In case of non-compliance with the conditions, a commission is deducted in accordance with the amount presented to the bank for payment for these visits - about 30 US dollars for each pass to the VIP-hall.

As you can see, the two criteria for free services coincide with the criteria for free visits.

Morality

From my point of view, this time VTB24 seriously worsened the conditions by removing the alternative criterion of 750,000 rubles on savings accounts. And if before that I evaluated the receipt of a Priority Pass card through VTB24, as the best way Now, I'm not so sure anymore. At present, Sberbank's offer seems to be more attractive. Under comparable conditions for a commission for servicing a package of services and free criteria, there are no visit limits on the Priority Pass card of Sberbank, both for its holder and for the guests who accompany him.

So far, due to lack of time, I continue to use the Priority card issued by VTB24, but I follow the events and may soon change the bank, especially if events continue to develop in the same direction.

Priority Pass card renewal

In November, the validity of my card received from VTB came to an end. I did not find a more profitable alternative and adapted to the new conditions, so I decided to renew the card in the same bank. The extension went quickly and did not take much time. I called my personal manager on the phone and asked to renew the card. The application was accepted by phone and promised to be done within a few working days. Since there was no hurry, a week later I called the bank and they told me that the card was ready and was in the branch. The time to receive the card at the bank office was no more than 15 minutes. It turned out to be easy to extend or replace a card at the bank, without red tape and loss of time.

Changes from 01.04.2018 to access to business lounges with VTB Priority Pass

From April 1 (and this is not a joke), VTB is changing the conditions for Priority Pass cards that the bank issues as part of the Privilege service package.

The new terms are:

2 free passes per month - while maintaining balances on accounts and deposits from 2,000,000 rubles or paying for goods / services from 100,000 per month.

8 free passes per month - while maintaining balances on accounts and deposits from 5,000,000 rubles

The criteria for free maintenance of the Privilege service package remain the same.

Unfortunately, the trend towards worsening conditions for customers has continued and has almost reached its climax. It has become economically unfeasible to issue a Priority Pass card at VTB, since the bank offers low rates by deposits. It is more profitable to issue a card directly at the hotel or pay for the entrance to the lounge in cash.

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