What is Priority Pass with American Express? Guide for Kiwis

Select American Express credit cards in New Zealand offer Priority Pass access to get into airport lounges all over the world.

If you’re looking to add a little luxury into your next travel experience this guide is for you. We’ll look at how the Amex Platinum Priority Pass works, which cards get it, and how to sign up to Priority Pass with Amex once you have an eligible card. We'll also introduce to you Wise Travel Card that can help you save on international transactions with currency conversions at mid-market exchange rates.

What is Priority Pass and How Does it Work?

Priority Pass¹ is an annual membership program which offers entry to airport lounges all over the world. 1,800 airport lounges are in the network, across 600 cities worldwide, making this a simple way to get access to airport lounges before you fly, to relax, refresh and make your travel a little more luxurious.

With Amex² some credit cards are eligible for full or limited Priority Pass access, depending on the card selected. This guide looks at what you get with each card so you can pick the right one for you.

Priority Pass Membership Tiers and Fees

Priority Pass membership is offered on 3 different tiers with their own features and benefits:

• Standard: Valued at 99 USD annually, you get a discounted entry rate of 35 USD for lounge access
• Standard Plus: Valued at 329 USD annually, you get 10 free visits before paying an entry fee
• Prestige: Valued at 469 USD annually, you get unlimited free annual visits

If you join Priority Pass using an Amex Platinum card³ you’ll be signed up for the Prestige package for full access to lounges. The other benefits which are usually offered with the Prestige package, including restaurant credits, are not available if you join by this route.

The other eligible Amex cards don’t offer full access - instead with the American Express Airpoints Platinum Card and the American Express Airpoints Platinum Reserve Card you’re able to go into Priority Pass lounges twice annually.

Amex cards eligible for Priority Pass in New Zealand

The following cards offer Amex Priority Pass for New Zealand customers:

• American Express Platinum Card⁴
• American Express Airpoints Platinum Card⁵
• American Express Airpoints Platinum Reserve Card⁶

The levels of access you get - as well as the other rewards available depend on the specific card you select. We’ll unpick what each card gets as Amex Priority Pass benefits, and also a few other key fees and benefits of each, next.

American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum Card is the main card to look for if getting Amex Priority Pass lounge access is the key benefit you want from your credit card. While the other cards which offer Amex Priority Pass have limits on the number of lounge visits available, the options with the American Express Platinum Card are much more generous, including top tier Priority Pass membership and unlimited free lounge visits.

Features and perks:

• Priority Pass Prestige level membership, valued at over 400 USD/year
• Unlimited access to Priority Pass lounges
• Option to add in a supplementary card holder for this benefit
• Access to Amex Global Lounge Collection Lounges
• Travel and dining credit, as well as partner offers on travel and lifestyle
• Travel insurance, smartphone screen insurance and purchase protection included

Fees⁷:

• Annual fee: 1,250 NZD
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5% of transaction value
• Cash advance fee at overseas ATM: 5 NZD

American Express Airpoints Platinum Card

The American Express Airpoints Platinum Card lets you earn Air New Zealand Airpoints directly which can be a great perk if you fly frequently. The annual fee is fairly low, but the corresponding lounge access benefit you get is also on the low side, with only 2 Priority Pass entries annually included. You can also get 2 complimentary entries per year to The Centurion Lounge at Sydney or Melbourne International Airports if you’re flying to Australia.

Features and perks:

• 2 annual entries to Priority Pass lounges included, plus 2 entries to The Centurion Lounge at Sydney or Melbourne International Airports
• Earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every 70 NZD you spend
• Travel insurance and smartphone screen insurance included
• Discounts on Air New Zealand’s Koru membership

Fees:

• Annual fee: 195 NZD
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5% of transaction value
• Cash advance fee at overseas ATM: 5 NZD

American Express Airpoints Platinum Reserve Card

With the American Express Airpoints Platinum Reserve Card you can earn Airpoints as well as benefiting from one free domestic flight per year, making this another popular card for frequent travellers. The Priority pass access you get allows you to go to the lounge twice annually, with access to lounges including the Strata Lounge at Auckland International Airport.

Features and perks:

• 2x entries to Priority Pass lounges complimentary every year
• Other travel perks including travel insurance and discounts Koru membership
• One free domestic flight annually on any domestic direct route on the Air New Zealand flight network
• No extra fee for a complimentary cardholder, which can help you earn rewards faster

Fees:

• Annual fee: 395 NZD
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5% of transaction value
• Cash advance fee at overseas ATM: 5 NZD

How to sign up and use your Priority Pass (with your AMEX card)

How to sign up to Priority Pass with Amex depends on the specific card you have. In all cases it can take a few weeks, so do plan in advance. Here’s what to do for each card type:

**American Express Platinum Card: **Go to the American Express Platinum Card membership benefits webpage, and click Enrol Now under the lounge access section. You’ll be taken to the Amex Priority Pass Platinum sign up form⁸ which you need to complete and send back by email or mail.

It can take 4-6 weeks from enrolment to receive your Priority Pass card and membership package.

American Express Airpoints Platinum Card and American Express Airpoints Platinum Reserve Card: For the other eligible cards you can navigate to the relevant card’s website page and look for the Lounge Access section. Here you’ll see an Enrol Now button which you can click, to be taken to the account log in page. Log into your account and follow the prompts to sign up.

After enrolling, your physical membership card, membership number and online PIN will be sent to you within 2-4 weeks.

Summary

Using Amex Priority Pass can be a convenient way to get lounge access, giving you somewhere to relax before your next trip for business or leisure. Different Amex cards have their own Priority Pass benefits, with the American Express Platinum Card as the best way to unlock this benefit.

Bear in mind that costs apply here - including a high annual fee, and overseas fees when you spend or make cash withdrawals abroad. Weigh up the benefits of the card against the unavoidable fees to decide if it’s the right option for your unique needs.

Heading abroad? Bring along the Wise card to save on foreign transaction fees

While getting lounge access with your AMEX card can be a great perk, spending internationally often comes with hidden costs like high foreign transaction fees and poor exchange rates. The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 8x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up NZD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in NZD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

🚀 Get your Wise card

1. Priority Pass
2. Priority Pass Amex
3. Amex NZ - Priority Pass
4. American Express Platinum Card
5. American Express Airpoints Platinum Card
6. American Express Airpoints Platinum Reserve Card
7. Amex NZ fees
8. Amex Priority Pass Platinum sign up form