BY Sarmind SafiOct 6, 2023

Are you thinking of getting a Priority Pass? Does lounging at the airport, with good food, good drinks, some rest, and luxurious amenities tickle your fancy?  Well, I have been a Priority Pass member for more than two years. And before you test the waters of a Priority Pass, hear me out on some of the best and worst airport lounges that I have been to around the world. You are bound to benefit greatly from my experience with the airport lounge membership network. How To Avail A Priority Pass? Image Source With the Priority Pass, my experience, on average, has been good. I am a sucker for access to the airport lounges while I travel around the world, although some are comparatively better than others. Some of the airport lounges I have had the pleasure of visiting are in Atlanta, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Istanbul, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Madrid, Hong Kong, and Paris. The priority pass gives you access to electricity, free food, beverages, and drinks. Priority Pass does charge for drinks in certain lounges. What gives these lounges their allure is their additional benefits that go beyond lounging. For instance, in Atlanta, you can book one of their “Minute Suites”-- a private room where you can take a nap or work in privacy. There are some restaurants where you receive a credit of about $30 towards food and drinks, like the Corona Beach House in Miami International Airport. This lounging network is constantly adding new lounges to its membership fleet. I keep getting emails every other week with a list of their new additions. If you don't find your local airport, keep checking in because it could get added anytime. Priority Pass Restaurant, Spa, And Suite Deals There are some airports that do not have a Priority Pass lounge, but it offers vouchers and discounts for certain restaurants. Bobby Van’s Steakhouse at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Corona Beach House at The Miami International Airport are examples of such. If you want to redeem a voucher or credit, talk to the server before placing an order. Some restaurants will ask upfront, whereas others will ask for the Priority Pass membership card once it's time to pay the bill. These passes also have partnerships with airport spas, which could be free or discounted. Their apps will give you all the information you require to know about their services, treatments, and hours of availability. How To Avoid Lounge Crowds? Image Source Are priority pass lounges usually crowded? This is one of the most asked questions by travelers looking to get one of these memberships. Priority Pass lounges tend to limit entry during specific crowded hours. Sometimes, the lounge might be very full when you do get an entrance. One of the downsides of this membership is you do not have much control over when you get to visit the lounge because the visit depends on the time of your flight. All you can do is predict the crowd based on the departure schedules around the time of your visit. For instance, many hub airports in the US have international red-eye flights. Usually, the lounges get a thick crowd in the evenings in those parts of the airport. Sometimes, due to the crowd, you may have to put your name on a waiting list or simply get turned away. Priority Pass Airport Lounges Image Source Here are some of the Priority Pass Lounges I have visited that you would want to know before you invest in a membership or visit the particular airports. SkyTeam Lounge International Departures At Vancouver International Image Source Location: International Terminal, near gate 53 Opening Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily This one is an intimate, 5,600-square-foot lounge that is open to Priority Pass members who are flying internationally. They serve business and first-class passengers of SkyTeam airlines such as Air France, KLM, and Korean Air. The international rule, however, exempts travelers flying to the United States. The venue is sleek, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and minimalist interiors. The food and drinks here are locally inspired, including freshly caught Pacific salmon, dumplings, and noodle soup. The best part is the free-flowing Pacific Northwest wines that are available at the self-service bar. They also serve beers from Vancouver’s various microbreweries. Las Vegas This one is probably the last one that you should visit. It is as small as its food supply. I found them offering apples, bananas, chips, and ramen. Ramen noodles, though, were what surprised me the most. It's a lucky coincidence that I do not take flights through Vegas too often. IGA Lounge At Istanbul International Image Source Location: International Terminal, on the mezzanine floor on the right-hand side Opening Hours: 24 hours daily Istanbul is not a pinchpenny when it comes to its lounge size. When you are flying business via Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance partners, the vast 60,000-square-foot business-class lounge will treat you like royalty. This lounge takes up the entire upper level of the main foyer. If you are flying economy or non-Star Alliance international flights, you will be more than happy to relax in the 48,000-square-foot IGA Lounge located in the International Terminal. You will find on this floor amenities like a pool table, a cinema room, a kid's playroom, and a quiet room with sleeping pods. It obviously houses a cocktail bar, supersized food spreads, and lots of seating options. Chase Sapphire Lounge By The Club At Boston Logan International Image Source Location: Terminal B to C Connector, between gates B40 and B39 Opening Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily This lounge is open to the public since May 2023. This is the first Chase Sapphire lounge to be opened in the United States. It is packed with amenities, spacious with an area comprising 11,640 square feet. It is teeming with design-driven nooks for preflight relaxation and layover rejuvenation. Located in Boston, Logan’s newly opened Terminal B and C Connector. The central bar anchors its midcentury modernist-inspired area with many dining areas. They feature self-service, as well as service via the Club’s app. Its cuisine is supervised by Chef Douglass Williams, who owns the forever favorite restaurant of Boston’s South End, Mida. There are two wellness rooms with antigravity massage chairs, a private nursing room, and two dual-head shower rooms when you move deeper into the lounge. Dulles Airport, Washington DC: Air France Lounge This lounge is great overall. It does get busy, but it makes up for it with its French food and drinks that make it all too worth visiting. I visited this lounge before one of my Paris flights, and the lounge was positioned just across my departure gate. The convenience of it won me over. It was probably one of my best flying experiences. They also offered me one of those French Michel et Augustin chocolates. Turkish Airlines Lounge At Washington Dulles International Image Source Location: International Terminal, Concourse B, near gate B43 Opening hours: 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily This lounge kind of eases the otherwise rough experience of flying out of Washington Dulles in comparison to the centrally located DCA. The layover, too, is long and exhausting. But it is one of those experiences you still look forward to because of its delicious food options. If you visit them, you must try their mezze with pita. They also have a speedy bar service and a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the tarmac. With Dulle’s airside connectivity, it is also accessible to travelers moving from other concourses by train or walkway. Turkish Airlines Lounge At Miami International Image Source Location: South Terminal Concourse H; take the elevator located midway between Concourses H and J to the third floor. The lounge is on the left. Opening hours: 4 a.m. to midnight daily It is one of the two Turkish Airlines Lounges that is accessible to Priority Pass members at the Miami airport, but the other one, located in the Central Terminal, is pretty basic and disappointing. The amenities available in the 10,000-square-foot lounge comprise a full-service bar, a buffet with hot and cold items, two shower suites, a kid's area, and seating spaces to accommodate both single and group travelers. The lounge is also used by business and first-class passengers of all the Star Alliance flights that depart from the terminal. Priority Pass users are asked to arrive earlier, packing some patience in order to enjoy the services this lounge has to offer. It gets periodically restricted in case of overcrowding. Barajas Airport, Madrid: Cibeles Lounge Image Source I have come to love this lounge. It is highly spacious, with three of its walls made of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. A long bar in the middle of the lounge offers all kinds of snacks for you to enjoy. I had to visit the lounge for a morning flight, and it got me a nice little breakfast to go. There are lots of seating arrangements and electrical outlets to work if you have spare time. Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta – Club At ATL This could easily be your favorite lounge, given its high comfortability. It does get busy, but the lounge is expansive and has a delicious selection of food and snackables to enjoy. I have been here for various layovers as well as visits to Atlanta. They have a solid coffee machine paired with the fanciest newspapers and magazines you could think of. There are quite a few bars where the bartender will likely make you a curated mix or just simply pour you a glass of wine. Despite the crowd, you can manage to squeeze in some work while you are here. Chase Sapphire Lounge By The Club At Hong Kong International Image Source Location: Terminal 1 West Hall, near gate 40 Opening hours: 6 a.m. to midnight daily Chase opened its first branded lounge in October 2022 at the Hong Kong International Airport. This Airport boasts the world’s best lounges, including many top-tier Cathay Pacific lounges and the notable American Express Centurion Lounge. Although Chase does not offer what Cathay Pacific and AmEx offer, it is the best option accessible through Priority Pass, and it does not fall short of its reputation. The 12,000-square-foot Chase Sapphire Lounge is a mix of a huge dining area and small nooks, including a beautiful triangular bar, booths, and a relaxation zone. There are dim sums available all day, complemented by a range of Chinese dishes (it includes congee) and international cuisine. You can self-serve or order via the Club’s app. This lounge is available to both Priority Pass holders and non-Reserve Priority Pass members through the Chase Sapphire Reserve. The regular membership rules apply. Star Alliance Lounge At Paris Charles de Gaulle Image Source Location: Terminal 1, after passport control but before security on level 11 Opening hours: 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (though hours vary according to flight schedules) Assuming you spent your life’s worth of money in Paris, this lounge is where you can have some premium drinks, light snacks, and pre-flight relaxation without any charges. If the low ceilings make you feel out of breath, head to the outdoor terrace for some fresh air. This is also where others go for a smoke break. The lounge is placed after passport control and before security check-in. This is where most Star Alliance flights depart. If you are flying some of the flights that depart from terminal 2, like Air France or American Airlines, you won’t be able to visit this lounge because the terminals are not connected airside. Can You Use Priority Pass On Arrival? Image Source In most cases, the answer is no. A boarding pass is required when you enter the lounge, which is only possible for outbound travelers. You can not expect to head into a lounge after a long flight. The whole idea is to get travelers some rest before the long haul of a flight. So, the benefit is given to those who have a pending flight rather than those who got off one. Forget about a priority pass on arrival. They expect you to go home after a flight! Wrapping Up A Priority Pass makes your travel a little less exhausting with all the lounges you can avail of at your terminal. All you have to do is show them your digital card on the app and the boarding pass. They allow you in within minutes. In case they want to check you in with the physical membership card, keep the card on you. They usually do not make such a fuss, but if they do, having the card comes in handy. Is it worth it? Well, the $500 price tag is definitely too high, and I could honestly live with saving some bills on that. But I do enjoy being treated to good food and exclusive service at airports amid the uncomfortable hassle of long flights. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask “on are priority pass lounges usually crowded” please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Read Also: Airwander: Should You Try This Platform For Booking Your Travel? Condor Airlines: Is Booking Tickets On Condor Worth It? Is Skyscanner Legit? Know Your Answer Here! This Is My Experience With Play Airlines!

BY Abdul Aziz MondalJan 5, 2023

Review #1 I paid cash for my $100 incidental payment. And stayed there for one night from October 13 to October 14. I never write reviews like this, but what the black women with big bodies who worked on 10/14/22 did was basically theft. I told the night lady that my room smelled like smoke, and she told me that most rooms smell like smoke and it's fine. When I checked out, the morning clerk told me she wouldn't return my cash deposit because the room smelled like smoke. I told her I don't smoke and what the night lady said, but she was rude and didn't care about what I had to say. Heard that if you pay cash as a deposit, they will make up reasons to keep it and share it with the people who clean the room. They did not make me sign anything saying they were keeping my $100. I'll talk to corporate about this because I've been traveling for work for 9 years and never had a problem like this. The woman at the front desk basically stole my deposit, and I might have to go to court over this. I'll do just that. Check out the people who pay cash for a deposit. Heard that the black woman who worked at the front desk on 10/14/22 had been accused of the same thing many times before. When you make $10 to $14 an hour, I'm sure that stealing that $100 deposit helps you pay your bills. Review #2 The folks at the Motel 6 down the street gave me a recommendation to park at Quality since they said it was the safest overnight option in town because to the plenty of lighting and frequent police patrols. The check-in process was lengthy due to the slowness of the desk staff. Another visitor convinced me to call in for the lowest rate, but I was stuck listening to a vacation package sales pitch from an extremely persistent agent for what felt like 30 minutes. In the end, I decided that the points weren't worth the discomfort, but I did it for the experience. It left me pretty irritated by the end, and it still does to this day. Not even after all that effort did I get a better rate! After I checked in, I noticed how well-kept the room was (kudos to Natasha at reception for her attention to detail). The cleanliness of the tub was unparalleled; it appeared to be brand new. However, the bottle's stopper was missing, rendering it useless. In addition, the room was unexpectedly roomy. It seemed like the only negative aspect was an old chair sitting at the desk. When I showed up early for a free breakfast, I was told that it was grab-and-go only and that they didn't actually start serving breakfast until Friday. The convenient snack pack included a blueberry muffin, a yogurt cup, and a croissant sandwich made with sausage, eggs, and cheese that had previously been frozen. Although one of the treadmills in the exercise room was broken, the facility was otherwise adequate. Unfortunately, once I had settled into my room, I read some quite unsettling comments about the hotel online. Except for a slightly off-putting hallway odor and some dubious carpet stains, I couldn't find any physical manifestations of the issues highlighted in the previous complaints. The reports of bedbugs were the most alarming. Thankfully, my thorough search turned up no evidence of such odors, but hearing about them from other guests tainted my overall impression of the hotel. Additional: Which Is The Largest Freshwater Lake In India? India’s New Airline, Akasa Airs, Is Set To Pets In Cabin And Cargo Best Places For Highest Bungee Jumping In India – Adventure Guide

BY Ankita TripathyMar 2, 2024

Outdoor events play a unique role in our lives as they allow us to feel the presence of nature. Besides, they help enjoy scenic backdrops and create meaningful moments, which in turn stay in our memories forever. It does not matter whether it is a wedding, corporate event, or family event. The outcome of outdoor experiences depends on the creation of a specific and unforgettable experience by the attendees.  It is here that the role of customization hits the mark perfectly, giving organizers a chance to adjust everything about the event to match their vision and brand. For example, the E-Z UP tent that is custom is a tailor-made solution, which is great because of its versatility, branding options, and practicality for enhancing outdoor events. Elevating Outdoor Experiences Using E-Z UP Tents! Here are all the ways E-Z UP tents can help elevate your outdoor events: 1. We Turn Spaces into Experiences by using Custom E-Z UP Tents The core aspect of any outdoor event is the need for shelter and protection from the elements. E-Z UP custom tents are a multipurpose approach that allows organizers to turn an outdoor premise into a usable and visually attractive space. The tents can be tailored in a different number of sizes, shapes, and conversions are available.  Therefore they can meet the event requirements on any layout. 2. Brand Visibility and Recognition Creation at Height. There is no denying that branding is a powerful tool to help organizations succeed in outdoor events. E-Z UP custom tents act as an efficient marketing tool that allows organizers to make their brands visibility by clearly having their logo, slogans, and colors on the tent canopies and walls. With this increased level of brand visibility, which goes beyond the reach of event attendees, company image and brand messages gain more credibility. 3. Building Brand Experience as a seamless one. Consistency has the potential to create a flawless brand experience at all touch points, including outside festivals. E-Z UP tents allow organizers to link all the branding elements of their event, such as marketing materials, signage, and promotional items, together to create a brand environment with a coherent look. A hospitality tent gives a great outdoor experiences for all occasions, including a corporate event, product launch, or trade show booth, to enhance and communicate brand messaging. 4. Enhancing Guest Comfort and Engagement Branding is not the only thing that an E-Z UP custom canopy does for people invited to an outdoor event but it also helps their comfort and engagement. The climate here is the real challenge as tents need shelter from the sun, wind, and rain, and with these tents, we have created cozy spaces where the guests can relax, socialize, and participate in the event activities. Additional branding or informational content can be indicated through sidewalls that can be customized which also supports privacy and airflow control. 5. Customizing Solutions as Per Even Needs One of the many strong points of the E-Z Up custom tents is the fact that they can be adjusted and matched to certain event needs and goals. Depending on what is required, VIP lounges, registration areas, vendor booths, and hospitality suites will all come in useful for event organizers. These configurations of outdoor experiences are flexible, and they allow event organizers to turn their ideas into reality. In terms of small get-togethers and big shows, custom tents can easily be modified to provide for the exclusive needs of any outdoor parties. Other Ways To Elevate Your Outdoor Experiences Using the E-Z UP tent is a great idea when planning a grand or small gathering. How it helps elevate the experience is well understood with the information so far. We'll look at all the other ways you can upgrade your outdoor experience:  1. Have a plan of how you want the event to look.  Having a plan helps you decide the activities that will suit your guests. For example, if the outdoor event is of the formal kind, you can rely on decorating the venue with a traditional touch. On the contrary, if the outdoor event is for a birthday party, you can add many activities!  2. Choose the right venue.  This goes hand-in-hand with the first tip. When you have the event requirements in mind, you are more likely to choose the venue easily. The proper venue makes all the difference, helping to elevate experiences further. A corporate event in a lavish location is sure to distract people from the main agenda. However, it will be much more impactful when the exact location is chosen for a corporate lunch or to celebrate a milestone. Thus, choosing the right venue makes all the difference, especially in outdoor events. Some examples of perfect venues for your event needs:  Countryside venue  Park or field Sports club Beach Arena or stadium  Depending on the requirements, any of the abovementioned venues can be an excellent pick for your event.  3. Select the perfect theme.  Now that there's a proper plan in place, this is the perfect time to select the theme that will welcome your guests. A theme elevates the outdoor event from a boring one to an exciting one. The theme of your event will make the experience all the more exciting and give you ideas to decorate the space accordingly. There are hundreds of themes one can choose for their outdoor event. If you have yet to gain prior experience, getting help from an event planner can be helpful.  4. Check for accessibility.  This is a great tip when choosing the venue for your outdoor event. The venue should be easy to reach for everyone on your guest list. If your guests cannot attend the event, all your planning can drain. This also includes checking the venue for wheelchair accessibility, such as having a ramp and pathways with gentle sloping. Parking spots for differently-abled people, along with the presence of food stations that are at a good height for all attendees.  A first aid station is also essential for outdoor events for safety purposes, as the event's nature and location can lead to a medical emergency.  Bonus tips for your outdoor event:  Live performance. A versatile activity that can fit into any outdoor event, live performance can keep your audience engaged. Book an artist or a band, and change the vibe of your event.  Photo booths. These act as a nice souvenir that your guests can take home. Photo booths let your event be immortalized in everyone's memories.  Food and beverage tastings. This is another fun idea that has elevated so many events from being a buzzkill. You should choose the food and beverage per the guest list, making it age-appropriate. Or, you can also mix it up and make each activity for two different age groups - it all depends on your audience.  Conclusion Customization is a mainstay in rendering a great impact and making events successful. Custom E-Z UP tents provide organizers with a highly flexible and functional tool to turn outdoor venues into vibrant event scenes, showcase branding and message to the audience, create a unique brand experience, and make the guest experience more engaging. Through the use of their capability to be tailored to the particular needs and objectives of an event, custom tents offer an opportunity for the organizer to develop a noteworthy and unforgettable outdoor experience that will make a powerful impact on participants. Whether it is a corporate event, wedding, festival, or trade show it is highlighted by a virtue of customization in the world of outdoor events. More Resources: A Step-By-Step Guide To Find The Best Places To Live In Utah For Every Lifestyle 9 Exciting Things To Do In Pigeon Forge Best 9 Things To Do In El Paso!