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Daily Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Daily Telegraph
What is a Priority Pass for lounge access at the airport and is it worth it?
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Rip off or the real deal? I'm travelling to Europe in a few months and don't have lounge access or status. I'd like to get into a lounge for my trip. Is Priority Pass worth it? If you're going to spend a bit of time in airports over a 12 month period, but don't have a ticket or status that gets you into a lounge, Priority Pass can be a good option. Even if you're only travelling a few times in a year, it can make sense if lounge access is non-negotiable for you. Let's break it down. What is Priority Pass? It's your ticket to 1,700 lounges in 600 cities and 145 countries including Australia. The program works as an annual membership which grants you lounge access over a 12-month period. Most Priority Pass lounges offer drinks, snacks, free Wi-Fi and somewhere comfortable to sit. Some offer hot buffets, complimentary spa services and even the ability to fast-track you through the immigration queue. If an airport doesn't have a lounge or you feel like something different, Priority Pass offers a $36 food and drink credit at selected restaurants and bars. For example, if you're killing time in Melbourne's domestic airport, you can have a pint at the Stomping Ground Brewery and Beer Hall, or pop into Luke Magnan's Luke's Bistro & Bar at Terminal 2 in Sydney. Lounge access can be a godsend during airport delays. How much does it cost? There are three membership tiers starting at US$99 ($154) all the way up to US$469 ($730). For the standard membership tier, every time you go into a lounge, you'll pay US$35 ($54) and an additional US$35 for a guest. As the tiers progress, you have more freebies into terms of member visits. Membership to Priority Pass can go on sale on occasion so sign up to the newsletter to stay in the loop. For those holding premium credit cards, Priority Pass often comes bundled as a benefit, which can offset the cost entirely. Cards like the American Express Platinum, Westpac Altitude Rewards Black or Amplify Signature offer complimentary Priority Pass membership. Certain credit cards include Priority One access. Cons It isn't without drawbacks. For one, not all lounges are created equal. Some are small and may have limited amenities or space, particularly during peak hours. Another issue is access restrictions. Even as a member, you might be turned away from a lounge that is at capacity. This can be frustrating particularly if you planned to rely on the lounge for a meal or to rest. If your travel is infrequent, the annual fee might not be justified. For casual travellers, the pay-per-visit costs may outweigh the benefits unless each trip is lengthy or includes significant wait times. Pros One of the biggest draws of Priority Pass is its global reach. Whether you're flying out of Sydney or transiting through Singapore, chances are there's a participating lounge nearby. For frequent international travellers, particularly business travellers or those with long layovers, this access can be a game-changer. It's all so much more civilised in the airport lounge. Is it worth it? Priority Pass can be a smart investment for those who travel often, especially internationally. The peace, comfort and convenience it offers can significantly improve the travel airport lounges internationally will generally cost more than a membership, Priority Pass offers a solid alternative. If your credit card includes it for free, it's a no-brainer. If you're paying out of pocket, assess how often you're planning to travel and whether you need lounge access on your trips. Ultimately, it comes down to your needs, budget and travel style. Have a question about points? Drop Sabine an email at escape@ Personal replies are unfortunately not possible. Originally published as What is a Priority Pass for lounge access at airports and is it worth it?
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Stomper calls out long list of people who assume, judge and comment 'without reading'
Stomper calls out long list of people who assume, judge and comment 'without reading' Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. Are we too quick to judge and overly entitled? Stomper Anonymous thinks this is an increasingly prevalent culture - and one that needs to change. He penned the following essay: The Death of Reading Comprehension: The Rise of Thoughtless Reactions Why do people comment without reading? Why do so many netizens jump to conclusions or offer loud opinions, without reading past the first line, let alone understanding the full context? Online platforms are flooded with reactions that stem from assumptions, not comprehension. It's no longer about engagement. It's about instant judgment. But this phenomenon isn't limited to the digital world. In the real world, too, people seem to have lost the habit of paying attention to simple instructions, rules, or basic social cues. If rules aren't strictly enforced, people ignore them. If rules are enforced, people pretend not to know. Either way, accountability fades, and the burden falls on others to clean up the mess. Just look at these everyday examples that have become all too common: - Drivers making sudden turns without signalling, assuming everyone else should magically anticipate their moves. - Pedestrians stepping onto roads without checking traffic, ignoring traffic lights, or failing to make eye contact with drivers, risking their own lives out of sheer carelessness. - People booking parking lots by standing in them and preventing other drivers from entering. - Clinic staff being pressured to allow last-minute walk-ins even after the doctor has already left, with some patients acting as if opening hours don't apply to them. - Some netizens may be tech-savvy, but they still rely on staff assistance when it comes to queuing at the polyclinic. - Doctors being asked how to apply lotion, something already printed on the packaging, because some caregivers don't want to read or even try first. - Nurses being expected to spoon-feed patients who are fully capable, because family members either assume it's someone else's job or can't be bothered to assess the situation. - Flight attendants being dragged into petty disputes over reclining seats, despite policies being clearly stated during briefings and in booking terms. - Hawker centre patrons demanding extra utensils, condiments, or side dishes without any willingness to pay extra, treating service like an obligation, not a transaction. - Basins choked with tissue paper when litter bins are just beside them. - Taxi drivers getting scammed by passengers who sneak off without paying, with little to no consequences, because honesty is increasingly treated as optional. - People cutting the queue at taxi stands by forcing their way in. - Private-hire vehicle (PHV) drivers repeatedly reminding passengers to wear seatbelts or not to dictate routes, especially when fares are fixed and GPS routes are platform-assigned. - Passengers not being present at pick-up points even when 'No Waiting, No Parking' signs are displayed. - Parents fetching their children from school daily. Why are they so free? Are they public servants taking time off every day? - Public transport users ignoring signs like 'No eating or drinking' that are right in front of them, acting as though the rules don't apply to them personally. - People ordering food delivery online without providing full addresses. - Online scammers continuing to exploit people with fake payment screenshots and delivery frauds; and despite countless warnings, many still fall for the same old tricks. - Some individuals hold casual meetings or engage in play at libraries simply because they are air-conditioned, prompting staff to remind them to maintain silence. - People attending bogus job interviews just to fulfil quotas, enabling employers to fix their choice of hires. - Workplace and social bullying going unchecked, including discriminatory treatment in schools, embassies, hotels, queues, and public transport, often based on one's nationality or perceived status. - Companies fabricating sales into losses to pay less corporate tax, yet inventory losses are not taxed. So, what is really going on? Is it laziness? A growing culture of entitlement? Or has society simply conditioned people to skim, react, and expect others to clean up after their lack of attention? Somewhere along the line, reading became optional, listening became secondary, and responsibility became negotiable. We now live in a time where: - Reading is a chore. - Instructions are 'suggestions'. - Thinking before reacting is almost extinct. The consequences of this shift are far-reaching, affecting everything from public safety to customer service, from digital literacy to real-world empathy. Until we start valuing awareness over assumption, and understanding over outrage, we'll continue down this path of careless entitlement, where reacting replaces reasoning, and nobody wants to be held accountable for what they choose to ignore. There are many possible solutions. One of them is for members of the public to intervene and stop the act, rather than recording videos and posting them on social media. Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on: Share this article Show Comments
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
More hawker stalls and shops rejecting 5-cent coins: Is it time to phase them out?
More hawker stalls and shops rejecting 5-cent coins: Is it time to phase them out? Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. Have your 5-cent coins been rejected before? Stomper Madam Sim certainly has. She told Stomp that more and more hawker stalls and mom-and-pop shops are now rejecting 5-cent coins, with notices displayed at payment counters. "Businesses have the discretion to decide how they wish to receive payments," she acknowledged, "but they must provide a display notice before people make purchases." She shared a photo of one such notice, reflecting a growing trend in Singapore as small-denomination coin usage declines. "Just like the 1-cent coin that was discontinued, the 5-cent denomination is also on the way out," said Madam Sim. "The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) should consider stopping the minting of 5-cent coins, otherwise, it may cost more to produce than their actual face value." "This also reduces carbon emissions in minting such small coins. "We should stop producing 5-cent coins and allow the existing circulation to run out. "MAS should do a review of the actual decline. "If it is in decline, this should be the opportunity for us to look and see what the next 10 years will look like minting this coin on cost and emissions. "By any measure, getting rid of coins that now cost more to make than they are worth would be a logical step. "This can also ease the supply chain for brass-plated metal used to mint such coins." According to her, the shift towards digital and cashless payments is another reason for change. "While it is still feasible to pay in cents digitally, physical small-value coins are time-consuming to count and deposit," the Stomper said. "Merchants refuse them primarily because they're annoying to handle. "The only places that still accept them are some self-checkout machines at supermarkets -- and even those are going cashless." Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on: Share this article Show Comments
