Collinson’s Priyanka Lakhani on how Priority Pass is evolving from lounges into a travel experience platform
The SVP Commercial EMEA at Collinson explains why the market is maturing, how technology should remove friction rather than replace service, and what Priority Pass will look like by 2030
21 July, 2026
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Priority Pass has grown from 1,500 lounges to more than 1,900 experiences, but that number understates what’s actually shifting. The platform is no longer primarily about lounge access. It’s expanding into dining, wellness, spas, and sleep offerings, driven by a fundamental change in what premium travellers expect from their airport journey.
As card issuers tighten lounge benefits and competition intensifies from proprietary networks and issuer-built lounges, Collinson International is redefining Priority Pass as a broader marketplace of airport experiences, anchored by data, personalisation, and seamless technology. For the Gulf, a region setting the global benchmark for premium aviation, this evolution is particularly relevant.
Priyanka Lakhani, SVP Commercial EMEA at Collinson, explains why the market is maturing, how technology should remove friction rather than replace service, and what Priority Pass will look like by 2030 when the metric that matters most is relevance.
Priority Pass has grown from around 1,500 to over 1,900 lounges and experiences. What’s driving that expansion, and where is the white space?
Our expansion is being driven by continued growth in global travel and evolving traveller expectations. As comfort, convenience and flexibility become increasingly expected, we’ve expanded beyond lounges into dining, wellness and rest experiences, giving travellers and partners more relevant and differentiated options.
We see significant opportunities in high-growth regions such as the Middle East, Brazil and Asia-Pacific, where investment in airport infrastructure is accelerating. Our focus is not simply on adding more locations, but on delivering the right experiences at the right moment while creating greater value for our partners.
The vast majority of members come through bank and card partnerships. How is the B2B2C balance shifting and is direct to consumer a priority?
Our B2B2C model remains a core strength. Partnerships with banks, card issuers and loyalty programmes allow us to deliver value at scale, embedded within broader financial and lifestyle propositions that enhance the customer experience.
What we’re seeing isn’t a shift away from B2B2C, but an evolution of it. Clients increasingly want more tailored, experience-led benefits, and we support that through our flexible platform and growing portfolio of airport experiences. Direct-to-consumer also remains important, helping drive accessibility, engagement and insight into changing traveller needs. Ultimately, our focus is on creating value across the entire ecosystem for both partners and travellers.
Several card issuers have tightened lounge benefits. Does premiumisation risk devaluing the product?
We see this less as a risk and more as a sign of a maturing market. Demand for premium airport experiences continues to grow, and as it does, providers naturally evolve access models to maintain quality, consistency and long-term value.
Premiumisation isn’t simply about access; it’s about offering more choice and personalisation. That’s why we’ve expanded beyond lounges into dining, wellness and rest experiences, while also introducing offerings such as Priority Pass Private for travellers seeking greater privacy and exclusivity. Our focus is on expanding experiences and investing in solutions such as pre-booking, ensuring the airport journey remains relevant, high quality and tailored to evolving traveller expectations.
How do you view competition from other networks and issuer-built lounges?
Competition reflects the strength of demand for premium airport experiences. As travellers expect more from their airport journey, a variety of models have emerged, from proprietary lounge networks to independent platforms, each serving different needs within the broader travel ecosystem.
Our position is deliberately distinct. We operate an asset-light, partnership-led model that provides global scale, flexibility and a wide choice of experiences across markets. As the ecosystem becomes increasingly interconnected, travellers continue to expect consistency and choice throughout their journey. By bringing together a broad network of experiences, we help our partners deliver value while ensuring travellers have access to high-quality options wherever they travel.
The programme now includes lounges, dining, spas and sleep. Is it becoming a broader marketplace?
As airports evolve into more dynamic environments, travellers increasingly expect greater choice in how they spend their time, whether that’s working, dining, relaxing or recharging. That’s why we’ve expanded beyond traditional lounge access to offer a broader range of airport experiences that cater to different needs and moments in the journey.
In that sense, Priority Pass is evolving into a broader airport experiences platform. Lounges remain at the core, but they’re complemented by dining, wellness and rest experiences that give travellers more flexibility while helping our partners deliver more relevant and differentiated benefits.
What role will technology play in the next phase of growth?
Technology will play a key role in making airport journeys more seamless, efficient and personalised, but we believe it works best when it removes friction rather than replaces the human element. Travellers want experiences that are intuitive and stress-free, while still valuing service and human interaction at important moments in their journey.
A good example is our airport fast track offering, now available at 28 airports, which allows travellers to pre-book expedited security access through the Priority Pass app. Looking ahead, we see opportunities across biometrics, smarter capacity management and personalised digital experiences, creating a more connected journey where technology quietly supports the traveller.
How are traveller expectations evolving in the Gulf?
Traveller expectations in the Gulf are being shaped by the region’s ambitious investment in aviation infrastructure, which continues to raise the bar for the airport experience. Gulf travellers increasingly expect frictionless journeys, premium experiences beyond the cabin, and technology that removes effort rather than adds complexity.
We’re seeing growing demand for connected, seamless experiences, from high-quality lounges and wellness services to smarter digital solutions that improve flow through the airport. The Gulf continues to set a global benchmark for modern aviation, and many of the innovations emerging here are helping shape airport experiences around the world.
What does Priority Pass look like in 2030 and what metric matters most?
By 2030, Priority Pass will have evolved into a fully connected travel experience platform, designed around the needs of different traveller segments for seamless and intuitive airport journeys.
We are moving in this direction through continued investment in innovation, technology and personalisation. The proposition is expanding well beyond lounges to include a broader ecosystem of airport experiences, from dining and wellness to fast track and premium services, reflecting the needs of today’s travellers.
We also benefit from the wider Collinson ecosystem. Through global partnerships and the work of Airport Dimensions in developing next-generation airport spaces, we can bring new concepts to market quickly, shaped by real traveller insight.
For our partners, this creates greater opportunity to deliver compelling, tailored value propositions across every customer segment. Ultimately, the metric that matters most in 2030 is relevance. Success will be defined by how effectively Priority Pass uses data, personalisation and segmentation to deliver the right experience to the right traveller at the right moment, creating meaningful value for both travellers and our partners.
