If you happen to maintain a premium Canadian bank card, there is a good likelihood you have already got entry to an airport lounge program. The query is: which one, and does it matter?
The 2 greatest lounge networks out there to Canadian cardholders are Precedence Go and the Visa Airport Companion Program (powered by DragonPass). I’ve used each extensively, and whereas they share numerous the identical lounges, they don’t seem to be similar.
With modifications coming to Amex Platinum lounge entry in 2027, I wished to dig into what truly separates these two packages – and whether or not Precedence Go nonetheless justifies its premium.
What Is Precedence Go?
Precedence Go is the world’s largest unbiased airport lounge community, with 1,500+ lounges throughout 140+ nations. It has been round since 1992 and is operated by the Collinson Group.
In Canada, Precedence Go is solely out there by means of American Categorical-branded playing cards. You possibly can’t get it from a Visa or Mastercard. The three Canadian playing cards that embrace Precedence Go are:
Past conventional lounges, Precedence Go additionally consists of airport eating places (with a eating credit score), sleep pods, and spa providers at choose places.
It is price noting that restaurant credit will not be out there for Amex-issued Precedence Go memberships – they have been eliminated again in August 2019. This perk is simply out there by means of choose non-Amex issuers within the US, and even there the profit has been shrinking.
What Is the Visa Airport Companion Program?
The Visa Airport Companion Program is powered by DragonPass, a separate lounge community with 1,300+ lounges worldwide. It is the lounge program that comes bundled with many Visa Infinite and Visa Infinite Privilege bank cards in Canada.
Not like the limitless entry that comes with the Amex Platinum, the Visa Airport Companion Program offers a set variety of complimentary visits per 12 months, relying on the cardboard. Further visits or visitors will be bought at roughly $35 USD per individual.
Listed below are a number of the Canadian playing cards that embrace Visa Airport Companion Program entry:
Here is the factor: many Canadian travellers already maintain one among these playing cards for on a regular basis spending or Aeroplan incomes. Which means they’ve lounge entry inbuilt with out even understanding it.
How Do the Two Networks Examine?
On the floor, Precedence Go and DragonPass look fairly comparable. They’re each international lounge networks, they share lots of the identical companion lounges, and the per-visit value for added entries is about the identical (~$35 USD).
There are, nevertheless, some significant variations price unpacking.
Community Dimension and Regional Strengths
Precedence Go has the bigger general footprint at 1,600+ lounges in comparison with DragonPass at 1,300+. The hole is not uniform, although – it varies dramatically by area.
In Europe, Precedence Go has a commanding lead with roughly 370 lounges versus 225 for DragonPass. In North America, it is a comparable story: 150 versus 109.
Within the Asia Pacific area, nevertheless, DragonPass truly matches or barely exceeds Precedence Go – round 444 lounges in comparison with 440.
That regional break up issues. If you happen to’re largely flying inside Asia, DragonPass is each bit as succesful as Precedence Go.
If you happen to’re connecting by means of European or US airports, Precedence Go provides meaningfully extra choices.
Airport-by-Airport: The place Every Community Wins
I dug into particular airports to see the place the 2 networks diverge. Essentially the most telling variations aren’t about which community has extra lounges – it is the airports the place one community has entry and the opposite has nothing in any respect.
| Airport | Precedence Go | DragonPass |
|---|---|---|
| Miami (MIA) | AV/TAP VIP Lounge, Turkish Airways Lounge | No lounge choices |
| Lima (LIM) | The Membership LIM | No lounge choices |
| Jeju (CJU) | Korean Air Lounge, Asiana Lounge | No lounge choices |
| Aruba (AUA) | Worldwide VIP Lounge (Gate 2 and Gate 8) | No lounge choices |
| Mexico Metropolis (MEX) | 6 lounges together with The Grand Lounge Elite | No lounge choices |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | No lounge choices | Escape Lounge |
| Kaohsiung (KHH) | No lounge choices | Southern Premium Lounge |
Miami (MIA) is an particularly notable hole – it is one of many busiest worldwide airports within the US, and DragonPass merely cannot get you right into a lounge there. Mexico Metropolis (MEX) is one other huge one, with 6 Precedence Go lounges and nil for DragonPass.
On the flip facet, DragonPass picks up area of interest airports like Kaohsiung (KHH) in southern Taiwan that Precedence Go misses fully.
At airports the place each networks have protection, Precedence Go typically has the sting in Europe and the US (due to The Membership lounges at 18+ US places). DragonPass tends to be stronger throughout East and Southeast Asia.
At most main hubs – London Heathrow (LHR), Frankfurt (FRA), Bangkok (BKK), Sydney (SYD), and plenty of others – the 2 networks overlap nearly fully.
Take into account that lounge community agreements change steadily – lounges be a part of and depart each packages all year long. At all times test the Precedence Go or DragonPass app earlier than you journey to substantiate which lounges are presently out there at your departure airport.
Canadian Airport Protection
Curiously, DragonPass is sort of aggressive at Canadian airports. Because of partnerships between Visa and main Canadian banks, the DragonPass community has stable protection at airports like Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR), Montreal (YUL), and Calgary (YYC).
For travellers who primarily lounge at Canadian airports earlier than home or transborder flights, the Visa Airport Companion Program could cowl most of your wants.
Entry Mannequin
That is the place the most important sensible distinction lies. Precedence Go by way of the Amex Platinum offers limitless visits (no less than till the top of 2026). The Visa Airport Companion Program offers a capped variety of visits – sometimes 4–10 per 12 months, relying on the cardboard.
For frequent travellers who go to lounges 15–20+ instances per 12 months, Precedence Go is the clear winner on quantity. For infrequent travellers who lounge 4–6 instances per 12 months, the Visa Airport Companion Program’s included visits could also be greater than sufficient.
The 2027 Amex Platinum Modifications
Beginning in 2027, American Categorical Platinum Card holders will not take pleasure in limitless Precedence Go and Plaza Premium entry by default. As an alternative, cardholders will obtain 6 Precedence Go visits and 6 Plaza Premium visits per 12 months (12 whole) except they spend $20,000 CAD per 12 months on the cardboard to unlock limitless entry.
We have lined the complete particulars in our breakdown of the 2027 Amex Platinum lounge modifications.
That is the place the airport comparability above turns into particularly related. If you happen to’re a frequent traveller to airports like Miami (MIA) or Mexico Metropolis (MEX) – the place Precedence Go is your solely lounge possibility – these 6 visits grow to be much more treasured, and sustaining Precedence Go entry issues extra. For travellers who frequent airports the place each networks overlap, the Visa Airport Companion Program can fill the hole properly.
The Ideally suited Technique
For Canadian travellers who need complete lounge protection, the perfect mixture has historically been an Amex Platinum (for limitless Precedence Go) paired with any Visa Infinite Privilege card (for DragonPass). Collectively, these two networks cowl nearly each airport lounge out there to bank card holders.
Publish-2027, the calculus modifications. If you happen to’re not hitting $20,000 in Amex Platinum spend, a Visa Infinite Privilege card with 6–10 DragonPass visits could also be all of the lounge entry you want.
You may as well complement with different entry strategies like Maple Leaf Lounge entry by means of the Aeroplan Reserve Card, or Aeroplan Elite Standing.
Precedence Go stays the extra expansive community, nevertheless it’s not “free” in the best way it was once. For a lot of Canadian travellers, the Visa Airport Companion Program could possibly be the smarter play going ahead – particularly when it is already bundled with a card that serves as your main on a regular basis earner.
Conclusion
Precedence Go and the Visa Airport Companion Program share numerous DNA, however they don’t seem to be interchangeable. Precedence Go wins on general measurement and has a transparent edge in Europe and the US, whereas the Visa Airport Companion Program truly matches or beats it in Asia – and comes included with many playing cards Canadians already carry.
If you happen to’re a frequent traveller to airports like Miami (MIA) or Mexico Metropolis (MEX) the place Precedence Go is the one lounge possibility, protecting that entry issues. In case your travels lean extra towards Asia or airports the place each networks overlap, the Visa Airport Companion Program by means of a card you already maintain could possibly be all you want.
With the 2027 Amex Platinum modifications on the horizon, now could be the time to audit your present card advantages. You is perhaps shocked to search out that the lounge entry you want is already in your pockets – no $799 annual price required.
For a deeper dive into lounge entry methods, take a look at our information on Canada’s Finest Credit score Playing cards for Lounge Entry and our overview of how lounge entry works on the Amex Platinum playing cards.
