Priority Pass Saves Our Ass!

June 7, 2025

We had survived sunburns, sea lion standoffs, and one ill-advised snorkeling trip through a current better suited to Olympic swimmers. But none of that prepared us for the final hurdle of our Galápagos adventure: the San Cristóbal airport.

Now, calling it an "airport" feels generous. It was more like a sun-drenched bus station with a runway. No shops. No restaurants. No air conditioning. No Wi-Fi. Just rows of sweating, slouching travelers packed together like forgotten luggage, all wilting under the stale ceiling fans and waiting for the same delayed flight to the mainland.

Our kids looked like they'd been exiled to purgatory. We had two granola bars left between the five of us and one rapidly dying phone with a downloaded game that none of them liked. Morale was low.

So, when a friendly airport employee suddenly called out, "Any Priority Pass members?", we nearly dislocated our shoulders raising our hands. We had signed up for Priority Pass years earlier as part of a travel credit card perk and have been using it to great effect.  But we certainly hadn’t expected it to be useful in the Galápagos.

But useful it was. 

The airport lady led us past the sweaty throngs and into a gleaming, air-conditioned lounge just steps from our gate. It was as if we’d stumbled through a wardrobe and into Narnia—if Narnia had free sandwiches, chilled juice, and working Wi-Fi. The kids scattered to charge their devices. We sat on a clean couch, drinking espresso, blinking in disbelief. We watched some of our new friends from the island tours walk by the window outside—staring in like Dickensian orphans.

That day, Priority Pass truly saved our ass.

For those unfamiliar, Priority Pass is like a golden ticket for frequent travelers. With access to over 1,500 airport lounges in 700 cities across 140 countries, it turns even the most chaotic layover into a manageable pit stop. Some lounges are modest—just a quiet room and a coffee machine. Others offer full bars, showers, nap rooms, and hot meals that make airline food look like punishment.

And in airports where chaos is the default setting (looking at you, JFK Terminal 1), a lounge can be the difference between travel burnout and travel bliss. You get space. You get snacks. You get sanity.

That moment in San Cristóbal reminded us that travel, especially with kids, is rarely glamorous. It's a long series of little crises punctuated by sunscreen, snacks, and Google Translate. But every so often, something smooths the edges, like finding an unexpected oasis in the desert.

Sometimes travel is about bucket list moments—giant tortoises, volcanic beaches, snorkeling with sea lions. And sometimes, it’s about free Wi-Fi and a mini-fridge full of Coke Zero.

Either way, when you’re roaming the world on Five Tickets, it pays to have a backup plan. Or better yet—a lounge pass.