Update 4/28/20: Capers Market has returned to Priority Pass. Hat tip to MtM
Update 4/16/19: Priority Pass twitter as originally saying that Capers Cafe was leaving the program as well. It looks like they were confusing this with Capers Market, as they are now saying the Cafe is staying and it still appears on the website. Hat tip to MtM
Update 4/15/19: And now Capers Cafe has also left the program.
Sometime today Capers Market found in Concourse D of PDX has left the priority pass program. It no longer shows as a valid option on the Priority Pass website and Miles to Memories has also reported that signs are up saying they have left the program. Capers Cafe Le Bar in Concourse C is still part of the Priority Pass program at this stage. Both restaurants joined Priority Pass in August of 2017. In February of 2018 new restrictions were added for Capers Market saying that bottle sales and merchandise were restricted from the $28 benefit.
Restaurants leaving the Priority Pass program seems to be a growing problem. It’s not clear if this is due to Priority Pass trying to renegotiate a better deal or if there are other factors at play.
Anyone utilized their PP at Capers Market recently? I’m now seeing that the T&C on the Priority Pass website indicates cardholder + guest receives a $28 ‘meal kit’:
“Redemption is only valid for the purchase of a “Meal-Kit” and excludes bottle sales, merchandise, and menu items.”
The ability to get bottles of wine, etc went away a while ago of course but I’m wondering if I’ll still be able to choose from most everything else they sell like I could prior to their temporary departure from the program, or if it’s just includes a few basics now? The ‘menu items’ restriction sounds like the hot food items are out too unfortunately…
Hey I had the same question. Have you found out yet?? Trying to decide if I should go to Capers Market or the Alaska lounge.
Hey Amy, yes I went by the Market a few months ago and while it’s not an ideal arrangement they’re offering, it’s still certainly possible to get a pretty decent meal. If you only have time for one stop I’d suggest making the quick walk over to Capers Cafe in C Concourse more options, but otherwise its perfectly fine for “free” food!
This FlyerTalk thread has some more info and a picture of the “meal kit” menu. Someone mentioned that there’s definitely no substitutions but they allowed me to pick basically any non-alcoholic drink so its worth asking if the listed option isn’t what you want.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/airport-lounges/1961946-pdx-priority-pass-lounges-restaurants-5.html
By the way, as long as you have the unlimited usage Priority Pass from the Sapphire Reserve do you know that you can visit both restaurants, the whiskey place AND the Alaska Lounge on the same day? You don’t have to choose just one.
Color me pleasantly surprised – I honestly didn’t think there was any chance the Market would come back to the PP program and that it was just a matter of time before Capers Cafe left too… Chalk it up to desperate times for the Capers group perhaps? Hopefully their return isn’t just temporary.
ROFL. I’m sure the two? PP members flying through PDX this week are going to make sure to stop by.
Don’t forget to enjoy some Single Malt distilled mouth sanitizer at Westward whiskey 😉 Courtesy of PP while passing thru PDX .
While not single malt whisky is still a decent OR distilled single malt whiskeys.
It’s time to pass, on priority pass
Great new they are back. Its always nice swing by Capers Market to grab some snacks and drinks to go on arrival or departure.
Best news I’ve heard out of PP program in some time (but then again it helps that PDX is my my home hub.)
Capers Cafe works as long as your PP wasnt from Amex, who pulled all their accounts Aug 1, 2019.
Chase Sapphire works as of this comment
Hi All- just found out you can call Capers at 503-252-1718 or email at [email protected] to complain. They told me it was Priorty Pass who kicked them out of the program. The restaurant still works. So clearly both sides are blaming the other.
Well, now that it’s only the Market… TBH, having a general-purpose merchandise store with free $28 worth of credit was kind of ridiculous; in a good way, of course. 🙂 I’m surprised this lasted this long!
I wonder if Priority Pass is going to go out of business soon. Hasn’t Priority Pass had issues paying restaurants in the past? I remember someone saying the reason Timberline in DEN left once before was PP were slow paying the restaurant or weren’t paying at all.
Lets say for the $28 credit, PP pays $20, and that Chase only pays $200 for the PP card, and the average person does 10 lounge/restraint visits per year year, Priority Pass is just breaking even on that CSR cards
Seems like *somebody* losing money. I have 10 PP passes per year via the Amex Hilton Ascend card, AF $95. You would think some portion of that gets sent to PP, who then sends some portion of that to participating restaurants, so I can theoretically get up to $280 in airport food credit.
Then again, PP may be making money on me, since the US airports I frequent have no good PP options. May that is also part of the business plan.
PP is making money – with 1,200 lounges world wide.
PDX is a real outlier – with near proximity and easy access even with a 60 min layover.
Most lounges are capped at 2 hours – locations with free showers are rare ( most are a $25+ upsell) . Same with napping suites (1hr). Others have early check-in fees if greater than 2hrs before departure. Others like HNL Int’l only have soda, coffee and juice .
Some restaurants it can be hard to get full $28 i.e. Timberline DEN at breakfast
I’ve visited just under 20 PP lounge’s/restaurant US & Int’l and while you might get $20-25 value of F&B.
it’s not like your throwing back 5-6 shots of Blue label or glasses of Krug in the Concorde lounge. Still a lot of the food served is hit or miss same with drink options.
The PP pass has less monetary appeal for business travelers with expense accounts (unless they get a flat per diem).