News

Priority Pass and LoungeKey welcome the return of Plaza Premium Lounges as Collinson and Plaza Premium Group reach new global agreement

Published

1 year ago

June 7, 2023

Plaza Premium Lounges to re-join Collinson’s airport lounge and experience networks, bringing 63 more lounges to key locations for Priority Pass and LoungeKey Members

· The renewed relationship will allow more travellers to enjoy the curated lounge experiences by Plaza Premium Lounge

· Priority Pass and LoungeKey networks expand across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific

· Access across key Canadian travel hubs restored including Vancouver and Toronto

· Plaza Premium Lounges will be added into the programmes in two phases, with all lounges available for members for the busy summer months

LONDON – 6^th June 2023: Members of Priority Pass and LoungeKey will soon have access to 63 Plaza Premium lounges. The renewed partnership between Plaza Premium Group (PPG) and Collinson, the operator of Priority Pass and LoungeKey, will expand both lounge membership networks’ global footprint across key travel markets within North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. The first phase of 39 lounge additions will be available for members from 6^th June*.

Plaza Premium Lounge has an expansive network of 250+ global locations across 70+ major international airports and 63 of these independent lounges will be available to the combined 40 million Priority Pass and LoungeKey Members, who currently have access to 1,300 lounges and experiences in more than 600 cities across 148 countries worldwide.

The announcement comes ahead of the summer, one of the busiest travel periods since the onset of the pandemic. The new experiences in the Plaza Premium Lounges, which include Lounge to Go, Children’s programme, art gallery experiences in lounge, summer food and beverage menus and new interior designs that promote a sense of place, will bring Priority Pass and LoungeKey Members more variety and flexibility to meet the needs of a rapidly recovering travel industry.

Of the 63 lounges joining the Priority Pass and LoungeKey network from Plaza Premium, 39 lounges will available from 6^th June, with the remaining 24 lounges joining the programme from June 20^th. For the most up-to-date lounge information, members can download the Priority Pass app. Once they have logged in, they will be able to see all the airport lounges and travel experiences that are available to them.

In North America, the renewed relationship will see Priority Pass and LoungeKey add a total of 15 additional lounges across the US and Canada, with all 15 lounges available to members from 6^th June. The Plaza Premium Lounges added to the network include those at key travel hubs such as Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, and Orlando FL International Airport.

A total of 21 additional lounges will be added across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with 15 lounges available from 6^th June, and the remaining 6 lounges joining the programme from June 20^th. The Plaza Premium Lounges added to the network include those at key travel hubs such as London Gatwick and Dubai International.

For the Asia Pacific region, 27 additional lounges will be added across key travel destinations including Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines, with 9 lounges available from 6^th June. Plaza Premium Lounges added to the network have resulted in Priority Pass Members now gaining access to lounges located at Phnom Penh International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport in Cambodia, as well as Macau International Airport in Macau China, Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the Philippines, and Qingdao Airport, in addition to any existing traveller experiences in place. The remaining 18 lounges will be available from June 20^th.

“We are dedicated to creating the very best propositions for our clients and partners whilst delivering the best possible travel experience for our global members,” said David Evans, Joint CEO at Collinson. “The rekindling of a long-standing relationship reminds us that the travel industry is a rich ecosystem that delivers the best experience for consumers when the various players work together as one. With demand for premium travel stronger than ever we are significantly increasing our network of lounges and experiences in key travel hubs across the world.”

“At PPG, our mission is to make travel better and we design our airport hospitality services to exceed the travellers’ needs. After years of suppressed travel, we observe a greater demand for better airport experiences, hence in addition to expanding our portfolio of services in the airport lounge, hotel, meet and greet, passenger service and F&B category, our renewed relationship with Collinson will allow us to provide unique experiences that elevate the journeys for their members.” said Bora Isbulan, Deputy-CEO at Plaza Premium Group.

Collinson is continually looking for new opportunities to grow and enhance the global network of Priority Pass and LoungeKey lounges and travel experiences it offers members, forming relationships with the world’s most prestigious airport lounge providers. Members have access to an unparalleled global network of lounges across the world’s major travel zones as well as an ever-growing range of premium experiences – from spas to sleeping pods to dining.

The complete list of lounges to be added in each phase can be found here.

– ENDS –

Notes to Editors

*The first phase of 39 lounge additions will be available for members from 6^th June however the listing may take up-to 24 hours to appear on the Priority Pass app and website.

About Collinson

Collinson is the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence.

We work with the world’s leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide. We deliver market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million end consumers.

To learn more: https://www.collinsongroup.com/

Connect with us: LinkedIn @Collinson

Collinson is the operator of Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme. Travellers can access a network of 1,300 lounges and travel experiences, including dining, retail, sleep and spa, in over 650 airports in 148 countries, helping to elevate the journey into something special.

Today, Priority Pass Members can access lounges worldwide either with their physical membership card, bank card, or with a digital membership card, which is available via the Priority Pass app for iOS and Android.

To learn more: https://www.prioritypass.com/

Connect with us: LinkedIn @prioritypass, Instagram @prioritypass, Facebook @prioritypasscommunity and Twitter @prioritypasscom

LoungeKey is the go-to lounge and rewards programme for businesses, offering an exciting way to reward valued customers with enriching experiences in the airport and beyond.

To learn more: https://www.loungekey.com/

About Plaza Premium Group

With a mission to Make Travel Better, Plaza Premium Group is the pioneer and industry leader in innovating global airport hospitality services and facilities in over 250 locations of more than 70 international airports across the world. Established in 1998 and headquartered in Hong Kong, the group comprises four core business segments – airport lounges Plaza Premium First and Plaza Premium Lounge; airport terminal hotels Aerotel; Airport meet & greet services ALLWAYS and a range of Airport Dining concepts. The Group has also developed Smart Traveller, a mobile app based global airport membership programme that is designed for air travellers, offering uniquely curated perks, benefits and rewards experience through points earning and redemption. In addition to its own brands, Plaza Premium Group provides airport hospitality solutions to leading airlines, alliances, and corporates around the world, including but not limited to Cathay Pacific Airways, China Southern Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, American Express, Capital One and many more.

The Group has won more than 60 accolades in the last five years, including “World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge” for six consecutive years from 2016 to 2022 at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, the global benchmark of aviation excellence, and “Best Airport Lounge Operator” for 2018 & 2019 by TTG Asia magazine. In 2020, the Group has successfully been awarded ISO 9001:2015 for Hong Kong Headquarters, proving the quality management in providing airport lounge services. In addition, the group’s Founder and CEO Mr. Song Hoi-see was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Master Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Malaysia. Plaza Premium Group currently employs over 5,000 staff and serves more than 20 million global passengers annually.

By continuously innovating and striving to surpass travellers’ expectations of airport experiences, the group is growing exponentially across major international airports globally.

To learn more: www.plazapremiumgroup.com

Connect with us: LinkedIn @plazapremiumgroup, Twitter @PPG_worldleader and WeChat @PlazaPremiumGroup

To learn more: www.plazapremiumlounge.com

Connect with us: FB, IG and Youtube @plazapremiumlounge

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News

Canada’s Denis Shapovalov wins Belgrade Open for his second ATP Tour title

Published

54 mins ago

November 9, 2024

Anne Joseph

BELGRADE, Serbia – Canada’s Denis Shapovalov is back in the winner’s circle.

The 25-year-old Shapovalov beat Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 in the Belgrade Open final on Saturday.

It’s Shapovalov’s second ATP Tour title after winning the Stockholm Open in 2019. He is the first Canadian to win an ATP Tour-level title this season.

His last appearance in a tournament final was in Vienna in 2022.

Shapovalov missed the second half of last season due to injury and spent most of this year regaining his best level of play.

He came through qualifying in Belgrade and dropped just one set on his way to winning the trophy.

Shapovalov’s best results this season were at ATP 500 events in Washington and Basel, where he reached the quarterfinals.

Medjedovic was playing in his first-ever ATP Tour final.

The 21-year-old, who won the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF title last year, ends 2024 holding a 9-8 tour-level record on the season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

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News

Talks to resume in B.C. port dispute in bid to end multi-day lockout

Published

55 mins ago

November 9, 2024

Anne Joseph

VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.

The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.

The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.

The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.

The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.

MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.

In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.

“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.

“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”

In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.

“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.

The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.

“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”

The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.

The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.

A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

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News

The Royal Canadian Legion turns to Amazon for annual poppy campaign boost

Published

58 mins ago

November 9, 2024

Anne Joseph

The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.

Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.

Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.

Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.

“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.

“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”

Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.

“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.

Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.

“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”

But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.

Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.

“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.

Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.

The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

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