Tennis players are among the world’s most frequent flyers, with the tennis season running approximately 44 weeks per year. Players constantly travel and compete around the globe, resulting in countless hours at airports. The PTPA’s work with players and player teams has revealed that travel is one of the biggest pain points that players face, as not only are they always on the road – they are also paying for travel costs out of their own pockets. As part of its mission to help ease the burden of travel on players, the PTPA unveiled a new partnership with Priority Pass in February 2024.
Continue reading to learn more about Priority Pass and how it has directly benefited players since the partnership’s launch.
What is Priority Pass and what benefits are available to players?
Priority Pass is the world’s leading provider of airport lounges and experiences, with 1,500+ lounges in over 700 cities and 145 countries. The PTPA’s partnership with Priority Pass grants hundreds of tennis players complimentary Priority Pass Prestige memberships, which allows players free access to lounges worldwide, including complimentary healthy food and beverages and access to lounge alternatives like sleeping pods and spa treatments in select airports.
How are players using their Priority Pass memberships?
Since the launch of the partnership, hundreds of players have leveraged Priority Pass in 139 airports across 127 cities worldwide. Here are the most popular airports for player Priority Pass use to date:
- Madrid Adolfo Suarez-Barajas (Madrid, Spain)
- Barcelona El Prat (Barcelona, Spain)
- Budapest Liszt Ferenc International (Budapest, Hungary)
- Lima Jorge Chavez International (Lima, Peru)
- London Gatwick (London, England)
Why did the PTPA partner with Priority Pass?
Tennis is one of the most demanding, global sports in the world, and travel stress only adds to the mental and physical toll that players face. Given players’ pain points with travel, the PTPA has remained focused on identifying and securing incremental benefits and resources that ease their burdens.
By having complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges and experiences, players can escape the stress of airport terminals, enjoy healthy food and beverage options, and decompress in a comfortable space prior to their flights. In fact, a recent Priority Pass study revealed that 53% of travelers say that visiting an airport lounge has improved their ability to relax while traveling.
Priority Pass, like tennis, is also global, ensuring that players have access to their benefits across the world. Priority Pass has a presence in 68 European cities, 25 North American cities, 17 South American cities, seven African cities, six Asian cities, and four Australian cities.
With all the uncertainty of travel such as flight delays, cancellations, and lack of healthy dining options, providing players with more stability and comfort while traveling is important to the PTPA’s overall mission of supporting player well-being. The PTPA is proud to enhance player welfare and looks forward to supporting players with additional benefits, resources and opportunities.