Data Study
Airport Lounges That Closed or Dropped Priority Pass in 2026
A valid lounge pass is worthless at a locked door. Membership directories keep lounges listed long after they shut — so we cross-check every lounge against an airport or operator source and remove the ghosts. Here are 6 lounges that closed and 5 Priority Pass changes our 2026 reconciliation caught.
Updated July 2026 · cross-checked against airport & operator sources
Key findings
6
closed lounges removed from the directory
5
Priority Pass status changes tracked
3
Golden Chariot lounges shut, yet still listed elsewhere
Lounges that closed
| Lounge | Airport | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Chariot LoungeOctober 2021 | Udaipur UDR | Closed permanently | LoungeReview + cardexpress 2026 |
| Golden Chariot Lounge2023 | Tiruchirappalli TRZ | Closed permanently | LoungeReview |
| Golden Chariot Loungeby 2026 | Madurai IXM | Gone — the airport's only lounge is now Primus | cardexpress 2026 |
| Al Hind Malabar Palace Executive Loungeby 2026 | Kozhikode CCJ | Closed — CCJ is down to a single lounge (Bird) | godigit + airport directory |
| Bird LoungeFebruary 2025 | Thiruvananthapuram TRV | Closed permanently | LoungeBuddy + operator |
| The Centurion Lounge2026 | Mumbai BOM | Temporarily closed | American Express |
Priority Pass status changes
| Lounge | Airport | Change | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaza Premium (57 lounges, incl. all 7 at Toronto Pearson) | Worldwide / Toronto YYZ | Dropped from the Priority Pass network | 1 July 2021 |
| Plaza Premium (6 lounges) | Toronto Pearson YYZ | Re-added to Priority Pass | by 2026 |
| Escape Lounge | Fort Lauderdale FLL | Does NOT accept Priority Pass — unlike most other Escape Lounges | 2026 |
| MERA lounges | Cancún CUN | NOT on Priority Pass — only the 'The Lounge' venues at CUN accept it | 2026 |
| SWISS Business Lounge | Zurich ZRH | Now sells a CHF 49 day pass (conditional — SWISS/Star partner flight, booked online) | 2026 |
Why a directory listing isn't proof
Lounge membership networks are paid to list access, not to police it. When a lounge shuts or leaves a network, the listing often lingers — sometimes for years — because nobody re-verifies it against the airport. The Golden Chariot lounges above sat on membership directories long after they closed; travellers with a valid card still walked to the door.
Loungely checks each lounge against an airport-authority or operator source before it keeps it — and removes the ones that fail. That is why the count on an airport page can be lowerthan a directory's: the ghosts are gone. It also cuts both ways on Priority Pass. Brand is not access: the Escape Lounge at Fort Lauderdale (FLL)is not on Priority Pass even though most Escape Lounges are, and Cancún's MERA lounges are not on it while the neighbouring “The Lounge” venues are.
Network status also swings back. Plaza Premium pulled 57 lounges from Priority Pass in 2021, including all seven at Toronto Pearson (YYZ) — and by 2026 six of them are back. The only safe rule is to check the individual lounge page before you travel. See our methodology for how each lounge is verified.
Toronto Pearson (YYZ) lounges →
The Plaza Premium lounges back on Priority Pass — verified access rules.
The most lounge-dense airports →
Every airport ranked by verified lounge count.
Lounge closures & Priority Pass changes — FAQ
Which airport lounges closed in 2025–2026?
Loungely has removed 6 closed lounges from its directory after cross-checking against airport and operator sources, including Golden Chariot Lounge (UDR), Golden Chariot Lounge (TRZ), Golden Chariot Lounge (IXM), Al Hind Malabar Palace Executive Lounge (CCJ). The Golden Chariot chain in particular has shut multiple Indian locations (Udaipur, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai) while still appearing on some membership directories.
Why do lounge directories still list closed lounges?
Membership networks and aggregators (Priority Pass, LoungePair, DragonPass) often keep a lounge listed for months or years after it shuts — the listing is not re-verified against the airport. That is how a traveller ends up at a locked door with a valid pass. Loungely cross-checks each lounge against an airport-authority or operator source and removes the ones that no longer exist.
Did Plaza Premium leave Priority Pass?
Yes, then partly returned. On 1 July 2021, 57 Plaza Premium lounges — including all seven at Toronto Pearson (YYZ) — left the Priority Pass network. By 2026, six Plaza Premium lounges at YYZ are back on Priority Pass. Always confirm on the individual lounge page, because network participation changes without notice.
Are all Escape Lounges and MERA lounges on Priority Pass?
No. The Escape Lounge at Fort Lauderdale (FLL) does not accept Priority Pass, even though most Escape Lounges do. At Cancún (CUN), the MERA-branded lounges are not on Priority Pass — only the separate "The Lounge" venues accept it. Brand name alone does not guarantee Priority Pass access at a specific airport.