- Following steady growth in number of airport lounges and experiences since 2020, Priority Pass is set to add a further 8 premium lounges over the next 6 months
- New Country Manager has been appointed to drive the brand forward in Russia
Priority Pass, the world’s leading traveller experiences programme, owned and operated by Collinson, announces the appointment of Sergey Borodin as Country Manager for Russia, showing the strength of its commitment to the market. In addition, Priority Pass is announcing its further plans to cement and extend its presence in Russia with 7 new premium airport lounges and 1 premium railway lounge to be added to its Russian portfolio of 125 premium lounges and experiences in the next 6 months.
Priority Pass has the largest network of premium lounges and experiences in Russia, strategically located in high-footprint areas with 91% of all flights in Russia and 97% of international flights departing from terminals where Priority Pass offers a lounge or experience. Since the beginning of 2020, 27 new lounges and experiences have been added to its Russian network (16 premium airport lounges, 6 premium rail lounges, as well as 5 REST out-of-lounge sleep pod experiences).
These additions, as well as Sergey’s appointment come at a time when offering more choice of comfortable and safe spaces for travellers to relax ahead of their journey has never been more important. Prior research from Collinson’s The Return Journey report revealed that one in five Russian respondents admitted that travel was already more stressful than it had been in the five years prior to the pandemic era, and 59% of travellers expected that travel will be even more stressful, post-pandemic. Priority Pass is committed to continuing to build out its lounge and out-of-lounge offering across Russia to ensure the best experiences for its Members .
Strategic appointment to push the business forward
In his newly created role, Borodin will be responsible for leading Priority Pass in market, building relationships with new and existing clients, and enhancing the market proposition.
“I’m pleased to be joining the Priority Pass team at a time where the brand couldn’t be more invested in the Russian market," added Sergey Borodin, Country Manager Priority Pass, Russia.
I will be implementing a long-term, strategic growth plan which brings new offerings to the market, supports our client objectives and ultimately delivers an enhanced, premium experience for our Members and partners.
Prior to joining Priority Pass, Borodin spent over 10 years of years at Malina Loyalty Programme – the first and biggest coalition loyalty programme of its time in Russia. Whilst there, he grew the business to consist of over 6 million members around the world and a partner pool of over 1,000 online and offline players. Borodin also held leadership roles at Sobinbank as Strategy Director and Centreinvest as a Management Consultant. Sergey also holds an MBA from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.
Chris Ross, President EMEA at Collinson said: “Our investment in Russia and appointment of Sergey as Country Manager is a clear reflection of how confident and dedicated we are to the market. We know that most Russian travellers are looking for lounge access to improve their wellbeing, and as we look to the future of the industry, we will be providing relaxing new premium spaces and more out of lounge experiences. Over the last 18 months, the pandemic has caused great upheaval in the way we interact with travel, as such at Collinson we are committed to the creation and rollout of new solutions to ensure the best experiences for our Members. We look forward to growing our portfolio and product offering in Russia and continuing to foster our premium Member experience.”
