DigiYatra and a short city hop help; one 2,072 m strip plus festival banks still need real buffers.

PIB launched DigiYatra at Patna on 6 Sep 2024 (domestic biometric facilitation). AAI still publishes international capacity as Nil, so do not invent an immigration buffer. Domestic ~2 hours early is the sane default on IndiGo-heavy banks and around Chhath. Uttham’s Priority Pass / LoungeKey window is 06:00–23:00 with a 2-hour max stay — a 05:00 push will not find that room on the PP clock.

One 65,150 m² AAI building; boarding-pass sector signs beat any pre-June 2025 blog map.

There is no T1/T2 campus hop. Arrivals are on the ground floor, departures and CISF / DigiYatra on the first (ToI opening-day + AAI 13-gate split). The old ~7,200 m² shell was decommissioned when ops moved on 3 June 2025. Screenshot PAT ≠ GAY ≠ DBR ≠ IXR before the car leaves. Live Priority Pass pin is Uttham after security on the 1st floor.

One PP / LoungeKey soft room; landside bottles still beat unpublished airside shelf prices.

Live Priority Pass / Mastercard PAT1 product is Uttham Lounge (domestic airside, 1st floor, 06:00–23:00, max 2h). PP lists cold buffet and complimentary among facilities — do not assume alcohol. Without entitlement, buy sealed water landside before CISF; do not invent a bottle price. Ignore dead Zesto URLs. DragonPass is not live at PAT.

5 km to Patna Junction; metro and Bihta remain future stories.

Use signed taxi / aggregator pickup in arrivals (Air India lists Uber at the arrival gate). Aug 2026 ToI: 9-minute free kerb window; cars ₹40 / first 30 min in the MLCP. Government buses exist as a daylight budget tool when the stand is signed — not a 24h guarantee. Do not send a same-day passenger to Bihta (~35 km, terminal works stalled as of Oct 2026).