How the New Chase Sapphire Lounges Might Work for You
A perk for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders that you can, perhaps, test for yourself
Chase has jumped into the airport lounge game and, with the addition of two new lounges this month, has doubled its number of locations. Before this year, there were Chase Sapphire Lounges at Hong Kong (HKG) and Boston Logan (BOS) airports. They have recently been joined by Chase Sapphire lounges at New York LaGuardia (LGA) and New York JFK (JFK) airports.
I have not gotten a chance to visit these new lounges, but the word is that they are an outstanding and welcome addition to lounge options for harried flyers. Early reports are that they are beautifully decorated and furnished and that the food and beverages offered are top notch. What remains to be seen is if they remain pleasant oases in their busy airports or if their popularity creates the recent crowding problems seen at Amex Centurion lounges and airline lounges.
Admission to the Chase Sapphire lounges is a perk of the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) credit card. The CSR annual fee ($550/year) includes a Priority Pass which allows holders to access a worldwide network of airport lounges. But, all Priority Passes are not created equal. The Priority Passes that come with some of the premium Chase cards (Sapphire Reserve, J. P. Morgan Reserve, Ritz-Carlton) are the ones that get you unlimited visits.
Priority Passes issued to holders of premium American Express and Capital One cards do not offer the same unlimited entries. However, if you hold a Priority Pass through cards such as the Amex Platinum or Capital One Venture X, you are allowed one visit per year (across all four lounges). So, if you have one of these versions of the Priority Pass, you can try out one of the Chase Sapphire lounges. Alternatively, you can pay cash ($75) for a single visit.
Those whose travel takes them to Boston, New York, or Hong Kong with some regularity, and who want lounge access, might find it worthwhile to pick up a Chase Sapphire Reserve card for access to these lounges. The CSR’s $550 annual fee is a bit misleading. The fee comes with a $300 travel credit that has no limitations. In other words, you do not have to purchase travel through the Chase portal or any other specific source to use the credit. The $300 is simply applied to the first $300 you spend during the year on flights, trains, car rental, hotels, etc. If you are traveling even a little and use this card, the
de facto cost
of the card is $250 per year. With unlimited visits to the Chase Sapphire lounges – and you can take up to two guests per visit by the way – and some of the other CSR benefits, the $250 per year might be a bargain
for those using the Boston and/or New York airports.
For the time being, these lounges do not fit into our plans. However, both Ms. Optimizer and I have Priority Passes through American Express. The next time we travel through New York or Boston, we might cash in our free visit to see what all the excitement is about.
And, if you have visited one of these lounges recently, please let us know your impressions.
We are ready to help you turn your routine credit card spending into the travel of your dreams.
