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Some folks online recently debated who gets waitlist priority when Chase Sapphire Lounges are full. A few people said Chase Sapphire Reserve® card holders get to jump up the line. Others said it’s completely first-come, first-served, no matter which card gets you in the lounge.
Well, we have an answer straight from Chase.
(All information about the Chase Sapphire Reserve®®, J.P. Morgan Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Reserve®® for Business, and The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card was gathered independently by Eye of the Flyer. It was neither provided nor reviewed by the card issuer. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.)
Who Can Enter the Chase Sapphire Airport Lounges?
You don’t need to hold a Chase card to get into Chase Sapphire Lounges. (We’re big fans of these lounges — nice seating, great food and beverage options, good staff.)
Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Reserve® for Business, The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card, and J.P. Morgan Reserve® members who activate their card’s Priority Pass Select membership and present their card upon entry have unlimited access. They may also bring up to two guests for free. Additional guests cost $75 a person.
Again, you make sure you activate your Chase Sapphire Reserve®’s Priority Pass benefit and keep those credentials with you (a card in your physical wallet, a pass in your virtual wallet, the Priority Pass app, etc.).
People with Priority Pass memberships from other cards (i.e., Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, and Capital One Venture X Business) receive one complimentary Chase Sapphire Lounge visit per calendar year. (After that, it’s $75 per visit). Guests are $75 a pop.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the lounges eventually welcome Chase members only — something similar to what American Express does with their Centurion Lounges.
Who Gets Priority Access?
Like many other airport clubs, Chase Sapphire Lounges occasionally experience overcrowding. At most airport lounges, the first people turned away are the first ones allowed in when someone exits the club.
However, a Chase spokesperson confirmed to us that Chase Sapphire Reserve® members do get moved up to the top of the waitlist. In other words, a Chase Sapphire Reserve® holder would take precedence over an Amex Platinum Card member who used their Priority Pass to gain entry, should a waitlist situation arise.
I’m waiting to find out about the JP Morgan Reserve and Ritz Carlton cards.
Final Approach
Fear not, Chase Sapphire Reserve® members. Expect to have priority over cardmembers from Amex and Capital One when it comes to getting into Chase Sapphire Lounges.
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
The very important unasked question here…..that I have the answer to is: Do CSR holders get priority over Eithad business passengers? The answer to that is NO. That’s right, if EY has a flight……YOU wait. This is why I’m really not sold on the CSR yet. IAD always has a line and I confirmed the EY situation with the lounge manager last time I was there. Chase went cheap with this “co-brand” lounge crap and their members will reap the rewards of it.
Do you need to have Priority Card (linked to the CSR) or is showing the CSR card sufficient?
According to Chase, you need to show your Priority Pass.
When I was at JFK, they only wanted to see my CSR
Thanks for the data point, Art!
Yep, while nothing was announced it seems to have changed. If you show the priority pass card you will likely get lumped in with the non chase holders
Shouldn’t the Ritz-Carlton card members receive unlimited guests? That is one of the unique perks of this card for all other lounges. I often bring my entire family for free with it!
You are correct, Ritz-Carlton card members can bring unlimited guests.
Last year when I was waiting to get admitted into the PHX Chase lounge, which was pretty crowded because of its small footprint, and there were more than 15 people already waiting in line. But when the staff come over to register my info for the queuing, he told me that CSR holder definitely will have the priority over other PP cards holder. And when I told him that I also have the Ritz Carlton card, he literally said that Ritz card have the top priority, even than CSR. So I registered with my Ritz card and iur family of three did get into the lounge within less than 10 min while the people waiting before us took at least another 30 min before they were allowed in this small lounge.
so does this mean I get one Capital One visit as a CSR with Priority Pass?
Nope. If only…
Even as a Sapphire Reserve card holder a 40 minute wait on Sunday afternoon in PHX is to much. What good is the having the card if you can’t use it. Will definitely be taken into consideration, come renewal time.
What do you think about the refreshed card, in general?
I got in immediately with a Ritz card when there was a queue for CSR and others.
That’s what I’m hearing as well, just be sure to show the Ritz card and not the priority pass card they aren’t seeing that its issued via the chase benefits. I always got lumped in with CSR until my latest visit when I was told I had to wait 15 min even with an empty lounge. There wasn’t any announcement that I saw about a switch to showing the credit card for entry instead.
Apparently you have to have an outbound flight. I was turned away after landing in Boston while waiting for a friend on a later flight because I didn’t have a boarding pass.
The Ritz card has the highest priority, In theory the JPM Reserve “Palladium” card as well. The reason is they are issued on the JP Morgan investment bank division while CSR is issued by the Chase Bank consumer banking division. Similar to AMEX Centurion card holder at the Amex lounge but no VIP reserved seating area