Chase announced today that they’re introducing their own network of airport lounges, though little details are provided on forthcoming “Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club” products. To date Chase has relied on Priority Pass to offer lounge access to its premium Reserve cardmembers. They’re the third card issuer to build a network of lounges in U.S. airports.
Credit Card Sponsored Airport Lounges Began As A Defensive Move By Amex
American Express used to have Northwest Airlines lounges. Northwest got acquired by Delta, and they still partner with Delta’s airport lounges.
American Express used to have Continental Airlines lounges. They lost that access when Continental and United merged – Chase had credit card exclusivity to these lounges.
American Express used to have US Airways and American Airlines lounges. They lost that access when these two airlines merged, and when Citibank gained credit card exclusivity for accessing American’s lounges.
The credit card issuing giant didn’t take this all lying down. They built out their own network of Centurion lounges which features current U.S. locations in Charlotte, Dallas – Fort Worth, Denver, Houston Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK and LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle – all while still providing lounge access to Platinum and Centurion members through Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Escape, Delta Air Lines, and Airspace lounges.
Now Capital One Is Launching Lounges
Capital One, newly aggressive in the premium travel card market, is launching its own network of lounges beginning with Dallas – Fort Worth and then Washington Dulles.
Credit: Capital One
What Will Chase Be Offering?
We know very little so far other than a promise of “a fresh approach to the lounge experience with locations to be announced in select markets over time.”
The first location will be in Boston in the Terminal B-C connector and span 12,000 square feet offering “showers, a family room, a business lounge and rest and wellness areas.”
It’s not clear who will have access, either complimentary or on a pay-in basis, although access might extend to Priority Pass as well as Chase-branded cardmembers.
Chase suggests they’re old hats at this, because “Chase Sapphire has activated lounges across the country at marquee events, serving as hubs for unique access at culinary, entertainment and cultural experiences.” And indeed other elements of Chase’s portfolio have run popup lounges for a long time – think the annual holiday lounge for United cardmembers at the mall in Short Hills, New Jersey.
I am not sure we can count on very much ‘fresh’ this is a collaboration with Airport Dimensions, a Collinson company which brings us Priority Pass and The Club airport lounges already. More likely it will be a familiar set of offerings, spruced up because Chase won’t want to underinvest reputationally compared to American Express or Capital One.
Got both Sapphires so I’m ready
Chase is a meh. Chase is very profit oriented whereas Amex is service oriented. So, before one even opens, I’ll rate it a nothing burger.
Does this mean all of my/our flights will route vis BOS in the future? Admit it. You know you will. 😉
All lounges are too crowded, so the more of them there are, the better
Am I wrong but pre-virus weren’t most busy airports running out of space? So where are these lounges that various companies now want to have coming from?
And non-airline related lounges usually run into the problem of my airline is in terminal X but the lounge is in terminal Y and either it is a long haul, or sometimes you can’t even get from one to another without reclearing security.
What we really need, similar to an old disney animated movie, is individual pods. That way no one has to walk, they can be isolated from germs, people won’t have to interact with others thus reducing conflicts on flights, you’d have your own built in recliner/bed to make flying and travel easier, etc.
The growing number of card operated lounges will put pressure on airline operated lounges to reduce prices and/or increase service. Competition is always a good thing.
@Tim rather than reduce prices we plan to reduce quality
I wish that the lounges open today (across the board) had better hours. I keep finding both Priority Pass and Centurion lounges to be closed when I try to use them. It really frustrated me last night when I had a connection at PHX after at 8pm and both the lounges I had access to at the time were closed.
One of the main criteria for selecting whether to give the space to Amex, CapitalOne or Chase was how much rent they would pay. So this was more about maximizing the airport authorities revenue than arranging for the best club on behalf of passengers.
Great.
@Gary – That smells like speculation regarding Chase’s investment in the lounge. I’m not sure I agree this is going to be differentiated in any significant way, though I do hope I’m wrong. I used to love the cookies AA kept in the Flagship lounge in MIA when that launched, and AmEx’s food offerings have always been above par…
Something like this was needed in order for Chase to stay relevant in the lounge scene, since Priority Pass is so weak Stateside…. They’d better serve hot food; no b.s. this time.
@rich yes, but the B-C connector at BOS is a new construction, not yet open.
Logan B/C connector chase lounge for all the JetBlue crowd using terminal C, 100+ flights per day and going to LHR 2022
The regular “lounge” @ C was fine, this should be better
If the IAD lounge is between security and the mobile lounge/airtran station, it could be a good addition. If you are flying domestic, the A/B lounges are off the beaten track, and the C/D lounges are typical underwhelming United lounges. A Centurion lounge addition to Reagan will be great for DC flyers, too, though likely to get crowded.
Please put one in ATL… need an option to The Club and 12 Delta Lounges ..
It’s hard to take this seriously when the Priority Pass program has been so watered down as to be almost useful. There are almost no lounges left. How can it be worth it for them to open expensive lounges when they won’t even pay a daily fee for you to enter one run by someone else?