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There's nothing like bad news to end your week. Chase has just announced that Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations will no longer be part of the Priority Pass or LoungeKey network starting August 15, 2026.
Now, Chase Sapphire Lounges will exclusively be available to select premium Chase credit card holders. Here's what to know.
Chase Tightens Lounge Access
Priority Pass members and LoungeKey cardholders have long been able to visit a Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club once per calendar year. Additional visits were charged at a $75 preferential rate.
This was ideal for those who get a Priority Pass membership through a different card, like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or American Express Platinum Card®. If you happen to transit through an airport with a Sapphire Lounge, you can check it out without committing to another premium card.
However, this is about to change. Starting August 15, 2026, Priority Pass members will no longer have one free visit to Chase Sapphire Lounges per year, nor will they have access to the $75 pay-as-you-go rate.
This update will impact all nine open lounges across the U.S.:
- Boston
- Las Vegas
- New York-Kennedy
- New York-LaGuardia
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- San Diego
- Dallas
- Washington Dulles
The Los Angeles Chase Sapphire Lounge location is slated to open soon and will likely have the same entry requirements as the other locations.
Chase noted that Priority Pass members and LoungeKey cardholders will still have access to up to 49 other lounge options at the impacted airports, so these new restrictions won't force you to wait at your gate before you board. However, Chase Sapphire Lounges are known for being much more high-end than your standard Priority Pass location, so this is certainly a disappointing development.
Who Can Access Chase Sapphire Lounges?
Starting August 15, 2026, if you want access to Chase Sapphire Lounges, you'll need to hold one of the following credit cards:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
- Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (Rates & Fees)
- J.P. Morgan Reserve card (no longer open to new applicants)
- The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants)
$795Rates & Fees
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
$795Rates & Fees
- 8X points on all Chase Travel℠ purchases
- 5X total points on eligible Lyft rides through 9/30/2027
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on advertising purchases made with social media platforms and search engines
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Hopefully, this change will help combat the overcrowding that has plagued virtually all lounges over the past few years.
The one good piece of news from this announcement? Starting August 15, 2026, eligible cardmembers traveling on a same-day layover or connecting itinerary can access the lounge within five hours of their scheduled connecting flight departure. This is up from the current three-hour policy. Note that originating flights will continue to have a three-hour access window, so don't show up to the airport five hours before your flight.
If you have a long layover, you know how frustrating it is to have to wait before you're permitted to enter the lounge. I have a six-hour layover in Los Angeles at the end of the year, and I'm hoping the Sapphire Lounge is open by then. A six-hour layover after a 13-hour flight is always brutal, but getting to hang out in a new, high-end lounge makes it a bit better.
Bottom Line
Starting August 15, if you don't have an eligible Chase credit card, you won't have access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations. If you live near an airport with a Sapphire Lounge, it's certainly worth applying for the Sapphire Reserve, which comes with a ton of benefits beyond lounge access.
For everyone else, make sure you plan your layover accordingly, and pick out a different Priority Pass lounge to visit.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), and Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (Rates & Fees)
