Chase Sapphire Lounge access without the Sapphire Reserve

Reading Time: 4 min

Chase Sapphire Lounges are arguably the gold standard for domestic airport lounges. They come with a full bar, hot meals, fast Wi-Fi, and comfy seats. Some even offer reservable rooms and wellness treatments.

Just one problem: Entry is expensive. Carrying the Chase Sapphire Reserve® costs $795 a year, and the main loophole just closed. Chase recently pulled its lounges out of the Priority Pass and LoungeKey networks, ending both the once-a-year complimentary visit and the $75 entry rate for those who have Priority Pass through a non-Chase card.

But what if there was a better and less expensive way to visit Sapphire Lounges as often as you want — and bring your travel party without paying $195 a head? The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is the answer. Here’s why it’s my favorite way to access Chase Sapphire Lounges — if you can get your hands on it.

The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card charges a $450 annual fee. That’s not nothing, but it’s $345 less than you’ll pay to hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Whether you’re booking with the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card, you’ll only get two free guests with each visit (children under two are free). You’ll pay $27 for every additional person. That can add up fast for a big travel party.

But here’s the secret: Authorized users on both of these cards get their own full-fledged Priority Pass Select airport lounge access, including access to Chase Sapphire Lounges. The Chase Sapphire Reserve charges a $195 annual fee per authorized user, while the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card allows for free authorized users. If you’ve routinely got more than three travelers in tow, add one as an authorized user to save whenever you duck into a Chase Sapphire Lounge.

Chase has no age requirement for authorized users, so a young child counts. Say you’re traveling with four other adults plus a toddler: you and two guests get in on your membership, and your toddler’s authorized user membership covers the other two. Bring the child’s card — Chase’s terms require cardmembers to present a physical card or Priority Pass digital membership at check-in.

I recently walked up to the entrance of the Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia (LGA) to be informed of a 20-minute wait. The lounge is popular, as you’d expect.

The host at the desk requested my phone number and card, and he said I’d get a text when it was my turn to enter. When he realized I was gaining access with a Ritz-Carlton Credit Card (instead of a Chase Sapphire Reserve), he said that my wait had been reduced to four minutes.

Chase doesn’t publish a priority order for its lounge waitlists, and this is one data point rather than a stated policy. Treat it as a possible bonus, not something to count on.

For a $450 annual fee, the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card has more than just superior Chase Sapphire Lounge access. You’ll also get benefits like:

• Up to $300 annual travel credit (use it for baggage fees, seat upgrades, and more)
• Annual Free Night Award worth 85,000 Marriott points
• 3 club-level upgrade certificates when booking paid stays with Ritz-Carlton
• Automatic Marriott Gold elite status
• Top-tier travel insurance on par with the Chase Sapphire Reserve

If you’re already in the Marriott ecosystem and you actually use the lounges, those perks can more than cover the fee. But there’s a catch: You can’t apply for it anymore.

To get it, you’ll have to:

• Hold a Chase-issued Marriott credit card for at least one year. You must contact Chase to request that your current card (a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card) be converted to a Ritz-Carlton Credit Card.
• Reallocate your available credit (if necessary). The Ritz-Carlton Card is a Visa Infinite credit card, requiring a $10,000 credit limit. Ask Chase to move some of your existing credit from another Chase card to your Marriott card to reach that $10,000 threshold.

Clear those two hurdles, and you’ll be flashing your heavy metallic black card at the door of a Chase Sapphire Lounge in no time — at a fraction of the price that (nearly) everyone else is paying.