Mark Towers, WalletHub Credit Card Analyst
@MarkTowers
The only way you can get airport lounge access with Chase Sapphire Preferred is by paying the $99 membership fee. This card does not provide complimentary access to airport lounges/clubs. Only Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives free airport lounge access – for the cardholder, authorized user, and up to two guests.
Here’s how Chase Sapphire airport lounge access works:
Airport lounge access provides comfortable seating, complimentary snacks and beverages and free Wi-Fi at lounges located in more than 1,300 airports worldwide.
To find a lounge, go to the Priority Pass website and type your destination into the “Find a lounge” bar. You’ll be able to see where a lounge is within an airport, as well as its hours, amenities, guest policies and other rules. You can also check the Priority Pass lounge directory.
How to get free lounge access:
To get lounge access for free, you should apply for a credit card that offers this benefit. For example, if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Priority Pass Select membership requires a one-time activation at no additional cost. Log in to your Chase.com account and click “Things you can do.” Then click “Account details,” and finally “Airport Lounge Access.” But before you rush out and apply for this card just for entry into airport lounges, there are a few things you should know.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card enables you to enroll in the Priority Pass Select airport lounge program for free. This credit card also waives Priority Pass’s $32 guest fee, which allows for unlimited access for up to two guests per visit. For any additional guests, your card will be charged $27 per guest, per visit. If you were to purchase a standard Priority Pass membership separately, it would cost at least $99 a year, plus $32 per visit (not including guests). Higher membership levels give free visits but cost significantly more – for $429 per year, all visits are free.
Now here’s the kicker: Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee. However, some of that is offset by a $300 annual travel credit. It’s important to take those types of things into account if you want to get the best deal.
Chase Sapphire Airport Lounge Math:
Chase Sapphire Preferred: $99 airport lounge membership + $95 annual fee = $194 per year for airport lounge access + $32 per person per visit.
Chase Sapphire Reserve: $0 airport lounge membership + $550 annual fee - $300 travel credit = $150 per year for airport lounge access.
As you can see, Chase Sapphire Preferred is more expensive than Chase Sapphire Reserve when it comes to lounge access, especially if there are guest visits. You’ll need to take this into account before you decide if this benefit is worth the added expense.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Mark Farms, Member
@mark_farms
The complimentary airport lounge benefit gives you and your authorized users access to over 1,000 VIP airport lounges worldwide, with Priority Pass. Among other things, you get free wi-fi, snacks and beverages. You can see all Priority Pass lounges here: https://www.prioritypass.com/en/airport-lounges.
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