Quick Take: Beginning August 15, 2026, Chase Sapphire Lounges will leave the Priority Pass and LoungeKey networks. Travelers whose membership comes from a non-Chase card will lose the once-per-calendar-year complimentary visit and the $75 rate for guests or additional visits. Eligible Chase Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Reserve for Business, J.P. Morgan Reserve and Ritz-Carlton cardholders will keep their card-based access. The entry window will remain three hours before an originating flight and expand to five hours before an eligible same-day connecting flight.
For the past few years, there’s been a small loophole in Chase’s airport-lounge strategy. You didn’t necessarily need a Chase card to try a Sapphire Lounge.
A Priority Pass membership issued by another bank could provide one complimentary visit to a U.S. Chase Sapphire Lounge each calendar year. It wasn’t the easiest perk to use—Chase cardholders received priority when a lounge was crowded—but it was still a real benefit.
That exception ends August 15. Sapphire Lounges are leaving the Priority Pass and LoungeKey networks, turning the lounges into a more traditional cardholder benefit and removing the discounted route non-Chase members could use.
What Changes August 15
Today, a Priority Pass member whose membership wasn’t issued through an eligible Chase card can visit one U.S. Sapphire Lounge per calendar year, subject to availability. Guests and additional visits cost $75 each.
Starting August 15, that network access disappears. A Priority Pass or LoungeKey membership from American Express, Capital One, Citi or another issuer won’t unlock a complimentary Sapphire Lounge visit. The $75 preferential rate also goes away.
Noneligible travelers can still buy a $100 day pass when the lounge is selling access and has space. That’s a meaningful jump from free, and it’s expensive enough that you should compare the price with a restaurant meal, a different lounge or simply waiting in the terminal.
Don’t confuse the network with your membership: Your Priority Pass account isn’t being cancelled. The change removes Sapphire Lounges from the Priority Pass and LoungeKey networks. You can still use the other lounges and experiences included with your membership, subject to that program’s current rules.
Who Still Gets Complimentary Sapphire Lounge Access?
Eligible Chase-issued premium cards retain complimentary access. Chase’s current lounge page identifies the following groups:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: primary cardmembers and authorized users.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business: primary cardmembers; employee cardmembers don’t receive this lounge benefit.
- J.P. Morgan Reserve: primary cardmembers and authorized users.
- The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card: primary cardmembers and authorized users.
Eligible members can generally bring up to two guests at no additional charge when entering a Sapphire Lounge. Access requires the qualifying card or associated digital Priority Pass Select membership and an eligible boarding pass.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t include Sapphire Lounge access. A card with “Sapphire” in its name isn’t enough by itself; the access benefit is tied to the specific premium products and their current terms.
The Connection Window Gets More Useful
There is one positive change. The lounge-entry window is expanding to five hours before the scheduled departure of a same-day connecting flight, as long as the connection departs from the same airport where you arrived.
For a trip that begins at the airport, the normal three-hour window remains. In other words, you can’t arrive five hours early for the first flight and use the longer connection rule.
The distinction matters at airports such as Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth and New York-JFK, where a longer layover may be intentional. Five hours gives connecting travelers enough time to clear the next checkpoint, find the lounge, eat and still reach the gate without rushing.
Same-day travel and capacity rules still apply. A longer access window doesn’t guarantee immediate entry when the lounge is full.
Which Lounges Are Affected?
The change covers the open U.S. Sapphire Lounge network and the Chase-access arrangement at the Etihad Lounge at Washington Dulles. Current locations include:
- Boston Logan (BOS), Terminal B.
- Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Terminal D.
- Las Vegas (LAS), Terminal 1, C Concourse.
- New York-JFK, Terminal 4.
- New York-LaGuardia (LGA), Terminal B.
- Philadelphia (PHL), D/E Connector.
- Phoenix (PHX), Terminal 4.
- San Diego (SAN), Terminal 2.
- The Etihad Lounge at Washington Dulles (IAD), Concourse A.
Chase also lists a Los Angeles lounge as coming soon. Airport locations, hours and access procedures can move, so check Chase’s live lounge page and your airport map before building a connection around a visit.
What This Means for Non-Chase Priority Pass Members
The immediate loss is straightforward: one of your strongest potential Priority Pass visits is going away. Sapphire Lounges generally offer a more polished food, beverage and seating experience than many contract lounges.
The practical impact may be smaller than the headline suggests. Non-Chase members were already secondary to eligible Chase cardholders during busy periods. Some travelers were placed on a waitlist or turned away before they could use the annual visit.
Still, you shouldn’t erase the benefit from your personal card valuation until August 15. If you have an eligible trip before then, the old rule remains listed on Priority Pass lounge pages, subject to availability. After the deadline, remove Sapphire Lounges from the list of benefits you expect your non-Chase Priority Pass membership to provide.
If lounge access was part of the reason you keep a premium card, use thePointsPage Annual Fee Valuation Tool to price the access you’ll realistically use—not a theoretical maximum. The Credit Card Selection Tool can also help compare alternatives based on your home airport and travel habits.
Should You Pay $100 for a Day Pass?
For most travelers, probably not. A $100 day pass can make sense during a long disruption or layover when you’ll eat a full meal, use a shower or need a quiet place to work. It’s harder to justify for a short visit, especially when the lounge can still be crowded.
Before paying, check:
- How much time you’ll actually have after security, walking and boarding.
- Whether another lounge in the same terminal accepts your membership.
- Whether your guest also needs a paid pass.
- Whether the lounge is selling passes at that moment.
- Whether a normal airport meal would cost substantially less.
A lounge is a convenience, not a reason to miss a flight. Add the airport and lounge details to thePointsPage Travel Planning Checklist, particularly when a terminal change or reclearing security is involved.
Don’t Make a Card Decision From One Benefit
If you already hold an eligible Chase card, your Sapphire Lounge access isn’t being cut. In fact, removing outside Priority Pass traffic may reduce some crowding, although there’s no guarantee the lounges will suddenly become quiet.
If you don’t hold an eligible Chase card, this change alone shouldn’t push you into applying for one. Premium travel cards carry large annual fees and a long list of credits that only have value when they fit spending you would’ve made anyway.
Compare the complete annual fee, authorized-user cost, home-airport lounge options, travel credits, earning rates and protections. ThePointsPage’s Credit Card Travel Protections guide can help you separate lounge access from the insurance benefits that may matter more when a trip goes wrong.
Getting to the Point(s)
Chase is closing the side door to its Sapphire Lounges. Starting August 15, a Priority Pass or LoungeKey membership issued by another bank won’t provide the former once-per-year complimentary visit or $75 access rate.
Eligible Chase Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Reserve for Business, J.P. Morgan Reserve and Ritz-Carlton cardholders keep their access. Connecting passengers also gain a more useful five-hour entry window, while the three-hour rule remains for originating flights.
If you were counting on a non-Chase membership, check your trip date and alternate lounges now. If you’re thinking about paying $100 or opening a premium card, price the entire decision—not just the plate of food and quiet chair waiting beyond the lounge door.
Keep Up With Lounge and Card-Benefit Changes
Lounge networks and access rules can change faster than annual fees do. The Runway tracks fresh travel and loyalty headlines, while the thePointsPage Community is a useful place to compare real entry experiences and waitlist data points.
Sources & Further Reading
- Chase — Sapphire Reserve Lounge Network
- Priority Pass — Chase Sapphire Lounge at New York-JFK
- Priority Pass — Chase Sapphire Lounge at New York-LaGuardia
- Priority Pass — Chase Sapphire Lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth
- Thrifty Traveler — Sapphire Lounges Leave Priority Pass
- LoyaltyLobby — August 15 Access Change
Lounge access, guest rules, hours, participating locations, day-pass availability and card benefits can change. Review the current Chase, Priority Pass and cardmember terms before traveling, applying for a card or paying for lounge access.
