Sapphire Lounge/Priority Pass
Posted by How-D-Partner@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 19 comments
Has any of the airline pilots had success using the Chase Sapphire Reserve card to enter their lounge prior/after commuting? Or also using Priority Pass Select’s lounges or the $28 food/drink credit at select restaurants?
I commute frequently from an airport that has a Sapphire Lounge and PP Select restaurants and I’m thinking over a year of free food I can justify the $550 annual fee for the Reserve card.
spitfire5181@reddit
With the $300 travel credit it comes out to a $250/yr fee. The travel credit is very broad I'm pretty sure I was getting travel credit at restaurants at home. It's usually gone within 3 months for me.
Not sure about lounges but the restaurants seem pretty chill about getting food. Admittedly check the airport because it ends up being a 1 restaurant per terminal. Selection isn't the best sometimes, there's a guy I flew with who would grab his free meal as we walked to the airplane every flight.
dieseltaco@reddit
Not an airline pilot but we easily cover our CSR fee difference ($250 as you pointed out) every year by using the freedom card (1.5%) and freedom category card (rotating 5%).
Priority pass, I only used a few times and sometimes the lounge is full.
Travel credit does apply to hotels, Uber/Lyft, and (I think) rental cars.
I used to save the points for the travel portal, where they are worth 1.25x more if you have CSR and purchase through their travel portal (meh).
Lately, I've been using the pay your self back feature on the CSR where your points can be worth a ton more. Example on the 25 percent bonus: buy 100$ of gas, redeem 7500 points, receive a 100 statement credit.
Sometimes there is a 50 percent bonus on the annual fee even, in pay your self back.
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Add global entry and it's $150. Some airports global entry is faster than crew lines. And if I'm traveling for pleasure it's very nice.
If you use doordash or instacart a lot that also brings the yearly fee down.
How-D-Partner@reddit (OP)
When you go to the restaurants do you sit down for the full meal or are they fine with you taking it to go? Do they care if you’re in uniform?
LegendL600@reddit
I believe the BofA Premier Rewards Elite still offers the dining credit. SFO was very good but nothing compared to PDX before COVID. Hit up Capers Market and then the Cafe, then do a Whiskey Flight and finally try your luck getting into the Alaska Lounge. I would get back from trips and bring home breakfast and lunch for the family.
WingedWildcat@reddit
Sapphire is pretty picky about having a confirmed seat (as is Centurion) so they probably aren’t going to let you in if you just have a standby boarding pass. PP is all over the place so sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.
DatSexyDude@reddit
I've gotten into the LGA and the JFK ones a couple times standby, including like 3 weeks ago.
WingedWildcat@reddit
Interesting. The PHX one has turned both myself and my wife away 🤷🏻♂️
Dry_Ring9845@reddit
This is wrong. My standby boarding passes work every time.
AirJug@reddit
As to having a confirmed seat/boarding pass, the dirt-simple hack is just buy a refundable ticket while you’re in the terminal that departs within 3 hours, enter lounge, cancel ticket.
anon__a__mouse__@reddit
can confirm this works
RaceBrick@reddit
Priority pass with the Sapphire Reserve doesn't cover restaurants.
Off the top of my head, the only cards left that cover Priority Pass restaurants are the US Bank Altitude Reserve (8 visits a year) and Altitude Connect. (4 visits a year)
TravelerMSY@reddit
It’s hit or miss whether they’ll let you in without a confirmed seat.
554TangoAlpha@reddit
They got rid of the $28 free food. It used to be fucking awesome in SFO, they had like 4 different restaurants, ate like a king. Can still do lounges but they usually aren’t great.
SpeedbirdTK1@reddit
I have yet to visit any Sapphire Lounges yet but the Priority Pass lounges take standby tickets for entry. I make a listing and screenshot the QR code and delete it after - they just need something to scan that shows a current day departure from the airport you're at. I've seen many people in uniform in the lounges so they don't seem to care but I personally think everyone should cover up anything identifying that you're an employee.
Restaurant credit was removed last year. SFO was probably the best place for it with 3 different restaurants that took it. Once had a DH leaving there and I ended up visiting all 3 restaurants cause they also allowed takeout. RIP in peace.
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Didn't they get rid of the $28 food credit on the reserve? Or am I making that up?
I use it for lounges all the time. Mostly PP lounges, as there are only a couple sapphire lounges. But I do always have a confirmed seat. The yearly fee is worth it for me, especially with the Global Entry credit and the broad travel credit (tolls count towards it, and I figured out that if you charge hotel food to the room and then pay the food from the desk it counts as well).
I didn't think the Amex card was worth it for me, as I will be going international a lot soon, and Amex doesn't have the greatest usage overseas.
How-D-Partner@reddit (OP)
The $28 food credit is through Priority Pass Select, as far as I’m aware. Do they check for a confirmed seat at every lounge? Suffice it to say that standby ticket won’t get me in?
RaiseTheDed@reddit
As of July 1st, 2024 CSR no longer has the $28 food credit. https://awardwallet.com/blog/chase-sapphire-reserve-priority-pass-benefit-change/
They scan my boarding pass every time at the PP lounges, not sure if they are checking if it's a confirmed seat or not.
Cyber__dude@reddit
Sapphire in LGA/JFK let me in with standby pass prior to a flight. Never tried after but pretty sure their policy is can’t use after a flight. I’ve only ever used the food credit at Ike’s in MSP..they let us use it all the time