From its inception, the Chase Sapphire Reserve provided cardholders access to certain airport lounges via a Priority Pass membership. However, now CSR cardholders can access Air Canada lounges under certain conditions. As far as I’m aware this is a first direct airline lounge benefit of the card.
Airline lounge access is credit card benefit started by the American Express Platinum and Centurion cards, which granted cardholders access to American Express Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs. Then, Chase came along with the Sapphire Reserve, which provided cardholders access to Priority Pass lounges. This eventually evolved into Priority Pass restaurants, too, especially as lounges began to experience debilitating overcrowding issue. Then, Chase added lounges of their own with Priority Pass-run Sapphire Lounges.
Alas, though Chase has relationships with several airlines, including United Airlines, IAG (British Airways, Iberia, etc.), Southwest, and Air Canada, they never provided access to any of their lounges for Sapphire Reserve cardholders until now, as CSR cardholders can access Air Canada lounges.
CSR Cardholders Can Access Air Canada Lounges
Even though CSR cardholders can access Air Canada lounges, they can’t waltz into the lounge whenever they’re in an airport with one. Rather, access is restricted to cardholders when they have a same-day ticket or travel on Air Canada or a Star Alliance member airline. Moreover, only select Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafes in North America and Europe are including the following locations:
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — Terminal 6
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) — Terminal B Eastern Concourse
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) — Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, Terminal 2
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Calgary International Airport (YYC)
- Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) — Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge
- Ottawa International Airport (YOW)
- Regina International Airport (YQR)
- Saskatoon International Airport (YXE)
- Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) — Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Cafe for domestic departures, Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Express for U.S. departures, Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (excludes Air Canada Signature Suite) for international departures
- Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) — Aspire Air Canada Cafe
- Vancouver International Airport (YVR) — excludes Air Canada Signature Suite
- Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG)
It’s important to note that, unlike with Priority Pass, access to Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafes are limited to primary cardholders and their authorized users, too. Additional guests will incur a $59 fee in the U.S., the same price in Canadian Dollars in Canada, 59 Euros in the European Union, and 59 Pounds Sterling for locations in the United Kingdom. Oh, and access is dependent on capacity. If the lounge is especially busy, Sapphire Reserve cardholders will be the first to be put on a waiting list or flat-out turned away.
Final Thoughts
Though CSR cardholders can access Air Canada Lounges, it seems as if this new benefit will be most useful for single travelers and couples in which both have the card or one is an authorized user. Otherwise, you’re looking at a rather hefty fee for your other guests to join you. Nevertheless, this is a welcome addition to the benefits already offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve, even if it could be of limited use to some. However, there’s no doubt that the restrictions were aimed at limiting overcrowding issues caused by widespread Priority Pass access.
At any rate, though there is no Maple Leaf lounges in Hawai’i, my kama’aina friends can still enjoy lounge access when traveling back to Hawai’i from locations such as Los Angeles and San Francisco when traveling on United Airlines. This is especially true if you don’t already have access to United’s lounges.