San Diego Chase Sapphire Lounge review: Hoo boy!

The only thing that bugs me about the Chase Sapphire Lounge at the San Diego International Airport is the fact that we had to wait so long for it.

It’s basically the best airport lounge at SAN right now. By a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

My full review of the Chase Sapphire Lounge at SAN

If you want to get all technical, this isn’t just a Chase Lounge. It’s a Chase Lounge by The Club (which is essentially a competitor to Priority Pass). 

Location

You’ll find the Chase Lounge adjacent to gate 47 in Terminal 2 West. It’s located one level above the gate area – which will require taking the stairs or elevator to access.

I chose the hard way. Not because I’m a glutton for punishment, but because I could already smell fried chicken (and I figured I might as well burn as many calories as possible before the inevitable gorging).

Layout

I actually had no idea there was so much available space above the general gate area in T2W. This is a decently sized lounge. 

The overall layout is rectangular, and it’s broken up into several different sections: the lobby / foyer, the bar, the café, and several seating rooms.

Seating

San Diego airport lounges have never been known for plush seating and wide open spaces. Although this Chase Lounge isn’t very spacious, there are a lot of comfortable seating options available.

Unlike both the United Club and the Delta Sky Club here in Terminal 2 West, the Chase Lounge offers a wider variety of seating options IMHO. Plus a better view of the airport.

Food and drinks

There are two ways to eat in this lounge: the first way is to choose something from the self-serve food bar. The second way is to order something off the menu. FYI, I skipped the menu because everything on the buffet looked so good.

It’s worth noting that the fully staffed kitchen looked to be full of motivated chefs just chomping at the bit to whip you up a killer hamburger.

RIP to your willpower as you weigh the pros and cons of the fried chicken vs the salad or the grilled cheese vs the soup. The overflowing trays of fresh-from-the-oven cookies and brownies isn’t going to make things any easier.

As I’ve already alluded to, the beverage situation in this lounge is excellent. From full cans of soda (every kind you can think of), to three different types of water, to coffee, tea, beer, wine, etc – you’re not gonna leave this place thirsty.

How to get in

I got in via my Priority Pass credentials (which is one of the perks of my AMEX Platinum Card). Other ways include:

• Having one of the following credit cards: Chase Sapphire Reserve, J.P. Morgan Reserve, or the Ritz-Carlton Card. Plot twist: it’s actually the Priority Pass membership that comes with those cards which will grant you access.
• Being a general Priority Pass member. NOTE – you’ll only get one visit to a Chase Sapphire Lounge per year. Use that access wisely.

Oddly enough, having a The Club membership won’t get you access to this lounge. At least not at the time of this writing (February 2025). The hell?

Read the most up to date Chase Sapphire Lounge access requirements here.

Pros and cons

I fully stand by what I said earlier about this being the best lounge the San Diego airport. I’m not sure if it’s the biggest (the Aspire Lounge may have a larger floor plan), but the food makes it worth whatever it is you have to do to get in.

Pros

• Restaurant quality food (not only from the self serve food bar, but from the menu as well).
• Lots of natural light with huge windows facing the west.
• Very comfortable seating options (including plush couches).
• Easily the best bar of any San Diego airport lounge.

Cons

• The seating is very dense. You won’t find any privacy in here.
• It’s likely to be extremely crowded at all hours of the day.
• The location is slightly inconvenient if you’re flying out of Terminal 2 East.