The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card (review) is one of the most popular premium travel credit cards. The card offers valuable lounge perks, including access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and a Priority Pass™ membership.
Continue reading: Chase Sapphire Reserve Air Canada Lounge Access: How It Works
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I guess this is the Chase ver. of trying to offer SkyClub access, but the problem is that the footprints don't match where the travelers are.
This is a weak benefit, even if you're a UA frequent flyer, unless you live in Canada, California or fly to/from LGA frequently.
SkyClub access made the Amex Plat very successful, but also created a lot of crowding issues. My guess is that United didn't see enough upside in letting in CSR holders that would degrade the United Club experience for current members.
Interesting that the AC Arrivals Lounge at Heathrow T2 is specifically called out on the Air Canada website as *not* being a Maple Leaf Lounge. I suppose that's why it's not included in this offering. That would be a great addition but since it's the size of a postage stamp, probably for the better...
To me, this is closer to the Platinum's Luftansa Lounge acces. Lovely to have but limited use cases
Ben, how early before your flight can you access the lounges? I have a 4 hour layover in Toronto connecting from Etihad to air Canada on separate tickets is why I ask. Thanks!!
@ Bf — Up to three hours before departure, unless you’re connecting. I’ll update the post to add that. Since you’re on separate tickets, I suspect they’d still apply the three hour rule to your itinerary, but it can’t hurt to try.
I would say it's in between since it extends to all Star Alliance flights, which is obviously targeting United flyers as this card is a US based card. It would be the exact same if it only applied to AC flights.
I think this is great for a UA FF that flies out of LAX/SFO a lot as there's a consistent lounge you can access now, but outside of that, very limited use case.
As a Star Gold, this is completely useless to me. Now if Chase and AC were to allow access even when not flying a Star Alliance carrier, this would become much more useful.
I wish they would allow it regardless if you were flying a star alliance partner or not.
On Air Canada's website, they list EWR as having a maple leaf lounge, coshared with United Club at terminal A. Would CSR have access to that lounge?
I live in NYC and fly to Canada (Vancouver, or YVR) a lot, yet have found this perk to be surprisingly useless for us.
First, flying from YVR to NYC, we already have a reasonably good Plaza Premium lounge (in the part of the airport terminal from which UA and AC seem to always depart for us), so the Maple Leaf Lounge would only be a sidegrade or small upgrade. And we're usually traveling as a group of 3, so that rules it out as an option for us.
Then, flying from NYC to YVR. This is probably my family's most flown route, and this had the potential to be arguably a big boon for us (even the major selling point of the sapphire reserve). There are essentially no lounge options for most people flying this route. The only direct flights are Jetblue out of the lounge-less JFK terminal 5, or UA and AC flying out of EWR where the only relevant lounge (prior to the Centurion lounge in 2026) is the United Club (and we don't have a United Club membership and it's not worth the $700 for the United Club card, nor do we typically fly business class on this route). The EWR Maple Leaf Lounge (which is sort of combined with the United Club) would be very valuable, yet it's not on the list of included lounges, sadly.
Still always an odd contrast between the lounge access at the NYC airports. On essentially every flight out of JFK I get to choose between the Centurion, Sapphire and Capital One lounges (and also the Delta Skyclub if I'm flying on Delta). Out of Laguardia I would have the Centurion, Sapphire and Maple Leage Lounges. And then EWR (which is the only real option for flying to Vancouver) is a barren wasteland.
One thing I noticed is that the guest can be on ANY *A flight. That's a huge difference from access with *G status, which requires the guest to be on the same flight as the *G pax.
CSR: "Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers and authorized users are entitled to invite one complimentary guest each at no charge."
*G: "You can invite one guest traveling on the same flight at no extra charge."
This won’t last long. It will be down to AC flights only shortly, or at least won’t count UA. The SFO lounge is in T2, has a great terrace, and they’ll get absolutely slammed.
@UA-NYC, the United club at terminal A EWR is treated as if it is an Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge. If you are normally able to access an AC MLL in the USA, then you can access this lounge. I've been there many times.
The CSR will not get you access to this lounge unfortunately. https://www.chase.com/travel/guide/experiences/air-canada-sapphire-lounge
Wait, Calidreamer... The chase aeroplan card does.. within the benefits... you get deux maple leaf lounge one-time guest passes, PER year. you don't use them, they auto expire. Then in the new year... you get another deux. I used one last year, haven't used any this year, they expire on my jan 23, 2026.