- Introduction: Zipping To Tokyo Via Mongolia
- Review: American First Class Boeing 737 (MIA-LGA)
- Review: Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Review: Chase Sapphire Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: VIP ONE Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Primeclass Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Turkish Airlines Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Lufthansa Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Air France Lounge New York Kennedy Airport (JFK)
- Review: Air France Business Class Airbus A350 (JFK-CDG)
- Review: Air France HOP Business Class Embraer E190 (CDG-FRA)
- Review: Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Review: Primeclass Lounge Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Review: MIAT Mongolian Airlines Business Class Boeing 787 (FRA-UBN)
- Review: MIAT Mongolian Airlines Lounge Ulaanbaatar Airport (UBN)
- Review: MIAT Mongolian Airlines Business Class Boeing 737 (UBN-ICN)
- Review: Seoul Incheon Airport Transit Hotel (ICN)
- Review: Oneworld Lounge Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN)
- Review: ZIPAIR Full Flat Business Class Boeing 787 (ICN-NRT)
- Review: Hotel Villa Fontaine Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Review: TIAT Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Review: Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Review: Japan Airlines First Class Airbus A350-1000 (HND-JFK)
I just visited a lounge at LaGuardia Airport using Priority Pass, and it had a la carte dining, amazing cocktails, complimentary 30-minute facials, and the friendliest service imaginable.
Talk about a sentence I never thought I would write. Ever. But I just had the chance to visit the newly opened Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia (LGA), and it’s beyond exceptional. OMG, this lounge is absolutely amazing, by far the best Priority Pass lounge in the world, and arguably the best credit card lounge anywhere.
But you don’t have to believe me. Believe literally every single person who was seated around me all evening, who I had to listen to on the phone telling all their friends and family how great this was. Without exaggerating, the lady seated next to me had to call at least five different people, just to tell them how amazing this lounge is.
Anyway, I’ve spent enough time talking up this lounge, so let’s get into the review. This is one of four lounges in the Chase Sapphire Lounge network, with other locations being in Boston (BOS), Hong Kong (HKG), and New York (JFK).
In this post:
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia location
The Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia is located in Terminal B, which is the airport’s impressive new terminal (this was actually my first time visiting the terminal, and goodness, it sure is nice). Terminal B is used by a variety of airlines, including American, United, JetBlue, Southwest, and Air Canada. So if you’re flying on any of those airlines, you’ll be at most a 10-minute walk from your gate.
To find the Chase Sapphire Lounge LaGuardia, just clear security and turn right, and follow the signage in the direction of gates 40-59.
The entrance to the Chase Sapphire Lounge is adjacent to the entrance to the Amex Centurion Lounge, at the end of the hall, right near the bridge leading to the Eastern Concourse.
While the entrance to the lounge is located on level four (the same level as the terminal), you’ll then take an elevator down to the first floor, which is where the lounge’s entrance is located.
On the first floor you’ll exit an elevator and then find a long hallway leading to the lounge.
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia hours
The Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia is currently open daily from 4:30AM until 9:30PM, covering virtually all departures from the airport. Those are some impressive hours, because as a point of comparison, the adjacent Amex Centurion Lounge is open daily from 5AM until 9PM, so you have an extra 30 minutes on each end.
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia entry requirements
The Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia is a Priority Pass lounge, though it works a bit differently than other Priority Pass locations. Here are the entry requirements for all Chase Sapphire Lounge locations in the United States:
- Those with a Priority Pass membership through the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (review) can access the lounge an unlimited number of times, with up to two complimentary guests; this also applies to those with the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card, which is no longer open to new applicants
- Those with a Priority Pass membership issued through any other means can access any Chase Sapphire Lounge in the United States once per calendar year at no additional cost (that’s one visit across all lounges, not per lounge), and guests aren’t complimentary; subsequent visits, as well as guests, will be charged an entry fee of $75
- If you don’t have a Priority Pass membership, you can outright buy access to the lounge for $100 per person per visit, subject to availability
- Chase Sapphire Lounges are only accessible within three hours of departure, unless you’re connecting, in which case you can access it earlier
So as you can tell, while all Priority Pass members can visit this lounge once, those who have a membership through Chase’s premium cards get unlimited visits.
I imagine this is just because the lounge is new, but upon entering the lounge I was given a Chase Sapphire luggage tag, because I used the Priority Pass linked to my Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia layout & seating
The Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia is 21,800 square feet, making it the largest Chase Sapphire Lounge location so far. The lounge is spread across two floors, with the main part of the lounge being on the first floor.
This has to be one of the most visually stunning lounges in the United States. It strikes the perfect balance between feeling luxurious and modern, with a very functional design, and lots of art, plants, and more. I also love how it’s spread across two floors, which makes for really high ceilings and an open feeling to the space.
As you enter the lounge, there’s a small sitting area right by reception.
Further into the lounge is the space for relaxing (in other words, the non-dining space), which consists of all kinds of different seating arrangements.
The centerpiece of the lounge is the circular bar, which features high-top seating that can accommodate a couple of dozen people.
Then most of the rest of the lounge on the first floor consists of dining tables, in a variety of forms. Personally I like when lounges have a lot of dining tables. Not only are the food and drinks the real star of the show here, but it’s also much easier to work from a table.
One of the areas with tables is near the entrance, and consists of circular tables, as well as a long bench that extends the length of the space.
The other dining area consists of square and rectangular tables, and the space feels a bit brighter, thanks to the light wooden floors, and the alternating colors of the seats.
Off one side of the lounge on the first floor is a more secluded area, which feels cozy, thanks to the faux-fireplace (really it’s just some sort of orange steam). This space haas a communal table, three semi-private booths, and some chairs looking at the “fire.”
There are also two rooms with doors off to the side, should you want a quiet place from which to work or make a phone call.
There’s another area off the center of the lounge, which has a cozy padded bench on which you can sit. This is also across from the play area for kids.
Then when you pass through a set of curtains, you’ll find yourself in the lounge’s arcade area. The level of attention to detail in this lounge is nothing short of astounding, as the lounge has so much personality.
Then the staircase leads to the second level of the lounge, which is typically going to be the quietest, since the buffet and bar area are downstairs.
The upstairs area is actually quite small and spread out, and just has a bunch of seats intended for relaxing.
The Reserve Suites by Chase are also on the second level, and I’ll talk more about those in a bit.
By the way, let me mention one last thing about the design. I’m solar powered, and usually I value lounges with natural light. Well, this lounge has no natural light, yet somehow I feel like I didn’t even notice it, as the lounge is otherwise so cheery, has lots of greenery, etc. Or perhaps it’s just a reflection of how there’s not much natural light to enjoy in winter in New York.
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia food & drinks
The food and drinks are a highlight of the Chase Sapphire Lounge network, and the LaGuardia location is no exception. The lounge has both a buffet and a small a la carte selection. The lounge serves breakfast from 4:30AM until 10:30AM, and then lunch and dinner from 11AM until 9:30PM. I visited in the evening, so I’ll share the all-day dining selection.
Personally I love how Chase Sapphire Lounges have ready-to-eat options at the buffet, so you can grab a tray, and then put as many dishes on it as you’d like. I’m so tired of observing horrible hygiene in lounges with shared serving utensils, so I have a very strong preference for this.
Below you can find the menu for the lounge, which I thought was exceptional. The ready-to-eat options included pumpkin muhammara, kale salad, pesto burrata, fresh ricotta, beets and apples, cauliflower, salt cod brandade, a grilled cheese melt, broccoli parmesan, and chicken. Then dessert options included lemon squares, mini chocolate bites, salted chocolate chip cookies, and carrot cake.
On top of that, there’s a menu you can order off of. There are QR codes at each table tied to that specific table number, so you just place your order through your phone, and then it’ll be served to you.
I decided to order the seared salmon and lentil ragout, both of which were phenomenal.
The lounge also has several self-serve drink stations, featuring coffee machines, a selection of tea, drip coffee, water, and soft drinks.
There’s even cold brew on tap, which is awesome!
On top of that, there’s a huge selection of signature drinks available from the bar, including signature cocktails from Apotheke, wine curated by Parcelle, and coffee from Joe Coffee. You can find the drink list below.
I ordered a cappuccino to drink. While it didn’t have any “art,” it tasted excellent.
I’m not a big drinker, but later on in the evening I had one of the signature cocktails. I decided on the “Crosswind,” which had vodka, white lillet, apple, green grape, lemon, matcha, marjoram, and champagne. It was honestly phenomenal, as good as you’d get at a great bar.
The food and beverage game in this lounge is ridiculously strong. This is in my mind the best food you’ll find in any Priority Pass lounge in the world.
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia facials & relaxation area
You’ll find the wellness area of the Chase Sapphire Lounge inside the entrance and to the right, down the hall.
The wellness area has two relaxation areas, as well as two rooms for facials. You can make appointments either with the receptionist at the desk, or via the same QR code you’ll find all over the lounge, which will show you available appointments, and let you confirm a reservation.
The Chase Sapphire Lounge partners with Face Haus, and complimentary 30-minute facials are available daily from 9AM until 8PM. I managed to book an appointment around 90 minutes in advance, so at my designated time I headed to the wellness area, where I was asked to fill out a quick health questionnaire. I then had a seat in the waiting area.
There are five different facial options you can choose from, and you can find the options below.
Jamie was my therapist, and he was awesome. The whole treatment ended up taking a bit over 30 minutes. Honestly, every couple of minutes I kept thinking to myself “I can’t believe I’m at LaGuardia right now.”
At the end of the treatment, I was even given samples of some products.
While I didn’t use the relaxation area, you can also reserve one of the two below semi-private rooms, which have curtains. These are essentially just dark areas with a comfortable chair and ottoman.
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia bathrooms
Perhaps the least exceptional part of the Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia is the bathroom setup. It’s not bad at all, it’s just not quite as impressive as the rest of the lounge.
The lounge has a set of bathrooms on the first floor. The men’s room had four sinks, three stalls, and four urinals. Personally I like the trend we’re seeing in some other lounges toward private bathroom setups, which isn’t available here.
On the second floor, there is a single all-gender restroom, so that’s the most private bathroom in the main part of the lounge.
The Chase Sapphire Lounge doesn’t have shower suites, which is fair enough, since it’s not like most people using a lounge at LaGuardia are coming off a long haul flight.
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia Reserve Suites
Last but not least, let me talk about the lounge amenity I didn’t use, which is something we’ve never seen before. The Chase Sapphire Lounge LaGuardia has what are known as the Reserve Suites by Chase. These are located on the second floor, and you’ll see the unmarked reception area for this.
The lounge has three private rooms, each of which can be reserved for a period of three hours for $2,200-3,000 (depending on whether you want a room for four or eight people). People who book this receive a dedicated suite attendant, a special menu from Jeffrey’s Grocery, a personal bathroom with a shower, a signature caviar service upon arrival, a special wine list curated by Parcelle, a fully-stocked snack and refreshments center, and a gift prior to departing.
It’s an interesting concept, and I could see this working at a major international airport, though I’m curious if there’s demand for something like this at LaGuardia. After all, you’d have to intentionally show up way early to use that, and I can’t imagine many people are looking to do that for a domestic flight (well, at least people willing to drop that kind of money).
Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia service
There’s one last thing I have to address about the Chase Sapphire Lounge LaGuardia, and that’s the service. Admittedly the lounge only recently opened, but the people here honestly couldn’t be nicer or more professional. That’s true from the person checking you in, to the servers, to the bartenders, to the aestheticians.
Not only did they clearly hire great people, but the staff also have an immense sense of pride in the product, and it shows. And I can’t blame them. This is an incredible lounge, the guests are happy, and in turn, the employees are also happy.
The servers roaming the lounge are just so attentive, always asking if they can get you anything to eat or drink, and clearing plates. The service is just as good as the rest of the lounge, and that’s saying a lot.
Bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia is a treat, and sets the new standard for credit card lounges. The lounge has beautiful design, is spacious, has delicious food and drinks, offers complimentary facials, and best of all, has very friendly service.
It’s so nice to see how credit card lounge networks have evolved over the years. I don’t fly out of LaGuardia often, but this lounge makes me want to!
What do you make of the Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia?
I had a really bad experience here yesterday, and fear that the experience at opening is not going to last. The lounge was very crowded (no free seats on the first floor except at occupied tables, and only a handful on the second), but more important, almost no food. The kitchen was backed up with orders taking over an hour, and consequently all the self service food was picked over, almost entirely gone and not...
I had a really bad experience here yesterday, and fear that the experience at opening is not going to last. The lounge was very crowded (no free seats on the first floor except at occupied tables, and only a handful on the second), but more important, almost no food. The kitchen was backed up with orders taking over an hour, and consequently all the self service food was picked over, almost entirely gone and not replenished. They were not limiting occupancy when I arrived, but were when I left with a 1 hour wait (so 1 hour to get in and another hour beyond that to get food).
The Boston Sapphire lounge, for what it's worth, has been great, with none of these problems.
Did you leave a tip when you got a facial (directed to anyone that used this service).
dhammer53
Was there this Sunday morning at 8am and thought I was in heaven. Service, food, atmosphere and design were out of this world
AMAZING SPACE - only thing missing showers! Right next to the Centurion lounge (also great). While not in the same league - the AC MLL and UC in terminal B are very pleasant outstation lounges for Air Canada and United
I just hope that the quality stays high. I remember with the Club lounges opened. I used to frequent the one at SJC. It was incredibly nice (not as nice as this, but still excellent, especially for a PP lounge. Slowly but surely, it got worse and now all it has going for it is that it's clean and I see that in many of the clubs. The exception is the club at ATL which isn't even clean. I was sent there by BA before a flight in F... I mean talk about a fail!
This makes me excited for the upcoming Sapphire Lounge at Sky Harbor airport, if the trend continues, I might have to consider cancelling my Amex Plat, very little reason to keep both. Loving this competition!
Almost makes me want to upgrade from CSP to CSR (after downgrading a few years ago due to the high annual fee). It wouldn't take many lounge visits per year to make it worthwhile.
Lounge looks amazing. Now I'm excited for my first ever layover at La Guardia. Amex is going to have to step their game up as these C1 and Sapphire lounges have been upping the ante.
Can you clear the Terminal B TSA security checkpoint if you're on a flight from Terminal C?
Everything looks absolutely incredible.... Except for the kids room which was clearly an afterthought. I see one toy?
Looks great but let's see if it will be maintained when after more people use it and they have over crowding issues as other lounges.
What a time to be alive! I can't help but assume this place will be swapped for the foreseeable future but mamma mia it looks great.
Looks nice, enjoy it before the employees get jaded. What's the tipping culture like in the lounge? I assume tips are expected for cocktails and for facials? Are others expecting tips?
@ Mantis -- There was absolutely no pressure to tip, which is to say that there weren't tip jars anywhere, and bartenders weren't conveniently placing dollar bills all around the bar as a way to prime people to tip. However, the service here is really great, and I did see a lot of people tipping, so I suspect that there's above average tipping going on here (compared to an Admirals Club, for example).
Personally,...
@ Mantis -- There was absolutely no pressure to tip, which is to say that there weren't tip jars anywhere, and bartenders weren't conveniently placing dollar bills all around the bar as a way to prime people to tip. However, the service here is really great, and I did see a lot of people tipping, so I suspect that there's above average tipping going on here (compared to an Admirals Club, for example).
Personally, I tipped the guy who aesthetician and the nice guy who kept checking on me to see if I needed anything, as I was there for quite some time.
So noted Ben. You just answered my question on tipping.
So do you have to put quarters in the pinball machines, or are they free?
@ mangoMan -- Hah, they're free.
They are free
Impressive. Looks like they took all of the best ideas from the competing lounges in the US, including a little touch of the the Private Suites. If they continue the investment and don't start making cuts on staff and food & bev, should remain a winner. Sadly, I imagine crowding will quickly become an issue.
Ben, what would you say was the best Priority Pass lounge in the world before this one? And does this lounge now take over the Capital One lounge in DFW as the best credit card lounge?
The Plaza Premium lounge in Jakarta looks amazing.
@ Luis -- Great questions, though you're really challenging me here, because I'm not sure I have a great answer. :p
Previously I'd say the Chase Sapphire Lounge Boston might be the best Priority Pass lounge, and I think the LaGuardia location is a bit better. Otherwise, I really love the Primeclass Lounge Muscat, random as that may sound.
As far as the Capital One Lounge DFW goes, that's a real tough one. Goodness,...
@ Luis -- Great questions, though you're really challenging me here, because I'm not sure I have a great answer. :p
Previously I'd say the Chase Sapphire Lounge Boston might be the best Priority Pass lounge, and I think the LaGuardia location is a bit better. Otherwise, I really love the Primeclass Lounge Muscat, random as that may sound.
As far as the Capital One Lounge DFW goes, that's a real tough one. Goodness, I do love Rumana (who works there), and the grab & go feature. I'd say each lounge has its pros and cons, though I think the facials in this lounge are a competitive advantage, and I also slightly prefer the aesthetic of Chase Sapphire Lounges.
There are astonishingly great PP lounges all through Asia and Europe. The two best I visited (recent memories) were in Guangzhou and at SVO. Fantastic views, seating, food/drinks, huge spaces, rooms on par with hotels, etc. Haven't been back to either the past few years for obvious reasons, sadly...
Skytrax has your answer:
https://lounge.guide/skytrax-best-lounge-survey-2023.html
If we have multiple priority passes through multiple Plats, Venture X, etc, will each one get an individual entry?
Great review by the way, thanks Ben.
@ Tej -- I think one visit per Priority Pass card should be fine, since ultimately that's the only way that you can be tracked. I'm not sure that's the official policy, but I suspect that's how it works in reality.
Centurion lounge 2.0
This place is going to be so crowded with all of the dweebs who have the Sapphire Reserve. Plus all the hype it's getting cause LGA never had a legit lounge of this caliber.
Looks very nice and along with the Centurion Lounge and the new SkyClub in Terminal C, flyers have excellent lounge options at LGA. I still shudder to think of the old days in those dark, claustrophobic lounges at Terminal B.
But while they have done a bang-up job aesthetically with LGA's renovations, flying out of there last week I was struck by how inconvenient the design of the new Terminal C is. It's a...
Looks very nice and along with the Centurion Lounge and the new SkyClub in Terminal C, flyers have excellent lounge options at LGA. I still shudder to think of the old days in those dark, claustrophobic lounges at Terminal B.
But while they have done a bang-up job aesthetically with LGA's renovations, flying out of there last week I was struck by how inconvenient the design of the new Terminal C is. It's a *really* long slog to get to the gates from security and while it's fine by me to get in a couple thousand extra steps, I can't imagine what it might be like for those with small children, those with mobility concerns, or the elderly. There had to have been a better design option than this one.
But that's NY in a nutshell. Even when they pull off big things, it ends up being lipstick on a pig.
Can you use from any terminal? Like JFk lounges.
Mile long entry queues coming in 3.....2.....
@ Dominos -- In fairness, there have already been reports of the lounge having a waitlist on a Thursday or Friday afternoon. LaGuardia is ultimately an airport with highly variable traffic throughout the day and based on the day of the week, so I suspect the lounge will consistently be packed during peak hours and days, but otherwise quite pleasant.
What would be the peak hours and days?
@ JetAway -- I'd say the busiest times would be on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday evenings, as well as on Monday mornings.
@ Dominos- but if you stay away, that’s one less!
I was there the past Monday morning around 7:00 and it wasn’t crowded at all. Great breakfast options and beautiful lounge!
Does anyone know if the CSR or Amex plat is more popular in terms of number of card holders?
@ dn10 -- The Amex Platinum has been around a lot longer, so I have to imagine there are still more users. Purely speculation on my part, though.
Whatever the number is, there are a lot of CSR holders in the NYC area.
@ Anthony -- Oh for sure, NYC has a VERY high concentration of cardmembers, given how much New Yorkers spend on dining and travel, and how good the card is for that.
Is there a way to pre-book facials? Or do you first have to be in the lounge?
@ dn10 -- So the QR code on the tables doesn't change day-to-day, if you have the URL. However, you need to have location services on to access that URL, so I don't think you could make a reservation before you're at the airport, even if you had that.
A few things
1) A lounge like this actually has the ability to shift what airlines people book. American Airlines, JetBlue, even Spirit/Frontier and such should benefit from this lounge as Terminal B now has a much stronger lounge offering. Delta's Terminal C is also attractive, but this club seems to offer an experience that the other lounges in Terminal B don't. It also may drive more sign ups to the CSR
2) It's pretty...
A few things
1) A lounge like this actually has the ability to shift what airlines people book. American Airlines, JetBlue, even Spirit/Frontier and such should benefit from this lounge as Terminal B now has a much stronger lounge offering. Delta's Terminal C is also attractive, but this club seems to offer an experience that the other lounges in Terminal B don't. It also may drive more sign ups to the CSR
2) It's pretty amazing how much NYC airports have improved in terms of lounge space the past couple of years, with more to come this year. Flying in and out of NYC has massively improved
3) This lounge seems like it will get massively crowded soon though
Do we have any idea how many users of the Sapphire Reserve there are vs. Amex Platinum? I feel like the former has (rightly) kind of lost its luster. (This also seems to be bigger than Centurion lounges but could be wrong.)
Regarding the first point, it would affect which airline a CSR user (like me) would use out of LGA. Also Spirit/Frontier doesn't go out of LGA Terminal B only Terminal A.