I went to Chase's new airport lounge and couldn't believe I could get in for free without the travel credit card
- I visited the Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia Airport, which offers meals, drinks, and a spa.
- The lounge is free for $550-per-year Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders.
I recently went to LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B and stepped into a 21,850-square-foot space that felt like a luxury hotel lobby.
I found cozy seating areas, complimentary meals and drinks, a coworking space, an arcade that felt like a nightclub, a spa offering free facials, and an upstairs mezzanine full of plants.
It was the new Chase Sapphire Lounge, which opened in NYC's LGA and John F. Kennedy International Airports in January. The airport lounge can also be found in Boston and Hong Kong.
The lounge at LGA is open from 4:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily and is free for $550-per-year Chase Sapphire Reserve credit cardholders to visit whenever they have a flight departing within three hours.
All they have to do is activate their complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge membership that comes with the credit card.
However, during my tour from general manager Ioannis Tzielekis, I was surprised to learn that travelers can get in for free without the Chase card and access all the same complimentary amenities.
How to get into the airport lounge for free
There are two ways to access the lounge for free without the card, both of which require a boarding pass for a flight up to three hours away.
The easiest way is to travel with a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder who is allowed two free guests per visit. Any additional guests cost $27 per person.
For the second option, travelers don't even have to know a Chase cardholder at all.
A Chase Sapphire representative told Business Insider that those who hold a Priority Pass membership without the card can enter for free once a year. Each additional visit costs $75.
The pass is complimentary with various travel credit cards from other banks, or it has a starting rate of $99 for those without any of the partnered card programs, according to the Priority Pass website.
While I was only visiting the lounge for a tour, knowing I could have a pleasant experience before boarding a long flight made me excited for my next trip to the airport— and keen to get a Priority Pass membership.