Overhyped? Chase Sapphire Lounge LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Review

Worth Coming to the Airport Early For: YES (style + substance. Chase did a good job here. Minus the lack of natural light)

Better Than The Terminal? YES (great place for food and a high-quality meal. Just be aware – no windows or views. But Chase makes up for that in their design of this place)

Introduction

If this place had windows / natural light, it might just be the best airport lounge in the US. Despite that, it’s still near the top of the list – I was extremely impressed when visiting Chase’s Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia airport.

LGA has experienced the craziest / fastest improvement of any US airport. It’s probably my favorite US airport to depart from nowadays (other than SFO). On top of that, it’s an insanely competitive airport for Bank-run airport lounges, which only means one thing – consumers (you) reap the benefits. In terminal B (where United and American primarily fly from – sorry Delta folks), there’s both this Chase Sapphire Lounge and the Amex Centurion Lounge, which I’ve previously reviewed. The Amex lounge here is fine but nothing special. Also, the Capital One lounge just recently opened up, which is probably tied (or even slightly better) than this lounge. Needless to say, terminal B LGA is a hotbed for tier-1 airport lounges (similar to JFK T4). Anyways, I was heading to Chicago for a quick trip, so I rolled up to the airport a bit early to make sure I had time to check out this lounge.

Lounge Access Rules & Where to Find These Lounges

There’s only two ways you can get into Chase Sapphire Lounges in the US:

1. You have a Chase Sapphire Reserve card (or J.P. Morgan Reserve / Ritz-Carlton card). With this, you’re allowed a maximum of two complimentary guests, and a charged a fee of $27+ per each additional guest
2. You have a valid Priority Pass membership from another credit card. With this, you’re allowed one free visit per year, and charged $75 per each visit thereafter (a clever way to market your lounges / get people to sign up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve).

I got in via method #2, since I do not currently have the Chase Sapphire reserve. I do have the Capital One Venture X and Amex Platinum, both of which issue their own separate priority pass memberships. If using distinct cards, you can stack your priority pass memberships (i.e two per year in my case).

To get in, you also need a same-day boarding pass and your flight departure needs to be within three hours (they probably won’t let you camp out at the lounge all day – unless you slip the gate agent a $20?).

As of early 2026, Chase currently operates a decently-sized network of Sapphire Lounges at the following airports:

1. New York – JFK (although this is shared with Etihad / it’s quite small)
2. New York – LGA
3. Dulles (DC) – IAD (also shared with Etihad)
4. Boston – BOS
5. Las Vegas – LAS
6. Philadelphia – PHL
7. Phoenix – PHX
8. San Diego – SAN
9. Dallas – DFW (coming soon)
10. Los Angeles – LAX (coming soon)

Finding this Lounge at LGA

This lounge is tucked into a corner in Terminal B at LGA, airside, on the fourth floor. It’s right by the concourse connecting to gates B40-B59. It’s literally right next door to the Amex Centurion Lounge.

If you see the big indoor fountain, just keep walking towards the right and you’ll see the entrance of the lounge.

I arrived to the airport around 7am ahead of my 9:30am departure to Chicago on American airlines.

After clearing security in terminal B, just walk past the fountain with music (you can’t miss it) and keep going right. The entrance to this lounge is right next to the Amex Centurion lounge entrance.

The entrance to this lounge is a bit strange. After showing an attendant your Chase Sapphire Reserve or priority pass, you walk down this dark hallway:

And the lounge is tucked right behind these doors:

Lounge Review and Amenities

The lounge is organized on two levels. The first level has a bar and food area with grab-and-go items (which I vastly prefer to buffets, which are … gross) and the second level with some quieter seating. The biggest downside of this lounge is the lack of windows or natural light. Chase really did go over-the-top here with the design to make up for it. It’s probably the best physically designed airport lounge I’ve been to, maybe ever?

Check in was a bit busy but the line moved fast, and after a quick scan of my boarding pass and priority pass QR code, I was admitted in.

The whole lounge is extremely well-designed. Feels like a futuristic spaceship. Like the movie the Passengers – iykyk. While there was a bit of a random rush at check-in, this lounge was fairly empty the morning I visited.

On the upstairs level, there’s also a discreet entrance to the “Reserve Suites”. While everything in the lounge is complimentary, this is the one service that is paid, and extremely expensive. Basically, you can book a private suite (starting at an eye-watering $2,200) that includes the whole nine yards: private TV, dining, showers, caviar service, and more. I would never pay this much for a few-hour experience, but if you need to impress someone who is deeply materialistic or want to waste money, this is a good option to do so.

There are espresso & drinks stations scattered throughout the lounge:

All food and beverage selections feature nice brands catering to their core audience (yuppies).

The breakfast menu runs from 4:30am – 10:30am. The grab and go station options vary from the made-to-order section. So, I tried both (as you should).

Note you’ll see QR codes at every table. You can scan them and place orders for food directly to your table.

Here’s the grab and go station:

I basically tried everything on offer, which was perhaps a pre-flight mistake. But the food here is seriously good. Chase (and Capital One) accurately realize that people want small bites preflight that are high quality and taste restaurant-made. Not mass-market buffet chicken slop (Amex) … although sometimes I like that too tbh. But Chase and Capital One lounges are generally much nicer than Amex lounges nowadays. The only advantage Amex really has at this point lounge-wise is the size of their network, but Chase and Capital one now feature decently-sized networks of their own.

Here’s what I ordered from the QR code:

The first floor is much larger than the second, with a lot more seating options (and even an arcade).

I got my signature “Sapphire” drink from the bar here. They offer it non-alcoholic. I wasn’t trying to go crazy at 7am on a Wednesday.

The lounge is great in that it has so many different seating options – tables, chairs, sofas, whatever. And all have QR codes so you can get food delivered right to you.

There’s even a mini-spa offering light treatments:

Tucked in the back on the first floor, there’s a hidden arcade with a jukebox. The design here is next level.

And last but not least, bathrooms were clean and stocked with Apotheke products:

Conclusion

This lounge sets the bar for what the future of airport lounges should be in the US. Small, high-quality bites that you can choose among an a la carte menu + tons of great drinks. Although I went a bit overboard on trying basically every food option, which I promptly regretted on my following flight to Chicago. Do not be like me.

Despite not having any windows / natural light, the design is great and food is absurdly good. Right now, this lounge is one of the best at LGA, ~tied with the Capital One Landing (review to come).

Regardless, this lounge is worth carving out a few hours preflight to enjoy a proper, high-quality meal and good coffee / drinks.