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Inside Scoop: Gaining Entry into the Exclusive Chase Sapphire Preferred Lounge

Travel points are earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and it offers various benefits, yet it falls short on airport lounge access. Here are alternate credit card choices you might consider.

Access Guide for Chase Sapphire Preferred Lounges
Access Guide for Chase Sapphire Preferred Lounges

Inside Scoop: Gaining Entry into the Exclusive Chase Sapphire Preferred Lounge

In the realm of travel credit cards, two standout options from Chase are the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card. While both cards offer a range of travel benefits, they differ in certain aspects, particularly when it comes to lounge access.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, with its annual fee of $95, earns 1 point per dollar on most purchases and 2x points on travel purchases through Chase's travel portal. Cardholders can also enjoy benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, primary car rental collision damage waiver, and services for travel and emergency assistance.

On the other hand, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, with a higher annual fee of $795, offers more extensive travel benefits. It earns 5x points on all Chase Travel purchases, 3x points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery worldwide, and 1x point on all other purchases. Cardholders also benefit from a $300 annual travel credit and lounge access, including Priority Pass Select.

However, to access lounges within the Sapphire family of cards without the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, cardholders would need to have a separate Priority Pass membership, which they can purchase for $99-$469 annually, depending on their membership tier. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card holders are allowed one complimentary access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club annually if they have this membership. After the initial complimentary visit, additional passes can be purchased for $75, if available.

It's worth noting that Chase Sapphire Lounges are available in select airports, including Boston, Hong Kong, New York's LaGuardia, and John F. Kennedy International airports.

For those considering alternatives to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, there are other travel credit cards offering lounge access and similar benefits. Examples include the American Express Platinum Card with Priority Pass™ Prestige membership, the Amex Gold and Blue Cards providing discounted Priority Pass membership, the BMW Premium Card Carbon, Deutsche Bank MasterCard Platin, Diners Club Classic Card, Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken Visa Platinum Plus, N26 Metal, and Miles & More Credit Card Blue, among others. Many of these cards provide free or discounted lounge visits and extensive airport lounge networks globally.

In conclusion, both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card offer a variety of travel benefits, with the latter providing lounge access through Priority Pass Select. For those seeking lounge access without the higher annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in combination with a Priority Pass membership could be a suitable option. However, for a more comprehensive suite of travel benefits, including lounge access, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card might be a better choice, especially for frequent travellers.

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