Priority Pass Options in San Diego Airport
We just got back from a trip to San Diego and per usual, visited all the Priority Pass lounges in the airport so we could write a comparison for you! It wasn’t a hard task as there are just two Priority Pass lounges - the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club and the Aspire Executive Lounge, both located in Terminal 2. We decided to head to the Chase Sapphire Lounge first as it had better reviews (though not significantly) than the Aspire Lounge and we weren’t sure if we’d have time to make it to both lounges, so wanted to at least get to what we were guessing was the best one.
Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club
This lounge is accessed by elevator and when we got to them, a staff member was standing at the entrance to the elevators asking what card guests were using to access the lounge. We have a Chase Sapphire Reserve card so we told her that in case access was limited to Priority Pass members. When we left the lounge, the staff member screening folks at the elevator was no longer there so I’m guessing that’s maybe just when the lounge gets close to capacity? Our first impression of this lounge was that it was one of the nicest Priority Pass lounges we’ve been to in the US. From the smiling staff at the check in desk who asked us thoughtful questions about our trip to the size of the lounge to the beautiful decor! We found a quiet corner with comfy lounge chairs and outlets and got some food and drinks. The food bar was amazing with multiple nicely plated hot entrees including vegetarian options and lovely desserts (fluffy red velvet cake and decadent chocolate orange bars) far superior from the usual dry plate of cookies. We found two drink areas, aside from the full bar, complete with fancy coffee machines, non-coffee hot drink offerings like tea and cocoa, and a fridge with soda (including Spindrift for a healthier option) at the drinks area near the check-in desk. When we sat down at our table, Justin noticed a QR code and we discovered you could order even more complimentary food to your table! Justin ordered a vegetarian burger with fries and I ordered a caesar salad. Both were delicious, especially Justin’s burger with a very nicely prepared Beyond Meat burger. We also discovered the menu from the QR code let you book a facial with the lounge’s Face Haus esthetician, a shower, or quiet time in the wellness room, all complimentary! To say we were enamored with this lounge is probably an understatement. I tried to book a facial but the only open slots were after our flight left, so I settled on some quiet time in the wellness room, which was fine but nothing super special. Just a private area with runway views you get for 30 minutes to relax in silence or take a power nap. What did wow me though were the facilities for families. On my way back from the wellness room I saw the door to the Nursing Room was unlocked and was amazed to discover a super well appointed space for breastfeeding or for any parent to bottle feed their baby. Features included a comfy chair next to a charger, diapers, wipes, and diaper pail, bottle warmer, and screen on the wall where you can call for extra amenities. My second stop was at the Family Room, which was a lovely space with a door you can close to contain noise and chaos complete with some books, toys, and a child sized table and chairs.
Pros
Very pleasant staff with a super fast check-in
Extremely spacious with lots of tables and seating variety (seating capacity notice on the wall was for over 300 people)
Stylish decor and ambiance
Huge amount of food options including complimentary table service off a menu on top of all the other lovely food
Fancy coffee machines, cold brew coffee on tap, soda fridge, and taps with fancy water
Family room with toys, books, kids’ seating, and a door that can be closed
Nursing room complete with diapers and wipes, diaper pail, and bottle warmer
Showers, facial with a Face Haus esthetician, or quiet time in the wellness room - all complimentary!
Private cell phone room
Cons
We didn’t see any high chairs but maybe staff will bring one if you ask as it seemed to be a very family friendly lounge
Closes at 10pm so hours are not as extensive as other lounges we’ve visited
Good to Know
Located airside in Terminal 2 between gates 46 and 47
Open from 5am to 10pm daily
Breakfast served from 5am-10:30am and main meal served from 11am-10pm
Chase Sapphire Reserve card holders may get priority over Priority Pass holders when things are busy. Not certain but just a guess as a staff member was screening guests at the elevator to the lounge when we went asking them which card they were entering the lounge with.
Lots of tables around the food bar area
Large full service bar
Lots of varied seating areas so you can find the perfect corner or space for yourself or your group
This fire pit table was a nice touch
Wonderful stylish decor and wall art by a local muralist
Expansive food bar
Everything was plated so nicely
The drinks fridge with good variety from standard soda to healthier choices to juice for kids
Plus this tap with seasonal water (sparkling raspberry tea), spa water (something citrus), and cold crew!
The biggest drinks area of any lounge we’ve been too
And the nicest coffee I’ve made myself out of a machine!
And of course, biscotti to go along with your coffee
Justin’s Beyond Meat burger and fries we ordered off the complimentary table menu
We truly had a feast at this lounge!
The fantastic Nursing Room
Changing table, diapers, wipes, and diaper pail
Bottle warmer
The Family Room
The Wellness Room
30 minutes of peace and quiet in the Wellness Room with complimentary ear plugs and facial towelette
The posh bathroom
Nice to have a changing table in the bathroom
Free amenities in the women’s bathroom
Aspire Executive Lounge
It was hard to pull ourselves away from the Chase Sapphire lounge, but we eventually headed to the Aspire Executive Lounge, located near gate 33 so a pretty short walk from the other lounge. We had to stand in line for awhile as no staff member was at the check-in desk, so our expectations were already a little lower. Our immediate impression of the Aspire Lounge once we got in was that it’s an adequate lounge with a decent amount of space, but simply can’t compete with the Chase Sapphire lounge. I don’t have many pictures of the Aspire Lounge because there honestly wasn’t very much to take pictures of. It’s basically one big open room with a food bar on one side an a drinks bar on the back wall. The bathroom was tidy with a changing table and I saw signs for showers but wasn’t actually able to find them during our brief stay. The food bar didn’t have any hot options for lunch but rather things like salads, chips, salsa, trail mix, cheese, and cold cut meats. There was a fancy coffee machine and a separate coffee bar with a coffee and hot water dispenser and single serve creams and sugar. Finally, there was a drinks bar with dispensers for peach tea, horchata, and something called “original” - unclear if it was cold brew coffee or some other beverage. We didn’t see any other rooms or extra amenities. Here’s our overall thoughts:
Pros
Decent sized space with seating spaces that include tables
Lots of natural light
Vegetarian food options
Drink dispenser
Changing table in the bathroom
Showers that can be booked with front desk staff
Can stay for up to 8 hours, which is very generous as most lounges have a maximum 3 hour stay
Cons
Amenities are pretty basic
Nothing catering to families aside from the changing table in the bathroom (we didn’t see high chairs here either and there’s no family room, nursing room etc)
Showers don’t appear to be complimentary for most guests. The Aspire Lounge San Diego website says that showers may be an extra charge and guests should talk with the staff and showers are not listed with other complimentary services.
No hot food while we were there even though it was lunch time. I’m sure there is hot food at times, just not the day we were there.
Good to Know
Located in Terminal 2 near gate 33
Open from 5am to 10pm daily
Can check in up to 8 hours prior to your flight per their lounge website (at the time this article was written)
Bar area in the Aspire Lounge
Open seating area
Some tables near the bar
Food area
The lunch spread consisted of snacks, salads, cold cut meats, and cheese
Coffee machine
Alternative coffee and hot water station
Taps with drinks near the food area
Tidy bathroom with a changing table that oddly only had two stalls despite space for more
Final Thoughts
Despite a close Google review rating of 3.9 for the Chase Sapphire Lounge compared to a 3.6 for the Aspire Lounge, we felt that the Chase Sapphire Lounge was the hands down winner between these two lounges. It was so much more spacious and beautifully appointment with way more complimentary amenities such as ordering extra food off a menu, facials, showers, time in the wellness room etc. They also had way more family friendly features such as a dedicated nursing room and family room. The whole experience was quite high end and it was the nicest lounge we’ve been to so far in the US (followed by The Club SFO in San Francisco - you can read our review here). The one area where the Aspire Lounge outshines the Chase Sapphire Lounge is length of stay, with the Aspire Lounge allowing you to check in up to 8hrs before your flight with an 8hr maximum stay. Super nice if you have a long layover since the Sapphire Lounge only allows up to a 3hr stay like most other lounges. If you have a long layover, we’d suggest going to the Aspire Lounge first and then heading to the Chase Sapphire Lounge 3hrs before your flight to end with the more luxurious experience.
Have you been to either or both of these lounges in San Diego? We and our readers would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you showered at either lounge since that’s something we didn’t try out. Leave us a comment!