Review: Chase Sapphire Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

..standout lounge that celebrates Philly!

Wow! A series of thoughtfully designed rooms, two bars including a Philly-themed beer garden, an arcade celebrating the city’s sports teams, pre-plated buffet and made to order food, showers and more! This lounge has raised the bar in Philadelphia.

The summary

This lounge has matched its counterparts in Boston and NY LaGuardia. It has relaxation pods, a room where you can get a facial, an enclosed office, showers, stellar food options (pre-plated buffet and made-to-order), amazing bar, several thoughtfully designed alcoves, and spaces that celebrate Philadelphia sports.

The lounge is in the connecting corridor between Concourses D and E. Closest to gates for United, Delta, Southwest, Air Canada, Jetblue, and Frontier. However, all the concourses in Philadelphia are connected airside. The lounge is up one level and travelers have a choice between elevators or stairs. After entering the lounge and presenting your credentials to the lounge representatives, you notice the bar straight ahead (sort of just behind reception).

Lounge design

Design-wise, this lounge is a mix of what’s familiar to travelers who visited other Sapphire Lounges and what’s unique to the Philadelphia location. If you do not enter the bar area, lounge visitors have to go left or right. To the left is a series of lovely alcoves with a variety of seating (tables, sofas, lounge chairs), interesting artwork, greenery, tarmac views and some private phone rooms. This area also has a non-alcoholic beverage station. Further along is the amenity area with showers and relaxation pods (will get to that later). I will just let the pictures tell the story.

To the right past reception, across from a second bar, is a genuine arcade with a wall of televisions tuned into sports and, even better, a wall with separate displays celebrating all four of Philadelphia’s major league sports teams.

Food and drink

Since the bar is the first thing most visitors see, I will start with drinks. The bar is very large, modern and similar to the Boston and San Diego lounges. The bar seating area is spread out: there are sofas and tables to the left, right and in front of the bar. Thanks to a bar neighbor for allowing me to take a picture of her Sapphire Signature Cocktail (don’t know what’s in it).

In addition, and special to this location, if you take a right at reception, there is a sports-themed beer garden with several table games and tarmac views. Drinks can be ordered from the respective bars or via a QR code and brought to wherever you are seated.

Past the beer garden is the pre-plated buffet. Items at lunch included: roasted cauliflower, chili, grilled cheese, sandwiches, mushroom and farro stew, truffled chicken, cucumber salad and more, including several sweet items for dessert. I decided on a made to order (via the QR code/digital menu) turkey and avocado sandwich. Thoughtfully, when ordering, diners have the option of leaving out the bacon OR avocado. The sandwich was delicious. There is a coffee, cold brew and soft drink station in the dining area and to the left of reception. Coffee is from Elixr – a local roast.

Amenities

After lunch, I went back across to the other end of the lounge (left of reception), to take a nice hot shower. Like the San Diego outpost, the shower room was very large. (I should point out that the showers at the otherwise exceptional Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia are only available to travelers who pre-book the reserve suites.) The showers are stocked with Apotheke products, numerous towels, outlets to stay charged, dental and shaving kits, and a wall-mounted ipad to order additional items you may need. Other amenities included private relaxation pods, and a facial room. You can order reserve these amenities with the QR code at your seat.

Other …

Not only was the staff always serving, cleaning, and restocking, they all seemed genuinely happy to be working in such a nice space. I even overheard a lounge attendant offering to get a visitor a spare charger for her phone! There are outlets everyone and the internet was very fast. I have visited all three major US credit card lounges: American Express Centurion Lounges, the Capital One Lounges, and Chase Sapphire Lounges. In terms of amenities and quality of food and drinks – Chase is leading the pack. However, there are only four Sapphire Lounges and two smaller additional ones that are partnered with Etihad Airways.

The wrap:

…The details. Date – May 7, 2025. Rating: Exceptional! Access: Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

..What I like: The food, amenities, décor, the Philly arcade, staff…

..What I don’t like: What’s not to like?