The Chase Sapphire Lounge Has Opened in Hong Kong
The first of many planned JPMorgan Chase Sapphire Lounges finally opened on October 25, 2022. Most of the world anticipated the first Chase Sapphire Lounge would open in the United States. But, instead, Chase debuted their initial lounge (managed by The Club) at Hong Kong International (HKG/VHHH) and first impressions look exciting. The reason for choosing Hong Kong appears to be the time needed to open. Instead of having to build from scratch, they were able to remodel the existing (11,948 square foot) lounge location of The Club.
The lounge is located on the mezzanine of Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 1 - Level 7, near Gate 40, and is open from 08:00 - 20:00 daily. Hong Kong airport is partitioned into different zones. The Sapphire Lounge is located in the ORANGE zone which is accessible to all passengers (inbound and outbound) except for those with destinations in mainland China.
The lounge features comfortable seating and work areas, high-speed Wi-Fi and plenty of outlets, and complimentary drinks as well as la carte food (vegetarian and gluten-free options) available via mobile ordering.
Access to the lounge appears to be limited to Priority Pass that comes with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card as well as other credit cards. There is no word about the ability to purchase a day pass, but hopefully, that will be an option in the future.
During the press announcement, it was also mentioned that the next Chase Sapphire Lounge will not open until sometime in 2023. The location of the next Chase Sapphire Lounge is still unknown, but Boston was previously rumored to be the first location to open so time will tell. Besides Boston (BOS), other locations we hopefully see in 2023 will be in New York (LGA), Las Vegas (LAS), and Washington DC (IAD).
Closing Thoughts
The photos I have seen appear to show a modern and roomy lounge, especially for a Priority Pass lounge. Currently, The Centurion Lounge at HKG is still closed and that makes this lounge even more needed. I expect this lounge to get lots of traffic.