Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and Ritz-Carlton Card Losing Priority Pass Restaurants

Well, shoot. American Express and Capital One have, for the most part, already paved the way for this news.

Those who hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® and The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card are losing one of the cards’ best benefits: access to Priority Pass restaurants. Chase has confirmed this with a statement to AwardWallet — let’s look at what’s going on.

Chase Priority Pass Memberships

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a premium travel credit card with an annual fee to match. Charging a $550 annual fee, it offers a $300 annual travel credit, 5x points on flights through Chase Travel, 3x points for other travel and dining, and — most importantly — excellent airport lounge access.

The same can be said of the Ritz-Carlton card, which, although not available to new applicants, can be accessed by product changing an eligible Chase card.

In addition to unlimited access to any Chase Sapphire Lounges, both the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and the Ritz-Carlton card grant cardholders a Priority Pass Select membership. For the unfamiliar, Priority Pass is a network of more than 1,500 airport lounges, restaurants, and experiences.

What’s unique about the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is that it maintained access to airport cafes, restaurants, markets, and other experiences long after American Express had dropped this option. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has done the same.

All good things must end, because now Chase has confirmed that it’s also losing access to restaurants:

“Beginning July 1, 2024, Chase Sapphire Reserve, J.P. Morgan Reserve and The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card cardmembers will no longer have access to restaurants, cafes and markets participating in Priority Pass Select. Access to Priority Pass Select’s network of lounges and other select airport experiences is not impacted by this update.”

Chase

The decision to drop restaurants but not other experiences differs from both Amex’s and Capital One’s Priority Pass memberships (enrollment required). This means that eligible Chase cardholders will still be able to access other Priority Pass experiences, such as spas, nap pods, and game lounges.

Alternatives for Priority Pass Restaurant Access

If you’re one of the many who have enjoyed airport restaurant access via Priority Pass, there are still a couple of alternatives available to you. Each of these cards includes a Priority Pass Select membership with access to participating cafes, restaurants, and markets.

• Capital One Venture X Business Card*
• Citi Prestige^® Card (no longer open to new applicants)
• Mastercard^® Black Card™

*(Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Final Thoughts

This is a terrible surprise for those who hold any of these Chase cards, especially since the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is such a popular option for travelers.

While the loss isn’t immediate, mark your calendars because starting July 1, 2024, restaurants will no longer be included with your Priority Pass Select membership.