Chase is dropping a 16,000-square-foot Sapphire Lounge right next to the Delta One complex in Seattle-Tacoma’s Concourse A. Port commissioners vote on the 15-year lease today, with Chase committing $70 million to build-out and future refurbishment. For anyone who routes through SEA on Alaska or Delta for international connections, this changes the game.

The lounge fills the space being vacated by The Club at SEA as part of an airport-wide game of musical chairs. United moves to Concourse B, The Club slides into the old United space, and Chase takes over the prime A-concourse real estate. No firm opening date yet—construction depends on the shuffle—but the infrastructure already exists, so don’t expect a multi-year wait.

Chase’s Lounge Network Is No Longer an Afterthought

Current Sapphire Lounges are open in Boston (BOS), New York (JFK and LGA), Washington Dulles (IAD, with Etihad), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX), Las Vegas (LAS), San Diego (SAN), and Dallas (DFW). Los Angeles (LAX) and Miami are on deck. Adding Seattle plugs the glaring West Coast hole and gives Chase serious presence from coast to coast.

This isn’t charity. The Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee sits at $795 after its latest bump. Chase needs to deliver tangible value beyond a slightly better Priority Pass membership that it just made less useful. Cutting Priority Pass access to Sapphire Lounges (effective August 2026) was the first shot across the bow. Now they’re building their own ecosystem.

How Access Compares

Sapphire Reserve cardholders (and authorized users) get unlimited visits with two guests free. Extra guests run $27. You can now show up five hours before a connecting flight—generous by today’s standards. No priority boarding like Amex gives its top Centurion cardholders, which still feels like a miss.

Compare that to the competition. Amex Centurion Lounges (think the new 14,000-square-foot SEA location in the central terminal) are bigger and more polished but charge $50 per adult guest unless you hit $75,000 annual spend for two free ones. Capacity can still get ugly at peak times. Capital One Lounges offer solid food and a virtual queue app but fewer locations and a $45 guest fee (or less with spend thresholds).

Chase’s 16,000-square-foot SEA play should feel roomier than many existing Sapphire outposts. The location next to Delta’s premium operation is strategic: international connectors on Delta or Alaska can clear security in A, park themselves, and avoid the trek to the central terminal Centurion. That convenience alone is worth real time and sanity.

The Premium Card Wars Just Got Louder

Amex built an empire of Centurion Lounges that justified its $895 Platinum fee. Capital One came in cheaper with strong execution. Chase spent years letting Priority Pass do the heavy lifting. No more. They’re investing real money—$70 million here, big footprints in DFW and LGA—to make the Sapphire Reserve feel like a must-have rather than a nice-to-have that you justify with hotel credits and Lyft rides.

The math is getting tighter for everyone. Annual fees keep climbing while lounge access gets more restricted. Overcrowding remains the silent killer of the experience. Chase’s move to lock down its lounges to primary cardholders should help with that, at least for those who pay the freight.

If you fly SEA regularly for international connections, the Sapphire Reserve just became significantly more compelling. The lounge won’t be open tomorrow, but the writing is on the wall. Start routing through A concourse on purpose. Use the $300 annual travel credit, the new hotel perks, and the points earning to offset that $795 fee. Then enjoy a civilized pre-flight drink while everyone else fights for space at the Delta Sky Club or wanders to the central terminal.

Action item: If your routing hits SEA more than a few times a year, run the numbers on the Sapphire Reserve versus keeping your current setup. The new lounge tips the scale for many Delta and Alaska loyalists. Apply before the next fee increase—and book that first trip through Concourse A once it opens.