Our original plan at Washington Dulles was to visit the United Polaris Lounge. Then Lufthansa happened.
We were supposed to be flying Lufthansa business class from Washington Dulles to Munich, which meant we’d have access to the United Polaris Lounge before our flight. That was part of the plan, and honestly, one of the reasons we were looking forward to the long layover.
But when Lufthansa canceled our flight, everything changed. I was eventually able to get us rebooked on United to Frankfurt, but those seats were in economy. That meant no Polaris Lounge. And since we weren’t flying internationally in a premium cabin, we also had no United Club access.
Fortunately, I had already looked into lounge options at Dulles before the trip, so I had a decent idea of what else was available. Our realistic choices came down to the Chase Sapphire Lounge or the Turkish Airlines Lounge.
Since my wife Sharon has a strong preference for the Chase Sapphire Lounges — they’re her favorite of the U.S. credit card lounges — that made the decision easy.
Getting To The Lounge
The Chase Sapphire Lounge at Washington Dulles is located in Concourse A, near gate A14. This lounge is a little unusual because the outside signage still reads “Etihad Airways”. That’s because this is the former Etihad Lounge, which Chase and Etihad now operate jointly.
Since we were already airside, getting there was simple enough. We took the AeroTrain to Concourse A and walked down the terminal to the lounge entrance.
If you’re looking for a full photo tour of the space, One Mile at a Time did a great job with a photo essay when the lounge opened. From what I saw, not much has changed since that review. I didn’t take pictures of every area because the lounge was fairly busy, especially upstairs and near the food, and I try not to take photos of people in crowded lounges.
Getting In With Priority Pass
Chase has some specific rules for lounge entry, and it’s worth knowing them before you get to the door. The rules can be confusing because access depends on which card issued your Priority Pass membership, and not every Priority Pass card is treated the same at Chase Sapphire Lounges.
In our case, we were traveling as a party of four. Sharon used the Priority Pass membership from her Ritz-Carlton Credit Card to get herself and our two friends into the lounge. For me, I used my Priority Pass card from my American Express Platinum Card, which allows one visit per calendar year to a Chase Sapphire Lounge.
That worked perfectly for our group.
We arrived during a quieter period between the airport’s main rushes, and even though we were slightly before the normal three-hour access window for our next flight, we were allowed in. I wouldn’t count on that happening every time, especially when the lounge is busy, but it was appreciated under the circumstances.
A Familiar Chase Look, But In A Smaller Space
Once inside, the lounge definitely has the look and feel of the Chase Sapphire Lounge. The design is polished, modern, and more upscale than a typical Priority Pass lounge. There’s a main room after the check-in desk, with the bar as the focal point and tarmac views.
But compared to other Chase Sapphire Lounges we’ve visited, this one is significantly smaller. That’s not necessarily a problem if you visit during a slower part of the day, but I can see how it would feel crowded quickly during peak departure banks.
There’s a central staircase leading up to a second level, where you’ll find additional seating and a smaller selection of snacks. The upper level was busy while we were there, so I didn’t take many photos of that area.
Even with the smaller footprint, the lounge was comfortable during our visit. It helped that we arrived between rushes, because this is probably not a lounge where I’d assume there will always be open seating.
Food And Drinks
The main food area is located underneath the staircase, where there’s a dining space with a decent selection of dishes.
Since this is still an Etihad lounge, the food leans more toward Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes than what you might find at some other Chase Sapphire Lounge locations. During our visit, there were options like chicken biryani, lentil curry, penne puttanesca, Mediterranean couscous and pesto salad, mozzarella caprese, and marinated fennel with bean salad.
Everything we tried was well done. This wasn’t a lounge where the food felt like an afterthought, and it was definitely a step above the standard domestic lounge snack setup.
That said, the menu might not be to everyone’s taste. If you’re looking for basic chicken, pasta, or more traditional American lounge food, this probably isn’t that kind of spread. For us, it worked well, but Your Mileage May Vary.
The bar area is also one of the main visual features of the lounge. We didn’t spend much time there, but it gives the room a more premium feel and helps the space feel more like a Chase Sapphire Lounge than a generic contract lounge.
What To Know Before You Go
The main thing to understand about the Etihad/Chase Sapphire Lounge at Dulles is that it’s not a large space. It has the polished look and better-than-average food setup we’ve come to expect from Chase lounges, but the footprint is much smaller than locations like Boston or LaGuardia. During our visit, it was comfortable. During peak times, I can easily see it filling up quickly.
Access rules are also worth reviewing before you arrive, especially if you’re traveling with others. The Ritz-Carlton Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve both allow cardholders to bring up to two guests into Chase Sapphire Lounges, making those cards more group-friendly than the American Express Platinum Card when visiting with more than one other person.
Finally, access is generally limited to three hours before departure. We were allowed in a little early because the lounge wasn’t busy, but I’d treat that as a nice exception rather than something to rely on.
Final Thought
The Etihad/Chase Sapphire Lounge was a very comfortable place to spend a few hours during our layover at Washington Dulles. Losing access to the United Polaris Lounge was disappointing, but once we were rebooked into economy, that option was off the table. This lounge gave us a comfortable place to sit, a solid meal, and a chance to regroup before our overnight flight.
For our visit, though, it did exactly what we needed it to do. It made us forget — at least temporarily — that our original plans had fallen apart.
Little did we know that when we left the lounge, we were heading into one of the most challenging travel evenings of our lives.
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