Choose this, not that: BOS Priority Pass lounge edition

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A Priority Pass membership can help make your preflight experience a lot more enjoyable. The program unlocks access to more than 1,200 airport lounges in 143 countries and 500 cities worldwide. You can check out this guide to learn everything from which cards offer free Priority Pass membership to lounge guesting policies and more.

Most major airports in the U.S. and around the world, though not all, now have multiple lounges accessible through Priority Pass, so you’ll often be faced with the question of which lounge to use. Since the program doesn’t actually own or operate the lounges themselves, the quality can vary massively. Some lounges are little more than a small room with bottled water and pretzels, and some are as good, if not better, than the lounge you could use if you were flying in a premium cabin.

Today, we are looking at Priority Pass offerings at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), an important base for Delta and JetBlue. The program partners with three lounges and two restaurants at this airport. Terminals C (not including gates C40 – C42) and E are the only terminals connected airside, so you may need to re-clear security and walk or shuttle to another terminal if you want to visit a lounge at this airport.

Related: Choose this, not that: LAX Priority Pass lounge edition

(Note that the hours listed for the lounges are the hours they are available to Priority Pass members. A lounge may be open outside of those hours but will not admit members then. Additionally, for all these lounges, you must have a valid boarding pass and access may be restricted if the lounge is full.)

Here are our rankings at BOS:

1. Air France lounge

Location: Terminal E, on the lower level, near Gate 4

Hours: 11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.

Food and Beverage: Complimentary hot and cold foods like sandwiches, soups, meatballs, cheeses and a salad bar. There is also a self-serve bar with a good selection of liquors, beers, wines and soft drinks.

Amenities: This lounge offers plenty of seating and rarely turns away members because of overcrowding. There are complimentary newspapers and a phone-charging station, but you'll likely need to sit near a wall if you need a power outlet.

2. The Club

Location: Terminal E, on the lower level, near Gate 11

Hours: 5:30 a.m.–1 a.m. Access may be restricted because of space constraints, particularly 4 p.m.–10 p.m.

Food and Beverage: If you've been to a "The Club" lounge before, the food and beverage offerings should look familiar. There's a solid selection of breakfast foods like omelets, yogurt parfaits and oatmeal in the morning and snacks like sandwiches, soups, salads and a candy bar the rest of the day. There's a well-stocked, tended bar, as well as an espresso machine.

Amenities: The Club checks all the standard boxes like good Wi-Fi, showers, plenty of seating and a printer. The only major drawback to this lounge is that it doesn't have any windows.

3. The Lounge

Location: Terminal C, across from Gate C19. The lounge is not connected airside to gates C40–C42.

Hours: 6 a.m.–11 p.m. This lounge gets busy during peak hours so it’s not uncommon for it to turn away Priority Pass members because of space constraints, particularly 1 p.m.–8 p.m.

Food and Beverage: This lounge is operated by the same company as The Club in Terminal E (Airport Lounge Development) so the food and beverage offering is very similar, including the tended bar.

Amenities: There's a good view of the tarmac, power outlets near many seats and a printer. The lounge doesn't offer any showers or its own Wi-Fi network, though the airport's public Wi-Fi suffices for basic tasks like checking emails and catching up with the latest news and deals from The Points Guy.

Bonus: Non-lounge airport experiences

In addition to the three conventional lounges above, Priority Pass partners with two restaurants at BOS — Stephanie's in Terminal B and Jerry Remy's Sports Bar and Grill located landside in Terminal C. These were left out of the rankings since you no longer get complimentary access if your Priority Pass membership was generated through an American Express card, but if that doesn't apply to you, then I would definitely recommend visiting them over the lounges.

Priority Pass membership as a credit card benefit

A Priority Pass Select membership is included with the following premium credit cards, although enrollment is required. Note that this list doesn’t include cards that are no longer available to new applicants or are invitation-only.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve: Membership is included for both cardholders and authorized users, along with two guests. The card costs $550 annually, plus $75 for an authorized user.
• The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Business Platinum Card® from American Express $695 (see rates & fees) and $595 annual fee ($695 if application is received on or after 1/13/2022) (see rates & fees), respectively. Access for both primary card holders and authorized users, along with two guests. Platinum cardmembers can also access Delta Sky Club lounges when they’re traveling on a Delta flight the same day, with guest access at a reduced fee ($29 per person for up to two guests); Airspace lounges (with two guests); Escape lounges (with two guests) and American Express Centurion Lounges (with two guests). Authorized users cost $175 annually for the personal card (see rates & fees) and $300 for the business version (see rates & fees).
• Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express: Primary cardholders receive a Priority Pass Select membership good for themselves and two guests. There’s a $450 annual fee (see rates & fees) for this card.
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: This card offers a Priority Pass Select membership with unlimited complimentary access for the primary cardholder and two guests. The card has a $450 annual fee (see rates & fees).
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: This card includes a Priority Pass membership; however, it offers only 10 free visits a year with no free guests. You can visit by yourself 10 times or visit once with nine guests. After that, you’ll have to pay a $32 fee per person per visit. There’s a $95 annual fee (see rates & fees).
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card: This card comes with a limited Priority Pass Select membership for one cardmember per account, including authorized users. The member will receive complimentary access to participating lounges for the first four visits as well as four individual guest visits. After the free visits are used, the discounted $32 per visit entry fee will apply to cardholders and guests. There’s a $400 annual fee for this card.
• Citi Prestige® Card: Cardholders and authorized users both get Priority Pass Select with access for immediate family members (a spouse, children or domestic partner) or up to two guests. The annual fee is $495, and the primary cardholder may add authorized users for $75.

The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card and U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

Although the Air France Lounge landed in the top spot in this ranking, the differences between the three lounges aren't earth-shattering, especially because The Club and The Lounge are operated by the same company. I personally prefer The Lounge in Terminal C over The Club in Terminal E because it offers better views and a similar food and beverage selection, but unfortunately, overcrowding is becoming a major issue at this lounge and it lacks showers, so it ranks lower.

It's a bummer that there aren't any Priority Pass options — neither lounges nor restaurants — connected airside to Terminal A, but keep in mind that you have access to the Delta Sky Club there if you're an Amex Platinum cardholder and flying with the airline.

Further Reading: The 9 Best Priority Pass Lounges in the US

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass, please click here
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, please click here