Is this the best Priority Pass lounge in the country?
There's a lovely new addition to the lounge landscape in San Francisco: The Priority Pass lounge called "The Club" is now open at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). While the lounge is crowded and often has a line to get in, I'd argue it's still the best Priority Pass lounge in the U.S.
There are a ton of amenities, the staff is friendly and you'll find a good selection of food and drinks.
Here's what you can expect and why you should check it out the next time you fly out of San Francisco.
The Club location at SFO
The Club opened in June at SFO's Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Both times I passed by in October, there was a line to get in; however, it was only a five-minute wait when I visited before a recent flight to New York.
As you enter the lobby area on the terminal's main floor, you'll see a large staircase.
There is an elevator behind the check-in desks, but it was not working while I was visiting (except by request of those in wheelchairs). Instead, the luggage area near the elevator was being used for storage, so people didn't have to lug their bags up two flights of steps to the main lounge.
The staircase is a dramatic way to enter the space, but hopefully the elevator won't be offline for long.
The Club SFO is definitely the nicest Priority Pass lounge I've been to in the U.S.
Unlike most of the 20 clubs in the domestic Priority Pass network, this one is chic and well designed. A dramatic lighting feature frames the space. (Although, as you can see, it gets quite full.)
I had trouble getting photos that didn't make it look packed to the gills, but it didn't feel as crowded as it looked.
Around the corner from the main dining area, there is a long, gorgeous bar serving top-shelf cocktails, beer and wine.
The Club SFO entry requirements
Travelers with Priority Pass can access The Club SFO for free. Those with LoungeKey membership also get free entry. Priority Pass and LoungeKey are owned by the Collinson Group, The Club's parent company.
Many of our top recommended credit cards include a Priority Pass membership. The Club SFO sells day passes for $75 each. On my visit, I simply presented my Priority Pass card to enter.
As previously mentioned, The Club SFO is regularly crowded. In fact, there were lines each time I walked by the space. However, the lounge does have a partial solution to waiting in long lines: a QR code-based waitlist. You can get added to the waitlist when the lounge is at capacity and receive a text when it's your turn to come in. You'll need to scan a QR code at the entrance, which may include a short wait, to use the system.
All the amenities, though, may make it worth your time.
The Club SFO amenities
The Club SFO has some of the best amenities you'll find at any domestic lounge at SFO. My favorite feature was the little seating area at the top of the staircase with a "first-of-its-kind microclimate fireplace," according to the lounge. It uses water vapor and fancy lighting to mimic a real fire. Plus, the space never got completely full.
There's also a nice area for snoozing, a feature The Club SFO calls a "rest zone." Unfortunately, a shortage of lounge chairs means you won't always be able to get a spot; there are just four chairs in total, all facing a gorgeous lighted wall feature. During my stay, there was one brief moment when the room was empty.
Additional seating areas include various workspaces, individual sofa seats with high walls and individual quiet rooms off to the side marked "privacy" that some folks had turned into nap rooms.
There were dozens of small seating areas, most filled with passengers killing time before their flights (including one passenger who turned two chairs into a makeshift bed).
Views were not the best feature of the lounge, although you could see some planes through a few windows in the distance. There were views of the terminal walkway below.
The lounge has a wellness center, but you'll need to ask for access. It was locked up during my stay. The small room is equipped with two Lululemon Studio Mirrors, yoga mats, yoga blocks, gym towels and water.
Finally, the lounge has three small "luminescence" rooms that you can reserve for 20-minute intervals. They come with adjustable lighting and temperature controls. I was able to reserve one for a quick meditation and to escape the hustle and bustle of the main lounge.
All the reservations for the lounge can be made through an app that you access via a QR code.
Note that you'll need to pay $25 to use the showers. There are three in the lounge, including one that is fully wheelchair-accessible. It's nice to have the option, even if you do have to pay for the pleasure.
I spent the $25 during a more recent visit and it was a nice feature to have especially since the nearby Alaska Airlines Lounge doesn't have showers (though the American Airlines Admirals Club does)
I appreciated that each shower had a rainfall showerhead and a shower wand. Amenities were by the German cosmetics brand Babor.
The bathrooms were clean and tiled with fun phrases like "standing room only" at the men's urinals. There was even a diffuser to keep the bathrooms smelling clean.
The lounge also offers a lactation room for nursing mothers.
Wi-Fi at The Club SFO was lightning fast — possibly the best I've ever found at any lounge. As you can see below, download speeds came in at 284 Mbps and upload speeds at 248 Mbps. Wow.
There were also plentiful outlets throughout the lounge.
The Club SFO dining and bar
The lounge bar was a popular spot, but I never saw long lines for cocktails during my visit.
Back in the large main dining room, a walk-up buffet attracted quite a line as it transitioned to lunch during my visit.
The food spread was impressive, with the chefs replenishing the vittles as guests quickly snatched them up. Items included California fruits, a carrot-coconut curry with jasmine rice, orange chicken and broccoli cooked in pineapple soy.
There was also a wine buffet station serving Chalk Hill and Foley wines, but it was closed during my visit.
Finally, there were a few other beverage stations offering a coffee machine, a soda water tap, teas, fountain soda and a few other treats.
Bottom line
The Club SFO is already proving to be incredibly popular thanks to its beautifully designed two-floor space, large selection of fun food and beverage choices, and many interesting amenities. I'm a little concerned about the crowding, but that's true of nearly every lounge these days — especially during prime time.
If this is the direction The Club brand is going in, I'm all for it.
I can definitely say it's the nicest Priority Pass lounge I've been to in the U.S.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees