Originally Posted by
Super Mario
I'll be very interested to see the reviews of these lounges. So far, it looks to be a "step up" from the lounge. I still think this is a strategic plan to get everyone to try it out, then pull the rug, making it exclusive to CSR, and hope more switch to the CSR.
I could see something like that, but it would be difficult to pull off initially in their smaller US lounges which are planned to be TINY, like the PHX lounge being 3500 sq ft yet still in the massive Terminal 4. I can't fathom anyone but CSR (and maybe other super-premium Chase cards) being let in to a lounge that size. As a comparison, it's 25% smaller than the Centurion Studio in Seattle, which seems to draw tons of complaints from cardholders complaining of long lines, a packed lounge, and mediocre service.
Originally Posted by
Acidity
It could also be the plan for them to only be Priority Pass lounges while they build up a critical mass of lounges and CSR cardholders to support the network, so they don't need to have the first lounges be a loss leader. This would be similar to C1 having their lounges as contract lounges for various airlines (since they obviously don't have enough cardholders to support the lounge by themselves).
They likely have a critical mass of CSR cardholders as the card has been out for more than 6 years now and there are plenty of people who have it thanks to nonstop promotion by travel blogs like TPG for years now.
I don't even have a CSR, but I can't imagine the PHX lounge (or LAS at 4,500 sq ft and IAD at 5,200 sq ft) being anything but a sh*tshow if PP cardholders are allowed in outside of the most off-peak times.