Phoenix Sky Harbor lounges: which to choose and where
Phoenix Sky Harbor lounges: which to choose and where

Phoenix Sky Harbor lounges: which to choose and where

Before looking for a lounge at Sky Harbor it is worth checking the terminal on the boarding pass, because geography counts more than elsewhere: Terminal 4 is the realm of American Airlines and the lounges tied to credit cards, Terminal 3 hosts Delta and United. Those with Priority Pass should look mainly at the second.
In Terminal 4 the strongest presence is that of American Airlines, with several Admirals Clubs spread between the A and B gates. They are valid for club members, for those flying in premium cabin on international or transcontinental routes and for high-tier AAdvantage members, and they also sell paid entry. They are not interchangeable in their hours, though: the lounge at gates A7-A9 is the only one open from early morning until evening, while the others have reduced hours.
Which lounge to choose
Lounge Where Hours Priority Pass Paid entry Showers
Escape Lounge - The Centurion Studio Partner Terminal 3 04:30-22:00 Yes Yes —
Escape Lounge Terminal 4 05:00-22:00 No Yes —
USO Lounge Terminal 4 07:00-15:00 No — —
Delta Sky Club Terminal 3 04:45-00:30 No — —
United Club Terminal 3 05:00-23:30 No — —
Admirals Club Terminal 4 06:00-20:00 No Yes —
Admirals Club Terminal 4 06:00-20:00 No Yes —
Admirals Club Terminal 4 05:00-22:00 No Yes —
Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club Terminal 4 04:30-22:30 No — —
The Centurion Lounge by American Express Terminal 4 07:00-20:00 No — —
Independent Terminal 3 Priority Pass
Escape Lounge - The Centurion Studio Partner

Level 4, between the E and F gates, near the Phoenix Airport Museum Gallery.

It acts as American Express's Centurion Studio Partner in Terminal 3.

Hours
04:30-22:00

Free entry with Priority Pass, American Express Platinum and Delta SkyMiles Reserve (the latter only with a Delta flight); paid entry, cheaper when booked online than at the desk.

Independent Terminal 4
Escape Lounge

Opposite gate B22.

Independent lounge: neither airline nor travel class matters for entry.

Hours
05:00-22:00

Free entry with American Express Platinum and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card (the latter only with a Delta flight); paid entry open to everyone, cheaper when booked online than at the desk.

Other Terminal 4 Before security
USO Lounge

Level 2, east end, before security.

It must be used before going through security, and only until early afternoon.

Hours
07:00-15:00

Active-duty military personnel and their families.

Airline Terminal 3
Delta Sky Club

Near gate F8.

It closes at 00:30: no other lounge at Sky Harbor stays open that long.

Hours
04:45-00:30

Delta premium passengers, Delta Sky Club members and holders of eligible cards.

  • Hot food
  • Bar
Airline Terminal 3
United Club

Near gate E3.

Compact club, with snacks, a bar and an ice cream machine.

Hours
05:00-23:30

United Club members, premium passengers and Star Alliance Gold members.

  • Bar
Airline Terminal 4
Admirals Club

Near gates A19-A21.

For evening departures from Terminal 4, the American lounge at gates A7-A9 is the better choice, as it is the one that stays open longer.

Hours
06:00-20:00

Admirals Club members with an American Airlines or oneworld flight on the same day; premium passengers on international or transcontinental itineraries; AAdvantage Platinum members and above on eligible routes. Paid entry available.

Airline Terminal 4
Admirals Club

Near gates B5-B7.

Convenient for those departing from the B gates; it has the same reduced hours as the lounge at gates A19-A21.

Hours
06:00-20:00

Admirals Club members with an American Airlines or oneworld flight on the same day; premium passengers on international or transcontinental itineraries; AAdvantage Platinum members and above on eligible routes. Paid entry available.

Airline Terminal 4
Admirals Club

Near gates A7-A9.

Of the three American lounges in Terminal 4, it is the only one open from early morning until evening.

Hours
05:00-22:00

Admirals Club members with an American Airlines or oneworld flight on the same day; premium passengers on international or transcontinental itineraries; AAdvantage Platinum members and above on eligible routes. Paid entry available.

Credit card Terminal 4
Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club

Near gate D11.

Opened on 12 November 2024, it has continuous glazing overlooking the runways and a central bar; the food comes out of an Airstream converted into a food truck, with the menu of the restaurant The Larder + The Delta.

Hours
04:30-22:30

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders.

  • Hot food
  • Bar
Credit card Terminal 4
The Centurion Lounge by American Express

Upper level, opposite gate B21.

Among the smallest Centurion Lounges, at under 5,000 square feet (about 465 m²).

Hours
07:00-20:00

American Express Platinum, Business Platinum and Centurion cardholders.

Still at Terminal 4, those with a premium card have more options. The Centurion Lounge, on the upper floor opposite gate B21, is for American Express Platinum, Business Platinum and Centurion holders. The Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club, near the D gates, is reserved for Chase Sapphire Reserve holders and has a character all its own: a continuous glass wall over the runways, a central bar and food served from an Airstream turned into a food truck, with the menu of the restaurant The Larder + The Delta. It is also among the first to open in the morning. For those with neither status nor the right cards, at Terminal 4 the answer is the Escape Lounge opposite gate B22: it is an independent lounge with paid entry open to everyone, cheaper if booked online than at the counter, and free for Amex Platinum holders and, on a Delta flight, for those with the Delta SkyMiles Reserve. Priority Pass, however, does not appear to be accepted in this terminal. Terminal 3 is the place where Priority Pass really works. The Escape Lounge - The Centurion Studio Partner, on level 4 between gates E and F, welcomes cardholders, Amex Platinum holders and those who pay, and is the lounge that opens earlier in the whole airport together with the Chase one. The airline lounges of Terminal 3 serve different situations. The Delta Sky Club, near gate F8, is the one that closes latest in the whole of Sky Harbor, useful for those with a late-evening flight on Delta. The United Club near gate E3 is more compact: snacks, a bar and an ice-cream machine, for club members, premium passengers and Star Alliance Gold. One special case remains: the USO Lounge in Terminal 4, reserved for active-duty military and their families, is located before security and closes in the early afternoon.
The quickest criterion for Sky Harbor starts from the terminal printed on the boarding pass. At Terminal 4 you choose by airline or card: Admirals Club for American, Centurion Lounge or Chase Sapphire Lounge for holders of the respective cards, Escape Lounge for those who simply want to pay. At Terminal 3 Priority Pass leads to the Escape Lounge between gates E and F, while those flying Delta or United have their own airline's lounge, with the Delta Sky Club as the longest evening refuge.
Phoenix Sky Harbor airport lounges Priority Pass United States

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