I’m going to make this very easy for you: San Diego International Airport is a hot mess right now and the Aspire Lounge is a perfect example: packed to the gills with vultures hovering over the buffet with food that you (hopefully) would never eat at home.
Aspire Lounge San Diego Review (SAN)
I don’t mean to be on a negative streak lately (and more negativity tomorrow, just to warn you), but I’m realizing why just sitting in gate areas may be be best path…though not necessarily at San Diego.
On a recent flight from San Diego departing in the late morning, I noted that the terminal was absolutely packed. The gate areas were full, there was a huge line to enter the Chase Sapphire Lounge, and there was also a line to enter the Aspire Lounge, part of the Priority Pass network.
It’s located in Terminal 2 near gate 33 and open daily from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm.
I waited in line to enter the Aspire Lounge just because I had never been there, but I realized quickly that it’s just not worth it. Once I made it past the long line to get in, it was a struggle to find a seat, though I found one in the corner and settled down for what would only be a 20-minute stay. It was not as crowded when I left.
I think the saddest thing about these lounges are the folks who (probably?) feel that they want to “get their money’s worth” for whatever credit card annual fee gives them Priority Pass access so they hover around the buffet like they’ve been fasting for a week and then pounce as trays are brought in. Sugary cereal? Check? Bread with highly-refined carbs? Check? Berries that had just been defrosted? Check. Sysco style meat and cheese that probably has a shelf life of millions of years? Check.
Perhaps the worst part was that there is not even a soda fountain or water dispensers in this lounge…I had to go to bar to get a glass of water (and it was some of the worst tap water I’ve ever had…very highly chlorinated). Later on, there were two containers of water brought in on a cart and placed near the buffet. The buffet did have espresso machines (the coffee was extremely bitter) and tea.
Bathroom and shower facilities are available.
CONCLUSION
I’m sorry if this comes across as too harsh, but I just don’t care for lounges like this and would not return. The draw of overcrowded space with an unhealthy selection of food and drinks is not appealing. If you can find a spot, better to get a cup of coffee at a place like Lofty Coffee (near gate 107), sit down, and wait out your flight.
I get a lounge when I travel international J tickets. I’ve never had a wait to get in (but, then again I get D1 etc. in many airports on J tickets). When doing a domestic r/t, I find I don’t really miss having a lounge. Finding some new-to-me food outlet, getting a low-traffic seat, and bingeing on some downloaded content works just fine. The lounge will have a potentially more comfortable and quieter seat. But, I’d rather pay airport prices for their food than eat the stuff the lounge gives out free. And, watching the lounge guests act like zombies that found fresh brains is disturbing. The lounge seems to ask “what can we put out that TCTM won’t like?” [I’m really not that picky]
That’s my home airport, I wonder if I was there at the same time as you haha. Definitely avoid this one; I always go to the Sapphire lounge now instead.
Mr Crankypants leaves a review. Aside from your general criticism of god-awful foods like fruit juice, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit and cheese, how about a blog game of ‘count the empty chairs’ with 5 in one shot and couple in another. I think you had a negative halo effect thing going on here and I don’t buy your authority in the appeal to authority.
I do, however, agree on your comment about water. There should have been a carafe along with the fruit juices.
It’s an oversubscribed lounge for the Alaska traffic at SAN. An Alaska lounge is eventually on the way.
United Club is less crowded now that the Chase lounge opened.
Plenty of seating that time of day if you can walk a bit to where the evening Europe intl departures normally happen.
feel that they want to “get their money’s worth” for whatever credit card annual fee
That’s a bit too much victim shaming Matthew.
Part of the problem is there are no affordable alternatives at the airport.
Sugary cereal?
Hudson News snacks. Check.
Bread with highly-refined carbs?
Einstein Bagles. Check.
Berries that had just been defrosted?
Any grab&go market. Check.
Sysco style meat and cheese that probably has a shelf life of millions of years?
Jack in the Box. Check.
Overpriced airport surcharge. Check.
Maybe they all agree with you but their alternatives would all point to Aspire lounge. But it’s always easier to blame the victim.
There are destination lounges (international business class lounges, some of the nicer bank lounges, etc.) where it’s worth spending an extra hour or two because they are pleasant spaces to pass the time.
There are DL/UA/AA clubs that are useful during irregular operations and otherwise worth popping into when you have 30 minutes because they’re pleasant enough to get a quick cup of coffee or snack or drink before or in-between flights.
Then there is the Aspire class… which is literally a class of people aspiring to be in the other lounges. If you can get in with little wait and grab a cup of coffee – fine. But to wait on a long line to get in to an Aspire lounge? Generally not worth it unless you have a long connection / delay / etc.
I’m sure there was some slightly acceptable food in there (have a clementine…) but this is by and large the food that most of America subsists on every day. Not great of course.
Yup, lounge is no good. “Aspire” to a better one.
And what’s with all the comments from the cheap seats defending this lounge or criticizing your criticism? Please people, stop defending garbage like this lounge and attacking a reasonable interpretation of it…
can you not reserve the saphhire lounge ahead of time? we do that in phx since its a small lounge and it makes it quite pleasant. admittedly never been to the sapphire lounge in SAN. but yeah, without a reservation its a long wait to get in….
All I liked here was the cold brew
First World Problems Day here.
We are very fortunate people.
Let’s recall one more time that tthis lounge is widely considered one of the most disappointing due to its high attendance, limited food and drinks offerings and frequent maintenance problems. Serving as the main lounge for several major airlines (such as AA and AS) and Priority Pass members, it struggles to manage the considerable influx of travelers.
This is unworthy of the magnificent city of San Diego… To the attention of Swissport management!
The lounge used to be worse. When it was branded as Airspace there were upcharges for very mediocre food and drinks. That ended a few years ago when the lounge rebranded as Aspire. Fortunately (for some) the lounge isn’t long for this world. It will undergo renovations and reopen as a larger Alaska Lounge in the next few years just as construction begins on the entire east side of T2. Although this means there won’t be a PP/Amex lounge other than Chase, which has also been slipping during my last two visits.
As a professional traveler I totally agree with this review. The Aspire Lounge is completely overcrowded, the food is horrid, and the place is as dirty as the San Diego Airport bathrooms. There is no benefit to going here and I agree that you’re better off getting an overpriced coffee and finding an empty gate and enjoying it.
San Diego is my home airport. I get free access to the Aspire lounge with my Alaska lounge plus membership. I tell you what. I get free access and I dont go. This lounge is terrible..it was the old Admirals Club. Then became the Airspace lounge but still run by American. Then became an Airspace lounge. I call this lounge the Spirit Airlines of Lounges. I dont think the food has ever changed. Its the same thing over and over. Its a ghetto lounge not a business lounge that I am used to. It over crowded and loud. Lots of kids and families and people going to party in Mexico..there are frequently huge lines. When I walk by I tell people it isn’t worth it.. Things never work..there used to be a soda and water machine they took it out. The coffee machine is frequently broken..the tosters are always broken. I would be pissed if I had to pay to get in. This may be the location for the Alaska lounge in the next few years..people at Alaska won’t tell me
I agree with your review as someone who lives in San Diego. I will add also that the last time I was in this lounge a few months ago, it no longer had brewed coffee in carafes, which was one of the primary reasons I went in there. Every time I go there now, there is a new sign of decline and overuse.
Still looks better than the old Wingtips at JFK T4 or the new HelloSky.
HelloSky is still operated by Primeclass.
But it’s so pathetic they had to rename it.
I agree. This is a horrible lounge. Skip it at all costs.
Wow, so many SAN based readers (like me). Agree with everything, I’d probably even go to Phil’s BBQ over sitting in this lounge again…or more accurately, standing in line for this lounge.
Terminal 1 West can’t come soon enough….but if it opens without a lounge this will get even worse since when the terminals are connected.
So much whining. Don’t shame people for using their passes. Sorry that the rest of the world doesn’t have all the benefits that your employer imparted on you. Your victimhood rings so hollow in this economy.
I work for myself.
Only addressing the employer’s comment, but nothing to say about whining?
I’m sorry for whining…but I feel like you get a very honest blog from me. We can’t all be chuckling pure positive Sam Chui types, can we?
No, its just endless whining. You seem to forget that not every person flying is in business class or in a lounge. Your words come off as just an entitled child.
I don’t think this is whining. SAN is my home city for 20 years and the Aspire lounge brings nothing but shame to this magnificent city. The post is spot on. Avoid this joke of a lounge.
Better off grabbing something to eat at Pueblos or PGA. The bartenders do make drinks though.
SAN peeps the terminal expansion opens early 2028 less than two years with more lounge space and T2 connnector
This aspire lounge also serves all British Airways flights out of SAN. Imagine buying a business or first class international ticket on British Airways and having only this terrible Aspire lounge as an option. I fly out of SAN on BA couple of times a year and I just go to the food court to wait for my flight instead of dealing with the long lines and pathetic food at this lounge. There have been no improvements over the years.
Poor 1% ers. Life is hard.
Sorry to break it to you. But the problem that you described have existed for years in San Diego. It has to be probably one of the worst priority pass lounges in the US.
Yep, it’s shockingly bad (another San Diego local). Not worth bothering with at all, grubby and just a general air of neglect with bad booze. Go get the Gruet rosé sparkling at Beaudevin.
There’s only a handful of long haul flights a day so BA, JAL, Lufthansa etc don’t want to put the investment in.