How can I access a Chase Sapphire Lounge?
NCnextcard team
Advertiser Disclosure: nextcard may receive compensation from card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain. For the most up-to-date terms & conditions, refer to the official credit card application on the issuer's website.
Airport lounges are a huge plus when traveling and the Plaza Premium Lounge I visited in the Orlando airport adds to my long list of lounges visited. It’s quite a spacious lounge with multiple showers and restrooms. There’s a full buffet along with made to order food that you have to pay for. The bar is pretty solid as well with lots of complimentary options and a few paid drink options.
TL;DR
The Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal C at Orlando (MCO) is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and offers a free buffet, a solid bar, and multiple showers
Complimentary access requires a Priority Pass membership (offered by many cards)
Two catches to know before you go: a waitlist is common during busy periods, and the à la carte menu costs extra on top of the free buffet.
In order to access the Plaza Premium Lounge, you’ll need a Priority Pass membership. Here are some cards that offer Priority Pass access (not an exhaustive list):
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
American Express Platinum Card®
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Bank of America® Premium Rewards Elite credit card
The Plaza Premium Lounge is located in Terminal C of the Orlando airport. It’s located soon after the security checkpoint near Gate 241. There’s a check-in desk for the lounge and then you can take the stairs or elevator to level 2 where the lounge is located.
Terminal C is a relatively small terminal so it’s not a bad walk to the lounge—I’d say it’s not more than 5 minutes.
Upon arriving at the lounge, I noticed there was a bit of a line to get in. This always makes me nervous because I’m thinking there could be a waitlist. When we hopped into line, I noticed an employee putting up a sign that showed a QR code to join the waitlist.
When it was my girlfriend and I’s turn in line, the employee at the desk informed me that we had to join the waitlist. We were the first ones on the waitlist—sad. So we sat somewhere across the lounge.
As I waited, I saw that the lounge was accepting people with the American Express Platinum Card® or if they were on a business class flight. It’s definitely incredibly frustrating to see dozens of people accepted as you wait with your Priority Pass access via being an authorized user on the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Anyways, I was eventually notified via email and got to enter the lounge after a 15 minute wait.
The food at the Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal C of the Orlando (MCO) airport got the job done—it wasn’t anything special but there were a couple decent options.
I really enjoyed the Cuban style ground beef as it was loaded with spices and plenty of protein to keep myself full on my flight from Orlando to Providence, Rhode Island.
The pasta that was offered didn’t taste very good and there was oddly a lot of water still in the pasta.
The rice was pretty good and I didn’t get a chance to try the sautéed vegetables.
You could also choose from options in the refrigerated section. None of them looked that appealing to me so I skipped it.
I did not get a chance to take a picture of the menu but you could also order food from a menu. They had options like burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries. The lounge had a sample of what the food looked like out at the bar and it frankly looked much better than the free buffet food. The prices for the entrees were around $10. The idea of this seems to go against the whole idea of a lounge. You pay to get access to a lounge and then you have to pay more to get food?
This is an abnormality... I have not seen this at any other airport lounge and I’ve visited over 30 in my life.
I also ordered a complimentary Cabernet red wine for my girlfriend from the bar. It’s quite a pretty looking bar with great service.
I did not get a chance to take a picture of the menu but you could also order food from a menu. They had options like burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries. The lounge had a sample of what the food looked like out at the bar and it frankly looked much better than the free buffet food. The prices for the entrees were around $10. The idea of this seems to go against the whole idea of a lounge. You pay to get access to a lounge and then you have to pay more to get food? This is an abnormality—I have not seen this at any other airport lounge and I’ve visited over 50 in my life.
I also ordered a complimentary Cabernet red wine for my girlfriend from the bar. It’s quite a pretty looking bar with great service.
The Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal C at Orlando International Airport (MCO) is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
There’s one catch worth knowing before you plan a late-afternoon flight: for entry between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., admission is subject to availability, so it’s worth checking in with reception if your flight departs later in the day. If your flight is earlier, you shouldn’t run into that restriction.
Beyond the buffet and bar covered above, the lounge has a dedicated quiet zone for people who want to work before their flight, complimentary Wi-Fi throughout, and charging stations at most seats. There are also views of the tarmac from the quiet zone, which is a nice touch if you like watching planes while you wait. The layout mixes communal tables, lounge chairs, and quieter corners, so there’s some flexibility depending on what you need before boarding.
As mentioned earlier, the lounge has multiple showers and restrooms, which is one of its stronger features. One thing to flag: Plaza Premium’s own lounge listing notes shower facilities can carry a charge and are subject to availability, so don’t assume a free shower is guaranteed the moment you walk in—ask at the front desk when you check in, especially if you’re counting on cleaning up before a long flight.
Weighing the wait, the pay-to-eat menu, and the solid bar against the free buffet and showers, here’s the lounge at a glance, plus how it stacks up against a few premium cards that get you in the door.
Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Location | Terminal C, across the Palm Court — Level 1 check-in lobby, Level 2 lounge |
Hours | 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily (entry between 4–9 p.m. subject to availability) |
Nearest Gate | Near Gate 241 |
Access Methods | Priority Pass, Amex Platinum card entry, business class ticket, or paid walk-in |
Walk-In Price | From $75 for a 3-hour visit (booked directly through Plaza Premium) |
Key Amenities | Buffet, bar, made-to-order menu, showers, Wi-Fi, charging stations, quiet zone |
Between the waitlist, the surprise à la carte menu, and getting passed over for American Express Platinum Card® walk-ins and business class flyers, my Priority Pass entry wasn’t the smoothest experience. But once inside, the space itself, the buffet, and the bar made it a solid way to spend an hour before a flight out of Orlando. If lounge access is a priority for you, it’s worth comparing the cards in the table above—or check our airport lounge map before your next trip through MCO or elsewhere.
You’ll need a Priority Pass membership in order to access the Plaza Premium Lounge. There are a number of credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and American Express Platinum Card® that offer Priority Pass membership as a benefit.
You do not have to pay for the buffet in the Plaza Premium Lounge. However, there is a made to order menu which costs money. Most lounges do not require purchases for food once you’re in the lounge.
Having airport access makes for a great place to relax or do work before your flight. And it can save you money at the airport... having airport lounge access can be significantly cheaper than buying food constantly at restaurants in the airport.
The lounge is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. If you’re arriving between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., entry is subject to availability, so it’s smart to check in with reception if your flight is later in the day.
Yes. If you don’t have Priority Pass or a card that includes it, Plaza Premium sells walk-in day passes directly through its website, starting around $75 for a 3-hour visit. Pricing can vary by date and time, so check availability before you go.
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Advertiser Disclosure: nextcard may receive compensation from card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain. For the most up-to-date terms & conditions, refer to the official credit card application on the issuer's website.
