Living It Up at the Philadelphia Airport Thanks to Chase Sapphire Reserve

During my layover I:

Got a massage

Got lunch

Took a nap in a nap room

Got a book from the book exchange

Chase Sapphire Reserve:

So everyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed with credit card points, and I was really excited to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card earlier this year because of all the sweet travel benefits. One of those is the Priority Pass, which lets you access lounges (and free food/booze) in many major airports.

The Priority Pass also offers access to random other perks like money off restaurants at the airport and other businesses. Philadelphia airport does not have a lounge for pass holders (yet) but does offer access to two businesses: Be Relax Spa and Minute Suites. I went to both during my long layover.

Be Relax Spa:

Be Relax offers a variety of massages and spa services so stressed out travelers can chill. With Priority Pass I could get a 30 minute massage from their massage chair, a 15 minute scalp massage from an employee, a 10 minute foot massage on their foot massage machine, or a nail polish change and hand massage. The retail value of these things is quoted as about $38.

If you get a service where an employee has to massage you then you should pay a tip. I got the scalp massage and it felt amazing. I almost fell asleep as the nice massage lady rubbed my head and neck. I tipped her $12 and because the place was basically empty she let me hang out in the chair massager for as long as I wanted for free, which I did for about 30 minutes.

The chair massager was AMAZING. It was so high-tech and had so many different buttons and options to choose from. I felt great after my session and was ready for my next PHL adventure.

Chickie and Pete’s:

This restaurant came highly recommended to me from a Philly local so I made visiting it a priority. They’re known for their seafood and fries.

I ordered the clam chowder ($8.68), crab fries ($8.24), and a beer. The bartender could only fill up the beer class two-thirds of the way so didn’t charge me for the beer, which was great!

I enjoyed the restaurant’s music and vibe. I thought the clam chowder was excellent. The fries were crispy and had a nice dipping sauce. I hung out here for about an hour snacking and chilling out and really liked it! I had a lot of food though and couldn’t finish all the fries, those would definitely be for sharing next time.

Hour Nap at Minute Suites:

Another Priority Pass perk was a free hour ($48 value) in Minute Suites, which offers a small private room to nap, work, and relax. The rooms come with a pull-out couch, a desk, a TV, a mini fridge with various snacks for purchase, and various heating, sound, and lighting settings for your enjoyment.

I was super tired from my international flight so I went in with the intention of napping. I pulled out the couch, got cozy with the pillow, and turned off the lights. I didn’t really sleep too well as it was still kind of cold in the room even after I tried adjusting the temperature, and I didn’t have a blanket, but it was nice to be able to close my eyes and rest for an hour.

Art Displays and Book Exchange:

The last activity I did during my layover was check out the various art on display in PHL and get a book from the book exchange. I have to hand it to PHL for having a lot of nice and creative art throughout the museum.

In one section they had a number of rocking chairs covered in different knitting patterns. In another they had some dried flower bouquets. Another area, where I ultimately waited out the rest of my layover, was covered in fun wall paintings.

There’s also a small book exchange which I perused. To my delight they actually had a book I had been meaning to read for a long time—PrairyErth—about the biogeography of Kansas. To my great shame I actually didn’t have a book to exchange but I promise I will definitely bring one or more to leave at the library in the likely event I go through PHL again.

Conclusion:

With Chase Sapphire Reserve’s Priority Pass and other activities at the airport you can definitely keep yourself entertained in PHL for at least three hours. When the lounge for pass holders opens this year it should be even better for food, drink, and beating the crowds (although I’ve definitely been at lounges that were absurdly packed and not relaxing at all…but that’s another blog post).

Would I spend 8 hours in PHL again if I had a choice? Definitely not. But I made the most of it and you can too!