Skytrax names Chase's LaGuardia lounge the world's best independent lounge. Should you care?

Analysis and opinion · Sources checked October 5, 2026.

Skytrax's 2026 list of the world's best independent airport lounges puts Chase's Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia in first place. Six US card lounges made the top 20. The list is a clear sign of how far bank-run lounges have come, but it is a poor guide for deciding where to go on your next trip.

What the list actually says

The ranking is the independent lounge category of the Skytrax World Airline Awards, so airline lounges such as Delta One or the Chelsea Lounge were not in contention. According to Time Out's rundown, the US entries are:

• #1 Chase Sapphire Lounge, LaGuardia (LGA)
• #5 Capital One Lounge, JFK
• #6 American Express Centurion Lounge, JFK
• #11 American Express Centurion Lounge, LaGuardia
• #13 Capital One Lounge, Washington Dulles (IAD)
• #14 Chase Sapphire Lounge, Philadelphia (PHL)

Plaza Premium took #2 at Rome Fiumicino and #4 at London Heathrow Terminal 4. Chase's Hong Kong lounge was listed third. Time Out describes the method as votes cast by travelers around the world over the past year.

Where the ranking falls short

View from the Wing's Gary Leff makes two points worth knowing. First, Skytrax does not publish its underlying data, its sample sizes per lounge or its weighting. Second, the Hong Kong Sapphire Lounge ranked third "hasn't existed in over 9 months," according to Leff. Its space now houses other concepts. A survey that can rank a closed lounge near the top is measuring brand recognition at least as much as the experience inside the door.

Leff also argues that Chase's LaGuardia lounge is not even the best card lounge at its own airport. He gives that title to Capital One Landing in Terminal B. We think it is a close call that depends on what you want from the visit: a long sit-down before a delayed evening flight, or a quick stop on the way to the gate. Read recent reviews of both before you choose.

What it gets right

The broad message holds up. In the US, the most consistent lounges are now often run by card issuers, not airlines. Capital One, Amex and Chase have all built lounges with real food, proper bars and design that a few years ago you would expect only in an international first class lounge. Ranking Capital One's JFK and Dulles lounges near the top seems fair to us.

How to use it as a traveler

Treat a lounge award as a reason to look closer, not a reason to arrive early. Three questions matter more than any trophy. Do you have access through your card, status or ticket? Is the lounge in your terminal and past your security checkpoint? Will you get in at the time you are flying? Popular card lounges in New York can have waits at peak hours. When a card issuer has a reservation or waitlist tool, use it, and have a backup lounge in mind in the same terminal.

Related lounge guides

Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club (LGA) · Capital One Landing (LGA) · The Centurion Lounge (LGA) · Capital One Lounge (JFK) · The Centurion Lounge (JFK) · Capital One Lounge (IAD) · Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club (PHL)