You don't need a premium credit card anymore to grab some fresh air past security at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. An outdoor patio at the reopened to the public Tuesday after being restricted to Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders for the past two years.
The 3,994-square-foot terrace opened in 2019 as the terminal's only outdoor space for travelers beyond TSA screening. But the patio flew under the radar, tucked away at the top of large spiral staircase near Gate 1. (There's an elevator, too, but it's easy to miss.)
The space is reopening daily from 8 a.m to 8 p.m. with lounge chairs, benches and tables left behind by Chase. Travelers can watch planes take off from one of the airport's two runways. Speakers pipe in airport announcements. The patio has its own public restrooms. Smoking and vaping is banned.
The terrace has been one of ABIA's best kept secrets. Few passengers knew it existed. For a while, it was more popular among employees on break.
That changed in 2023. Airport officials struck a two-year, $3.8 million deal with JPMorgan Chase to convert the patio into the Chase Sapphire Terrace, a private lounge for the bank's high-end travel cardholders. The airport pitched it as a "pilot project" to test demand for premium passenger spaces while bringing in new revenue to help pay off mounting construction debt.
The privatization of such a rare public space in the city-owned airport didn't sit well with everyone.
"The parks department could use extra revenue," Airport Advisory Commissioner Wendy Todd said at the time. "But they're not having a credit card lounge for two years that will prevent public use of the public space."
Airport executives say the experiment demonstrated strong interest in premium amenities.
"We found out there was [demand]," said John Gallo, ABIA's deputy chief officer for commercial development. "Austin has a young, tech-centered employment base. A lot of people with disposable income ... want to use their points at the airport because they're traveling a lot."
Gallo said the Chase Sapphire Terrace averaged between 200 and 300 visitors a day, significantly more than the handful of travelers who used the space when it was public but often overlooked.
The airport plans to promote the outdoor patio more actively this time, including with social media. Clear Channel, which manages advertising in the terminal, is shopping for a sponsor to brand the space and promote it.
Eventually, more outdoor options are coming. As part of a three-gate expansion on the west end of the terminal, ABIA is building a second terrace with views of downtown Austin. About 860 square feet will be public and almost 1,300 square feet will be reserved for a new American Airlines Admirals Club. The patio is expected to open around 2027.
Within the next month, city officials will start looking for a company to open ABIA's first permanent credit card lounge. The 20,000-square-foot lounge space is currently under construction as part of another expansion project.
In the meantime, the east terrace is open to all travelers, no membership required.
"I like outdoor spaces," said Ebonee Debrah, a San Antonio resident who arrived at ABIA four hours before departure to make sure she wouldn't miss her flight to London. "If you've been in the building for a long period of time, it just makes you feel better to be outside in the sun."
