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During our layover on the outbound portion of our trip to Paris last month, my kids and I were able to spend some time at The Club at SEA Concourse A using my Priority Pass membership. Seattle has a Centurion Studio, but I decided to cancel my Business Platinum card (SEE: Why I closed my American Express Business Platinum card), so a lounge within the Priority Pass network would have to do.

Since we’d landed near the center of the terminal in Concourse B, I figured we’d try the Alaska Boardroom first since it was a bit closer. The Club at SEA Concourse A is a bit of a walk, as it is near the very end of the A gates. There is a second The Club at SEA, but it is in one of the satellite terminals. I didn’t really want to have to take the tram there and back.

Of course, as is typical from what I’ve read, the closest Alaska Boardroom had its sign out saying they weren’t accepting Priority Pass guests. Would the others be different? Probably not.

a sign on a door

Sometimes you can go in and ask to see if they will let you in anyway, but I decided we’d just turn around and head to The Club at SEA Concourse A. I was traveling with two kids, and since everyone knows kids are the perpetual reason for airport lounge crowding, I didn’t see much chance we’d be let in. So…off to Concourse A it was.

a couple of people on an escalator

Which is quite a walk. The Club at SEA is at the very end of Concourse A. But at least I could tell the lounge would be pretty quiet, given the general lack of people at that end of the airport.

a white banner in a room

The entrance is pretty nondescript. You can walk up the staircase or take the elevator up one floor to the actual entrance and check-in desk.

the club at sea concourse a

General space

Check in at The Club at SEA Concourse A was quick and easy. I didn’t even have to show boarding passes for my kids, which was unexpected. I thought everyone needed boarding passes. I hadn’t used a Priority Pass card for over a year, since our visit to the Aspire Lounge Calgary, so I’m a bit unfamiliar with the drill.

The lounge is fairly small, and basically designed as two seating sections with the food and bar area between them. There isn’t much of a variety to the seating, which mainly consists of armchairs. There are a few tables with highs stools, which is where the kids and I sat at first.

people sitting in a lounge area

One side has a view of Terminal A below you. There really isn’t any view of the apron. The other side looks out on an airport road and the light rail line.

Even though The Club at SEA Concourse A is small, it was quiet and clean, and a much more relaxing place than the terminal to spend almost 2.5 hours hours before our next flight.

Food at The Club at SEA Concourse A

It is the rare domestic lounge that offers anything resembling a full meal, and The Club SEA was no exception. We arrived before they made the switch to lunch, so our first round of food was all breakfast items. Options included bagels, pastries, English muffins, oatmeal, yogurt, granola and cereal.

a table with food on it

The kids thought the lounge was amazing. We typically eat a hearty, protein rich breakfast, so getting to fill up on “junk food” was a treat.

two children sitting at a table eating

Snacks included potato chips, Milano cookies, popcorn, yogurt pretzels and crackers. The kids were all over the popcorn. But then the popcorn ended up all over the floor. I knew kids were the source of all lounge problems. Actually, this was our first lounge mess ever, and I felt really bad. Luckily, one of the staff came by a minute later and swept it up.

the club at sea concourse a food

At lunch there a pot of clam chowder was served, along with bread. Other offerings included veggies and hummus. I wasn’t hungry anymore, and the lounge was getting busier, so I didn’t snap any photos.

Beverage options included Coke, Sprite, Perrier, tomato juice, coffee, and lemon water. There was also a bar (obviously), but I didn’t try any of the adult beverages.

a refrigerator full of soda cans

WiFi?

The WiFi offered at the Club at SEA Concourse A was…well…it didn’t exist. I’m not sure if this is the normal situation here, but the only WiFi option was the free SeaTac terminal signal. And it was fairly poor. Luckily, I didn’t need to do much more than some basic web browsing, check my email and push some code to Github.

We changed seats and the kids amused themselves as I worked. They wanted to watch a movie or show, but as I was on the only device (and we had an honest issue with the WiFi), that was a no-go. Plus, I knew they’d be binge watching movies on our flight in just a bit.

a group of people sitting in a room

The lounge filled up a bit more the later it got, but it never was truly crowded, à la Centurion SFO. I have to say that if given the choice and ability, I’d pick the Centurion first for a quick meal (food at SFO is great) and then head over to a quiet lounge like The Club at SEA. Centurion lounges have become a zoo.

Conclusion

I’m glad Seattle has a decent Priority Pass option besides the Alaska boardrooms, since these are often inaccessible to cardholders. The Club at SEA Concourse A ended up being a decent a lounge as any I’ve visited, and comparable to the any of the typical lounges of the U.S. “Big 3”. I wouldn’t call it a hidden gem, like the Escape Lounge in Oakland. But it was a great place to spend some time and catch a bite before our long transatlantic flight.


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