Santiago Airport Lounges (SCL) 2026: Every Lounge in Terminals 1 and 2, and How to Get In

Santiago's Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez Airport (SCL) splits its lounges across two terminals. The modern international Terminal 2 holds the Plaza Premium Lounge and the SkyTeam Lounge for Priority Pass holders, plus LATAM's premium room, while domestic Terminal 1 keeps the long-running Salón VIP Pacific Club. Your card, your airline, and your terminal decide which door opens.

Chile's main gateway has changed more in the past few years than almost any airport in South America. Since the international Terminal 2 opened, the lounge picture at SCL has shifted with it, and the room you should aim for now depends mainly on whether you are flying out of the country or hopping somewhere inside it. Here is every Santiago lounge worth knowing in 2026, where it sits, and exactly how to get in.

*Images are illustrative and may differ from actual lounges and airport facilities. Lounge names, hours, and access policies change frequently. Always verify before you travel.

Start With Your Terminal, Not Your Gate

At a lot of airports the trick is to navigate by gate. Santiago is the opposite, because the two terminals do very different jobs. Terminal 2 is the newer international building, opened in February 2022, and it handles every flight leaving Chile. Terminal 1, the original building next door, now runs domestic routes to places like Calama for the Atacama Desert, Puerto Montt for the Lakes District, and Punta Arenas for Patagonia. The two are walkable from each other, but they have separate lounges, so the first question is simple: are you flying international or domestic today? Most foreign visitors will spend their lounge time in Terminal 2.

Priority Pass in Terminal 2: The Plaza Premium Lounge

If you hold Priority Pass and you are flying internationally, the Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 2 is your most reliable bet. It runs around the clock, which matters at SCL because so many long-haul flights to North America and Europe leave late at night, and it leans into a sense of place rather than a generic buffet. Expect a hot Chilean spread with dishes like cazuela and empanadas, an espresso bar, and a proper Pisco Sour station built on named-bottle pisco rather than a thin pre-mix. There are shower suites and quieter corners with reclining seats for the red-eye crowd.

Walk-in entry runs around 48 US dollars for a three-hour stay if you do not have a membership, and the lounge also accepts LoungeKey, DragonPass, and Plaza Premium's own membership alongside Priority Pass. As always, lounge participation can change without notice, so it is worth opening the Priority Pass app on the day you fly to confirm the room is still live before you count on it.

Flying SkyTeam? Try the SkyTeam Lounge

Terminal 2 also has a SkyTeam Lounge, the alliance's own branded space. It is open to SkyTeam business class passengers and SkyTeam Elite Plus members, and it admits Priority Pass holders too, with one important catch: you have to be flying on a SkyTeam airline that day for the Priority Pass entry to work. If you are connecting onto Delta, Air France, KLM, Aeroméxico, or another SkyTeam carrier out of Santiago, this is a natural pick. If you are flying LATAM or another non-SkyTeam airline, default back to the Plaza Premium Lounge instead.

LATAM's Own Lounge

LATAM is the giant here. Santiago is the airline's home hub, and it runs its own LATAM VIP Lounge in Terminal 2 for premium-cabin passengers and oneworld elite travelers. It is the room most relevant to anyone flying LATAM business class on a long-haul route or holding oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status. Note that it is an airline lounge, not a network one, so Priority Pass will not get you through that particular door. If you do not have the cabin or the status, the Plaza Premium Lounge is the international-terminal alternative.

Domestic Departures: The Pacific Club in Terminal 1

Flying within Chile? The lounge to know is the Salón VIP Pacific Club, the airport's long-standing pay-and-membership room on the Terminal 1 domestic side. It takes Priority Pass, LoungeKey, and DragonPass, and sells walk-in entry at around 42 US dollars for up to three hours if you would rather just pay. It is a more modest space than the international rooms, with the usual snacks, drinks, Wi-Fi, and somewhere quiet to sit, but on a domestic connection it is a comfortable place to wait out a gap. You can see the current set on our Santiago airport page.

Which Card or Membership Opens the Door

For most international visitors the realistic route into an SCL lounge is a premium credit card carrying Priority Pass, a standalone Priority Pass membership, or simply paying at the door. In the United States, the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X, and the Amex Platinum all bundle Priority Pass that works at the Plaza Premium and Pacific Club lounges, and at the SkyTeam Lounge when your flight qualifies. Our roundup of the best US cards for lounge access compares them head to head, and the full cards directory helps you match one to how you spend.

If you would rather not pay an annual fee at all, our guide to free airport lounge access covers the routes that skip the membership entirely, and the Priority Pass, LoungeKey, and DragonPass comparison explains how each network behaves at the desk. Only passing through Santiago once or twice? A single paid walk-in can easily beat an annual membership, a trade-off we lay out in the airport lounge day passes guide.

Why SCL Feels So Different Now

Part of the reason the lounges are worth planning around is that the airport itself got a major upgrade. According to operator Nuevo Pudahuel, Terminal 2 opened in February 2022 as a new international building of more than 200,000 square meters, with dozens of new gates and piers themed after Chilean regions including Rapa Nui, the Atacama, the Lakes District, and Patagonia. The project roughly doubled the airport's annual capacity, which is why a hub that once felt cramped now moves long-haul crowds far more smoothly. Santiago is also the springboard for some of the continent's headline trips, from the Atacama in the north to Torres del Paine in the south, plus onward hops to Easter Island and Antarctic cruise departures, so a lot of travelers pass through here on the way to somewhere remarkable.

Practical Notes for SCL

A few habits make Santiago smoother. International flights to North America and Europe cluster late in the evening, so the Terminal 2 lounges are busiest then, and arriving with a buffer pays off if you want a shower and a seat before an overnight flight. If your trip mixes a domestic leg with an international one, remember the lounges live in different terminals, so do not bank on the Plaza Premium Lounge if your connection keeps you in Terminal 1. The airport sits northwest of the city, and traffic into central Santiago can be heavy at peak hours, so leave room on the way out. For timing your arrival to dodge the worst crowds, our guide on when to check in and arrive is a useful companion, and the full airport directory covers the rest of the region.

The Bottom Line

Santiago rewards a little planning. Sort out your terminal first, then match the room to your card or your airline: Plaza Premium for Priority Pass holders flying international, the SkyTeam Lounge when you are on a SkyTeam carrier, LATAM's lounge for its premium and oneworld flyers, and the Pacific Club for domestic departures. If Chile is one leg of a bigger South American trip, our roundup of the best lounges in South America and our Buenos Aires Ezeiza guide cover the neighbors, and the Peru travel guide pairs well if you are heading north.

Information is reviewed periodically and was accurate at the time of writing. Lounge names, locations, operating hours, terminal assignments, prices, and access policies at Santiago Airport change frequently. Always verify current lounge access rules directly with your airline, the airport, your bank, and the relevant lounge network before traveling.