Mark Heun

Long-time lurker, first time poster : )

So my new “United Explorer” credit card through chase gives me two 1-time passes for United clubs. As a budget-minded and for-pleasure-only flyer I’ve never experienced an airline club/lounge before. I see that United’s club in Terminal C near gate 120 at Newark has a shower. If I were to want to freshen-up (shower) before my upcoming flight to Brussels, how does the whole shower/lounge thing work? Is it like gym locker rooms where you just throw your carry-on in a locker and hit the shower? Is there any cost beyond the free passes that I get with my creditcard? Are towels provided? Are the facilities clean or will I catch athlete’s foot? Do I need to get anybody’s permission to use the showers or do I just walk-in?

Thank you in advance, and sorry if I posted this in the wrong place : )

Mark

GadgetFreak

Welcome to Flyertalk. The shower access rules vary by carrier and airport in my experience. Generally, the showers are in small, private rooms. They almost always are locked so you need to go to the desk, some larger shower suites have special desks for the shower access while at others it is handled by the main lounge desk. If given access you can go in the small room, really a bathroom, with your carry on luggage. They provide towels, soap and shampoo and sometimes other toiletries as well, such as disposible razors and toothbrushes with toothpaste, etc. I didn't have to buy travel toothpaste (small tubes) for quite a while because of all the free toothpaste samples I got from multiple visits to the BA lounge at LHR a few years back but that is a different story in my experience they are usually quite clean. You can probably get more feedback on access and such for this particular lounge/shower in the UA forum.

SirJman

One more caveat, is that the EWR lounges can get BUSY. Personally I've never taken a shower there so I can't comment on the exact lounge, but I know in other lounges I've had to wait over an hour for a shower (up to 3.5 hours in IST)

JDiver

As this is about United Club lounges, and not a general airlines question, it has been moved to the appropriate United MileagePlus Forum.

JDiver
seniod moderator

SeamusSA

At one point the showers were reserved for First and BusinessFirst passengers, and one had to produce a boarding pass, not sure if that is still the case.

I've used those showers at EWR. It works like this:
There are multiple private shower rooms along a corridor off to the side of the lobby. Each has a shower, toilet, sink and dressing area is a decent size. Access is controlled by an attendant who has a desk at the end of the corridor. There is sometimes a wait and you put your name on the list. Towels and products (shower gel, shampoo) are provided. The facilities are pretty well maintained and clean but as with any shared facilities there's always the possibility of athlete's foot, but no worse than any gym I've ever seen. There is no charge, though most people offer a few bucks gratuity to the attendant.

TakeTheATrain

Went through Newark last week after a red-eye flight. There wasn't a wait around 6:30 AM. Definitely is great to have a way to freshen up after a red-eye.

Mark Heun

Excellent; thank you for your feedback everyone. Looks like the shower is a little too involved.... I'll just use my Lethal Field Body Wipes (body wipes that eliminate human odors for the purpose of hunting) when I hit the ground in Brussels. Thank you again everyone!

Mark

will2288

Really?


I never have, but I generally only shower in European lounges.

lensman

On my one visit at IAH the attendant took me directly to one of the showers and left me there. The shower was in private room and was clean and well maintained. There was even a free pressing service which I took advantage of for my wrinkled pants while I was in the shower.

It was very nice. I don't think I'd do it before a flight if I was coming from an office. I would if I had spent the day walking around outside in the summer, though!

greathustle

Did this every Monday morning at EWR for a few months and agree, waits were always between 0 and 5 minutes. Some of the new AA and DL clubs have nicer showers, but the C3 EWR showers are efficient and clean and really all you need to clean up and change clothes.

ruthenium101

used one in FRA (going from BLR to IAH) last December. Attendant either gives you a key or opens it up (in the downstairs area). Nice and clean private room. No waiting time.

critten

I don't think any employee can tell if you used a pass or GS status after the front desk(unless thou tell them) so I'm pretty sure anyone can use it. The pressing service at iah e is epic though they didn't press it till I got out of the shower(+5min waiting in underwear) but definitely worth it. With my new club access I will be using the showers as I arrive on lax-iah red eyes. To think I used to get hotels before the redeye or when I landed to freshen up! Plus free food/coffee/Internet

MKE-MR

At ORD last week, they asked for my boarding pass at the front desk, and printed a new copy of it, wrote "shower OK", and asked me to hand it to the shower attendant. An involved process for no apparent reason...unless they really are restricting the usage at ORD to F/J pax.
Anyway, the showers are nice, it's not that involved a process, and it's totally worth it.

dsquared37

There's actually very little involved. Walk into the lounge, walk up to the shower desk and say, 'I'd like to take a shower.' Either there is a room open at that point or they tell you it will be xx minutes.

You shower and leave.

The end.

wcj1

They are not. Class of service is not a factor at ORD.