American Express AX Centurion Lounge at SFO & IAH (IAH Opened Jun 24, 2016 @ Term D)
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,900
I keep my UC membership for one reason: expedited re-routing assistance during weather / mis-connects / adverse events, etc. I can get the 1K line to do some of the work, but some things at the end often require a person in front of you - particularly if you are getting rerouted on another carrier and need a ticket endorsed over. 80% of my trips I don't even bother going in - that's how appealing they are. But... can Amex do better? Back to that one reason....
#77
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,165
I keep my UC membership for one reason: expedited re-routing assistance during weather / mis-connects / adverse events, etc. I can get the 1K line to do some of the work, but some things at the end often require a person in front of you - particularly if you are getting rerouted on another carrier and need a ticket endorsed over. 80% of my trips I don't even bother going in - that's how appealing they are. But... can Amex do better? Back to that one reason....
#78
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: London; Bangkok; Las Vegas
Programs: AA Exec Plat; UA MM Gold; Marriott Lifetime Titanium; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,741
If they aren't choosier about the airline they fly, why would you expect them to be choosier about the lounge they pay to visit?
The only reason I can see to pay for UC access is access to the agents in the lounge if there is flight problem that day, but I just call United on the phone anyway when that happens.
I had free UC access the past decade due to my Gold status with LH and only used the agents once, and they didn't know what they were doing. Another agent had to take over to finish the task (and it wasn't that complicated).
The only Centurion Lounge I have visited was the one in DFW. I was underwhelmed, to put it mildly. I didn't find it any better than the AA lounge in the same terminal.
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SJC, SFO, YYC
Programs: AA-EXP, AA-0.41MM, UA-Gold, Ex UA-1K (2006 thru 2015), PMUA-0.95MM, COUA-1.5MM-lite, AF-Silver
Posts: 13,437
There are only four major mainlines, and at times, UA is the best option.
By any objective measure, the Centurion Lounges are better than UCs and ACs, but the ACs are nice enough that if an AA FFer uses lots of non Centurion stations, an AC membership might be worth it.
Again this thread is about UCs vs Centurions, and I think the latter will impact the former.
#81
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
One has to admit that the AmEx Platinum is a card that many folks (including me) would be interested in - if there were more Centurion lounges, and if DL and UA were in the same terminals. Having both DL and Centurion access for a net price of ~$200 (and including the Global Entry fee now) is tempting - alas, for a Newark hub captive, not worth it for me.
#83
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,760
Except when it's not... I've seen posters outside the UCs at IAH offering discounted admission for $30 or 35. Still $20 or $25 more than it's worth if I'm paying cash.
Add IAH to that and you've got yourself a gigantic amount of converts. IAH at least has lots of space vs. ORD. Not sure about the rest... The only non-UC lounge that's accessible is the KLM Crown Lounge via Priority Pass. Thankfully it's all the way in Terminal D so it's normally not at all crowded. A Centurion Lounge at IAH would cement me as a Plat card holder as long as I live here.
Add IAH to that and you've got yourself a gigantic amount of converts. IAH at least has lots of space vs. ORD. Not sure about the rest... The only non-UC lounge that's accessible is the KLM Crown Lounge via Priority Pass. Thankfully it's all the way in Terminal D so it's normally not at all crowded. A Centurion Lounge at IAH would cement me as a Plat card holder as long as I live here.
#84
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,899
#85
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Colorado
Programs: Lifetime UA 1K, Lifetime Hilton Diamond, Lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,261
#86
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, 0.9MM
Posts: 133
- Better atmosphere, seating arrangements
- Shower facilities
- Hot and cold food items prepared fresh
- Much larger selection of complimentary wines, alcohol, coffee, teas
- Waitstaff that walk around with small round trays instead of ugly grey plastic carts
- The "feel" of more attention instead of "just another passenger" from anyone you encounter
- Cloth napkins and actual plates & silverware for the food
Shower facilities, who cares. Honestly who takes a shower at a airport?
Hot and cold food items. Meh. If I'm hungry I'd rather go to a real restaurant to waste my time, not eating tiny apps
Complimentary wine/alcohol, fine I get that I guess
Waitstaff walking around, who cares
Cloth napkins, lol who cares
I don't really understand people's obsession with and critique of airport lounges.
I never pay for access, just not worth it for me. Do I go into them for free? Sure why not, but to me its not a big deal at all. Honestly the biggest difference is just it being a bit quieter and somewhat more comfortable seats.
People willing to pay $350 or whatever the Club Card costs boggles my mind. I think part of it has to do with their delusion that they are part of some exclusive club when in fact there are ways to cheat the system and get into almost any UC for free. And even for those who don't know how to do that, you can get a one time pass off ebay for like $15 if you want to see how the "exclusive" people waste their time at airports.
#87
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,481
Don't allow yourself to imagine that the AMEX clubs would be as good if they had the level of traffic and type of passenger that UA clubs do. See how long they would be offering the better food/drink/amenities if the trays were being emptied out every 10 minutes, people left messes all over the place, and the place were packed with people who pay nothing but incur a lot of resources.
The main reason that you like the Centurion lounge is because there are few people there -- and the resulting higher quality of service that permits. If they (or UA) had to charge what that type of lounge really costs to operate I think you would be quickly turned off that idea.
Actually, I correct myself. There is a lounge that parallels the AMEX lounge, and offers you the chance to pay for that level of service -- the UA First Class lounge. And I think you can figure out what membership to that lounge will cost you.
The main reason that you like the Centurion lounge is because there are few people there -- and the resulting higher quality of service that permits. If they (or UA) had to charge what that type of lounge really costs to operate I think you would be quickly turned off that idea.
Actually, I correct myself. There is a lounge that parallels the AMEX lounge, and offers you the chance to pay for that level of service -- the UA First Class lounge. And I think you can figure out what membership to that lounge will cost you.
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,904
Don't allow yourself to imagine that the AMEX clubs would be as good if they had the level of traffic and type of passenger that UA clubs do. See how long they would be offering the better food/drink/amenities if the trays were being emptied out every 10 minutes, people left messes all over the place, and the place were packed with people who pay nothing but consume a lot of resources.
The main reason that you like the Centurion lounge is because there are few people there -- and the resulting higher quality of service that permits. If they (or UA) had to charge what that type of lounge really costs to operate I think you would be quickly turned off that idea.
The main reason that you like the Centurion lounge is because there are few people there -- and the resulting higher quality of service that permits. If they (or UA) had to charge what that type of lounge really costs to operate I think you would be quickly turned off that idea.
This.
Also i happened to be in LAS centurion lounge when they had to turn people away as they exceeded capacity - it was not pretty.
#90
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,481
I'm guessing he's talking about the methods of unscrupulously purchasing premium tickets solely for the purpose of getting into the clubs.
Anyway. If you look at the lounge phenomenon from a curious scientific point of view -- there is no successful evolutionary niche that has been occupied by an affordable, non-subsidized, yet high quality premium lounge in the US. That bird is not able to survive in this passenger environment... (just as the odd evolutionary beak shape experiments of 3 class passenger transcon US service, all-premium US-Europe service, or long-haul low cost service are dying or have died shortly after launch).
Anyway. If you look at the lounge phenomenon from a curious scientific point of view -- there is no successful evolutionary niche that has been occupied by an affordable, non-subsidized, yet high quality premium lounge in the US. That bird is not able to survive in this passenger environment... (just as the odd evolutionary beak shape experiments of 3 class passenger transcon US service, all-premium US-Europe service, or long-haul low cost service are dying or have died shortly after launch).