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Old Jun 4, 2015, 8:20 pm
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Making the UA lounge your local bar

so I am talking to a guy at the bar. He only takes a few flights a year but said he has a Club membership and drinks in the bar every night. Mentioned a gate pass... Is this possible?
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 8:26 pm
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Originally Posted by mike_asia
Mentioned a gate pass... Is this possible?
A lot depends on the agent(s) at the checkin counter. You should be able to get a gate pass if you have a lounge membership, but not all agents know about this.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 8:28 pm
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Yes, it is possible in theory. But a few things to consider:

1. Commute to an airport is often costly.

2. Asking for a gate pass can be a new thing to many UA employee. It can take some effort. The good thing is that some clubs are on landside so we don't need any passes at all.(LGA is on landside.)

3. People are debating about if we should tip the bartender even when getting free drinks.

4. UA reserves the right to deny us if it considers such acts as abusive.

I have a club card and I visit LGA club very often, but I am always alert.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 8:33 pm
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So what I am hearing is people pay $450 or whatever per year and can drink as much booze and eat as much as they want in the club for a year without a flight ?
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 8:35 pm
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Originally Posted by mike_asia
so I am talking to a guy at the bar. He only takes a few flights a year but said he has a Club membership and drinks in the bar every night. Mentioned a gate pass... Is this possible?
Which one?
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 8:36 pm
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Originally Posted by mike_asia
So what I am hearing is people pay $450 or whatever per year and can drink as much booze and eat as much as they want in the club for a year without a flight ?
Only the rotgut is free, and there's no real food to speak of. But other than that, yes.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 9:03 pm
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I want to know which UC this was, so I can try to find this guy and talk to him.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 9:05 pm
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Originally Posted by physioprof
I want to know which UC this was, so I can try to find this guy and talk to him.
I'm sure you'll find someone similar at most clubs.

Last edited by mahasamatman; Jun 4, 2015 at 9:12 pm Reason: Satisfy the unreasonable
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 9:05 pm
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Gate passes can certainly be issued to accommodate this. As someone mentioned before, I wouldn't imagine many agents know about this.

This has got to be a new low. I couldn't imagine spending any longer than I have to in a UC.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 9:25 pm
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Originally Posted by hookthem
Gate passes can certainly be issued to accommodate this. As someone mentioned before, I wouldn't imagine many agents know about this.

This has got to be a new low. I couldn't imagine spending any longer than I have to in a UC.
I couldn't help myself..the joke about "such terrible food..and so little of it" popped into my head after reading about this man.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 9:27 pm
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When I was a student, I used to to the Delta Crown Room at CVG to study. I'd spend five hours in a cubicle, and drank lots of ginger ale.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 10:15 pm
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Originally Posted by hookthem
Gate passes can certainly be issued to accommodate this. As someone mentioned before, I wouldn't imagine many agents know about this.
Gate passes for club members was pmCO policy, so pmCO agents "typically" know about this, while it is a completely foreign concept to pmUA agents. Some are slowly coming around, particularly at HNL That said, there's no sane reason to go to a UC these days save for pick-up/drop-off (I'll have one tomorrow) and during my own travels. Not so much as even a free shot of Baileys for my coffee anymore

Lots more discussion on the topic going on here , including a screen capture of the shares profile indicating that said passes are allowed - I keep a copy in my wallet.

Last edited by Wx4caster; Jun 4, 2015 at 10:19 pm Reason: added link to existing thread
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 10:27 pm
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Originally Posted by Wx4caster
Gate passes for club members was pmCO policy, so pmCO agents "typically" know about this, while it is a completely foreign concept to pmUA agents.
No need to make this another Us v. Them argument. It was policy for pmUA as well. But that doesn't mean all agents (either pmUA, pmCO, or UA) know about it.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 10:32 pm
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Originally Posted by Wx4caster
Gate passes for club members was pmCO policy, so pmCO agents "typically" know about this, while it is a completely foreign concept to pmUA agents. Some are slowly coming around, particularly at HNL That said, there's no sane reason to go to a UC these days save for pick-up/drop-off (I'll have one tomorrow) and during my own travels. Not so much as even a free shot of Baileys for my coffee anymore

Lots more discussion on the topic going on here , including a screen capture of the shares profile indicating that said passes are allowed - I keep a copy in my wallet.
I've been getting gate passes from time to time for about 8 years on UA. So I'm quite sure that savvy pmUA agents know what to do. In fact, I don't think I've been turned down when asking at four or five different stations. I use the privilege to give visiting family or business contacts a slightly longer farewell.
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 10:51 pm
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Depending on the lounge,maybe some people like the view of planes taking off and landing. Beats being in some dingy and windowless bar with ESPN (or a similar channel) on every screen.
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