EPS

gleff: MIA has complimentary alcohol, but they keep it locked up until noon.

My favorites are small, non-hub locations: DFW, MSP, PDX, PHX, SAN, SNA.

Best customer service: DEN, SAN, SEA, SFO
Worst customer service: ORD

Best snacks: LAX, SEA
Best soft drinks: IAD, SAN
Worst soft drinks: SFO

euslaner

bnemoa wrote:

FRA is pretty dreadful. Small, with very little to offer. After seeing what was in the LH Senator Club, the bland offering of white bread rolls with only cream cheese or honey to choose from for spread was just pathetic. Not a whole-grain item in sight, nor jam, yoghurt or anything else one ought to be able to consider pretty standard for the time of day. (There was alcohol available, but I wasn't about to imbibe at 6:30 in the morning.)

I agree, but I also agree with cesco.g that the FRA lounge has:

- the spacious showers
- very helpful & courteous Concierge/Staff
- friendly security staff

The food is awful and the computer is no longer there (they say that their supplier is bankrupt) and the LH Senator lounge has far better vittles. But the RCC has a super friendly staff, always smiling (especially the security staff, who always greet me with a big hello and "how nice to see you again"). When I arrive in FRA, I go to the RCC for a shower and move along for my connecting flight to LH's lounges for food and beverages.

Only been to Tokyo once, but compared to FRA (and I guess LHR, but at least LHR has computers) it was awesome. So was the International First lounge at ORD.



------------------
UA 1K

cuyp

Design-wide, NRT must be the nicest of all. Great showers, but not enough internet terminals.
ORD is very nicely designed as well, but I am not a regular user.
So gross it cool: CLE and TPE.

couscous

NRT and SFO will get my vote.

TransWorldOne

Best is SNA. Second best is MSP.

Worst is SEA. Terrible bar service, UA agents are not very helpful, and the snack selection is awful.

I don't like the SFO domestic location. It is always overcrowded and I haven't had very good interactions with the staff.

My home Red Carpet Club (PHX) is OK. Some staff are incredibly nice, others are incredibly bad. The place could use a remodel (like most Red Carpet Clubs ).

Red Carpet Clubs would be much better places to visit if they offered complimentary cocktails. Without that feature, they're really not worth much.

[This message has been edited by TransWorldOne (edited Jan 25, 2004).]

SPN Lifer

The post count indicates 34, but I only count 20. My earlier post has also evaporated, in which I compliment the RCC at JFK, and the NRT beer machine.


[Homophone correction.]

[This message has been edited by SPN Lifer (edited Jan 25, 2004).]

ord100

Best US: SFO... but still crowded..
Worst: SEA (basement, OLD design)

Best Int: NRT, HKG tie. Nice designs, showers, free computer use & internet in HKG (one pc)
Worst: FRA

ozstamps

Compared to any other First world airline they are ALL pretty atrocious really re internior and food/drinks. SFO being saved only as it is newer.


"United Airlines Domestic Red/Gray ® Carpet Clubs (Miami in the evenings excluded!) - - proudly designed by Siberian minimalist style gurus, "Vladimirs Of Volgograd" and operated by Aeroflot, to the very highest Russian specifications in comfort, super-stylish design, and leading edge luxury facilities like floor coverings, running water and optional flourescent lighting. Please bring your own booze, boorscht, all other foodstuffs, newspapers, computer, fax machine and your AT&T calling card. And don't even THINK about taking a shower, comrade." © 2004

coplatua1k

Worst CLE and ATL.
Best domestic SFO, international NRT.

bneoma

I have to agree with you there about the staff. Despite my impressions of the lounge itself, the staff have indeed always been friendly.

ErthCrclr

Another domestic vote for SFO. Love that layout (ample room for relative privacy), but give the instant cappuccino machine a miss. The fresh fruit is always nice too.

Another international vote against LHR. It is strangely seedy and the snacks are mediocre. OK, so they have some PCs--but what do they use? Windows 65? They are slower'n molasses. If you are seeking plenty of booze at 9 am, though, this be the place.

And, another vote for NRT. The beer machine is OK but I enjoy the tranquil atmosphere too. It seems like the ladies who work there perpetually keep that place ship-shape.


Edited to add: Oops, I was referring to the international RCC at SFO. The domestic one is often crowded so relative privacy is out the window. I was just in both and the contrast was immediately evident. I still like the fresh fruit in both, though.

[This message has been edited by ErthCrclr (edited Feb 28, 2004).]

SkyTeam777

Can someone give me more details on the MSP and EWR lounges?

Thanks!

UAL_Rulez

Can't speak for MSP but I've been at EWR weekly for some time.

The club is right next to the security checkpoint. In fact, you have to kind of backtrack behind the #1 security lane to get to it. It's got automatic-opening frosted glass doors.

The reception area is large for a non-hub club. They used to have substantial international service so there is still an IFL, but I've only seen it open once, when they had to close off the bar at the back of the main club.

There are two main seating areas, one to your left (from reception) overlooking the tarmac, the other snakes off to the right. There is a TV room which usually has all the major NY and NJ newspapers stocked. There's a FedEx drop box. Working your way back toward the bar, there is a food station that normally has: whole fruit (apples, oranges, etc.), cut vegetables with ranch dip, a big assortment of the in-flight snack mix/nuts/pretzels, etc. There are usually cookies as well. The coffee & cappuccino machine is in the middle of the food setup.

There's a plasma TV in the back seating area. The bar is at the far end of the club, in its own room. They have a good selection of beers and liquor but very poor wine (i.e. jug stuff).

The front desk staff are usually very helpful; I think the manager is a former Int'l F Concierge and IIRC she still wears the badge and treats everyone like they were an Int'l F customer. There are however a few less motivated reps working there, so YMMV.

There is no high-speed internet and the staff don't know when t-Mobile might be installed, if ever.

Overall it's not a great facility...I'd rate the decor and furnishings on a par with the ORD clubs. Above average food and newspaper selection for a domestic RCC.


Back on topic, my votes for best RCC:

Dom: HNL
Int: NRT

Worst: Tie between ORD B-Concourse (both of them are atrocious) and IAD. Having clubs this bad at hubs is just terrible.

pgrats

The MSP club while on the small side is comfortable. Staff usually very accomodating. I'm usually in there early AM so it's a cup of coffee and check out the headlines of the paper. Never been in to enjoy lounge area.

auggie doggie

Best Domestic: SNA,SFO
Best Int'l: NRT

Worst Domestic: ORD B Concourse (the one by B-16 is especially nasty)
Worst Int'l: LHR