doc cray

I'm in the Silver Kris lounge at SFO. I just left the United first class lounge because it sucks. I live in the Bay Area, travel for pleasure and have flown 1200000 miles on UAL. Have been a 1K for the last 9 years. I'm flying 869 to Hong Kong this afternoon and stopped in united first class lounge to get a bite and check emails. United had nuts, fruit and cereal to eat. There is no wireless network offered by united. It reminds me of a red carpet club-I stopped membership in red carpet 5 years ago. I still like service in first suites on united but their lounges suck. I called the elite number to complain and was connected with Carlos in New Delhi. I hung up and asked to be connected to customer relations in Chicago. The woman I spoke to was nice and said this was the first time she had heard of this problem in a first class lounge. I explained it is like this in HKG, Narita and LHR as well as others. The star partner lounges are always better. Just my two cents. I read daily only post once in a great while for info or with a huge gripe. Doccray

lucky9876coins

And the SFO IFL is actually one of the better ones. The wifi problem has been solved though. It is free now, I believe, and should already have been implemented. You have to ask at reception for a code. Agree, though, the SKL has food that's at least as good as the IFL.

qasr

You've flown that many miles on UA and you read FT daily, yet the sad state of UA's lounges has only just dawned on you?

I'm sitting in the JFK IFL right now, and it is pretty abysmal Intl F lounge, but since it is basically a domestic lounge now a days, I take it for what it is--Better than the RCC. BTW, there are sandwiches here, cheese and crackers, fruit and sun chips among other things. SFO usually has sushi and yakitori out, among other things...

qasr

It is a LOT better.

brahms77

Everyone here on FT seems to know that UA IFL isn't anything special. I mean, there are a little more food items and less crowd compared to RCC, but no one expects it to be like SKL F lounge in SIN or any lounge of that caliber. Yes, as a F pax, one should expect something more than what UA is currently providing, but then again, it's UA that we are talking about. Nonetheless, talking to a phone agent about this matter won't solve this problem...

I would suggest you to fly other carriers out of SFO for F, but then again if you are flying *A, you are pretty much stuck with RCC, IFL, and SKL for your lounge choices.

lucky9876coins

At SFO? I have to disagree there. The decor is better in the IFL, IMO. The food is about the same: both have finger sandwiches, cookies, etc. Can't speak for the alcohol.

akatuva

Hard to beat the SKLs. Since you're talking about breakfast, I recall my last visit to the SKL first lounge at ICN on my return. Complete with a fantastic hot and cold buffet spread and an Omelette Station!

Although from a decor perspective the SFO IFL is nice, the food choices were not as good. I think they had a couple of different kinds of sushi rolls and vegetable tray.

qasr

There are spring rolls and noodles available at the SKL. Before the SQ departures, they put out the better stuff.

The SKL has higher quality food that is generally better prepared and fresher too.

Lori_Q

If your criteria for lounge quality are "get a bite and check emails", then yeah, the IFL at SFO isn't as good as the SQ lounge. However the SQ lounge is small, usually more busy, and the decor isn't as nice. I know these things don't matter to some people, so I certainly respect your opinion. But I will always choose the IFL over the SKL.

osxanalyst

You obviously have not been in SYD IFL.

UNITED959

Sort of an unfair comparison, when in SYD there are a SKL and Air NZ lounges -- both of which dominate the RCC and IFL!

Wiggums

SYD's IFL is no longer there.

And.. here's how bad IAD's IFL is:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=577951f

wideman

Unfortunately, that is precisely the attitude of UA management -- "We're not top tier, we're not even second tier. We are the laughingstock of the world. But it's ok, because that's what everyone has come to expect, and now we are meeting expactations."

osxanalyst

My point exactly.

BenjaminNYC

I think the SFO lounge is OK, but not "good". I don't think it "sucks". I've seen WAY more food there than the OP describes, so I'm wondering if he missed a bunch of stuff???

Was this breakfast time? That would explain it. They're pathetic at breakfast. After 11:30 (I think), it gets a lot better.