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United Airlines Defends Banning Frequent Flyers From Polaris Lounges

Chicago, IL, USA - March 17, 2016: A United Airlines 747-400 landing on 28C at the Chicago O'hare Airport.

“To protect the integrity of our product, we want to provide something truly unique and value-add to customers in that cabin… ensuring that customers who are travelling internationally in business class have a dedicated lounge product (just) for them.”

That’s the official word from United Airlines’ Director of Premium Services Alexander Dorow–who spoke at the opening of the new Polaris San Francisco Lounge–on the airlines’ controversial move to restrict Polaris lounge access to business class and first class passengers.

But, says Dorow, there will be other perks for frequent flyers: upgraded, “Polaris-influenced” United Club Lounges.

“We would love to offer the (full) Polaris experience to our frequent flyers, but instead of bringing them to a Polaris lounge, what we’re doing is investing even more into our United Club experience.”

“We want to make sure that we focus on food and beverage, on seating, on engagement. We just concluded the first pass of food and beverage quantitative research, so what you can expect in the Polaris-influenced United Club are learnings from Polaris that are scaled appropriately.”

There has been no word, yet on when the United Club changes will take place. Polaris lounges in Newark are scheduled to open in early June, in Houston in late summer and in Los Angeles before December 2018.

 

What do you think of United’s decision? Let us know in the comments section.

To read more go to Australian Business Traveller.

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7 Comments
M

As a long time 1k and paid club member, I’ve found the remaining UA lounges to be ever more crowded mob scenes - there is usually more private space in the concourse. Getting a lounge seat with an outlet and quiet is now a challenge. I have no problem with United’s re-imagining the old first class lounge, but am less than thrilled with depreciation of the regular lounge experience.

W

The big change for United Club members with Polaris is the removal of showers. This really is a big deal for customers like me; I can't imagine taking a red-eye to the East Coast without a shower on the other end. I've been Gold or Platinum on United for fifteen years, and this change was the proverbial "straw that broke the camels back" which forced me to book flights transactionally. So far this year (i.e. 1.1-4.30.2018) it means thousands of dollars of spend, and something like 30 segments on other airlines.

E
eng3 May 1, 2018

Agree, misleading title. FFs not banned, just people not in polaris. Its has been like this from the beginning so its not like a sudden change. Now having less UC's and removing showers from all UC's, that's a more controversial decision.

R
rgoltsch May 1, 2018

As a United Club member (And a regular flier out of Newark), I am dismayed at the airline reducing the amount of clubs at Newark Airport's Terminal C from 2 to 1. The location of the one remaining United Club down in concourse C-1 will make it difficult to use when flying out of Concourse C-3 and C-2. Not to mention it will be much more crowded at the remaining club. I will rethink my membership next year if United doesn't work this out for we paying for membership.

S
SethLevy May 1, 2018

I commend United for taking this step - it is the right thing to do. Limit the top lounge to those flying in Business and First. It will make for a much pleasant experience. I wish other airlines would do the same. For me, I either pay or upgrade my ticket - I do not fly coach - but in many lounges I feel they let every frequent flyer in, which diminishes the exclusiveness of the club and generally means too many people in the lounge. Sometimes I feel like the passengers, generally those in coach, act like scavengers for food and drink because they need to fill up before moving to the back of the plane. I applaud United for this and only hope now they will change boarding practices - way too many people in Group 1.