FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - United Club changes (drinks and Wifi) - Sept/Oct. 2013
Old Sep 24, 2013, 9:00 pm
  #1190  
AA_EXP09
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
Originally Posted by dogloverjb
I sent emails to each of the addresses in wiki and got responses from all of them. I replied to those responses specifically asking what I was actually getting as part of my membership. The last agent me a list of all the free services and benefits of the club membership. I responded with details about why these really weren't worthwhile benefits (correspondence below). I don't think these front-line agents can handle the criticisms but hopefully our comments are being passed on and reach the right ears. It doesn't seem like they are responding any longer. We can only now speak with our wallets.

Code:
Hello dogloverjb, 
  
Thank you so much for your honesty.  I respect your concerns and will also share your feedback below. 
  
We appreciate your loyalty and look forward to your travel with us.    
  
Regards, 
  
  
UAPersonxxxxx 
United Club 
  
We appreciate your interest in United Club.  We look forward to serving your lounge needs in the future.  For United Club information, please visit www.united.com/unitedclub.   
  
  


Original Message Follows: ------------------------ 
Thank you for your response UApersonxxxxx.     
    
•         The complimentary bar service is not drinkable – the brands are akin to the rot gut stuff we drank in college and I don’t want to go back there.  So your complimentary drinks are worthless to me  (and an embarrassment to United).  Especially for those poor people who are paying for business and first class.     
    
•         The light snacks are really not of any interest after 10 years of visiting UA Clubs and seeing the same items every time.  But at least they are edible.    
    
•         Most of the other items are good for business people who need those services, but as a leisure traveler I don’t.  In fact, I never needed them as a business traveler myself.     
    
•         The premium wines you offer are a nice selection but the price is certainly not attractive.  My usual drink, the Rombauer chardonnay used to be $10 and is now $14.  I just saw a bottle in the wine shop for $30.  I can’t figure how you can justify a 40% price increase and tell me I am valued as a customer.  I can get a good glass of wine in a bar in the terminal for less.      
    
•         Local dining info isn’t of interest in a locale I am transiting through.    
    
•         The agent assist I will certainly miss, but I would still have access to it for international trips.   
    
•         Free internet is nice but many airports have this and certainly have paid Wifi available, which over the course of a year, would cost me considerable less.     
    
The bottom line for me, and probably many others, is that membership in the UA Club is now a big loss.  With a decent complimentary beverage service, and a reasonably and competitively priced top shelf liquor/wine list, I could justify it for the comfort of the Club, snacks and a nice drink.  Now, I conclude that I can get most of the same benefits elsewhere for those few times I don’t have access to Star Alliance lounge.  So unfortunately there is no reason for me to renew my membership.   
    
The saddest part is none of the recent UA changes are positive and none make me feel that UA cares about me, a 1K flyer, or any of its other customers.     
    
Thank you for your time.   
dogloverjb
Paid wifi I would likely not use, though.
I can wait.
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