I came back through ORD last week on int'l flight. Was in B lounge (packed w/ folk waiting for night int'l departures; I was waiting for on-going domestic). Didn't see too many people ordering the premium stuff. I just ordered a soda rather than drink the swill.
I used to be a paid member but dropped membership when my travel lessened & with 50% of remaining travel being int'l, didn't see the need to rejoin since I have access anyway. I have toyed w/ the idea, but really - with minimal food & crap booze, internet is the only thing I care about. As others have mentioned, with a lot of airports now having free wifi that advantage is lessening. And heck, one can get Boingo for $9.95/month if going through airports that have paid wifi.
I'd seriously consider just switching to the bars/restaurants of the airport rather than UC, with the only problem being most don't have any/many electrical outlets.
A friend of mine who is Gold used a 1-time pass to enter UC & said he can't imagine anyone paying for the UC, thought it was a bit of a dump. He's a clueless Gold though, so I need to remind him that he has access to the Maple Leaf Lounge (much nicer) when he visits family in Canada.
I transited Senator lounge both directions on recent trip, & as we all know the food/drink offering is much better & free wifi to boot, made it a much more enjoyable experience.
Cheers.