One minor advantage to United showing premium travel to Canada is being able to use the first section in non-united lounges. I was able to access the Star Alliance first class section at LAX years ago with a United first boarding pass to Vancouver. I found it to be a great experience, worth clearing security twice as I had a lot of time.

Let' s hope United doesn' t discontinue access for travelers to Canada. It' s a shame that Delta ( at least officially) no longer offers F passengers to Canada Skyclub access and American hasn't done for as long as I could remember, yet Air Canada does it on the same routes.

I don't know why US carriers can't do like airlines in the rest of the world and offer lounge access to all international premium passengers, instead of selling memberships or offer it through credit cards. It should be a condition for membership in an alliance that all airlines offer the same lounge access across the alliance. If BA and AF can offer lounge access on a flight from LHR to CDG and still make money then I don't see why their alliance partners AA and DL can't offer lounge access to all of their international premium passengers, including flights with North America. To me international is international and access rules should be consistent across all alliances.