Originally Posted by
IAH-OIL-TRASH
So you've experienced first hand the differences in the lounges and already have a very distinct impression of the UA vs Delta lounges - what's your objective here???? Your opinion of the UA lounges is pretty obvious. Most flyers goes with the carrier most convenient out of their airport to/from their destinations and (if necessary) the best partners. If the Delta routes/partnerships work better for you, then fly Delta. Or are you saying UA works better for you in terms of flying and you'll go with a less convenient Delta because their lounges are better??? I guess that's one way to approach flying.
Out of a competitive airport (LAX or LAS for example) one person may find one carrier no more covenient that another and may make a decision based on lounges. Just hard to believe someone would make frequent flying more difficult by selecting a less convenient carrier than another because of the lounges. Add another stop or fewer flights and added travel time for a better salad? No thanks.
There's a Delta lounge at HNL - I'd be a moron to make DL my carrier as it's got the worst of the legacy airline schedules and is behind HA and WN in terms of frequency to Mainland.
If you need clarification, please re-read my original post; I was quite clear. However, should additional clarification be necessary: I enjoy similar status - and lounge access - on both UAL and Delta. Fly them roughly the same amount, each offers various plusses and minuses scheduling and upgrade wise, and cost is roughly equivalent (except lately UA is more expensive). So why does the UA lounge system suck so bad whereas Delta's is superior? All things being equal, I'd have to favor DL overall just due to their lounges. But often I prefer to fly UA, so (again) why do their lounges suck so bad???? Why can't they muster much more than cheese cubes and crackers, when DL lounges have a (relatively) lavish buffet, with far far better facilities? Why can't UA treat it's lounge customers with the same respect - and standards- that DL customers receive? (UA has improved it's service and fleet dramatically since the CO merger, why has this been neglected?)