Denver PC
 

I did a search but did not find one that seemed relevant since CO joined *.

My question is: although I am only travelling UA, would I be turned away from the PC in Denver? As everyone knows, the PC is just better in every way and I would like to go there instead of the RCC, if possible. I am assuming the PC there is still open since it was listed on CO.com.

I'm travelling tomorrow, but I may be travelling through DEN fairly frequently this year after that.

Thanks for the help in advance!

I am almost 100% sure that you cannot access the Denver PC simply because you are flying UA.

Are you an RCC member? If so, you should be able to access the DEN PC. If you're relying upon *G, that's a different story.

Good question. I'm *G, not RCC.

According to the latest Star Reference Guide Online . . .
 

. . . both CO and UA have lounges listed as *G in Denver. Not sure if that is reflected "on the ground."

As a *Gold member with a Star Alliance carrier from outside the United States (AC) you have access to all Star Alliance Gold lounges in the US including US Envoy Lounges, UA RCC's and CO President's clubs. It does not matter which airline you are flying. So, if you are flying UA you can show your aeroplan Elite card at the CO PC and they will have to grant you entry.

Many *Golds "lounge hop" when given situations like this when they can access more than one lounge. At LHR Terminal 3, *Golds can choose between Singapore's Silver Kris Lounge or the AC/SAS London Lounge. In HKG, they can choose between Thai, Singapore and United lounges. In Honolulu, they can choose between the UA RCC and the CO PC. It doesn't matter which airline you are flying.

The rule is that as long as you are a *Gold member (from an airline outside the US) and flying on any *carrier that day, you can access any *Gold lounge available at that airport.

I fly out of LHR on AC all the time and a few times I've chosen to use the Singapore Lounge instead of the AC one because it tends to be quieter at my departure times. When I was last in HNL and flying AC to Calgary I first stopped in the CO PC and then the UA RCC.

As either an AC or OZ *G (based on your profile) you can access the PC in DEN as long as you are departing on a *A flight. If you are a CO, UA or US *G you cannot unless traveling internationally and CO's version of that rule is sufficiently miserable that you almost certainly won't have access.

Thanks for clarifying. Once I saw the PC listed as a *G lounge, I thought that was the case. (I do know that in some places overseas different carriers' lounges block passengers of other * programs from access, but that is almost always just for F.)

I may get some scowls, but I don't care --I have too much time to kill! :D

Thanks! Again, forgot to add above that my *G is through AC (for now).

I've never had a scowl when using different airlines' lounges. Just remember that as an AC *Gold member full lounge access is your clearly stated privilege... the whole point of an airline alliance is to allow this sort of flexibility and choice for status members so don't feel bad for using it!

As for carriers' blocking lounge access that almost entirely occurs only for those airlines with F lounges which are not meant to be *Gold. I think only Singapore has some restrictions even for their C lounges at Changi where they funnel the *Golds to a specific lounge and have a separate lounge for their own status/business class passengers (may be wrong about the details on that though).

I forgot to mention that they can block your access in the event of space constraints and crowding. ie. The CO lounge agent can refuse you entry to the PC if it is getting near capacity, to reserve space for their own PC members and business class passengers if they know that there is more space at the RCC. This has never happened to me, but I have heard it happen at the SK SKL at LHR...

By the way, the Denver PC is closing the first part of March (so says my favorite bartender).

--Curses! I figured it would go the way of ORD! My next layover in Denver is 2 1/2 hours on March 11, so I hope the PC is open long enough for me to squeak in then. After that, I'll hope to luck out like I did last weekend and get an itinerary that passes through IAH for no extra $$$.

I hope that CO might take over one of the UA clubs.

According to one of the check-in agents and two different bartenders, the PClub in Denver is closing on March 15th.

The RCCs are on the upswing right now and unless you're just after the free booze, I'd suggest the DEN RCCs are a bit nicer then the PCs.

With the closing of the DEN PC - I would like to see CO open a new club elsewhere. Look how crowded the FLL PC is at an outpost.

Again - I would like to see CO and UA reopen the UA RCC at BWI. The club is still setting there (much untouched) since UA closed it about 1.5 years ago.

With CO and UA in the same gate area - I would bet that it would be busier than the DCA club - where DCA has a PC, RCC, US Club - but all in different security areas.

BWI is a growth airport - DCA and IAD have declining passengers.

(Although I might add - I do not use BWI as much as I once did. The fares have gotten higher - and I am finding that fares at BWI are as much or more than DCA).

Plus I might add that for UA - BWI is a transcon market with 2x BWI-LAX, and 1x BWI-SFO daily. With CO and UA together BWI really needs a club back at BWI. CO used to offer lounge access to an outside security club before 9/11.

--As I type this, I am in the Denver PC. It is vastly superior to the RCC. As Billiken posted, March 15 indeed will be the last day the PC is operated by CO. According to the bartender, after that UA is taking it over --maybe to be a RCC, maybe not. . . .

*SIGH*

And??
The different security areas make it worthwhile for the carriers to keep the lounges open.
When yields at BWI are anywhere close to those at DCA and IAD for CO and UA then you can expect to see potential for the lounge to come back. I don't think the numbers support it, even in the face of the rising fares you seem to think there are at BWI.

... and the point is that FLL is a discount location and has a very crowded PC.

... compare fares out of BWI and DCA - and I find that DCA is mostly cheaper. DCA has same fares as IAD - and with JetBlue, Virgin, new WN flights - we are getting some good fares.

BWI has established WN and the fares are not that great anymore. And BWI has significantly increasing traffic. Problem with DCA is that unless you live inside the Beltway (which is a small population compared to the outer areas) DCA is not that convenient for those outside the Beltway.

And when UA closed the BWI RCC - that was before the CO hookup. Take PHX with a UA RCC - I would bet that BWI is higher yield and more traffic than PHX.

And that has what to do with BWI?


Based on what? Just a hunch? Or do you actually have any data on whic you're basing your random assertions?

BWI and FLL are both non-hubs for CO & UA and both are considered discount destinations. Before 9/11 CO had a contract lounge for PC members at BWI and UA had a RCC.

No data - just my observation from being in an empty PHX RCC.

--Ha! For me that's on the scale of "Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" :D

At the Denver PC right now. Sign at the front desk announcing the Continental gates moving from A to B (with United) - specifically B16, B18, B20, B22 effective March 9th.
President's Club closing on the 15th.

If the ORD B concourse RCCs are any indication of the direction UA is moving with that product, well, IMO you can keep 'em. There's not much about that decor that appeals to me... very bland and Ikea-esque.

The DEN RCCs (still a vestige of the Stephen Wolf era) are quite nice, at least in my rather limited experience due to my preference of the PC there. They are larger, offer a wider selection of snacks, and have better ramp views, but the DEN PC agents were aces. I was very pleased to hear that a CO desk will be maintained in the West RCC when CO moves across the ramp.

Also, with 4 gates slated to go to CO, that looks like an increase over CO's current three gates (A45/47/49?). Hopefully this brings about more CO service.

CO uses an F9 gate at night for incoming flights.

Why is CO keeping the PC open from the 9th-15th if there going to be in B at that time?