Doesn't exactly sound to me like a 'relaxing oasis'...

I say it goes up by $50/per one year.
just a hunch

DTW's clubs are the best in the system. I agree that NW has better food, but the quality of the facilities is less consistent than CO's. There are some shabby WorldClubs out there and many clubs can be quite congested at times too. Try DCA or IAD at about 5 pm on a weekday. And I would put the PC employees a notch above the WorldClubs' in friendliness and willingness to do whatever it takes to get one out of a travel jam.

In any case, I consider my WC membership a tremendous value even if the clubs don't provide me a full course meal every time I enter. Visit a DL CRC and you'll appreciate the PC.

Back to the point of the thread... NW has not announced a similar increase. FWIW, their current one-year membership for plats is $25 less than CO's.

Not any more. Tokyo's Narita's Brand New Worldclub which opened in April 2007 is now the best one of the Worldclub. Has three shower rooms, great view of the airport, free wifi and about 15 Mac stations, buffet bar stocked with two choice of soups, three choices of sandwiches, a panini, two choices of sushi, fruit cups, salad cups, and many more food selections, beverage selections consisting of beer, variety of soft drinks, and latte machine..... Conference room, children play area are also available. Chips with dip, bag of crackers, and fruits are also available as usual. Overhead display of CNN and sports programmings, along with gate status on its screen can be found in various public areas. Leather seats, similar to those found at PC are also at this new club.

Throughout, there are many attentive servers cleaning and stocking food, the service is just first class.

The new facility is only accessible by two elevators, located across from gate 15 and has no escalator access.

As for the fees, I'm sure NW will up its charges to match the increase of CO.

Jiburi

Can a CO Elite take advantage of that pricing?

I would like to see the PClub more restricted and private - with upgraded services and food items. Up the price, eliminate Amer Express access to reduce the crowd. Although with the DL/NW arrangement the AmEx likely will not go away and it does draw revenue. But double the PClub rates and focus on the private club with enhancements for BF travelers.

At one time the PClub was more exclusive and more restricted.

I wonder if it would work for CO to create an additional, more exclusive club level with further restricted access? I mean, cater to the Plats (and 'above'), no lower level riff raff, no companions, no Amex, that kind of thing. Perhaps an additional floor level or part of a floor - for starters at CO term E. I think that makes more sense than totally changing the entire program.

Something needs to be done when the inside of the PC is as crowded as I described earlier in the thread. Maybe we can come up with some sort of proposed solution here and then bring it up at the DO next month (I can't believe it's August already!).

Yeah, would be great to have someone from Presidents Club management at the do to give a walk through the business and how it works....since I remember (or maybe this is NW) it's a separate entity within the airline.

They've done everything they can in terms of adding sheer physical space (IAH E, and EWR big C expansions), and the clubs in the afternoons are becoming like a bad Champp's on NFC championship Sunday.

Where would you place the Lifetime Members in the pecking order?

SunLover

#1 of course

Dunno. Don't want to overly-complicate the program. Either allow them access, or create a "Lifetime Elite" level above that.

Right now the primary (sole?) reason I carry an Amex plat is lounge access. If not for that, I'd just buy a PC membership. So maybe eliminating that path to access would do something to decrease crowds, but on the other hand, it very well might not.

If one thinks the PC's are bad, then they really haven't spent much time in the public concourse of a big airport waiting for a flight. For all their limitations -- the most significant of which is the lack of some decent food other than cheese and crackers -- the PC's are still awfully good. In BOS, I'll take the crowded PC club over the zoo that is Terminal C any day.

CO is probably loathe to end the AMEX Plat access -- I'll bet it generates millions in revenue for fairly little added costs.

The prices have not gone up in a VERY long time..CO needs to raise PC membership fees to cover the cost of doing business..You have to admit President`s Club is a huge value over basically All other airlines..CO President`s Club provides Complementary Booze and Complementary WI-FI and charges less than other clubs..In all fairness a Fee Increase is acceptable..UA,AA,DL,US basically charge more..then when you get there..they charge you for Booze and charge you for WI-FI..even with a fee increase,CO is still the best bargain!