my best lounge-program evaluation parameters:
* having lounges neargate for my next flight
* being able to handel my check-in/upgrade/rescheduling-requests etc for the coming flight
* being in most places I fly to/from
* being free
* having access-hoursthat suite my travel-patterns

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 04-02-99).]

Matt Wald:

I presume you mean non-American UA elite -- is that correct?


Blonde Bomber:

I've only ever had lounge access as an elite, but I think that purchased memberships do not have oneworld lounge access. However, like Maple Leaf, they have "reciprocal" agreements with different lounges around the world. Most are with Qantas and BA lounges, but there a number of odd ones as well i.e. airport authority run lounges.

Ken Hamer

Having a membership does not seem to offer reciprocity. I could not get access to CX's lounges in Manila and Taipei this year despite having the Admiral's Club card because 1) not an American platinum yet and 2) not flying on an 1W carrier out of Taipei(no 1W carrier flies direct from Taipei to Tokyo). [Diners Card did came to the rescue though! Praise Diners Card.]

Ken: should have phrased it: Some United Airlines Elite fliers residing outside the United States are afforded complimentary RCC membership. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

YES http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I am soooooooo discriminated against!

I have only been in a few clubs... as I said will NOT get reinbursement from my job.

LIke the President's CLub.. Thank you NJDavid
for letting me get a taste. Quiet, good selection of food and reading materials and nice chairs, etc.

I"ve only been in two Red Carpet Clubs: LHN/Heathrow's is what I thought I club should be. I can understand if teh Red Carpet at EWR is good, not special... EWR is NOT United's hub.

If you can't afford a membership in oen of the big name clubs... Priority CLub is a good deal. I can defer to other FLyerTalkers who can explain this better.

There may be another approach to your problem, however i'm not sure if it will give you the flexibility you want.

How about joining a lounge program based overseas. For example, you can join Air New Zealand's Koru Club for NZ$465 (first year, NZ$265 thereafter), and it will give you access to the following:

Air New Zealand Koru Lounges/International Lounges
Ansett Australia Golden Wing Lounges
Air Canada Maple Club lounges
United Red Carpet Club
Singapore Airlines lounges

Im not sure about any others, but i'll hazard a guess that they have reciporical loung access with all the other Star partners.

Knock on wood, I have never spent enough time in an airport to care about a lounge, but for future protection I think I might join the Alaska Boardroom. There is no initiation for MVP Golds and the annual cost is minimal.

The real benefit of being an Alaska Boardroom member is, however, that when you fly Northwest (dramatically increasing the time one might spend in an airport), you have World Club priviliges.

The most recent NWA mailer included a promo offer for World Clubs International for $50 for two months. That is so cheap that I think we'll give that a shot to cover our late spring/early summer foreign travel. With luck we'll never get to use it.