Dec 7, 2014, 12:30 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive of older posts, the active thread is Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread
United operates United Clubs in the USA and many international locations -- see United Club and Other United Lounges for a detailed list.
UA's partners and the Star Alliance operates lounges in some of the same airports and many others. See the *A Lounge Finder and *A Lounge Access Policies . Additionally, some airports have "contract" lounges, admission is airport dependent.
United also operates International Global First Lounges and Arrival Lounges. These lounges have different access policy, see the linked threads for more.
To have access to the UCs, you will need to fit into one of the following
When BP/ticket is required, it can be either a paid or award ticket.
United Club T&Cs
Common questions
Children -- Are they counted as a guest?
Anyone with an individual ticket is counted as a guest. Lap children (below 2 years of age) are not counted as a guest. UC members can guest their dependent family at UCs (but this will not work at other *A lounges).
Is Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Puerto Rico (San Juan), .... international for UC access?
Yes
What about Domestic First Class?
Domestic First Class is not provided with UC access. Unless you qualify based on some other reason, there is no access for paid or award domestic FC.
Can my guest stay if I leave the lounge?
Strictly speaking, no. Guests only have access when the sponsor is in the lounge. You have "responsibility" for the guest when they are in the lounge. Realistically, however, there is usually no problem with leaving a guest behind.
Can access to the UC be further restricted?
UA reserves the right to limit access including the number of guests at times of crowding.
Can I bring food into the UC?
Strictly speaking no. There may be local health & safety codes against this.
Can I guest 3 co-workers by using multiple access methods? Such as 2 via UC membership and 1 as *G international?
No -- you cannot stack access methods.
Can I access the UC on arrival and no forward *A travel or if departing on a non-*A carrier?
Maybe if UC member or UA *G on international itinerary or arriving on UC operated Polaris cabin itinarary (Alsoyou qill need to able to access to the UC location)
Starting 18 Aug 2016: United Club Access (including members) Only w/ Same-Day BP
Partner lounges
Access / reviews for TK's IAD *A lounge
Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [2014 forward]
Best IAD Lounge
Lufthansa Lounge Access in DTW/Detroit
Accessing the *A Lounge at LAX/TBIT as a UA flyer
United operates United Clubs in the USA and many international locations -- see United Club and Other United Lounges for a detailed list.
UA's partners and the Star Alliance operates lounges in some of the same airports and many others. See the *A Lounge Finder and *A Lounge Access Policies . Additionally, some airports have "contract" lounges, admission is airport dependent.
United also operates International Global First Lounges and Arrival Lounges. These lounges have different access policy, see the linked threads for more.
To have access to the UCs, you will need to fit into one of the following
- Be a UC member -- either directly purchased or combined with a credit card (such as Chase MP Club card)* UC members can have 2 guests or guest their spouse and dependent children under 21 years - Note at non-UA *A lounges UC members are allowed only 1 guest.
* The actual UC membership card @ UCs is generally not required if you have a UA BP -- since the UC membership is tied to the MP account
* Same day BP on ANY airline (arriving or departing)
* Spousal memberships are available as an extra cost option - Be traveling as *G member (see UA *G on domestic-only itinerary limitation) with departing *A BP showing your status while in any cabin* Can guest 1 traveler with a departing *A BP.
* UA *G cannot access domestic UCs unless traveling on a *A international itin (within 24 hours - can be different PNR)
* If non-UA *G but crediting to UA MP, you will need to present your non-UA *G card. There have been some reports of refused entry -- agents claiming you have to be crediting to the same program as you are requesting entry
- Be departing that airport in *A International Business or International First (with BP)* International First passengers can guest 1 traveler with a departing *A BP. No guests for International Business.
* UA has an expanded access policy that those traveling same day International Business or International First on UA operated flights can access UCs at any same day connecting airport
- Premium transcontinental non-stop (EWR-SFO/LAX & BOS-SFO) business class traveler* Limited to origin and destination airports of the premium transcontinental flight -- does not include connecting cities
* No guests - Have or purchase a UC one-time access pass* No guests
- Have Amtrak Select Plus or Select Executive status.* 1 guest
* Same day BP on ANY airline (arriving or departing)
When BP/ticket is required, it can be either a paid or award ticket.
United Club T&Cs
Common questions
Children -- Are they counted as a guest?
Anyone with an individual ticket is counted as a guest. Lap children (below 2 years of age) are not counted as a guest. UC members can guest their dependent family at UCs (but this will not work at other *A lounges).
Is Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Puerto Rico (San Juan), .... international for UC access?
Yes
Travel to or from Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Guam and Mexico are considered international itineraries for the purposes of United Club access.
Domestic First Class is not provided with UC access. Unless you qualify based on some other reason, there is no access for paid or award domestic FC.
Can my guest stay if I leave the lounge?
Strictly speaking, no. Guests only have access when the sponsor is in the lounge. You have "responsibility" for the guest when they are in the lounge. Realistically, however, there is usually no problem with leaving a guest behind.
Can access to the UC be further restricted?
UA reserves the right to limit access including the number of guests at times of crowding.
Can I bring food into the UC?
Strictly speaking no. There may be local health & safety codes against this.
Can I guest 3 co-workers by using multiple access methods? Such as 2 via UC membership and 1 as *G international?
No -- you cannot stack access methods.
Can I access the UC on arrival and no forward *A travel or if departing on a non-*A carrier?
Maybe if UC member or UA *G on international itinerary or arriving on UC operated Polaris cabin itinarary (Alsoyou qill need to able to access to the UC location)
Starting 18 Aug 2016: United Club Access (including members) Only w/ Same-Day BP
Partner lounges
Access / reviews for TK's IAD *A lounge
Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [2014 forward]
Best IAD Lounge
Lufthansa Lounge Access in DTW/Detroit
Accessing the *A Lounge at LAX/TBIT as a UA flyer
Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread [ARCHIVE]
Oct 11, 2018, 3:25 pm
#3376
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,024
One ticket. The website allowed me to book the routing as a simple round-trip on Tuesday morning, but by the time I actually got around to booking on Tuesday night, I had to book it as a multi-city and add a layover in SFO on the outbound to get it to price.
Anyway, I'll post an update of how things go at the UC(s) in IAH and SFO on Saturday.
Anyway, I'll post an update of how things go at the UC(s) in IAH and SFO on Saturday.
Oct 11, 2018, 3:39 pm
#3377
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CHI
Programs: UA 1K, MR Titanium, IHG Gold, National Exec
Posts: 3,841
As for why route through IAH instead of the (slightly) more direct ORD/SFO routing - routing through IAH gets me to Gold at the end of the trip, routing through ORD/SFO does not.
Last edited by Santander; Oct 11, 2018 at 3:46 pm
Oct 11, 2018, 3:47 pm
#3378
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,462
No, I was originally going to book YYZ-IAH (overnight)-HNL, which I could book on United.com as a simple roundtrip and not multi-city, but I left to tend to something else and by the time I got around to actually book it later that evening, I could only get it to price the same if I routed YYZ-IAH-SFO-EWR and booked it as multi-city YYZ-IAH, IAH-SFO-EWR. I don't really expect to be let in, but I'll give it a try regardless and report on what happens to add a data point, if nothing else.
As for why route through IAH instead of the (slightly) more direct ORD/SFO routing - routing through IAH gets me to Gold at the end of the trip, routing through ORD/SFO does not.
As for why route through IAH instead of the (slightly) more direct ORD/SFO routing - routing through IAH gets me to Gold at the end of the trip, routing through ORD/SFO does not.
Odds are slim that you'll connect with someone, but — in case it didn't occur to you — you can check (or post in) the meetup thread to see if anyone will be at IAH in the event you're denied.
Oct 11, 2018, 3:51 pm
#3379
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CHI
Programs: UA 1K, MR Titanium, IHG Gold, National Exec
Posts: 3,841
Oct 13, 2018, 1:19 pm
#3381
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CHI
Programs: UA 1K, MR Titanium, IHG Gold, National Exec
Posts: 3,841
Update on my YYZ-HNL J trip with overnight layover - scanned my BP at the SFO mezzanine UC without saying anything, agent said all good, and I was let in, no explanation needed. 👍 The itinerary was booked multi-city with ~13 hrs overnight in IAH.
I asked the agent at the IAH UC last night if I would get access the next day after an overnight layover, and she said yes if it is <24h.
I asked the agent at the IAH UC last night if I would get access the next day after an overnight layover, and she said yes if it is <24h.
Oct 14, 2018, 1:20 pm
#3382
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 12
Paper pass from Chase still work
HI
I still see Chase paper passes to United Club for sale from various sources (ebay, etc..). I saw the recent announcement of changes to an electronic form. Are the paper passes still good? Do you also have to show any other form of id like a Chase card?
We have an upcoming international trip with an extended layover in Chicago at ORD. Just wondering if hitting a club might be a better way to spend five hours? Another paid lounge? Any other advice would be welcome as well?
Thanks
I still see Chase paper passes to United Club for sale from various sources (ebay, etc..). I saw the recent announcement of changes to an electronic form. Are the paper passes still good? Do you also have to show any other form of id like a Chase card?
We have an upcoming international trip with an extended layover in Chicago at ORD. Just wondering if hitting a club might be a better way to spend five hours? Another paid lounge? Any other advice would be welcome as well?
Thanks
Oct 15, 2018, 6:05 pm
#3383
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K, NW forever
Posts: 1,390
Does SJU count as "international" for UC access?
I'm trying to figure out if I could get United Club access at EWR or ORD on a ticket connecting to SJU. The page here is unclear: https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...ge/access.aspx. Guam and Caribbean are listed as "international" in the footnote at the bottom, so does that imply SJU is as well?
Oct 15, 2018, 6:12 pm
#3384
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
Yes, SJU has historically been treated as Caribbean for purposes of UC access. Note that UA has recently been denying access if you don't have a same day departure to/from SJU (i.e., no access the night before on a connecting itinerary).
Oct 15, 2018, 6:18 pm
#3385
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,856
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 15, 2018 at 6:23 pm Reason: all of Puerto Rico
Oct 15, 2018, 11:17 pm
#3386
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 102
United 1K. Flying DEN-LAX-NRT-MNL roundtrip next week. Usually fly United through to NRT so no issues with lounge access, however this time due to cost I have two separate tickets DEN-LAX on United in economy and ANA business LAX-MNL. United sees the whole itinierary when I login but I assume having two tickets will not get me into the United Club in either Denver or LAX? I know I can get into the Star alliance lounge in LAX on the way out. Since I have a long connection would I have access on arrival to LAX since I will be at Tom Bradley anyways?
Oct 15, 2018, 11:24 pm
#3387
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
As a *G, your departure LAX-DEN will get you *A lounge access (but not UC access) at LAX. The arrival on NH gets you nothing. *A lounges are departure lounges.
Oct 15, 2018, 11:26 pm
#3388
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
United 1K. Flying DEN-LAX-NRT-MNL roundtrip next week. Usually fly United through to NRT so no issues with lounge access, however this time due to cost I have two separate tickets DEN-LAX on United in economy and ANA business LAX-MNL. United sees the whole itinierary when I login but I assume having two tickets will not get me into the United Club in either Denver or LAX? I know I can get into the Star alliance lounge in LAX on the way out. Since I have a long connection would I have access on arrival to LAX since I will be at Tom Bradley anyways?
You should have UC access at DEN and LAX in both directions, provided that your international flight is the same day. Nothing in the rules requires that the flights be on a single ticket.
Oct 17, 2018, 12:46 am
#3389
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
Flying CPH-ORD-STL today. CPH-ORD is in SAS business, to STL is UA economy. All one ticket, no status. Do I have club access at ORD?
Oct 17, 2018, 1:27 am
#3390
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,856
As a departure lounge. for someone in your situation, access depends on the departure flight -- UA domestic economy, no access.
You might get access in the T5 SAS lounge (as an arriving customer on their metal)