United Club Access to All Star Alliance Club??
I was trying to get Star Gold but seems like if I purchase United Club for USD 475 and not frequent Star Alliance passenger, I can access pretty much All Star Alliance Lounges (if this is all I am after being Star Gold). Would it be cheaper to buy United Club than do MR to reach Gold? Is this accurate understanding of this link?
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,3113,00.html |
It is true that you can use partner clubs using your united club membership card without being SA Gold. Also consider that when buying The UC membership, you can use the clubs EVEN on domestic flights, not just international ones.
Whether you should spend $475 to buy the membership or doing MR to get SA gold depends on how much domestic travel you will do and how much you will spend (in terms of money AND time) to do MR to achieve 1P. |
Originally Posted by mnlfqtv
(Post 17855240)
I was trying to get Star Gold but seems like if I purchase United Club for USD 475 and not frequent Star Alliance passenger, I can access pretty much All Star Alliance Lounges (if this is all I am after being Star Gold). Would it be cheaper to buy United Club than do MR to reach Gold? Is this accurate understanding of this link?
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,3113,00.html There are also UA credit cards that come with lounge access, which can be valuable if the rest of the terms of the card make sense (and the annual fee) make sense... I believe there was a card that offered UA lounge access and the first year fee was waived, so it was effectively free for year one to get into the UA lounges. Not sure if that particular deal included access to all Star Alliance lounges, but I'm sure someone else will know :-) best, E |
Originally Posted by mnlfqtv
(Post 17855240)
I was trying to get Star Gold but seems like if I purchase United Club for USD 475 and not frequent Star Alliance passenger, I can access pretty much All Star Alliance Lounges (if this is all I am after being Star Gold). Would it be cheaper to buy United Club than do MR to reach Gold? Is this accurate understanding of this link?
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,3113,00.html Golds also get bag fee waiver, priority for boarding, upgrades, .... and higher RDM bonus -- plus a few other items Also in a few cases, such as LH lounges, the *G get a better lounge (Senator vs Business). believe NZ, ANA, ??? also differentiate. Contract lounges are *G only.
Originally Posted by pnoeric
(Post 17855287)
For what it's worth, in the last two years, US Airways has had a sale on their clubs for like $200 (if I recall correctly). ...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-ua-match.html |
Not only!
You also get priority check-in, fast track on some airports and a shiny gold card! The fact you can use access contract lounges with *G card is indeed a plus, specially if you usually travel to eastern europe, Italy, Portugal and Central America. However if flying mostly domestic US, UC membership is indeed a better choice.
We would be able to help more if we knew the amount of miles for your MR and your base airport. Also SAS, Singapore and Swiss give more lounge privileges to *G than UC members. (eg.: Scandinavian Lounge x Business Lounge). Good luck! |
Note that it is unclear if a UC membership will give you access to lounges operated by the Star Alliamce itself as opposed to those operated by airlines which are members of the star alliance. So for example, IME flying without a *G card out of LHR or DUB in economy class on LH or BD, the RCC card worked, though as noted by others, the Sen club is not accessible. What I don't know is if flying economy on UA out of LHR would get me access bases on my RCC card because 1. UA employees work the Star lounge, so my *G status would known, and 2. I've always flown UA in C or F.
Since I now *G for life, I never find out. :D |
Originally Posted by Micara
(Post 17855271)
It is true that you can use partner clubs using your united club membership card without being SA Gold. Also consider that when buying The UC membership, you can use the clubs EVEN on domestic flights, not just international ones.
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Originally Posted by mre5765
(Post 17856711)
Note that it is unclear if a UC membership will give you access to lounges operated by the Star Alliamce itself as opposed to those operated by airlines which are members of the star alliance. So for example, IME flying without a *G card out of LHR or DUB in economy class on LH or BD, the RCC card worked, though as noted by others, the Sen club is not accessible. What I don't know is if flying economy on UA out of LHR would get me access bases on my RCC card because 1. UA employees work the Star lounge, so my *G status would known, and 2. I've always flown UA in C or F.
Since I now *G for life, I never find out. :D |
The RCC membership doesn't get you into everything that *G does, e.g., certain *A contract lounges. An example: While Lufthansa's lounge at BOS was under renovation, they had a deal to allow *G customers (but not RCC members) to use the AF lounge.
I also had trouble getting into the TP lounge at LIS. In Europe, it's mostly just accepted that *G = lounge access, so the agents don't always know what to do with the paid memberships. |
Rather than opening a new thread, I thought I would ask the question here.
I am flying the following routing: IAH-NRT in BusinessFirst on Continental NRT-TPE in Economy on ANA TPE-NRT in Business Class on United NRT-IAH in BusinessFirst on Continental ANA has 2 lounges at NRT - the ANA Lounge and the ANA Suite Lounge. I would like to go to the Suite Lounge, but my admission would be based on their interpretation of BusinessFirst as First Class or Business Class. If they consider BF as Business, I will probably be directed to the regular ANA Lounge - but if I can sell them on it being First Class, I might gain entry to the Suite Lounge. Is my interpretation correct, or am I totally off and will get directed to the ANA Lounge strictly on the basis of my *Gold status and they won't care about my ticketed cabin on a partner airline? Which boarding pass do they check for entry...my arrival BP or departure BP? |
Originally Posted by bocastephen
(Post 17868098)
Rather than opening a new thread, I thought I would ask the question here.
I am flying the following routing: IAH-NRT in BusinessFirst on Continental NRT-TPE in Economy on ANA TPE-NRT in Business Class on United NRT-IAH in BusinessFirst on Continental ANA has 2 lounges at NRT - the ANA Lounge and the ANA Suite Lounge. I would like to go to the Suite Lounge, but my admission would be based on their interpretation of BusinessFirst as First Class or Business Class. If they consider BF as Business, I will probably be directed to the regular ANA Lounge - but if I can sell them on it being First Class, I might gain entry to the Suite Lounge. Is my interpretation correct, or am I totally off and will get directed to the ANA Lounge strictly on the basis of my *Gold status and they won't care about my ticketed cabin on a partner airline? Which boarding pass do they check for entry...my arrival BP or departure BP? Use this link to figure out theoretical admission policies. |
Originally Posted by bocastephen
(Post 17868098)
but if I can sell them on it being First Class,
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The Continental Presidential Plus credit card from Chase mentioned upthread is probably a better deal than purchasing United Club membership directly. It has a $395 annual fee minus a one-time $95 credit after first card use. Includes a full United Club membership, including guest/family privileges, plus a few other benefits like United baggage fee waivers and EQM earning.
The American Express Platinum card ($450 annual fee) includes a Priority Pass Select card (good for lounge access for one person, although not for United Clubs), up to $200 in airline fee rebates, and several other benefits. That card also gets you into American, Delta, and U.S. Airways lounges. |
Originally Posted by idayvuelta
(Post 17868826)
Use this link to figure out theoretical admission policies.
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
(Post 17869941)
Which BP would I use for entrance? According to the *A website, my economy BP on ANA gets me no access to the ANA Lounge (while ana.com says I can get in there as a *G), but at least my arrival CO BF boarding pass would.
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