halls120

This. I challenge any UA executive to visit a LH Senator lounge at FRA and then visit the deplorable lounges at EWR, and not be ashamed of what they are offering. In fact, if I were *A, I'd start pressuring UA to pick up their game, because they are clearly not matching the other members of the alliance, and they are cheapening the brand.

LH can offer a decent lounge experience under current conditions. Why can't UA?

EWR764

I thought, for sure, that the TATL JV partners premium cabin service levels (especially LH Group) would prompt United to bring Polaris closer to normal, sooner, but that hasn't happened in over a year. No reason to think similar logic applies to the lounge product.

With that said, I am generally satisfied with the United Club offerings in the open lounges outside of EWR. I have my minor gripes (everything plastic-wrapped, despite no impact on COVID transmission and significant waste, EcoSkies be damned), but overall I think the level of food service is higher than it was pre-pandemic. It's just unfortunate that the EWR hub has such a poor lounge product now, which is no surprise given that it was languishing long before the pandemic.

ani90

The Ryanair model is not simply basic economy per se but rather one of minimizing all costs and maximizing travel throughput. With a Ryanair type model you can certainly still have business class seats but you either won't put the passengers in a lounge or you put them in as cheap and overcrowded a lounge as you can (just like current EWR situation).

But they are not even meeting current demand. And this is with transatlantic travel still on a low. I was in the lounge at 7 pm and thought to myself what the place would look like if UA resumed even half of it's preCOVID nightly transatlantic travel with all the J travelers (till Polaris lounge opens) and star golds.

​​​​​ Exactly. I don't think we will find an airline with a worse lounge in a hub airport anywhere in the world. COVID is just an excuse - the EWR lounge situation was just as bad pre-COVID as numerous (pre 2020) posts in this thread highlight. We just got desensitized and have developed a Stockholm Syndrome type bond with United; and for those who primarily flew Polaris pre COVID they probably hadn't noticed the decline in the United Club.


There has to be a distinction from lounges that serve international travellers and those that don't. The former have a much higher standard to meet. Things like having a quiet area to relax and work, for a few hours, showers, food, business facilities, etc become important given sometimes long layovers and need to be in airports much earlier. Maybe the current EWR lounge might meet US domestic standards, and that would be fine as for most domestic pax going through the lounge stop is brief and overall travel time is brief. Maybe United should move the transatlantic flights to Terminal A and have a decent international lounge there and keep the dump that is terminal C for domestic travellers who feel the current lounge is okay (but frankly I would be as outraged as a domestic traveller because means the only way I got to the lounge is that I am paying a fee or GS...).
​​​​​​​

goodeats21

This afternoon at Newark. Packed as always, with now a line out the door at the pop up.

How is this remotely acceptable to United !?!?

dilanesp

There aren't many high value high fare domestic passengers to begin with. There's a reason even first class domestic product is a lot less swanky than it was 40 years ago. I feel bad that you are paying high fares, but the reality is while UA does not aspire to be Spirit/Ryanair, the Spirit/Ryanair model takes advantage of the fact that most domestic passengers are in fact low margin and price sensitive. And during the pandemic, business travel is way, way down, which means that the ONLY way for an airline to make any money is to load up as many planes as possible with those low margin, price sensitive passengers.

The issue is not whether you are getting what you paid for- you clearly are not- but whether the market as a whole is conducive to offering the perks. Right now it isn't. If you have to fly for business anyway, well, you won't find a lot of perks on AA, DL, WN, AS, or B6 either.

elitefreak

They also have complimentary Mimosas that pour out of a premixed bottle - first time I saw this,

Repooc17

It's acceptable because UA's customers continue to renew those memberships and credit cards, and UA will gladly take the cash and operate in the most minimal fashion.

This is on the pax for feeding UA such behavior.

elitefreak

God bless the day many years ago that I invested part of a bonus into CO Pres Club lifetime . . .

SS255

+1.

wxguy

I did that with EA. EA joined with CO. Then CO joined with UA. It's been quite the ride!

halls120

But there are a lot of customers who have shelled out $$ for UC memberships, and at EWR, UA gives them a big middle finger. Why? They just reopened the UC at RDU, and three of the four UC's at IAD are open, and I don't see lines at the door waiting to get in. For whatever reason, UA seems to have it in for their customers in Newark.

dilanesp

Newark is a big hub as well as UA's major presence in the nation's biggest market.

goodeats21

I guess you and I have a very different perspective on the expectations for businesses we frequent. Cheers.

Repooc17

You'd expect United to do right by its (paying) customers. Ultimately, United doesn't really care; else alternative solutions would be sought, and gaps would be made whole.

Yes, we are different. For me, the second I see glaring issue(s) with businesses I frequent, I'd cut off the source. I have no patience waiting for some kind of miracle turnaround; once it's been rotten, there is no coming back.

Xyzzy

I was at the EWR-C74 club a couple of days ago. The full club is pen again. The curtains are gone and the ceiling tiles in the area that was closed are back in place.