Jan 7, 2014, 1:35 pm
Last edit by: Michael D
United Club members and their guests are entitled to a gate pass to get through security and access the United Club at domestic airports, regardless of whether or not they are traveling.
Purchasing a one time Club pass does not entitle on to a gate pass. That is a benefit of United Club members until Aug 18, 2016.
*** AUGUST 2015 UPDATE ***
UA has announced that same day boarding passes will be required for UA club access effective August 18, 2016.
In a clarification, UA Insider clarified that there will be no more gate passes. See Post 195 at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-travel-6.html
Hi everyone, some answers for you on this new policy:
1.What about meetings/conference rooms? Will gate passes still be issued?
Customers can still reserve a conference room to use, with or without a same-day boarding pass. We will no longer issue gate passes for other uses.
The following information applies prior to that date.
There is a lot of confusion about this arrangement, so it is helpful to dispel some misimpressions you might have or might encounter: You do not need to book a conference room or make any sort of reservation to obtain a gate pass. Gate passes are an entitlement that come with your United Club membership, and not a discretionary favor. When you obtain a gate pass, your data is put through the same secure flight system that is used to approve boarding pass issuance. There is no reason to think that these gate passes are more of a security risk than the ability to simply buy a same-dayticket at the airport, and there is no evidence that the TSA has in any way limited the airlines' ability to issue gate passes. Gate passes are used extensively for other purposes, such as permitting parents to meet unaccompanied minors at their arrival gate.
To get a gate pass, simply go to a check-in counter at the airport, present your club membership card and photo ID, and ask for one.
At some airports, there are dedicated lanes for this and similar services:
You may get push-back from the counter agent, because this is a relatively unusual request. If that happens, try escalating through the following steps:
1. Ask for a gate pass.
2. Reference GG Checkpoint, Line 65** (screenshot courtesy of tarheelnj and updated June 2015) **Note: Nov 2015 update - Reference Line 68.
[IMG]
[/IMG]
3. Ask for a supervisor.
4. Ask the agent(s) to call the UC.
5. Call the UC directly, and ask them to talk to or directly call the counter agent. Many counter phones have direct lines, and you can ask the counter agent to provide you that info so that the UC can call them.
The phone number for a particular UC can be determined by calling the UC customer service line at 866-822-5827 (open 0800-2000 Central Time, daily). Here are some known phone numbers:
6. Give up, collect the names of everyone you've spoken with, and write to Premier Voice or 1K Voice with a polite request that the folks be retrained, and that a local service manager follow up with you so that you can be assured that you will be provided access next time you visit the airport. This last step may seem like overkill, but it will help ensure that other folks don't end up having the same problem with the agent(s) in the future.
To help track which airports are appropriately applying this policy, please consider noting below whether or not you were successful in obtaining a gate pass using a thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon. Then, provide a more detailed report in a post in this thread if you have time. (E.g.: "Asked at AUS and was denied by a surly agent; quickly gave up because it wasn't worth my time" or "Got a great agent at 1K/Plat check-in at EWR, wanted the pass to take my daughter through security and to the UC, agent took care of it in 2 minutes.")
ATL:
AUS: ^
BOS: ^ I've never been refused in about a half-dozen requests.
CLE: ^ Successful at least 3 times in 2014
DCA: ^ It took a manager making 2 phone calls, but got the passes for myself and my guest.
DFW: ^ Varies by agent. Often they call back to the club to verify that it is permitted.
DEN: ^ At both 1K and GS counters, agents handled with ease when presenting my UC card.
EWR: ^ Special Services
FLL: ^
GUM:
HNL: denied by supervisor "I am the boss"
IAD: ^ with comment that it is "intended for meetings," but no actual hesitation [from GS agent]
IAH: ^
JFK: ^ One instance where supervisor inappropriately denied issuance of gate pass, citing that it was against BA's policy (BA "operated" the terminal).
LAS:
LAX: ^
LGA: Outside of security, so gate pass is not needed.
MCO: The Ticket Agent looked at my United Club card, Passport and issued me a gate pass without question.
MSP: ^ Had to reference the GG Checkpoint line 65, otherwise it went well
ORD: ^
PHL: ^
PHX: ^
PDX: Variable: 1st, ref'd GG 65, then OK, 2nd time, full hassle, needed Super
SAN:
SAT:
SFO: ^ Had no problems previously, but just got refused by two separate agents on 3/14/2015. Had to escalate to supervisor to get the gate pass.
^ 6/19/2015: refused by agent at regular checkin; premier check-in agent first refused, then got ok from supervisor.
SEA: ^
SNA: ^ Agent had to ask another (former) CO agent for assistance, but no problems.
Purchasing a one time Club pass does not entitle on to a gate pass. That is a benefit of United Club members until Aug 18, 2016.
*** AUGUST 2015 UPDATE ***
UA has announced that same day boarding passes will be required for UA club access effective August 18, 2016.
In a clarification, UA Insider clarified that there will be no more gate passes. See Post 195 at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-travel-6.html
Hi everyone, some answers for you on this new policy:
1.What about meetings/conference rooms? Will gate passes still be issued?
Customers can still reserve a conference room to use, with or without a same-day boarding pass. We will no longer issue gate passes for other uses.
The following information applies prior to that date.
There is a lot of confusion about this arrangement, so it is helpful to dispel some misimpressions you might have or might encounter: You do not need to book a conference room or make any sort of reservation to obtain a gate pass. Gate passes are an entitlement that come with your United Club membership, and not a discretionary favor. When you obtain a gate pass, your data is put through the same secure flight system that is used to approve boarding pass issuance. There is no reason to think that these gate passes are more of a security risk than the ability to simply buy a same-dayticket at the airport, and there is no evidence that the TSA has in any way limited the airlines' ability to issue gate passes. Gate passes are used extensively for other purposes, such as permitting parents to meet unaccompanied minors at their arrival gate.
To get a gate pass, simply go to a check-in counter at the airport, present your club membership card and photo ID, and ask for one.
At some airports, there are dedicated lanes for this and similar services:
- EWR: [Fill in location]
You may get push-back from the counter agent, because this is a relatively unusual request. If that happens, try escalating through the following steps:
1. Ask for a gate pass.
2. Reference GG Checkpoint, Line 65** (screenshot courtesy of tarheelnj and updated June 2015) **Note: Nov 2015 update - Reference Line 68.
[IMG]
[/IMG]3. Ask for a supervisor.
4. Ask the agent(s) to call the UC.
5. Call the UC directly, and ask them to talk to or directly call the counter agent. Many counter phones have direct lines, and you can ask the counter agent to provide you that info so that the UC can call them.
The phone number for a particular UC can be determined by calling the UC customer service line at 866-822-5827 (open 0800-2000 Central Time, daily). Here are some known phone numbers:
- [Fill in]
6. Give up, collect the names of everyone you've spoken with, and write to Premier Voice or 1K Voice with a polite request that the folks be retrained, and that a local service manager follow up with you so that you can be assured that you will be provided access next time you visit the airport. This last step may seem like overkill, but it will help ensure that other folks don't end up having the same problem with the agent(s) in the future.
To help track which airports are appropriately applying this policy, please consider noting below whether or not you were successful in obtaining a gate pass using a thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon. Then, provide a more detailed report in a post in this thread if you have time. (E.g.: "Asked at AUS and was denied by a surly agent; quickly gave up because it wasn't worth my time" or "Got a great agent at 1K/Plat check-in at EWR, wanted the pass to take my daughter through security and to the UC, agent took care of it in 2 minutes.")
ATL:
AUS: ^
BOS: ^ I've never been refused in about a half-dozen requests.
CLE: ^ Successful at least 3 times in 2014
DCA: ^ It took a manager making 2 phone calls, but got the passes for myself and my guest.
DFW: ^ Varies by agent. Often they call back to the club to verify that it is permitted.
DEN: ^ At both 1K and GS counters, agents handled with ease when presenting my UC card.
EWR: ^ Special Services
FLL: ^
GUM:
HNL: denied by supervisor "I am the boss"
IAD: ^ with comment that it is "intended for meetings," but no actual hesitation [from GS agent]
IAH: ^
JFK: ^ One instance where supervisor inappropriately denied issuance of gate pass, citing that it was against BA's policy (BA "operated" the terminal).
LAS:
LAX: ^
LGA: Outside of security, so gate pass is not needed.
MCO: The Ticket Agent looked at my United Club card, Passport and issued me a gate pass without question.
MSP: ^ Had to reference the GG Checkpoint line 65, otherwise it went well
ORD: ^
PHL: ^
PHX: ^
PDX: Variable: 1st, ref'd GG 65, then OK, 2nd time, full hassle, needed Super
SAN:
SAT:
SFO: ^ Had no problems previously, but just got refused by two separate agents on 3/14/2015. Had to escalate to supervisor to get the gate pass.
^ 6/19/2015: refused by agent at regular checkin; premier check-in agent first refused, then got ok from supervisor.
SEA: ^
SNA: ^ Agent had to ask another (former) CO agent for assistance, but no problems.
Gate Pass for United Club Access (Discontinued)
Jun 7, 2012, 5:27 am
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA MM 1K, AA MM Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 3,235
The unique thing about this particular procedure is that it is counter-intuitive. Even occasional flyers "know" that you need a boarding pass to get through Security. If UA published this procedure as a benefit, (e.g., "Get access to a United Club even when you're not traveling") then this wouldn't be an issue. Through FT, we've learned about an unpublished benefit, which because so few travelers ask for it, many GA's and UC agents don't know about it.
There were three agents at the counter where I asked about Line 53. Two of them said they'd never heard of it. The third one did know, pulled it up, and showed it to the other two. That's when I asked if I could take a picture of the screen, and the agent said ok.
There were three agents at the counter where I asked about Line 53. Two of them said they'd never heard of it. The third one did know, pulled it up, and showed it to the other two. That's when I asked if I could take a picture of the screen, and the agent said ok.
Jun 7, 2012, 12:36 pm
#17
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 2P, UC, Hertz 5*, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 513
Now the only question is, whats other excuses can they make up?
I am surprised that the benefit of obtaining a gate pass also allows non-traveling US Airways Club members to access the UC. (GG Line54)
Jun 7, 2012, 12:51 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA MM 1K, AA MM Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 3,235
No idea what their version of Line 54 is, though.
Jun 7, 2012, 1:19 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,965
It is just funny some members here blame everything on "SHARES" and come up with expert-sounding designs and changes without knowing what is involved.
It actually still boggles my mind that people from the 50s and 60s invented SABRE / TPF and they are still in use today. Yes, it is a patchwork of mainframe programs and external applications. The mainframe is natively GUI-challenged.
People have tried to move off the mainframes but it is not as easy as it sounds. The decisions are made based on cost and "cost" really depends on how management assigns the numbers (i.e. how much do all these unappy GS/1Ks moving to AA cost?)
The airlines are not like banks - they are poor so they don't have the latest or best IT. The pay is low so you are either in airline IT because you love airlines (and there are plenty of them) or...
So, I think Management's attitude is "if it ain't broken, don't fix it", "if it is broken, try to not fix it" and "see how much you can squeeze out of your technology investment". As long as that does not carry over to aircraft maintenance, I am OK
Just try to appreciate the technology from the 60s
Without it, we would not be where we are today... They use a mainframe on the USS Enterprise!
Jun 7, 2012, 1:26 pm
#20
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: 66,830
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 7, 2012 at 1:52 pm
Jun 7, 2012, 1:55 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Honolulu, HI
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 1,240
Thanks OP! This is very helpful. I will show it to the Honolulu Agent next time I need a pass. [Two weeks ago they didn't give me one].
Jun 7, 2012, 2:04 pm
#23
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: 66,830
People do realize that flashing pics of internal policies screens are mostly to lead to memos tell agents not to allow customers access to screen views -- and make agenst more relcuant to share info.
Instead of flashing pics, focus on asking the agent to check the relavant policy.
Instead of flashing pics, focus on asking the agent to check the relavant policy.
Jun 7, 2012, 3:42 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA MM 1K, AA MM Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 3,235
Are there any airports where the only UC is outside security? I believe LGA is outside, but does it also have one inside?
Just thinking that this would be one time when this process wouldn't work (if you're doing this as an excuse to drop off/pick up someone at the gate), since you wouldn't need access to get to the Lounge.
Just thinking that this would be one time when this process wouldn't work (if you're doing this as an excuse to drop off/pick up someone at the gate), since you wouldn't need access to get to the Lounge.
Jun 7, 2012, 3:45 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
Are there any airports where the only UC is outside security? I believe LGA is outside, but does it also have one inside?
Just thinking that this would be one time when this process wouldn't work (if you're doing this as an excuse to drop off/pick up someone at the gate), since you wouldn't need access to get to the Lounge.
Just thinking that this would be one time when this process wouldn't work (if you're doing this as an excuse to drop off/pick up someone at the gate), since you wouldn't need access to get to the Lounge.
Jun 7, 2012, 3:51 pm
#26
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: 66,830
Jun 7, 2012, 4:57 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,167
Are there any airports where the only UC is outside security? I believe LGA is outside, but does it also have one inside?
Just thinking that this would be one time when this process wouldn't work (if you're doing this as an excuse to drop off/pick up someone at the gate), since you wouldn't need access to get to the Lounge.
Just thinking that this would be one time when this process wouldn't work (if you're doing this as an excuse to drop off/pick up someone at the gate), since you wouldn't need access to get to the Lounge.
Can't think of other UCs like this, but there are other *A lounges outside security (JFK, TXL, etc.)
Jun 7, 2012, 5:06 pm
#29
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Plat, 1MM
Posts: 2,182
FWIW, when I asked a seemingly knowledgeable and very helpful UA agent whether there were any UCs airside at LGA he told me both that there were not and that this was the only airport in the system where that was true.
I can personally vouch for the first part (neither is airside at LGA).
Jun 7, 2012, 5:14 pm
#30
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K 1MM
Posts: 455
Outside. I was just there Sunday.
FWIW, when I asked a seemingly knowledgeable and very helpful UA agent whether there were any UCs airside at LGA he told me both that there were not and that this was the only airport in the system where that was true.
I can personally vouch for the first part (neither is airside at LGA).
FWIW, when I asked a seemingly knowledgeable and very helpful UA agent whether there were any UCs airside at LGA he told me both that there were not and that this was the only airport in the system where that was true.
I can personally vouch for the first part (neither is airside at LGA).