Col Ronson

I've never seen that but i'll take your word for it.

Admirals Club and Delta SkyClub blow the UC out of the water simply because they do have restaurant food you can order. I got sushi in the admirals club last week. Granted anyone can go to the food court, but its just an addl perk.

I do miss the free cheese from the UC. the admirals club has no such perks. The US Airways Club has some pretty decent food offerings too, ive had yogurt and fruit.

In all honesty though, you'll never get the food options that international clubs get because theres no way airlines can cater enough hot food to that many club members. When you think about the *G membership numbers of foreign airlines, it pales in comparison to what US-based airlines have, so i dont really fault the airlines here on that.

eghansen

First time. I bought a full first class ticket because the price was good and I am having trouble meeting my PQD's. I have seen foreign clubs in Singapore and such on YouTube trip reports.

LilAbner

Why does United bother having Clubs at all?

Because they make a lot of money selling them to people that think they are really, really important VIP's!

Crappy, indifferent attitudes and they still pack-em-in!

Why would UA improve something, which would cost them extra bucks, when they are screwing folks that have no clue that it should/could be better?

IROP's is the ONLY reason to need their services.

I'm a lifer, so I don't have to be a victim of the “thimblerig” scam on a yearly basis anymore!!!

eghansen

I just meant that I have worked in several corporate offices with clients coming in and they usually have a supply of coffee, tea and packages of snacks for employees and visiting clients. The refreshment bar looked similar to what I have seen. Even simple things like having milk or cream in a thermos flask (which you will find at every Starbucks in the world) was not there. They had those little plastic containers of milk (substitute?).

As for the other comment, if I am paying $495 per year for Club membership, I do not want to have to look hard for anything.

We are not talking something that comes with a discounted airline ticket. We are talking about a membership that costs a good chunk of money (at least to me) and does not apply to PQD. IAH is packed with restaurants in all price ranges and $495 will buy you a lot of food and drink out in the terminal. Especially since even with membership, you still need pay for real food and drink.

I realize that many people get club membership for free. I wonder how UA accounts for the cost of running the clubs if most people are not paying.

P.S. I forgot one other thing I saw. When I came in the door, there was a huge magazine rack to my left on the wall which had dozens and dozens of copies of Hemispheres magazine. The one you get for free in the seat pocket of any flight.

eghansen

Incidentally, I needed a new boarding pass for my later flight, and I asked a United agent passing in the terminal where the nearest Club was. I showed her my first class boarding pass to my missed flight and said I needed rebooking. She told me that I had to go to a Customer Service Center to get a new boarding pass there.

So I went to the CSC and got the boarding pass from a touchscreen kiosk. I still had a lot of time to kill and I thought it was strange that she made it sound like I couldn't get into the Club with a first class ticket. So I found the nearest club and the woman at the entrance scanned my boarding pass and said I was good to go in.

Go figure.

mjdth

Pretty much every UC I've been in at breakfast hours has bagels, cereal, yogurt, fruits.

They had danishes/pastries for a while but I haven't seen them in a few months and assume they are no longer offered.

For people expecting a gourmet buffet and top shelf drinks unlimited for <$400 a year, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. For what it is and what I pay for it, I'm very happy with my UC membership and we easily get way more than $400/year value out of it.

LilAbner

First class (domestic) tickets won't get you into "The Club", no matter how one figures it!

U-were-lucky!

xliioper

He was coming from GDL, so that is why he was allowed access. Otherwise, yes, a purely domestic F ticket wouldn't have got him in.

SunLover

The UC's seem to rotate between mini muffins, danishes, donuts, or donut holes. I am glad they change it up a little as the same old same old gets boring after a while. Breakfast certainly has the best UC offerings.

I went and priced out my morning club visit the other day as if I had purchased it in the terminal: Orange Juice, 2 cups of coffee, my self-constructed granola/yoghurt/bananna parfait, two newspapers, and one magazine was an ~$20 value (which does not even consider the free drinks option.)


SunLover

njcommodore

Just cancelled my UA Club Visa. Can't justify the annual fee any more with work travel way down, living at an out station and disliking MP 2015. Adios.

CMK10

Here we go again.

I will state the same thing I state over and over again. I frequent AA, DL, UA and US Clubs and I would put the United Club at #2 in terms of domestic lounges.

As others have said, they are great for breakfast foods:



Breakfast at CLE, not pictured are two other types of cereal and the doughnut holes.

Lunch/Dinner time they are behind US with their soup and DL with their better selection of snacks but far ahead of AA.





Alcohol they also have well drinks for free.

I've had no issues with Wifi, they have a lot of Clubs including at smaller airports for them (PHX, MSP etc.) and IAH and EWR have showers. I admit they are behind in this regard.

Trust me, I love to point out flaws in this airline but their Clubs are not one of them.

kit125

My problem is hours during IROPS (which is now more often than not). I'm currently stuck at IAD, and clubs close early. They no longer stay open for last flight (which was a regular occurrence for CO fliers pre-merger). Why should I pay a "membership" fee for an entity that is supposed to be a convenience, but fails when it matters?

I'm trying to be rational, but really, this airline seems like they are actively trying to piss off loyal customers.

kit125

And another instance of lying by UA... Our flight isles delayed due to "late inbound aircraft", when GA acknowledges it's not that, but delayed inbound crew- a UA problem.

Good thing I planned for a Sunday night arrival for a Monday midday meeting...I guess we're seeing the benefits of the UA-Marriott deal in action.

CMK10

I will agree with that. I spent a lovely 3 hours at IAD from 2200-0100 after a flight I was on went m/x and turned around and came back to the gate and the Club had closed.

That said, I believe one of the UCs at ORD was open after a late ORD-GRU delayed due to m/x (I saw it in someone's TR).

dank0014

Well well, UA Clubs have hit a new rock bottom. Granted, I'm sure this was just a unique situation and can't see this being the norm, but went to the UA Club at ORD by the low B gates this morning and there was no water for self serve....yes folks, you heard me right, no water. Asked where it was, and was told I had to go to the bar to ask for a cup.

Now granted, it was pretty early in the morning, and lets just maybe assume they were washing the dispensers they normally use, but come on, we can't get a water dispenser now in UA Clubs....I was there for almost an hour and it never appeared....