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Non-UA / partner Lounge Access Rules for United Club members

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Old Jun 20, 2018, 11:02 am
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Lounge Access Policy - Star Alliance - Star Alliance
Paid Lounge Membership Customers
As holder of an eligible Paid Lounge Membership, you have access to any Star Alliance member airline’s Business Class Lounge* at the airport where your flight departs. Eligible paid memberships are United Club and Air Canada Maple Leaf Club – Worldwide.

You will need to show your boarding pass for a Star Alliance member airline operated flight together with your valid paid lounge membership card, displaying the Star Alliance Lounge Logo.

You are entitled to bring one guest travelling on any Star Alliance flight departing from the same airport on the same day.

*Not applicable at SQ SilverKris Lounge (Business Class) in Singapore, AC Signature Suite and UA Polaris Lounges
UC Members do not get access to the Star Alliance lounges located in Buenos Aires (EZE), Los Angeles (LAX), Nagoya (NGO), Paris (CDG), Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Rome (FCO), Amsterdam (AMS) and Sao Paulo (GRU). (Appears access is now permitting -- since 2020??)

Family access is not valid for partner lounges

Physical members card is required for entry (appears UA is saying virtual, app card is sufficient for *A lounges)

Lounge Information - Star Alliance - Star Alliance
Search using
United Club for Paid Membership under the dropdown list, for airport specific lounges that gives you access.

What if I am also a *G?
You can enter a partner lounge as *G (Star Alliance Gold) or as a UC Member but not as both. You will be limited to +1 guest even if *G and also UC/ML membership, Benefits do not stack.
In the case of those partners with a *G lounge and a Business lounge (Such as LH), your *G status will get you into the better *G lounge while the UC membership provides access to just the Business Lounge.


List of partner related lounges accessible via the club card

USA Lounges with UA *G Access When Flying Domestic
Does United Club Membership Give Access to * Gold Lounges in the USA?

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Non-UA / partner Lounge Access Rules for United Club members

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Old Mar 2, 2019, 7:47 pm
  #136  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH, YYC
Programs: UA 1K
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Better than UC LAX? That's debatable.
Agreed. IMO the United club at LAX is night and day better than the MLL
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 7:49 pm
  #137  
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Originally Posted by scouser14
going to Victoria BC... so I assume based on what you're saying, I should be allowed in with my United Club card?
Yes.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 8:47 pm
  #138  
 
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Originally Posted by david_oz
Agreed. IMO the United club at LAX is night and day better than the MLL
The Air Canada lounge at LAX is small and quirky. The UA lounge is far more compelling.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 9:21 pm
  #139  
 
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For *A partner (i.e. AC) lounges using a membership you need to be on a departing flight with a *A partner (i.e. UA or AC). On a side note you may want to try the *A lounge at TBIT. I hear great things about it and at least in theory you should have access.

-James
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 9:28 pm
  #140  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Better than UC LAX? That's debatable.
Indeed, although it is closer to the AC flights.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 9:35 pm
  #141  
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Originally Posted by fumje
Indeed, although it is closer to the AC flights.
But with the UC being at the head of T7, it might not be even a 5 minute walk from there to the mid-concourse MLL in T6.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 9:39 pm
  #142  
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Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH


But with the UC being at the head of T7, it might not be even a 5 minute walk from there to the mid-concourse MLL in T6.
Yeah, it's not a huge difference, probably even less than five minutes, but I think I'd rather wait out the last twenty minutes at the MLL than the UC if flying AC.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 11:16 pm
  #143  
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5-6+ years ago, the UCs were a joke compared with the vastly superior MLLs - now it's not even close. MLL catering has been stripped down to almost nothing, and the UC's have really stepped up, especially LAX which has outdone almost every other club in the system.

I've been in the LAX MLL a few times - it's small, often cramped, with a tiny assortment for breakfast, and other meal hours are not much better. Outside of meal hours, there is really nothing to eat at all.

The OP is much better off in the TBIT lounge if they want a fully stocked hot buffet with multiple entrees, or the UC if they want a larger, less crowded experience with very competitive catering....comparing the MLL to these options is like comparing Schitt's Creek to Bel Air.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 11:32 pm
  #144  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
5-6+ years ago, the UCs were a joke compared with the vastly superior MLLs - now it's not even close. MLL catering has been stripped down to almost nothing, and the UC's have really stepped up, especially LAX which has outdone almost every other club in the system.

I've been in the LAX MLL a few times - it's small, often cramped, with a tiny assortment for breakfast, and other meal hours are not much better. Outside of meal hours, there is really nothing to eat at all.
It's unfair to compare MLLs at outstations like LAX or EWR to UCs at hubs. I would dare you to compare the YYZ MLLs to any DOM UC in the network and I think you'll agree that it is better to any of those UCs. I've been to UCs where stateside where the lunch/dinner menu consisted of soup, cookies and some bread! Whoop dee doo! Once I was at the HNL UC and edamame was the only "food" on offer. Meanwhile at the YYZ MLLs there is a selection of hot and cold items including pasta along with showers (and that's available to passengers travelling domestically, internationally and US-bound). When was the last time you've seen a DOM UC with showers? 2015? Showers in domestic MLLs is a thing throughout their network, particularly at their hubs of YYZ, YVR and YUL.

That being said, internationally, UCs are pretty good. In particular, the LHR UC is a gem in their network. Catering is excellent, shower facilities are good, decent amount of workspace to get things done, etc.

Getting back to OPs point, yes you can use your United Club membership to access a variety of *A lounges when departing from the airport in question on a *A flight. Different lounges have different benefits, and at some airports you'll find lounges you wouldn't expect (i.e. Lufthansa lounge at Detroit). Your best bet is to download the *A lounge finder app [Apple iOS] [Google Android]. Best part is you plug in your details (i.e. airport, flight, cabin you're travelling in, paid membership, etc.) and it'll spit out which lounges you have access to, the facilities offered (i.e. showers) and where you'll find them at the airport.

Hope that helps.

Safe Travels,

James
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Old Mar 3, 2019, 6:39 am
  #145  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Originally Posted by j2simpso
It's unfair to compare MLLs at outstations like LAX or EWR to UCs at hubs. I would dare you to compare the YYZ MLLs to any DOM UC in the network and I think you'll agree that it is better to any of those UCs. I've been to UCs where stateside where the lunch/dinner menu consisted of soup, cookies and some bread! Whoop dee doo! Once I was at the HNL UC and edamame was the only "food" on offer. Meanwhile at the YYZ MLLs there is a selection of hot and cold items including pasta along with showers (and that's available to passengers travelling domestically, internationally and US-bound). When was the last time you've seen a DOM UC with showers? 2015? Showers in domestic MLLs is a thing throughout their network, particularly at their hubs of YYZ, YVR and YUL.

That being said, internationally, UCs are pretty good. In particular, the LHR UC is a gem in their network. Catering is excellent, shower facilities are good, decent amount of workspace to get things done, etc.

Getting back to OPs point, yes you can use your United Club membership to access a variety of *A lounges when departing from the airport in question on a *A flight. Different lounges have different benefits, and at some airports you'll find lounges you wouldn't expect (i.e. Lufthansa lounge at Detroit). Your best bet is to download the *A lounge finder app [[url=https://itunes.apple.com/app/star-alliance-navigator/id448905125]Apple iOS] [[url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.staralliance.navigator]Google Android]. Best part is you plug in your details (i.e. airport, flight, cabin you're travelling in, paid membership, etc.) and it'll spit out which lounges you have access to, the facilities offered (i.e. showers) and where you'll find them at the airport.

Hope that helps.

Safe Travels,

James
I've been in the YYZ transborder MLL a few times. It's not as good as the LAX UC, IMHO. For food, it's not even in the same league.
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Old Mar 3, 2019, 6:47 am
  #146  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
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Originally Posted by JimInOhio
I've been in the YYZ transborder MLL a few times. It's not as good as the LAX UC, IMHO. For food, it's not even in the same league.
Fair enough! I haven't been to the UC at that particular outstation and sadly it doesn't appear that I'll have an opportunity to enjoy it for a while (I'll be travelling out of LAX this month on UA but sadly on a DOM flight to DTW so no UC access for me!). I've only tried the UCs at their hubs at SFO, ORD, EWR, DEN and LHR along with their outstations at HKG and HNL. Based on those lounges, aside from their LHR hub and HKG outstation, the other lounges had inferior food IMHO.

Any idea if the LAX lounge is catered by the same folks at LHR?

-James
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Old Mar 3, 2019, 9:49 am
  #147  
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Moderator Note.

While we all appreciate immediate help to a member having a side-question; going forward, let's keep the thread on its topic of ability of a UC Club member to use an AC Maple Leaf Lounge. Thanks, Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 10:28 am
  #148  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 208
Club Longe Access while flying non-*A different airline ?

I'm looking at taking a trip to EWR to LHR in June. Looking at my options I was thinking of perhaps flying Virgin. I see that Virgin is not a code sharing partner. Would I still have access to the United Lounge as a paying member via my UA PP credit card ?
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 10:32 am
  #149  
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Yes, until November when the rule changes and you will need a *A BP.

I don't know which terminal VS is in at EWR, but that could be a problem. I also can't really see much point in changing terminals to visit a UC at EWR, they are horrible.
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 10:38 am
  #150  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I don't know which terminal VS is in at EWR, but that could be a problem. I also can't really see much point in changing terminals to visit a UC at EWR, they are horrible.
Terminal B. The only terminal in which UA does not operate in other than INTL arrival flights.

OP, in theory, you can start from Terminal C, lounge at UC, and then take the airside bus to Terminal B. Do check time of operations. Also, the bus does not operate in reverse. C -> B (must let driver know) -> A (UA concourse only) -> C loop. However, as mentioned, not worth the trek; neither is taking a UA flight out of A or C and doing lounge visits at B (LH, SK) for *G pax.
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