aacharya

Sent my e-mail as well. Was tempted, as I have Martin Hand and the head of EWR's business cards, to e-mail them directly, but I'll wait to follow the chain of command.

milepig

Just wow. I'm stuck for just under three years. I had a July renewal date and did it last December just before the rates went up and the three-year rate went away. Think they'd give those us of in this situation a credit if we cancel? This is just beyond insulting. I'm actually less upset about the free swill being further downgraded than in the downgrade of the "premium choices" combined with extra-premium pricing.

belynch

Sent an email.

It's their right to make changes to the services and benefits provided with the club membership but this is a step too far. They owe all members the right to cancel their membership for a pro-rated refund who don't want to accept these changes. What they've done is ethically reprehensible (I wouldn't be saying that if they were charging fair market value or below for the drinks).

Idiots.

DawgmanOH

+1

Pro-rated refunds are only fair in this case. And here I felt bad I missed renewing for three years when they took that option away on Jan 1. Now I will just use that money elsewhere.

fragment54

Huge win for those of you who passed renewing for 3 years. Didn't think United planned to hammer the United Clubs. Nothing is sacred anymore. Up next: toilet paper rations on flights.

Duke787

+1. I've opened an inquiry with AMEX (mine was purchased via my corporate AMEX) since my renewal was within the last 3 weeks (unfortunately just prior to this rumor being more or less confirmed on Labor Day). Unlikely to accomplish anything but seems to be the only potential recourse since UA doesn't appear poised to refund my membership.

This is a bad miscalculation by UA IMHO because I consider Club access part of my overall travel experience and this significant downgrade, as I mentioned earlier, may push me away from UA with my travel, which will cost them a lot more than a couple comp Jim Beam/Seagram's 7 and Cokes a week.

EDIT: if they were giving us free club access like Delta does to DMs that would be a different story but the fact that I had to pay $400 for the privilege of paying $9 for a Bacardi is an insult

cerealmarketer

What a travesty on the wines they list.

Dona Paula Malbec - $12 a bottle

http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/dona+paula+malbec

Joel Gott Cab - $11 a bottle

http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/jo...rnet+sauvignon

And will cost us over $10 a glass. On what planet is $11 a bottle wine considered Premium?

Before, we enjoyed $12 a glass for $40 bottles of Cab like Stag's Leap and Jordan.

There is nothing enhanced about this by any means. Sure, make fewer drinks complimentary, but to gut the paid wine program is an insult.

I'd rather spend time at an airport bar...

belynch

That's the bigger issue.

The ironic thing is I rarely drink when I travel (and when I do I'd generally pay what was the incremental cost for a good scotch). To me this action speaks pretty loud volumes about how they view their premium customers.

Over the course of a year if I consume more than $20 in alcohol in a club I'd be surprised. But if this move pushes me away to another carrier / lounge product (I do value quiet workplaces, reliable internet, and clean restrooms) and I book one less flight on UA because of it then they're already upside down on the business case for me.

I guess they missed the memo that people that drop $1000 for last minute travel, and are spending $400 on a membership, aren't the same demographic that will be pleased with $10 bottle rot gut. Either that or they think we're so stupid/loyal that we're blind to the fact that we can get the same exact product outside the lounge, without the door fee, for a lower price.

I suppose I'll no longer have to complain about a lack of seating in the clubs...

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I'm not adept at typing a tilde, so I'll just have to type "Donya"

ozstamps

This is a change exactly how?

JAaronT

They found cheaper.

NDtraveler

Has anyone that has the presidental plus card spoken to chase about this?

Halo117

I feel for the employees at the clubs as they will be getting some misdirected wrath from surprised travelers.

Frankly why did UA even waste money offering the new free stuff?

Next thing you know they will start closing some clubs due to low numbers of paid memberships (AKA death spiral)...the clubs will emulate flight ops...reduce to profitability!

nycityny

I am amused that there is a whole thread of outraged people angered by higher alcohol prices in the United Club. I don't visit the club to imbibe in spirits and judging by what I see inside most other visitors do not either. This change has no impact on most of us so I doubt it will cause the majority of folks to cancel their memberships.

My wish is that the food selections would improve. Having just returned from Europe, those foreign clubs/lounges remind me of how poorly stocked the American clubs are when it comes to food.

iahphx

Gosh, that is terrible. I have some experience with this at the US Airways clubs. There, bottled Bud is typically free and they charge for "premium" beers.

Maybe I'm too much of a value guy, but I won't pay $3 for a beer when another one is free (on the other hand, I'd happily pay another buck for a better beer). But I'm going to be pretty darn unhappy about it -- especially if the only beer selection is a light beer. I might just save the calories and go for a seltzer and lime.

What I don't understand about this is that keg beer is pretty cheap. I can understand why you might not want to give away $18 bottles of wine (of course, you are presumably PAYING for lounge access, but that's another story). But even micro-brewed beer is pretty cheap on tap. I can't believe it would bust the budget to have a couple decent beers on tap. Indeed, it is for this reason why I tend to drink wine at home and beer on the road: anyone can usually afford to give you a decent beer, but decent wine costs real money.

I also agree with those who bring up Bethune's "cheap pizza" analogy. Everything about flying UA domestically is un-fun -- even when you're using the lounges and flying first class. Is this really the best they can do? Is everything about shaving pennies? You would think it opens the door to competitors who will offer a superior product.