golfingboy

More and more airports are offering free WiFi, in no time, the free WiFi benefit in the lounges will be obsolete as a differentiator for lounge membership.

mrjay

I'm the one who added it to the wiki and sadly, I don't recall.
However, this recent article says it's Lawnmower Ale:
http://blog.chron.com/beertx/2013/09...ercontinental/

I paid the $3 plus tip to try a glass, but would have preferred an IPA.

Darlox

Updates:

NRT: As expected, no change. Still 100% free, self-serve alcohol and beer from the nifty Japanese beer machines. (Also still jam-packed and cannot conceive why anyone would spend time here instead of the NH lounges.)

DEN: Premium draft beer is Heineken and Blue Moon. That last one is laughable, since it's mass-produced by Coors!! Calling that a premium regional beer is pretty funny.

The well vodka at DEN is also Popov now! That one really takes me back, since it was, in fact, the first vodka I ever drank in college. Woo.

dmurphynj

Still better than Kamchatka. Not by much.

SkiAdcock

I came back through ORD last week on int'l flight. Was in B lounge (packed w/ folk waiting for night int'l departures; I was waiting for on-going domestic). Didn't see too many people ordering the premium stuff. I just ordered a soda rather than drink the swill.

I used to be a paid member but dropped membership when my travel lessened & with 50% of remaining travel being int'l, didn't see the need to rejoin since I have access anyway. I have toyed w/ the idea, but really - with minimal food & crap booze, internet is the only thing I care about. As others have mentioned, with a lot of airports now having free wifi that advantage is lessening. And heck, one can get Boingo for $9.95/month if going through airports that have paid wifi.

I'd seriously consider just switching to the bars/restaurants of the airport rather than UC, with the only problem being most don't have any/many electrical outlets.

A friend of mine who is Gold used a 1-time pass to enter UC & said he can't imagine anyone paying for the UC, thought it was a bit of a dump. He's a clueless Gold though, so I need to remind him that he has access to the Maple Leaf Lounge (much nicer) when he visits family in Canada.

I transited Senator lounge both directions on recent trip, & as we all know the food/drink offering is much better & free wifi to boot, made it a much more enjoyable experience.

Cheers.

vsevolod4

A minor victory, of sorts.
In addition to the swill called "budlite" they have a slightly less unpalatable potion called "Miller Genuine Draft" -- in bottles. This looks like it's a reaction to the overwhelming given to this "enhancement" by United's best customers.
The revolution has a way to go.
We should not tolerate this sort of unilateral nonsense and insult to our intelligence. At the very least, charging for something which was free is no "enhancement" so stop insulting our intelligence.

RandomBaritone

Were you able to get any kind of confirmation that this is a systemwide change, not just old stock they're clearing out, or a policy in one or two locations?

If so, I agree that it's a relief!

SkiAdcock

I have an annual holiday party. Supply food/booze etc. One year I forgot to get beer (which has never been drank a lot at the party - folk prefer wine or hard liquor). Sent someone to local liquor store & they brought back a 12-pack of Miller Lite. I still have 7 cans of it left in the fridge 21 mths later & when I have friends over during the year (still supplying wine/hard liquor), they bring their own beer rather than drink that! Don't think I'll be drinking beer at United Club anytime soon.

Cheers.

Xyzzy

It's funny that a bottled beer is labelled "Genuine" draft when it clearly is nt a draft beer at all.

greg99

The last time I chose between these sorts of beer was in grad school.

"So, Bud Light or Keystone Light? Oh wait, the MGD is on sale!" "Yeah, but so are the 40's of Olde English 800 - the cost/hammer ratio is much better with the OE..." (I was an MBA student at the time...)

Greg

kirkwoodj

That's good use of business expertise! Perhaps UC folks should figure a cost/disdain ratio...

MBS MillionMiler

This is all reminiscent of my wedding 6 years ago...

We looked at the various bar packages for our open bar reception...Different levels, from the bottom shelf (what UA is giving away these days) to what they called top-shelf (Bombay Sapphire, Crown Royal, Jack, etc)...And levels in between.

It cost us around $5/person to upgrade ($1,500 total). It was a no-brainer. Not only did we not want to appear 'cheap', we also didn't want our guests drinking garbage either.

It's funny that an 'average' couple like us cared what our guests had to drink and spent relatively little extra to ensure that they had something palatable, but United could give a rat's @$$ what they provide for paying members of their 'exclusive' 'club'.

RandomBaritone

It's a cute anecdote, but it's hard to compare a business serving millions of customers and decisions made for a couple's (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime wedding reception.

Folks are quick to sneer about what a boneheaded decision this is, but I have no doubt the cost-to-benefit ratio is in UA's favor. There's clearly a vocal segment that cares deeply about the brands of complimentary alcohol available, but I think it's safe to say that segment is vastly overrepresented on FT.

halls120

It is a boneheaded move. The advantage of the UC used to be free wifi, a bar with decently priced drinks, a quiet place to work, and IROPS assistance. Now that most airports have free wifi, the UC drink prices are no better (and arguably worse) than we can get in the terminal, most UCs are crowded, loud, and in sad need of repair, what's the point of spending several hundred dollars for a membership?

dmurphynj

No, it's clearly a typo. What they meant was Genuine Daft, in that you'd have to be to drink it!