Dec 2, 2013, 7:41 pm
Last edit by: nexus7556
Basic services and food offerings are pretty much the same at all the SFO UCs
Last call is 30 minutes before club closing.
Terminal 3 / Rotunda Pros and Cons
International Terminal (between G6 and G9) Pros and Cons
New Concourse E Pros and Cons
"Temporary" Mezzanine UC Pros and Cons (never reopened after COVID closure)
related threads
SFO Polaris Lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..
SFO G UC closed, reopens as Polaris Lounge 30 Apr, old GFL is intl prem cabin lounge
Centurion lounge or UA lounge in SFO?
Centurion Lounge SFO [Opened 6 November 2014]
Archive thread: Best SFO United Club? {Archive}
Last call is 30 minutes before club closing.
Terminal 3 / Rotunda Pros and Cons
- Better runway views.
- Quiet room and work cubicles.
- Closer to most gates. (F concourse)
- Could use a furniture renovation
- Can be the most crowded at peak times
International Terminal (between G6 and G9) Pros and Cons
- Previous IFL (note showers have been removed)
- Closest for most international departures/G gates (if not eligible for SFO Polaris Lounge)
- No windows, no views
- Dated (wood panel) ambiance
- Crowded at peak TPAC times in late morning, mid-day
- No full bar; only basic wine and beer offered
- Elevator / stairs for access
New Concourse E Pros and Cons
- Closest to the E gates
- crowded at peak times, early morning, late afternoon
- least ambiance
- (as of Oct. 2023), E conc. Club opens 45 mins. later than F Rotunda Club (5:45 a.m. for E vs. 5:00 for F).
Across from 70/71 gates, a little hard to findGenerally the least crowdedNo windows, lacks much ambiance - some neat historical aircraft/airport photosElevator for access
related threads
SFO Polaris Lounge -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ..
SFO G UC closed, reopens as Polaris Lounge 30 Apr, old GFL is intl prem cabin lounge
Centurion lounge or UA lounge in SFO?
Centurion Lounge SFO [Opened 6 November 2014]
Archive thread: Best SFO United Club? {Archive}
Status of SFO United Clubs
Jul 15, 2019, 5:54 am
#61
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,944
Try all four UCs if you can find them. The one near gate 70 is my favorite.
Jul 15, 2019, 7:27 am
#62
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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IMO the rotunda club is generally the best bet. But that can be a long walk if you're departing from International (G terminal).
Jul 15, 2019, 7:35 am
#63
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,038
If you are flying SFO-IAD, I don't believe you will have access to any lounge.
If you are flying SFO to a Canadian airport non-stop, you could easily be departing from a domestic gate, and the domestic UCs will be closer.
If you are flying SFO to a Canadian airport non-stop, you could easily be departing from a domestic gate, and the domestic UCs will be closer.
Jul 15, 2019, 7:47 am
#64
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Jul 15, 2019, 8:01 am
#65
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
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If IAD-YOW is UA metal in a premium cabin, OP should have access to the UC (not Polaris) in SFO.
I second the rotunda club as best overall, although least crowded is a good metric
I second the rotunda club as best overall, although least crowded is a good metric
Jul 15, 2019, 8:23 am
#66
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
Why would OP have access to UC? US-Canada in any cabin does not afford UC access. OP has no status.
Jul 15, 2019, 9:24 am
#68
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ed. went back and looked at my receipts - I haven't flown through Canada since fall of 2017 but it was Business-marketed then. I think I missed a shadow change in lounge rules.
Last edited by findark; Jul 15, 2019 at 9:42 am
Jul 15, 2019, 9:50 am
#69
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,453
Wait... when did Canada switch to United First for front cabin marketing? You are indeed correct, but I swear this must be a recent change...
ed. went back and looked at my receipts - I haven't flown through Canada since fall of 2017 but it was Business-marketed then. I think I missed a shadow change in lounge rules.
ed. went back and looked at my receipts - I haven't flown through Canada since fall of 2017 but it was Business-marketed then. I think I missed a shadow change in lounge rules.
I'm not sure, but I first noticed it late last year (2018).
Actually it's not clear to me whether access is allowed or not for connecting premium cabin US-CA flights. The language is confusing and not fully consistent.
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...es/access.html
It says,
All eligible premium cabin customers must be traveling on an international [1] itinerary or in United Business® on a premium transcontinental flight.
[1] All other international routes are United Business® and include use of the United Club: Guam, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia and Ecuador.
[1] All other international routes are United Business® and include use of the United Club: Guam, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia and Ecuador.
Jul 15, 2019, 10:48 am
#70
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,038
[1] All other international routes are United Business® and include use of the United Club: Guam, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia and Ecuador
And based on that sentence, I was in SFO UC flying SFO-SJD, in Business, in March. I am Silver, but no indication that affected the access. I believe that sentence would allow the entry in a UC at IAD, but not SFO.
And based on that sentence, I was in SFO UC flying SFO-SJD, in Business, in March. I am Silver, but no indication that affected the access. I believe that sentence would allow the entry in a UC at IAD, but not SFO.
Jul 15, 2019, 11:18 am
#71
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The new "United Business" page says
Available on flights between the U.S. and Latin America or the Caribbean. See our premium transcontinental service page to learn about United Business on U.S. transcontinental flights.
If a Canada premium fare permits lounge access at all, OP will be allowed at SFO. SJD is still Business-marketed and permits UC access in J.
Jul 15, 2019, 11:38 am
#72
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,453
It could be old language.. hard to tell. I believe Delta did something similar (on purpose) when they harmonized fare classes and rebranded all guaranteed lie-flat domestic service as Delta One - non D1 international routes lost lounge access for premium cabin pax (but this included Mexico and the Caribbean).
The new "United Business" page says
..no mention of Canada.
If a Canada premium fare permits lounge access at all, OP will be allowed at SFO. SJD is still Business-marketed and permits UC access in J.
The new "United Business" page says
..no mention of Canada.
If a Canada premium fare permits lounge access at all, OP will be allowed at SFO. SJD is still Business-marketed and permits UC access in J.
I do know (from experience last month) that UA Gold status still gets access on US-CA flights, and from what I see premium cabin basically mirrors UA Gold access (for the passenger only), so on that basis I expect premium cabin US-CA also gets access.
Jul 15, 2019, 2:54 pm
#73
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
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Posts: 3,614
Go to the "rotunda" club and try, worst case they say no. Let us know what happens. To your original question, I like the old school rotunda club the best as well. Nice bar and large comfortable seating area that looks onto the tarmac. Basic UC food, not really and better or worse than others. From what I see you won't be flying out of the international terminal you are heading to IAD first then YOW.
Jul 15, 2019, 9:40 pm
#74
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 241
Go to the "rotunda" club and try, worst case they say no. Let us know what happens. To your original question, I like the old school rotunda club the best as well. Nice bar and large comfortable seating area that looks onto the tarmac. Basic UC food, not really and better or worse than others. From what I see you won't be flying out of the international terminal you are heading to IAD first then YOW.
I confirmed with United that I am entitled to club access in all airports along route as it’s a business class ticket US to Canada
UPDATE: no issues getting access to any of the lounges. Scanned boarding passes and welcomed me.
Last edited by ac3000; Jul 16, 2019 at 10:25 pm
Jul 22, 2019, 11:40 am
#75
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Northern California
Programs: UAMP
Posts: 33
Flying out of SFO next month on Westjet. I have two UC day passes from my Chase Explorer card that I would like to use before the November policy change. WS has been flying out of Terminal A. I thought we might use the UC in the T3 rotunda because it seems more spacious. However, I don't see an airside path between T-3 and T-A. Do we need to go through TSA twice? We'll have only carryons and have TSA pre-check if that makes a difference.