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The UA clubs are frustrating to me due to the lack of seating at peak times (when I travel, Monday and Friday) and the behavior of the clientele. Even in the quiet or work areas I have to listen to videos or loud conversations about your widget sales or derivatives. I have better experiences on crowded JR East cars at rush hour. ^

So after my one year experiment with the UC, I'm done. I'll eat my carrots in a quiet gate area from now on (save the day passes for irrops). Why do domestic flyers still pay for this experience?

Hadrian35

Why? Because of the reciprocal benefit? Scheme it for reciprocal access for UC members and not *G. I'm pretty heartless about that <gold benefit because I'm sick of the overcrowding when partners flood the terminal with their heavies departing around the same time and all the *g line up to push crackers into their mouth and throw the wrappers everywhere because they see the club as an overcrowded dump so who cares if the cookies get ground into the carpet.

Buy a membership or go to your own airline club where you have a membership.

euslaner

Yes he would. Maybe not so willing to make the trek to the B gates (not so bad, but the trek back is time consuming). Using TSA PreCheck lets me get to the airport two hours early and have time to get to the LH lounge.

Cuchulainn

I'm in one or more of the IAD UCs at least once a week and I very often overhear discussions relating to the free passes. Plus there's usually a queue to get in and I often see people presenting the passes.


I agree -and I never meant to link the two thoughts (i.e., to imply that the passers were somehow the source of the noise and general barnyard ambience I've observed).

Many is the time I've gone to the cubicles to do some work only to be driven out by "Mr/Ms Very-Important-Washington-Type" having an overly loud (and often confidential/business proprietary) conversation on their cell phone. Let's keep our voices to an acceptable level, keep our feet off the furniture, keep our small children under control and it will improve the experience for everyone. And I will politely ask people who should be using headphones to kindly do so, even going so far as to offer them a new pair (still sealed in plastic) which I have in my bag for just such a purpose. :-)

Duke787

Yes OP would - hence my post on the previous page. OP would also have access based on flying *A J. However just because one has access doesn't mean they know about the LH lounge. Many are unfamiliar and it can be a bit of an "under the table benefit" since it's not located anywhere near the UA gates and requires one to know of its existence, of one's eligibility to enter it, and how to navigate IAD to both go to the lounge and make a connecting flight on UA (whose flights whether international or domestic are never in the B terminal where the LH lounge is).

Cuchulainn

I've never actually met anyone who has bought a one time pass. $40 for crackers and cheese?

KnightInWhiteSatin

Exactly

Singapore_Schwing

And watered down everclear...

This...

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I have (if the planes are on time) a 1:50 layover at IAD Monday afternoon between UA flights SFO-IAD-FCO. Is that amount of time (I tend to board last) worth the schlep over to B and the Lufthansa lounge? Looks like a train and walk almost length of concourse is required to get there, plus possibility of another lengthy journey back, depending on departure gate. I find the UC club they carved out of some ramp operations area to be the pit (literally). Just want to make sure the extra time to B is worth it vs the layover time I have.

Thanks. And if there's an easier option than the train, I'd appreciate that advice too...

"I've never actually met anyone who has bought a one time pass. $40 for crackers and cheese?"

Yeah, but white-powdered donut holes...mmmmmm

Tennen

Exactly how do you propose they do that? I have no idea of the inner workings of *A, but I would venture to guess that cutting *G lounge access isn't an option. And I wonder how many people actually buy those one-time passes to make a difference in capacity.

Hadrian35

I don't actually pay attention too closely so I've never seen it but I don't disagree you at all if that's your experience. The only time Other People's method of admittance catches my attention is when it's a *g fumbling to get their elite card out to prove to lounge dragons they are allowed.

They do. My partner has a couple times when he thought it was a way to have an exclusive experience... he thought I was being a snob but he soon learned. He's also bought one times when he had big layovers which I think for him is a good deal. He doesn't travel enough without me to come close to making it reasonable to just up to the 500 annual for GM. I complain a lot about the amenities and the condition but I think I get my money's worth and it really does beat the gate. During delays I get cranky hanging at the gate with all the amateurs whining about some minor delay that's not really worth getting worked up about.

UA-NYC

Ever been? I think it's worth the schlep...fun to enjoy an actual quality club experience there. And you feel like you're in a first world airport being in A/B.

krazykanuck

I did once, well by that I mean I used the airline fee credit on the Amex Platinum to pay for it. I had a reasonably long layover at ORD and it was December, so I figured might as well use the credit up.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Ok, I'll give it a go if SF plane is reasonably on time (or if FCO plane is unreasonably delayed). Is 10 minutes a good guess mid-United concourse to LH lounge?

LAXOGG

If you are actually originating in OGG like I think you are, it definitely will be worth it. There are showers downstairs.