Dec 7, 2014, 12:30 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive of older posts, the active thread is Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread
United operates United Clubs in the USA and many international locations -- see United Club and Other United Lounges for a detailed list.
UA's partners and the Star Alliance operates lounges in some of the same airports and many others. See the *A Lounge Finder and *A Lounge Access Policies . Additionally, some airports have "contract" lounges, admission is airport dependent.
United also operates International Global First Lounges and Arrival Lounges. These lounges have different access policy, see the linked threads for more.
To have access to the UCs, you will need to fit into one of the following
When BP/ticket is required, it can be either a paid or award ticket.
United Club T&Cs
Common questions
Children -- Are they counted as a guest?
Anyone with an individual ticket is counted as a guest. Lap children (below 2 years of age) are not counted as a guest. UC members can guest their dependent family at UCs (but this will not work at other *A lounges).
Is Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Puerto Rico (San Juan), .... international for UC access?
Yes
What about Domestic First Class?
Domestic First Class is not provided with UC access. Unless you qualify based on some other reason, there is no access for paid or award domestic FC.
Can my guest stay if I leave the lounge?
Strictly speaking, no. Guests only have access when the sponsor is in the lounge. You have "responsibility" for the guest when they are in the lounge. Realistically, however, there is usually no problem with leaving a guest behind.
Can access to the UC be further restricted?
UA reserves the right to limit access including the number of guests at times of crowding.
Can I bring food into the UC?
Strictly speaking no. There may be local health & safety codes against this.
Can I guest 3 co-workers by using multiple access methods? Such as 2 via UC membership and 1 as *G international?
No -- you cannot stack access methods.
Can I access the UC on arrival and no forward *A travel or if departing on a non-*A carrier?
Maybe if UC member or UA *G on international itinerary or arriving on UC operated Polaris cabin itinarary (Alsoyou qill need to able to access to the UC location)
Starting 18 Aug 2016: United Club Access (including members) Only w/ Same-Day BP
Partner lounges
Access / reviews for TK's IAD *A lounge
Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [2014 forward]
Best IAD Lounge
Lufthansa Lounge Access in DTW/Detroit
Accessing the *A Lounge at LAX/TBIT as a UA flyer
United operates United Clubs in the USA and many international locations -- see United Club and Other United Lounges for a detailed list.
UA's partners and the Star Alliance operates lounges in some of the same airports and many others. See the *A Lounge Finder and *A Lounge Access Policies . Additionally, some airports have "contract" lounges, admission is airport dependent.
United also operates International Global First Lounges and Arrival Lounges. These lounges have different access policy, see the linked threads for more.
To have access to the UCs, you will need to fit into one of the following
- Be a UC member -- either directly purchased or combined with a credit card (such as Chase MP Club card)* UC members can have 2 guests or guest their spouse and dependent children under 21 years - Note at non-UA *A lounges UC members are allowed only 1 guest.
* The actual UC membership card @ UCs is generally not required if you have a UA BP -- since the UC membership is tied to the MP account
* Same day BP on ANY airline (arriving or departing)
* Spousal memberships are available as an extra cost option - Be traveling as *G member (see UA *G on domestic-only itinerary limitation) with departing *A BP showing your status while in any cabin* Can guest 1 traveler with a departing *A BP.
* UA *G cannot access domestic UCs unless traveling on a *A international itin (within 24 hours - can be different PNR)
* If non-UA *G but crediting to UA MP, you will need to present your non-UA *G card. There have been some reports of refused entry -- agents claiming you have to be crediting to the same program as you are requesting entry
- Be departing that airport in *A International Business or International First (with BP)* International First passengers can guest 1 traveler with a departing *A BP. No guests for International Business.
* UA has an expanded access policy that those traveling same day International Business or International First on UA operated flights can access UCs at any same day connecting airport
- Premium transcontinental non-stop (EWR-SFO/LAX & BOS-SFO) business class traveler* Limited to origin and destination airports of the premium transcontinental flight -- does not include connecting cities
* No guests - Have or purchase a UC one-time access pass* No guests
- Have Amtrak Select Plus or Select Executive status.* 1 guest
* Same day BP on ANY airline (arriving or departing)
When BP/ticket is required, it can be either a paid or award ticket.
United Club T&Cs
Common questions
Children -- Are they counted as a guest?
Anyone with an individual ticket is counted as a guest. Lap children (below 2 years of age) are not counted as a guest. UC members can guest their dependent family at UCs (but this will not work at other *A lounges).
Is Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Puerto Rico (San Juan), .... international for UC access?
Yes
Travel to or from Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Guam and Mexico are considered international itineraries for the purposes of United Club access.
Domestic First Class is not provided with UC access. Unless you qualify based on some other reason, there is no access for paid or award domestic FC.
Can my guest stay if I leave the lounge?
Strictly speaking, no. Guests only have access when the sponsor is in the lounge. You have "responsibility" for the guest when they are in the lounge. Realistically, however, there is usually no problem with leaving a guest behind.
Can access to the UC be further restricted?
UA reserves the right to limit access including the number of guests at times of crowding.
Can I bring food into the UC?
Strictly speaking no. There may be local health & safety codes against this.
Can I guest 3 co-workers by using multiple access methods? Such as 2 via UC membership and 1 as *G international?
No -- you cannot stack access methods.
Can I access the UC on arrival and no forward *A travel or if departing on a non-*A carrier?
Maybe if UC member or UA *G on international itinerary or arriving on UC operated Polaris cabin itinarary (Alsoyou qill need to able to access to the UC location)
Starting 18 Aug 2016: United Club Access (including members) Only w/ Same-Day BP
Partner lounges
Access / reviews for TK's IAD *A lounge
Consolidated "Access to Lufthansa Lounge at IAD" Thread [2014 forward]
Best IAD Lounge
Lufthansa Lounge Access in DTW/Detroit
Accessing the *A Lounge at LAX/TBIT as a UA flyer
Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread [ARCHIVE]
Nov 12, 2018, 8:28 am
#3421
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
You also will not have access to the Polaris lounge; just the United Club.
Nov 12, 2018, 9:19 am
#3422
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
It's not even worth talking about the arrivals lounge, because only GS get access on a premium t-con ticket.
Nov 12, 2018, 1:13 pm
#3423
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,618
To that point I think the question now is what UC? I am old school and like the original one by the main food court but I know many would disagree. IF he is an AMEX holder he has the Centurion option as well.
Nov 12, 2018, 1:33 pm
#3424
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Nov 12, 2018, 3:11 pm
#3425
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,618
Nov 12, 2018, 4:40 pm
#3426
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC 35K, SPG GOLD
Posts: 264
I'm in the lounge now. Tks all 😁
Nov 14, 2018, 7:24 am
#3427
Join Date: May 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 160
I recently got a United Club Visa card. My wife has a separate Explorer card(we don't share the same card-mine has all the monthly stuff being charged and she has lost hers a couple of times). So she just got her two annual passes. Since we rarely travel separately these are almost useless to me. Question I have is can I give them to someone and can they use them. Some joker in a neighborhood forum wanted 50 each for some. I laughed at him.
Have searched forums for this answer but couldn't find anything.
Have searched forums for this answer but couldn't find anything.
Nov 14, 2018, 9:45 am
#3428
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,019
Nov 15, 2018, 11:06 am
#3430
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO/SJC/OAK
Programs: OZ Diamond (*G), KQ Asante Gold (ST+), Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,511
I recently got a United Club Visa card. My wife has a separate Explorer card(we don't share the same card-mine has all the monthly stuff being charged and she has lost hers a couple of times). So she just got her two annual passes. Since we rarely travel separately these are almost useless to me. Question I have is can I give them to someone and can they use them. Some joker in a neighborhood forum wanted 50 each for some. I laughed at him.
Have searched forums for this answer but couldn't find anything.
Have searched forums for this answer but couldn't find anything.
Nov 16, 2018, 12:55 pm
#3431
Suspended
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 821
I just left the UC at the C terminal at ORD.....I used to love this huge lounge but they just completely cut it in half for the Polaris lounge......very tacky.
Nov 16, 2018, 2:14 pm
#3432
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
It happened more than two years ago. The ORD Polaris Lounge opened on Dec. 1, 2016 (+ the time of the construction). If you had looked at the thread for the UCs at ORD, you would have avoided the UC at the C terminal. It does not provide hot food and have limited drinks. Every time I travel through ORD, I get a message on my boarding pass from UA to avoid it as it gets overcrowded (due to the fact as you pointed out that UA reduced its size).
Nov 16, 2018, 5:55 pm
#3433
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 157
United Club for UA *G international arrivals
I am pretty sure of the answer (as I have done it without problems) but since there was some confusion about this over on another thread, I wanted ask/confirm here.
According to United’s access rules, a same day international *A boarding pass gets you into United Clubs, irrespective of departure airport. The rule does not say that the international boarding pass must be for a flight yet to be flown. I have made use of this on occasion by using the United Club when I did not have a connecting UA flight. Say you arrive at LAX on UA from LHR and are connecting on AA or Spirit or some other airline domestically. The LHR-LAX boarding pass allows you to enter the United Club at LAX, notwithstanding that the LHR-LAX flight has already been flown.
Is this correct or have I just been lucky getting in in those circumstances?
(I know it’s usually not possible because after CBP you are landslide but it works when you have a fresh boarding pass with another airline and that airline’s terminal is connected airside to a United Club, like at LAX, IAH or ORD.)
According to United’s access rules, a same day international *A boarding pass gets you into United Clubs, irrespective of departure airport. The rule does not say that the international boarding pass must be for a flight yet to be flown. I have made use of this on occasion by using the United Club when I did not have a connecting UA flight. Say you arrive at LAX on UA from LHR and are connecting on AA or Spirit or some other airline domestically. The LHR-LAX boarding pass allows you to enter the United Club at LAX, notwithstanding that the LHR-LAX flight has already been flown.
Is this correct or have I just been lucky getting in in those circumstances?
(I know it’s usually not possible because after CBP you are landslide but it works when you have a fresh boarding pass with another airline and that airline’s terminal is connected airside to a United Club, like at LAX, IAH or ORD.)
Nov 16, 2018, 5:58 pm
#3434
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,428
I am pretty sure of the answer (as I have done it without problems) but since there was some confusion about this over on another thread, I wanted ask/confirm here.
According to United’s access rules, a same day international *A boarding pass gets you into United Clubs, irrespective of departure airport. The rule does not say that the international boarding pass must be for a flight yet to be flown. I have made use of this on occasion by using the United Club when I did not have a connecting UA flight. Say you arrive at LAX on UA from LHR and are connecting on AA or Spirit or some other airline domestically. The LHR-LAX boarding pass allows you to enter the United Club at LAX, notwithstanding that the LHR-LAX flight has already been flown.
Is this correct or have I just been lucky getting in in those circumstances?
(I know it’s usually not possible because after CBP you are landslide but it works when you have a fresh boarding pass with another airline and that airline’s terminal is connected airside to a United Club, like at LAX, IAH or ORD.)
According to United’s access rules, a same day international *A boarding pass gets you into United Clubs, irrespective of departure airport. The rule does not say that the international boarding pass must be for a flight yet to be flown. I have made use of this on occasion by using the United Club when I did not have a connecting UA flight. Say you arrive at LAX on UA from LHR and are connecting on AA or Spirit or some other airline domestically. The LHR-LAX boarding pass allows you to enter the United Club at LAX, notwithstanding that the LHR-LAX flight has already been flown.
Is this correct or have I just been lucky getting in in those circumstances?
(I know it’s usually not possible because after CBP you are landslide but it works when you have a fresh boarding pass with another airline and that airline’s terminal is connected airside to a United Club, like at LAX, IAH or ORD.)
Nov 16, 2018, 6:13 pm
#3435
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 157
Perhaps UA did not update its rule page?