Feb 7, 2015, 9:14 pm
Last edit by: Phaze
Previous thread - Global First Lounge (IFL / GFL) Access Questions and Experiences
:-: United's Global First Lounges located at LHR, IAD, SFO, HKG and NRT are for the use of passengers traveling in United's Global First or in International First Class on a Star Alliance member aircraft with more than two classes of service departing that day from that airport.
NOTE: Global First Lounge at ORD has closed. Polaris lounge Chicago is now open, including dining. The Global First Lounge at LHR closes at 18:00, as confirmed by United via phone. The website currently omits this information.
This reconfirmed per UA Insider - see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/21700252-post535.html
Passengers must be holding a same day ticket for flights departing to/from a Trans Atlantic, Trans Pacific, Southern South America, Africa or a Middle East destination. Passengers connecting to/from other United/United Express flights will be admitted as long as the above requirements are met.
Global Services members can also use Global First Lounges when traveling in BusinessFirst or p.s. (EWR-LAX/SFO) BusinessFirst cabin.
A GS who arrives in BF or GF will be admitted to the GFL. This does not apply to a GS flying non-UA metal.
Any passenger holding a boarding pass for travel within 24 hours in UA GF will have access to the GFL at their departure and connecting airports.
from United Global First and Arrivals lounges
:-: United's Global First Lounges located at LHR, IAD, SFO, HKG and NRT are for the use of passengers traveling in United's Global First or in International First Class on a Star Alliance member aircraft with more than two classes of service departing that day from that airport.
NOTE: Global First Lounge at ORD has closed. Polaris lounge Chicago is now open, including dining. The Global First Lounge at LHR closes at 18:00, as confirmed by United via phone. The website currently omits this information.
This reconfirmed per UA Insider - see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/21700252-post535.html
Passengers must be holding a same day ticket for flights departing to/from a Trans Atlantic, Trans Pacific, Southern South America, Africa or a Middle East destination. Passengers connecting to/from other United/United Express flights will be admitted as long as the above requirements are met.
Global Services members can also use Global First Lounges when traveling in BusinessFirst or p.s. (EWR-LAX/SFO) BusinessFirst cabin.
A GS who arrives in BF or GF will be admitted to the GFL. This does not apply to a GS flying non-UA metal.
Any passenger holding a boarding pass for travel within 24 hours in UA GF will have access to the GFL at their departure and connecting airports.
from United Global First and Arrivals lounges
United Global FirstSM Lounge
The United Global First Lounge is an oasis of service and privacy. Tailored to the needs of United Global First customers on long-haul international flights*, we offer personalized services, complimentary hors d'oeuvres and premium beverages.
Access policy
The following customers may access the United Global First lounge by showing their United boarding pass for a flight arriving or departing on a same-day (within 24 hours) itinerary.
United Global First customers traveling on long-haul international flights*
Star Alliance™ First customers departing on international flights
These eligible United Global First Lounge visitors are allowed one adult or child to accompany them as a guest.
*Long-haul international flights are between the U.S. and Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East or South America.
The United Global First Lounge is an oasis of service and privacy. Tailored to the needs of United Global First customers on long-haul international flights*, we offer personalized services, complimentary hors d'oeuvres and premium beverages.
Access policy
The following customers may access the United Global First lounge by showing their United boarding pass for a flight arriving or departing on a same-day (within 24 hours) itinerary.
United Global First customers traveling on long-haul international flights*
Star Alliance™ First customers departing on international flights
These eligible United Global First Lounge visitors are allowed one adult or child to accompany them as a guest.
*Long-haul international flights are between the U.S. and Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East or South America.
Global First Lounge (IFL / GFL) Access Questions and Experiences [2015 forward]
Jul 18, 2015, 11:20 pm
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: ORD, HKG
Programs: UA*G, AA Emerald, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt globalist
Posts: 10,276
Jul 23, 2015, 3:53 am
#107
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 488
Will I have access to United First Class lounge in HKG
I will be going to HKG on TG First class then connecting to FRA on Lufthansa Business class.
Jul 23, 2015, 4:18 am
#108
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
Jul 23, 2015, 11:36 am
#109
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CT/NY
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 6,020
Jul 23, 2015, 1:31 pm
#110
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
Jul 23, 2015, 2:45 pm
#111
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sacramento
Programs: UA 2MM/GS; SPG Lifetime Plat; MHC Lifetime; Tar Heel forever; and I "Dig the Pig" at Piggly Wiggly
Posts: 12,152
I just got to enjoy the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Frankfurt, based on my UA Global First ticket and GS status.
All I can say is the United's Global "First Class" lounges look unbelievably pathetic in comparison.
With LH, you get:
* A full buffet of gourmet food - Thai, Spanish, Italian. Plus a gourmet menu that you can order from and eat on actual table clothes
* World class selection of wines. I tasted 3 different Bordeauxes and 2 different Pinots. All excellent.
* Real resting rooms - real beds with sheets
* Complimentary cigar room with cognac, armagnac, etc.
Compare that to the UAL lounge at JFK: 6 stale shrimp with a piece of plastic wrap on them and some wraps that have little chunks of ice in them and freezer burn. All in a college-dorm refrigerator.
Then there's the SFO GFL lounge with a measly selection of fake-crab sushi and screw-top wines.
Or NRT GFL, where the stuffing is coming out of the upholstery and the food is no better than the UC. Apparently United thinks cup-o-noodles is First Class standard food. Thankfully Lufthansa doesn't.
But most of all, Lufthansa completely smokes UA in service. All of the staff were extremely pleasant, solicitous, and helpful. Compare that to SFO GFL, where the only focus is on how they might possibly deny you access.
United should be embarrassed and ashamed.
All I can say is the United's Global "First Class" lounges look unbelievably pathetic in comparison.
With LH, you get:
* A full buffet of gourmet food - Thai, Spanish, Italian. Plus a gourmet menu that you can order from and eat on actual table clothes
* World class selection of wines. I tasted 3 different Bordeauxes and 2 different Pinots. All excellent.
* Real resting rooms - real beds with sheets
* Complimentary cigar room with cognac, armagnac, etc.
Compare that to the UAL lounge at JFK: 6 stale shrimp with a piece of plastic wrap on them and some wraps that have little chunks of ice in them and freezer burn. All in a college-dorm refrigerator.
Then there's the SFO GFL lounge with a measly selection of fake-crab sushi and screw-top wines.
Or NRT GFL, where the stuffing is coming out of the upholstery and the food is no better than the UC. Apparently United thinks cup-o-noodles is First Class standard food. Thankfully Lufthansa doesn't.
But most of all, Lufthansa completely smokes UA in service. All of the staff were extremely pleasant, solicitous, and helpful. Compare that to SFO GFL, where the only focus is on how they might possibly deny you access.
United should be embarrassed and ashamed.
Price being the same, or even a little more, I always book LH. But I am trying something new this winter. LH's r/t fare in Nov SFO-FRA-HAM (yep, A380) was $10K. UA's fare SFO-EWR-HAM (ps connecting to 767 GF), returning HAM-LHR-SFO (777) was $6100. For $4K, I will suffer UA. But even flying 3-4 paid F to Europe, this is the first time UA has been more than $1K less than LH; often, UA is more for the identical routing.
Crossing fingers EWR has a GFL by November.
Jul 23, 2015, 3:26 pm
#112
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 659
Yo guys,
I'm doing my first GF flight in September. My route is DCA -> ORD -> PVG (Seat 1A on a 747, all United metal) and I have pretty short connection times. I'm wondering about the different lounges I will have access to at the three airports with this premium fare?
Also, can I expect a Mercedes at any of the connections?
Thanks folks.
I'm doing my first GF flight in September. My route is DCA -> ORD -> PVG (Seat 1A on a 747, all United metal) and I have pretty short connection times. I'm wondering about the different lounges I will have access to at the three airports with this premium fare?
Also, can I expect a Mercedes at any of the connections?
Thanks folks.
Jul 23, 2015, 3:32 pm
#113
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA1K
Posts: 4,044
Yo guys,
I'm doing my first GF flight in September. My route is DCA -> ORD -> PVG (Seat 1A on a 747, all United metal) and I have pretty short connection times. I'm wondering about the different lounges I will have access to at the three airports with this premium fare?
Also, can I expect a Mercedes at any of the connections?
Thanks folks.
I'm doing my first GF flight in September. My route is DCA -> ORD -> PVG (Seat 1A on a 747, all United metal) and I have pretty short connection times. I'm wondering about the different lounges I will have access to at the three airports with this premium fare?
Also, can I expect a Mercedes at any of the connections?
Thanks folks.
Jul 23, 2015, 4:05 pm
#114
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sacramento
Programs: UA 2MM/GS; SPG Lifetime Plat; MHC Lifetime; Tar Heel forever; and I "Dig the Pig" at Piggly Wiggly
Posts: 12,152
Yo guys,
I'm doing my first GF flight in September. My route is DCA -> ORD -> PVG (Seat 1A on a 747, all United metal) and I have pretty short connection times. I'm wondering about the different lounges I will have access to at the three airports with this premium fare?
Also, can I expect a Mercedes at any of the connections?
Thanks folks.
I'm doing my first GF flight in September. My route is DCA -> ORD -> PVG (Seat 1A on a 747, all United metal) and I have pretty short connection times. I'm wondering about the different lounges I will have access to at the three airports with this premium fare?
Also, can I expect a Mercedes at any of the connections?
Thanks folks.
DCA is a mostly-domestic airport [Canada does not count], so nothing besides a UC there. Nice facility, standard snacks.
At least the ORD GFL is centrally located to all the int'l departing UA flights, so it will be convenient. It's not a bad GFL ... considering it's a United club.
If this is your first international F flight, you'll be blown away. ^:-:^ And in all fairness, the GF seat ain't bad.
But if you ever have flown F on a "real" airline, most any GFL and the on-board service will be a disappointment.
Jul 23, 2015, 4:08 pm
#115
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CT/NY
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 6,020
Was answering to the OP's situation, who was not arriving in United metal.
Jul 23, 2015, 4:13 pm
#116
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 659
Greetings fellow Sacramentan!
DCA is a mostly-domestic airport [Canada does not count], so nothing besides a UC there. Nice facility, standard snacks.
At least the ORD GFL is centrally located to all the int'l departing UA flights, so it will be convenient. It's not a bad GFL ... considering it's a United club.
If this is your first international F flight, you'll be blown away. ^:-:^ And in all fairness, the GF seat ain't bad.
But if you ever have flown F on a "real" airline, most any GFL and the on-board service will be a disappointment.
DCA is a mostly-domestic airport [Canada does not count], so nothing besides a UC there. Nice facility, standard snacks.
At least the ORD GFL is centrally located to all the int'l departing UA flights, so it will be convenient. It's not a bad GFL ... considering it's a United club.
If this is your first international F flight, you'll be blown away. ^:-:^ And in all fairness, the GF seat ain't bad.
But if you ever have flown F on a "real" airline, most any GFL and the on-board service will be a disappointment.
Thanks for the tips, much appreciated. I'm really excited about the seat after reading a few trip reports about being able to see forward while flying (seriously, why don't airlines have cameras of this view?? I would pay to watch that on the in-flight entertainment).
Are there no clubs in Shanghai that I will be able to access?
Jul 23, 2015, 4:38 pm
#117
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
Not on arrival -- except for specially Arrival lounges, *A lounges are intent to serve departures. Plus at many international airports you don't have access to departure areas unless with have a connecting ticket.
Jul 26, 2015, 8:16 pm
#118
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,695
Due to mx catastrophe, I got to use ORD GFL today. Arriving at 1pm, I was surprised that they offered me use of shower room, which I gladly accepted. Good to know, since other Arrivals facilities are usually restricted to before noon.
Jul 26, 2015, 9:06 pm
#119
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lahaina, HI & Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,403
BTW....the shower is connected to the UC and anyone in the Club can use it.
Jul 26, 2015, 11:03 pm
#120
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott
Posts: 231
As of a few days ago, I'm now a DC local.
Thanks for the tips, much appreciated. I'm really excited about the seat after reading a few trip reports about being able to see forward while flying (seriously, why don't airlines have cameras of this view?? I would pay to watch that on the in-flight entertainment).
Are there no clubs in Shanghai that I will be able to access?
Thanks for the tips, much appreciated. I'm really excited about the seat after reading a few trip reports about being able to see forward while flying (seriously, why don't airlines have cameras of this view?? I would pay to watch that on the in-flight entertainment).
Are there no clubs in Shanghai that I will be able to access?
PHL-ORD-PVG-BKK
We were met at the gate in ORD and escorted to UA Global First lounge. Also met at the plane entrance in PVG and escorted to Thai Royal Silk lounge.
Note: there was another Thai *G lounge in PVG that presumably you would have access to.