mgcsinc

Okay, fair enough.

The MLL comparison is inapt because (1) it's Canada, and (2) it has Rouge and with a horrifyingly bad FF program. UA is in America, and it's a better airline.

travelinmanS

Are they still serving Pepe Lopez tequila and Early Times bourbon? Along with Popov vodka these were two of my favorites available at the UC in HKG.

callum9999

How big an issue is this level of hygiene to people in general? I'm generally rather relaxed with it but with the widespread "we're too clean for our own good" mantra I'm curious as to how seriously others take it.

And wouldn't that apply to sealed packages anyway - on the assumption you would be touching the outside of the package with your bare fingers at some point!

vsevolod4

Bring back free beer (not just the one choice of Coors Lite or Bud Lite etc.) and let us drink something other than an American Adjunct Lager, and I'll be more impressed than about some froo-froo vegetarian food.

JAaronT

The cellophane wrapped apples and bananas (!) in the JFK and LAX (maybe others?) UCs really gets me.

mgcsinc

We're too clean for our own good. We need to learn to live without the false sense of security that prefect sanitation provides.

But ordinary food safety practices are probably a good idea.

bocastephen

The issue isn't touching packages, it's touching the actual food you're going to put in your mouth - it's not only unhealthy, but just plain gross.

If I see the new UC start looking like the MLLs I've visited where people are sticking their bare fingers into chip bowls, olives, pickles, salad, cookies, even hummus, then we have a real hygiene problem that should be addressed.

All bowls/trays should be covered with cut-out openings for the spoon/serving, breads should be in covered boxes to keep from drying and with tongs for serving - at a minimum.

I agree wrapping fruit is a little over the top, but would you eat a cookie that some stranger touched with their bare hands? What if they just came from the toilet without washing their hands (I've noticed quite a few international customers doing this)? It's how norovirus and other nasty germs are spread.

astroflyer

I'm super pleased with these changes! It's still not quite MLL quality, but definitely a step in the right direction. I guess all of those feedback surveys I filled out where I highlighted how bad the clubs were ended up being useful after all.

BenSDQ

I have a question:
Flying FLL-DEN-FRA-HAM on a combination of United and Lufthansa. The tickets are in United First and Lufthansa First Class. Will I have access to the United Club at FLL and at DEN?

AlanInDC

The worst thing I saw -- I was approaching the food area and saw a boy (about 8 years old) touch every cookie in the display. He then took one. I decided to get some of the chocolate raisin things out of the gerbil dispenser. I also saw a woman touch every apple and then take one.

At least with the fruit, one can take a napkin and rub it clean or even take an apple to the restroom and use water on it. Can't do anything with open food

TPJ

I believe that - under the old tier structure - AC always let Elite and Super Elite passengers to access MLL. With the new structure you need to be at least 50K to have complimentary access guaranteed.

Annandaler

IAH too.

JBord

I get the hygiene thing, although I think we go a little overboard.

But I was just thinking of the LH Senator lounges, FRA is the one I've been to the most, and they have a nice food selection that's pretty much wide open, similar to what I saw at ORD yesterday. It never bothers me there. The one difference is that it's kept up well, always seems neat and clean, and the UC's don't. Not sure if anyone else feels the same way, but I don't think twice about eating at a LH lounge.

Chiro1979

I agree that Rouge (on the 319) is a disaster, and I refuse to fly Rouge unless in J, but Rouge is only on selected routes, and while AC is certainly no SQ, I have to say I would pretty much always pick AC over UA. I prefer AC over UA in Y domestically (UA has E+ but AC has AVOD and, in my opinion, better service). Domestically, I find AC J slightly better than UA J and internationally I find AC J way better than UA J ( and that's just the old pods. With the new J on the 787 it's even better than the 2-4-2/2-2-2 on UA). Of course everyone has their own opinion, this is simply mine, and of course you have yours!

Back on the topic of the improvements, I have to say, any improvement to the UA club offering is welcome. Maybe they could do more, but I am definitely not complaining about improvements. In fact, I'm grateful for them. Between the changes to the club and the improvement to the catering, both mainline and express, and the apparent upcoming improvement to Y, I think UA is really (FINALLY) starting to show some improvements and I am cautiously optimistic that maybe we have turned the corner on cutbacks and will finally see a decent offering on UA.

Neil35

DEN, yes. This is the international gateway city on your itinerary.

FLL, not on the ticket alone. You need to be one of the following:
- Star Alliance Gold or United MileagePlus Premier Gold
- United Club member
- Chase MileagePlus Club (Visa) Card holder
- being a guest of the above (international itinerary is required for United MileagePlus Premier Gold member)
- using United Club one-time pass

See
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ad-2015-a.html