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Starting 18 Aug 2016:United Club Access (including members) Only w/ UA/*A Same-Day BP

Old Aug 17, 2015, 2:32 pm
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Email from United sent to United MP Club Cardmembers 18 Aug 2015
Update about United Club access

Dear XXXXX,

We've been working on a variety of improvements to our United ClubSM program. To provide a more productive and relaxing experience, we're investing more than $100 million in renovating existing locations and building new spaces with expanded seating areas, more power outlets and upgraded Wi-Fi. We're also investing in a brand new complimentary food menu that you can now find at our hub locations across the U.S. and will be available soon at the rest of our locations.

To maintain and further improve the United Club experience, we're announcing the following change to our program:

■ Effective August 18, 2016, a same-day boarding pass for all United Club customers, including members, will be required for United Club access.

United Club membership is a benefit of your United MileagePlus Club Card. With a United Club membership, you can still bring your spouse and children under 21, or up to two guests, into any United Club location.

Thank you for being a United MileagePlus Club Cardmember, and we look forward to creating an even more comfortable and premium United Club experience for you.
Learn More
Signs were first noticed starting 13 Aug 2015 at various clubs
Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
I noticed this at JFK (that's ironic...) yesterday--

Someone else noted the sign at LGA in the United Club Access Thread ....
Posting by UA Insider 17 Aug 2015
Originally Posted by UA Insider
Hi everyone, some answers for you on this new policy:
  1. What about meetings/conference rooms? Will gate passes still be issued?
    Customers can still reserve a conference room to use, with or without a same-day boarding pass. We will no longer issue gate passes for other uses.

  2. What about access after a redeye flight? Will this qualify as a "same-day" BP?
    Yes, you will still be eligible to access the United Club after arriving off of a redeye flight.

  3. Will I be able to come in if Im flying on another carrier?
    Yes, you may use a same-day boarding pass on any carrier.

  4. What if my flight departs early in the morning, the following day (e.g. 12:30am)?
    Yes, you will still be eligible to access the United Club.
-UA Insider
For general questions on UC access, see Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread
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Starting 18 Aug 2016:United Club Access (including members) Only w/ UA/*A Same-Day BP

Old Aug 18, 2015, 6:42 am
  #226  
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Originally Posted by villox
This policy will also prevent non-rev travelers who have club memberships from using them. That could actually be non-trivial say, at ORD, which is both a hub and corporate headquarters.
How? I would assume the standby card a Non-Rev gets would count as a same day BP.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 6:54 am
  #227  
 
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It won't affect me as I have never been in a UC without a boarding pass on some airline. Nor can I imagine why anyone would want to be at a UC if they were not killing time before/between flights (with the exception of LHR T2). But at the same time I would be surprised if the employees/nonrevs/gate pass people were more than a handful, so I wonder how much impact it will have. I also wonder, as one commenter questioned, whether UA is trying to find out how many of its club members fly UA. I would not be surprised if it is as little as 50%, though I would guess a large majority are star alliance.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 7:16 am
  #228  
 
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Originally Posted by CMK10
How? I would assume the standby card a Non-Rev gets would count as a same day BP.
I think that's a big assumption. I've never actually seen what they look like and we'd need an employee to comment, but I certainly know employees who have club memberships and use them on NRSA travel.

Let's also take the speculation that this was to prevent airport employees from using the clubs. At least for UA airport employees with travel privileges, listing yourself on standby would be trivial and it would give you the standby card to get in to the club anyway. Of course, assuming they're doing it often, the club agents would probably catch on after seeing you often.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 7:17 am
  #229  
 
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Thanks, UAInsider, for clarifying. The sign said nothing about stopping to issue gate passes, just that you couldn't enter the club with one. I am not drinking or eating snack food these days nor do I even enter the club when I use benefit of the gate pass to bring my kid in the terminal sometimes when my wife or I travels.

Overcrowding is from Chase, ebay, etc. I look forward to hearing how exclusive the clubs suddenly become after 8/18/16. This "change you'll like" coincides perfectly with my Chase renewal date and I'll be cancelling the card and therefore the club membership. I've been on the fence about ending the membership before so thank you for helping me decide.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 7:34 am
  #230  
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Originally Posted by Say Vandelay
Overcrowding is from Chase, ebay, etc.
Included in the "etc." must be ourselves - see "The United Club Meet-Up Thread" in this forum. I always thought this was a bit unethical, although at times I invited in strangers who did me a favor at the airport. Oh, well ...
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 7:35 am
  #231  
 
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Originally Posted by ylord789
Very unhappy to hear this. I don't see how people can justify $450 credit card annual fee or even $550 club annual fee if we can not access clubs without a boarding pass.

As soon as this news is confirmed, I will not renew my chase club credit card.

Just to remind UA manegement, I have a prestige card of $350 annual fee (of which $250 usable on airtickets) and some very generous Priority Pass privileges. And it earns 3.15 points per dollar on any airline/hotel spending.
I don't know where you signed up for your Prestige card, but mine is $450 per year. I agree, as someone who holds both the prestige card and the Club card (combined with my *G status, I'm covered at most airports globally), I find this very disheartening. I don't ever go to the lounge when not flying, though I have done it when flying on other carriers. I hear the scream of UA racing to the bottom...
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 7:38 am
  #232  
 
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Originally Posted by UAConvert
I don't know where you signed up for your Prestige card, but mine is $450 per year. I agree, as someone who holds both the prestige card and the Club card (combined with my *G status, I'm covered at most airports globally), I find this very disheartening. I don't ever go to the lounge when not flying, though I have done it when flying on other carriers. I hear the scream of UA racing to the bottom...
I'm not sure why you find this disheartening. If you're only there when flying then nothing changes for you.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 7:42 am
  #233  
 
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Originally Posted by CMK10
Just out of curiosity, why are you going to the airport so much without flying? And frankly, I think deciding to hold up a seat and forcing UA agents to handle your cancellation out of spite is pretty petty.
Is it any more petty than United removing a benefit that has little effect on their bottom line?
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 8:38 am
  #234  
 
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
The only reason you had a paid UC membership was to use the club when you were not flying via gate passes?

So, if I read Insider's statement correctly, the only actual change here is the elimination of gate passes? If so, why even bother with the policy change? Were so many people using gate passes every date and filling up the clubs? I just cannot possibly imagine this to be the case.
Originally Posted by CMK10
Just out of curiosity, why are you going to the airport so much without flying? And frankly, I think deciding to hold up a seat and forcing UA agents to handle your cancellation out of spite is pretty petty.
Read my other post about 20 up, it will explain how I have leveraged my club membership. My two cents towards all this is that I'm probably far from abusing this. If UA really wanted to address the issue, they could easily pull the report of which members are abusing the membership (they have sent me emails stating you have been to a UA club XYZ times), so why not just run a report for the members abusing the system, and then message them directly that their membership would be revoke if they continued.

No, instead UA would rather piss off a larger population and impact everyone where it simply does not help UA's bottom line. This is a lose-lose decision and whoever thought this one through can't be the sharpest crayon in the box.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 8:50 am
  #235  
 
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Originally Posted by Say Vandelay
This "change you'll like" coincides perfectly with my Chase renewal date and I'll be cancelling the card and therefore the club membership. I've been on the fence about ending the membership before so thank you for helping me decide.
So cancelling gate passes is the reason you are going to cancel club membership? Overcrowding? After March/12 each club doubled in hometown population alone, this should not be an issue 3 years later. UA with CO was a massive merge and full planes, low CPU chances and crowded terminals and lounges were and always will be expected.

How many times in the past 12 months did you acquire a gate pass to go to the club? What airport? I am curious at to how many folks really get a gate pass.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 8:59 am
  #236  
 
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Originally Posted by ZZYZXROAD

How many times in the past 12 months did you acquire a gate pass to go to the club? What airport? I am curious at to how many folks really get a gate pass.
Great question, so why remove the benefit? It seems to only serve to rock the boat which is already in rough waters. United is lowest in every CSI rating, and it's decisions like this that are the reason why.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 9:09 am
  #237  
 
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I just received an email about the changes. And even now, United is opaque about what has really changed with this policy. The change is:

■ Effective August 18, 2016, a same-day boarding pass for all United Club customers, including members, will be required for United Club access.

Is it really so hard to be direct in communications where changes are made? Why not tell me specifically: Effective August 18, 2016, United will no longer offer gate passes for United Club members to access their club when they are not traveling that day.

Is that really so difficult?
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 9:14 am
  #238  
 
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This is super interesting.
1: I am an idiot.. I did not even realize I could use the lounge on arriving. You bet I am going to take advantage of that going forward.
2: Here is a scenario for you, of they are thinking of upgrading the lounge experience () perhaps they wanted to close off the loophole of getting in with a gate pass.. ie its not about folks using it now they (the accountants) want to ensure if better booze and food is offered people don't just duck into the airport to get a free meal and dink..

Of course this makes zero sense to me as often it is as expensive to get to the airport as it is to get a good meal and a drink!

Given the wide spread dissemination of the notice and the knee jerk (albeit justified) reaction of people (What have I lost? Surely this is bad!) I don't get the reasoning for this.. what is the cost saving over the ripple of fear it has generates.. very interesting to say the least.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 9:15 am
  #239  
 
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Between this e-mail and UA Insider's post...I still don't get how this will be effective or why it was truly needed.


Update about United Club access

Dear Unitedfflyer,

We've been working on a variety of improvements to our United ClubSM program. To provide a more productive and relaxing experience, we're investing more than $100 million in renovating existing locations and building new spaces with expanded seating areas, more power outlets and upgraded Wi-Fi. We're also investing in a brand new complimentary food menu that you can now find at our hub locations across the U.S. and will be available soon at the rest of our locations.

To maintain and further improve the United Club experience, we're announcing the following change to our program:

■ Effective August 18, 2016, a same-day boarding pass for all United Club customers, including members, will be required for United Club access.

United Club membership is a benefit of your United MileagePlus Club Card. With a United Club membership, you can still bring your spouse and children under 21, or up to two guests, into any United Club location.

Thank you for being a United MileagePlus Club Cardmember, and we look forward to creating an even more comfortable and premium United Club experience for you.
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Old Aug 18, 2015, 9:16 am
  #240  
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The policy is quite clear and direct.

Gate passes and other stuff are simply ancillary procedures and don't matter. If you can't gain entry to the UC, you don't need a gate pass. Presumably UA won't issue one.

The policy also makes clear that this is for UA customers and UC members and that *A policies remain in effect for those qualified.

Whether you like this is a matter of where you sit. If a UA flier, it's a great thing as it cuts down over-crowding at stations where multiple carriers have easy physical access to a UC. If you are one of those people who flies other carriers to/from or through these locations, it's a PITA.
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