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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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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
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 15, 2015, 9:18 am
  #91  
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Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
I noticed this at JFK (that's ironic...) yesterday--

Maybe someone should post to Instagram and ask what going on?

David
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 9:31 am
  #92  
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To me, with the same day boarding pass requirement (and I'm guessing the aforementioned 'liberal interpretation' of said rule), the fact that it appears you really don't have to be flying on UA, exceptions given for meetings and no actual cancellation of the gate pass policy (yet)...Seems to me not much has changed, at least with the limited facts we have now.

Therefore, to me this is a data grab. UA wants to see/scan your boarding pass to see who else you're flying and when.

I could be way wrong, but that's what this looks like to me.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 9:32 am
  #93  
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I'm in favor of anything that reduces crowding in the clubs, which I only use when I'm flying that day.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 9:39 am
  #94  
 
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Originally Posted by Bonehead
I'm in favor of anything that reduces crowding in the clubs, which I only use when I'm flying that day.
The membership price increase should help with that, it helped me make up my mind not to renew in 2016.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 10:23 am
  #95  
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Monetizing the Clubs

Recall that elites are overentitled (Clubs are overly exclusive) and likely UCH (United Continental Holdings) and Chase have plateaued the number of Club credit cards they've been able to sell.

One approach UCH may be to further monetizing the Clubs by building out more option packages that SHARES can sell - free bag, priority boarding, E+, and now *same day Club access* - since they're spending investment on the Clubs. How about if SHARES can sell a Club access as well as Group 1 boarding access for their most desired customers (e.g. those who buy add-ons) at check-in?

Clearly giving away 2 passes per year isn't enough for all of those credit cards that D. Barrett has qualified for to entice the UCH flying public to either purchase memberships or upgrade the Club credit card.

David
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:02 am
  #96  
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Probably no relationship, but 2016 is the year that all those people, like me, renewed for 3 years at the old rate just before the price increase. One more thing to consider, even though I don't think I've EVER used the club when I wasn't flying *alliance that day.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:18 am
  #97  
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My money is on it being a typo - 2015 instead of 2016.

Would UA be that "friendly" as to give us a year's notice? Methinks not.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:20 am
  #98  
 
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I paid for lifetime membership and the option to use the club at any time was a big factor in a decision that I paid thousands of dollars for. If UA changes the rules for me after I paid the money, something is wrong. At a bare minimum, they need to exempt lifetime members.
This appears to be just another beat down of loyal customers, telling us that they don't value our patronage.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:32 am
  #99  
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Originally Posted by JBord
Quote:





Originally Posted by Bonehead


I'm in favor of anything that reduces crowding in the clubs, which I only use when I'm flying that day.




The membership price increase should help with that, it helped me make up my mind not to renew in 2016.
Meh. Clubs are still overflowing.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:36 am
  #100  
 
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Originally Posted by sb3
This is the 2nd bullet under misc on the terms and conditions page, bolding mine:

United reserves the right to modify pricing, benefits, services, hours, club locations and reciprocal lounge agreements at any time with or without written notice to its members and customers.

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...virtual_expert
Of course it's their legal right, I don't think a single person here has suggested it's not. We aren't questioning the legality, but rather the customer alienation aspect.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:38 am
  #101  
 
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Originally Posted by Vulcan
I paid for lifetime membership and the option to use the club at any time was a big factor in a decision..... At a bare minimum, they need to exempt lifetime members.
This appears to be just another beat down of loyal customers, telling us that they don't value our patronage.
+1 Can't agree more.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:45 am
  #102  
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Originally Posted by Vulcan
...This appears to be just another beat down of loyal customers, telling us that they don't value our patronage.
Maybe they're trying to improve the quality of the Club experience for those of us who use the UCs when they're actually flying. I'm sure that United is aware of the complaints related to overcrowded clubs. I for one an sick and tired of getting off a plane at, say, ORD, walking in to a UC and walking right back out because there's no place to sit. Ridiculous.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:48 am
  #103  
 
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Originally Posted by LaserSailor
6 pages of thread and ...

Me: GOod morning....( present club card)

Checker: I'm sorrybDr Laser Sailor , the new policy is you must have a boarding pass to enter the UC.

Me: I'll be booking my next leg over at the customer support desk in the club, is that ok?

Checker: of course, have a nice day

Me: thank you, have a great one!
I am glad you have found a morally acceptable way to navigate around another stupid policy change.
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:50 am
  #104  
 
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Originally Posted by Bonehead
I'm in favor of anything that reduces crowding in the clubs, which I only use when I'm flying that day.
Yeah, it works for you, all it right with the world, how it affects others is totally irrelevant.

Originally Posted by Bonehead
Maybe they're trying to improve the quality of the Club experience for those of us who use the UCs when they're actually flying. I'm sure that United is aware of the complaints related to overcrowded clubs. I for one an sick and tired of getting off a plane at, say, ORD, walking in to a UC and walking right back out because there's no place to sit. Ridiculous.
You make a valid point here, but isn't the appropriate solution to expand the club to accommodate the members to whom you have sold memberships, rather than change the rules?

I can just see it now, 24 hour fitness, is so successful at selling memberships, and god forbid people actually come to use the gym, hum how do we solve this problem?

Oh, I know we'll just limit when people can come...great, oh, damn you mean someone will start a class action against us? Or worse they will cancel and take their membership to Golds. No, they would be intelligent enough to expand, so they could sell yet more memberships, and make yet more money.

Only the idiots at United would see the success of something as a disaster they must mitigate.

Last edited by transportbiz; Aug 15, 2015 at 11:57 am
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Old Aug 15, 2015, 11:53 am
  #105  
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I have a hard time understanding why anyone that's not traveling wants to go to a united club.

I don't think there's a huge population who goes to the clubs to eat lousy food and drink lousy booze. Frankly, the club isn't worth the money even if you're using it when traveling! let alone schlepping to the airport and dealing with the TSA.

I only have the club by virtue of the credit card, and I only have that for the 1.5 MPD.
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