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Showers removed from all domestic United Clubs (and now returning to EWR, others?)

Old Jul 7, 2022, 11:56 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Why / When would you like to use a shower at a UA lounge / club?


Presently for UCs, only the C123 EWR UC has showers
All the Polaris lounges have showers
The SFO T2 MLL has showers

Reported the new DEN UC will have showers and showers will be introduced at hub UCs when remodeled
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Showers removed from all domestic United Clubs (and now returning to EWR, others?)

Old Oct 3, 2017, 8:42 am
  #76  
 
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Originally Posted by catocony
PMUA Red Carpet Clubs didn't have showers except some of the international ones. With the really bad bathrooms at the Dulles and other clubs, I would have been happy with a simple bathroom upgrade like SFO.

Showers are a niche service. A lot of my friends don't see the point in showers at airports. I've used them many times over the years, especially at the old club at GRU. For domestic runs, they don't make too much sense, but for TPAC and TATL connection hubs, they do come in handy.
If any place needs showers its SFO. UA is forcing more intl routes through SFO. Those of us on the east coast must go through SFO to get to SE asia and oceania and back. After a 12hr flight, and knowing you have another 5hr flight ahead of you, a shower is welcome.

I guess this is the same for EWR for people on the west coast going to europe.

Same goes for IAH for people who travel to south america.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 8:50 am
  #77  
 
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Originally Posted by eng3
If any place needs showers its SFO. UA is forcing more intl routes through SFO. Those of us on the east coast must go through SFO to get to SE asia and oceania and back. After a 12hr flight, and knowing you have another 5hr flight ahead of you, a shower is welcome.
There is the SFO Arrival Lounge, which is not going away - at least for now. Most flights from Asia/Ocenia arrive early enough to allow use before the lounge closes.

PAX from Europe are out of luck though.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 8:55 am
  #78  
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Originally Posted by 1kBill
There is the SFO Arrival Lounge, which is not going away - at least for now. Most flights from Asia/Ocenia arrive early enough to allow use before the lounge closes.
You're assuming a J or F arrival from Asia. With UA now, no showers for Y pax under any circumstances. They're arguably the ones who need one the most.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 9:22 am
  #79  
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I wonder if there is room to expand the arrivals lounge @ SFO.

I'd think there's tons of space at IAH, its texas after all. ORD is limited as is EWR.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 10:44 am
  #80  
 
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GS here not being able to have a shower after a red-eye into EWR is a major disadvantage of flying UA. I suppose I will need to book a room at the Marriott now. Not cool.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 11:14 am
  #81  
 
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Originally Posted by docbert
You can be pretty sure that they will not be removing showers from any other US-based United Club - mainly because there are no other US-based UC's with showers - EWR was the last of them.
Back to status quo ante then.

UA's lounges always sucked, even the one in Narita.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 11:36 am
  #82  
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Originally Posted by kirkwoodj
You'll be able to use once Polaris lounge opens
Only if I'm sitting in business. At AA, all I need is to be an AC member.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 7:39 pm
  #83  
 
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Not sure how much the showers cost to operate. If I want to use water, I can go in the restroom and turn on the facet. You need a clean towel - not sure what that costs. At IAH - CO and then UA had washer/dryers and the attendant washed the towels. Is the labor cost much different than the person going around and collecting glasses in the club?

Years back when CO hooked up with QF after CO discontinued service to Australia, I would book many reward tickets in QF premium cabin with continuing flight on CO in F.

CO did not have showers at LAX, which was a problem. At least when CO was in Skyteam you could go over and use the showers in the Delta club, via the connector. CO started improving its lounges at its hubs (just that LAX wasn't a hub).

The big plus for AA is that EXP gets access to Flagship lounges, with big buffet food and showers. UA should let 1Ks in the Polaris Lounges (like they do GS). AA allows both EXP and CK.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 7:46 pm
  #84  
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Originally Posted by cova
Not sure how much the showers cost to operate. If I want to use water, I can go in the restroom and turn on the facet. You need a clean towel - not sure what that costs. At IAH - CO and then UA had washer/dryers and the attendant washed the towels. Is the labor cost much different than the person going around and collecting glasses in the club?

Years back when CO hooked up with QF after CO discontinued service to Australia, I would book many reward tickets in QF premium cabin with continuing flight on CO in F.

CO did not have showers at LAX, which was a problem. At least when CO was in Skyteam you could go over and use the showers in the Delta club, via the connector. CO started improving its lounges at its hubs (just that LAX wasn't a hub).

The big plus for AA is that EXP gets access to Flagship lounges, with big buffet food and showers. UA should let 1Ks in the Polaris Lounges (like they do GS). AA allows both EXP and CK.
It's quite likely that labour costs are the largest portion of operating a shower service, which is understandable. However, I can't imagine that they are such a significant part of club expenditures as to be unsustainable. It's more likely that the value of offering a shower is insufficiently quantified while the cost of doing so is excessively quantified.

As a sidebar, my one opportunity to visit the Polaris lounge this year was in the evening, and the shower attendants had already shut down the showers at least an hour early.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 8:04 pm
  #85  
 
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Originally Posted by cova
UA should let 1Ks in the Polaris Lounges (like they do GS). AA allows both EXP and CK.
UA does not allow GS in Polaris lounges.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 8:09 pm
  #86  
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I don't believe getting rid of the showers has anything to do with the cost of running the showers. The floor space for some of the new polaris lounges includes the UA Club showers. I think polaris lounges took so many showers away UA just decided it was easier to get rid of them in all US domestic Clubs... there are other reasons as well.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 8:13 pm
  #87  
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Originally Posted by ermintrude
I don't believe getting rid of the showers has anything to do with the cost of running the showers. The floor space for some of the new polaris lounges includes the UA Club showers. I think polaris lounges took so many showers away UA just decided it was easier to get rid of them in all US domestic Clubs... there are other reasons as well.
I think it has everything to do with cost. Like pretty much everything else these days.

And it's not just about removing them from existing lounges (there were only three airports in the US to begin), but failing to install them in new lounges. Contra both DL and AA.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 8:32 pm
  #88  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
It makes a huge difference to me following a red-eye.

The lack of showers at EWR will definitely make me pause before booking UA for a premium t-con red-eye.

I think this hurts UA when DL and AA are putting showers in their new domestic clubs.
For me it is not just red-eyes, when I am getting on a later afternoon/evening NYC-SFO flight, I will, if I can get to JFK early enough, always shower. There is zero chance that United will ever get my $1400+ premium one way travel when DL offers showers and a nice lounge and UA offers a grungy UC with no showers.

Same applies at all of the DL clubs, especially in the summer when its hot, a shower and change at ATL/DTW/JFK before getting on a long flight to SFO is a major reason to fly DL, not UA.

p.s. I just had to go to ANC, and showers upon changing planes at SEA after a red-eye back from ANC was why I went with DL...

Last edited by spin88; Oct 3, 2017 at 9:17 pm
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Old Oct 4, 2017, 1:33 pm
  #89  
 
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Originally Posted by spin88
p.s. I just had to go to ANC, and showers upon changing planes at SEA after a red-eye back from ANC was why I went with DL...
The showers at the DL SC in Seattle are AWESOME! Not just the lovely rain shower heads, but the entire experience from checking in at the spa to premium shampoo/conditioner to quality towels tied together. Nicer than the Amex Cent IMHO.
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Old Oct 4, 2017, 1:41 pm
  #90  
 
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Confirmed this morning on my 12 hr TLV-EWR flight that EWR no longer has shower service - at least during renovation.

Previous OP had already asked about post-renovation.

So I guess it's Gone Gone Gone. Too bad - this was one of my key reasons for using UC membership.
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