United Club Pass + Priority Pass + NRT to BWI via ORD
 

Hoping for a little advice on how to best do this.

Family trip to visit my sister in Japan, but flying back separately because I live in Baltimore and they live in DC, and my friends can drive me to BWI. Outbound is no problem, flying up to Newark Thursday night and using a free hotel night.

Coming back April 7th.

Depart Narita at 5:30pm, Arrive at Chicago at 2:30pm. Depart for BWI at 6:30pm. (Approx Times) All on United Airlines, no codeshares with ANA.

I have 2 United Club passes, and I, but not my parents, am a member of Priority Pass. My mom might want to use the lounge, and I will DEF want a shower when arriving in Chicago. I know there are $10 showers a Narita.

What's the best strategy to use the passes and membership?

The Priority Pass membership will not provide UC access.
Unless you are returning in Business / Polaris, there are no showers in the ORD UCs.

So if showers are the key focus, UCs are out.

Priority Pass will get you into "The Club" at BWI (which you probably knew), and the Korean Air Lounge in Terminal 1 of NRT (no showers; you should get a guest or two depending on your PP). Your United Club passes (no guests) will get you into the UC at NRT (no showers). If you happen to be Star Gold, one of the ANA lounges has showers.

There are two PP lounges at ORD, but neither have showers and I think you have to be departing from Terminal 5 to get access. Your club passes will get you into one of the other United Clubs at ORD, but again, no guest and no showers (only the Polaris Clubs have showers anymore and passes don't work for those).

ORD is a big hole in the Priority Pass system -- as mentioned you must be departing from Terminal 5 to access the two lounges. No PP lounges in Terminals 1, 2, or 3, or arrivals side of Terminal 5.

Just thinking outside the box, since you have 4 hours, the on-airport Hilton is $111 on that date, or an offsite motel with free shuttle for $55. You will have to pass right by the Hilton when transferring from your int'l arrival in T5 to your domestic flight in T1, so if you go that route, no time lost in transport -- just a few minutes to check in and elevator to your room. With 4 hours and split between 3 people that's not a bad price, and you can shower, nap, etc.

I haven't transited NRT for awhile. (avoiding ANA's knee crushers to BKK).
Did they really remove all the showers from the United Club at NRT? There were like 10 of them there...

Yeah. I'm beginning to realize this Priority Pass thing is not as useful as it appears.

Looks like the best bet for me might be to try to use the KAL lounge since I could bring in my parents (and hope it's not full). Then when I get to Ohare, since I have to go landside as part of customs, just walk over to the Hilton and buy a day pass to the spa, and then come back, and use the UA club pass until my flight to BWI.

And then just pay the $10 dollars for a shower at Narita at one of the landside lounges.

Greg

The KAL lounge is fine---self-serve bar, OK food. I used it a few times before I got Star Gold and was able to start using the ANA lounges (made to order ramen and massage chairs!). United's website says the NRT club does not have showers (but the GFL does), but it's possible that's not accurate. I didn't look for them last time I was there, and I've always done ANA when I've had a connection and wanted a shower (or the Admiral's Club, back when I flew AA, which has very nice showers).

You don't need to be departing T5. Chicago will let you into T5 with a valid boarding pass for any terminal. It does mean an extra trip through security (once in T5, and again in your departing terminal), but for an international arrival (where you are physically at T5 anyway) there's no extra overhead.

That said, none of the accessible lounges in T5 have showers, so it's not going to help.

A day room at the Hilton might be the best option.

It really varies. Domestic (USA) airports tend to be spotty, but overseas the coverage is much better. ORD is the worst hole, I think. Most other big domestic airports have SOMETHING, even if it's a little out of the way or landside or no-food minute suites or just restaurant credit or something.

But even domestically I've gotten my money worth with a few long layovers at ATL, a flight delay at BWI, and the one time I managed to use it at ORD when flying AM from T5. Add that to a few uses abroad per year and (assuming you're getting it through a CC and not paying out of pocket), I think it's worth it esp if not *G etc.

SFO is pretty paltry as well, with the only option in Terminal A which is not connected to anything else airside.

And DCA, with no options :td:

I haven't tried myself, but a few FT threads indicate it's not possible:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/midw...ge-access.html

"You will not have access to T5, it is disconnected from the domestic terminals T1/2/3 and you cannot access it without a T5 boading pass."

And various posts here:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/midw...rminal-15.html

If you are right and it is possible without much arguing to get into T5 with a T1 boarding pass, and you are willing to clear 2 rounds of security, then I agree with you that arriving into T5 and going upstairs to use the lounge before heading to the ATS is not the most inconvenient thing to do.

I had no issues doing it about 2 months ago. I was in the UA terminal and they refused to let me catch the bus without a T5 boarding pass, but I went landside, caught the train, and was able to enter security without any issues.

Coming back there is no bus, so I had to again go landside to get back to the B/C gates.

Good to know! I may make use of this next time I get to the airport super early for some reason.

I had the same question. Why are people saying there are no showers in the United Club in Narita?