Recent Denials of admission to *A Lounges due to lack of UA *G card [2019-2020]
 

As it appears UA will not be providing UA Premier Gold cards for 2019, not even on request, there are concerns of being denied admission to *A lounges.
UA is saying your BP with *G status showing or the using of the UA virtual membership card in the UA app should be sufficient for admission.

Let's focus on collecting reports AFTER 1 January 2019 of admission denials to see if there is a pattern.

If denied, please report
-- Date
-- Location, lounge operator
-- Did your BP have *G status visible? If not, did you ask to add your UA MP account to the PNR and request a new BP?
-- Did you try the UA app virtual membership card?
-- Were you provided an explanation for the denial?
-- Did you request an escalation to a supervisor? If so, did that change the situation?
-- Have you written a message to UA about this? and UA responses (if any)

Please let's focus on actual denials, not fears of such AND only actual recent experiences (not what happened last year or years ago).

Is this thread worthy of a "Wiki" tag?

Maybe, depending on if anyone, or how many, get denied entry.

Would be helpful if the new United app allowed a full size showing of the front of the virtual status cards...

The tag will show up automatically if somebody adds a wiki to this post.

So it's limited to iOS?

On the Andriod phones you can triple-tap to magnify, other phone OSs likely have similar functions.

on Android, new app only displays the back of the card, regardless of single or triple tap.

How do I "add it to my wallet" on iOS?

You need to enable triple tap magnification -- under accessibility, vision.

More on this in https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...available.html (and how to use the iOS wallet).

Neat, I never new that was there. However, it doesn't increase the native resolution the app uses for the small card, so it would be preferable if United updated the display to show the front view again in full size.

Edinburgh Airport - Would not let me in with a digital card (this is a contract lounge - Aspire). Luckily had my soon-to-expire 1K card on me.

Shouldn't an expired card still be acceptable? Don't they just need your FF# so they can look you up in their computer system?

What airline were you flying? Was your UA FF number on the ticket?

I was there a month ago and they just needed to see my ticket.

Great thinking in setting up this thread WineCountry!

It may also make sense to know a few more things:

• Did the person being denied show their (now expired) physical UA Elite card?
• What airline you were flying (i.e. your UA card won't be helpful getting you into a LH lounge if you're flying AS)
• Itinerary (at least high level like USA -> USA) to determine if denial was due to intricacies of *Lounge Access Policy or the actual freakin' card
• Status level of Traveller (i.e. UA Gold, UA Platinum, UA 1K, GS, etc.)
• If you showed the UA Virtual Card was it up to date and did it display the *Gold logo on it?

If this thread unfortunately becomes popular, I may create a spreadsheet to track the issues. It may also be useful reporting the successes as well since I hear the LH Group is very finicky with admission and knowing their reasoning why you got in can be helpful for those fighting to get in in the first place. It may also be useful to track how often you were challenged to produce a card (virtual or otherwise). I'll leave it up to the fine tastes of the OP to determine what's the best approach to tracking these issues (and successes)

When I spoke to UA early this in January about the lack of physical card, the agents I spoke to told me specifically that UA has an agreement with the various lounge operators now in effect that the mere presentation of the virtual card along with your boarding pass on a * flight should grant you access to the relevant * lounges. If you receive pushback from the lounge operators, remind them of the agreement (and get a supervisor involved if need be).

Safe Travels,

James