Flagged for “Lounge Hopping”? UA is monitoring? Why?
Feb 25, 2019, 7:03 pm
#16
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ne used to have to show ID and a membership card to get into a UA club but the past few years all they have asked for was a BP.
Feb 25, 2019, 7:11 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,356
I routinely have dinner at the LH lounge in IAD (great food for an overnight flight -- not too spicy and won't keep you awake at night!), fun to look through the German-language newspapers, then go to the inevitably crowded UA lounge for the last half-hour or so before the trans-Atlantic flight. Hope that doesn't get dinged in the future.
Feb 25, 2019, 7:18 pm
#18
Join Date: Mar 2005
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UA needs to adopt the system AA uses. There's a photo attached to your membership record and when they scan your BP it pops up on their screen. Easy peasy.
Feb 25, 2019, 7:26 pm
#19
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Probably why I've been asked for my passport at the Polaris lounge on arrival from a Polaris flight. Initially thought it strange as I was connecting to a domestic flight but then I figured they were just checking my ID.
Feb 25, 2019, 7:33 pm
#20
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That would be my guess - especially given that they are already enforcing ID checks at the Polaris lounges to stop exactly that from happening - and from talking to the staff at the SFO Polaris lounge they have caught people with the ID checks...
It's very possible it didn't just flag that it was a different lounge, but potentially that it was a 2nd entry for the same person to any (United) lounge.
It's very possible it didn't just flag that it was a different lounge, but potentially that it was a 2nd entry for the same person to any (United) lounge.
It sounds like people were being very stupid (as well as cheating) to be caught in an ID check. Either they borrowed the legitimate lounge user's ID and didn't look anything like the photo or they showed the lounge dragon their own ID which obviously didn't match the ticket. I'm assuming they didn't bother trying to make/buy a fake ID to use just for the lounge.
Years ago I remember hearing some stories of father/son combinations sharing a single elite FF account where they had the same name with parent being Sr and son Jr or maybe they had some roman numerals after the names. In fact I once sat next to a kid who told me that he had gotten his upgrade due to this device. He looked like he was 18-20 and I was not unhappy when the FA asked him for ID to prove his age when he asked for his second PDB.
Years ago I remember hearing some stories of father/son combinations sharing a single elite FF account where they had the same name with parent being Sr and son Jr or maybe they had some roman numerals after the names. In fact I once sat next to a kid who told me that he had gotten his upgrade due to this device. He looked like he was 18-20 and I was not unhappy when the FA asked him for ID to prove his age when he asked for his second PDB.
Feb 25, 2019, 7:57 pm
#21
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Feb 25, 2019, 7:59 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 209
During my last ORD connection (though "connection" is maybe not the appropriate word at an airport that routinely strands you for 4+ hours), I was stuck for the better part of the day, and decided to check out all four lounges. I must have a deep-red flag on my account now 
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Feb 25, 2019, 8:01 pm
#23
Join Date: Jul 2007
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It sounds like people were being very stupid (as well as cheating) to be caught in an ID check. Either they borrowed the legitimate lounge user's ID and didn't look anything like the photo or they showed the lounge dragon their own ID which obviously didn't match the ticket. I'm assuming they didn't bother trying to make/buy a fake ID to use just for the lounge.
Feb 25, 2019, 8:15 pm
#24
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
My wife and I have both had experiences with one time passes recently that are pretty much opposite of United flagging lounge hopping. I was in LAX with a one time pass. When I checked in to the first lounge, the agent told me that I was free to visit any UC in the airport that day. I didn't have a lot of time, so I didn't, but I could have.
My wife had exactly the same experience at IAD. She arrived early in the morning, before the UC near the gate for her flight to PEK was open. She went to a different UC (I'm not sure which ones; I wasn't there) where she stayed until the lounge nearer her gate was open. She was told to feel free to visit any UC in IAD that day.
My wife had exactly the same experience at IAD. She arrived early in the morning, before the UC near the gate for her flight to PEK was open. She went to a different UC (I'm not sure which ones; I wasn't there) where she stayed until the lounge nearer her gate was open. She was told to feel free to visit any UC in IAD that day.
Feb 25, 2019, 8:18 pm
#25
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My wife and I have both had experiences with one time passes recently that are pretty much opposite of United flagging lounge hopping. I was in LAX with a one time pass. When I checked in to the first lounge, the agent told me that I was free to visit any UC in the airport that day. I didn't have a lot of time, so I didn't, but I could have.
My wife had exactly the same experience at IAD. She arrived early in the morning, before the UC near the gate for her flight to PEK was open. She went to a different UC (I'm not sure which ones; I wasn't there) where she stayed until the lounge nearer her gate was open. She was told to feel free to visit any UC in IAD that day.
My wife had exactly the same experience at IAD. She arrived early in the morning, before the UC near the gate for her flight to PEK was open. She went to a different UC (I'm not sure which ones; I wasn't there) where she stayed until the lounge nearer her gate was open. She was told to feel free to visit any UC in IAD that day.
Feb 25, 2019, 8:31 pm
#26
Join Date: Sep 2015
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Posts: 224
At NRT about a decade ago, lounge dragons in the various *A lounges (UA, ANA, etc.) would sometimes (but not always IME) do something to stamp the boarding pass and then you supposedly couldn't enter a different *A lounge with a *A business class or FC ticket. I think it would have been hard, but maybe not impossible, to solve the problem by having multiple boarding passes (printed during OLCI, inbound and outbound for a connection, or just say you misplaced it).
However, there are easy get around solutions to this. First being entering other airline lounge (say, ANA) first. ANA lounge doesn't stamp so you have no problem entering UA lounge afterwards.
Another solution if you happen to already get your BP stamped is... just show them your BP from united app and you'll be able to get in no problem.
Feb 25, 2019, 8:41 pm
#27
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Feb 25, 2019, 9:08 pm
#28
Join Date: Jul 2016
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Posts: 767
DEN always has a lot of interesting rules...
I was told that the purpose of the stamp was to let you re-enter the UA club without having to check-in again or something so you could go in-and-out to do your duty free shopping.
My strategy when visiting multiple lounges is to always visit the furthest one first and then just let them know I'll be moving to the lounge closer to my gate.
My strategy when visiting multiple lounges is to always visit the furthest one first and then just let them know I'll be moving to the lounge closer to my gate.
Last edited by mr8; Feb 25, 2019 at 9:13 pm
Feb 25, 2019, 9:18 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 2008
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DEN always has a lot of interesting rules...
I was told that the purpose of the stamp was to let you re-enter the UA club without having to check-in again or something so you could go in-and-out to do your duty free shopping.
My strategy when visiting multiple lounges is to always visit the furthest one first and then just let them know I'll be moving to the lounge closer to my gate.
I was told that the purpose of the stamp was to let you re-enter the UA club without having to check-in again or something so you could go in-and-out to do your duty free shopping.
My strategy when visiting multiple lounges is to always visit the furthest one first and then just let them know I'll be moving to the lounge closer to my gate.
FWIW I would not be offended by ID checks. Makes sense if there's actual abuse. Photo on dragon screen sounds even better -- I could make that joke about how I look better in the picture....
Feb 25, 2019, 9:28 pm
#30
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I am unaware of any restriction that does not allow me to move between lounges. Upon arrival at NRT I use the UC for a shower because they have portable fans (NH lounges do not), then I go to the NH lounge for the rest of the layover.