United Club membership now $650 effective 8/13/19
Jun 19, 2019, 4:53 pm
#136
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
Can’t say I’m surprise UA’s raising prices and I can’t say I’m ever likely to buy a UC membership. I suspect there’s quite a few travelers who’ll pay whatever for a UC membership “just because” regardless of how crowded / diluted the product becomes. And UA would be even more foolish then them NOT to sell them a membership.
Maybe I’m just cynical in my old age but how do people have so much time to spend at the lounge, short of a connection or padding for an international flight? Today I was flying out on DL domestic ex IAH and I got to the gate ~5m prior to boarding. Planning on doing the same for my flight tomorrow too. Actively planning to minimize my time at the airport.
at ATL I hoped into the SkyClub for the 1,500 SM glasses of Dom
but beyond that, I personally would rather sit in the terminal or a restaurant bar. Key here is there’s no real value add I see for a lounge membership vs the value add of a quiet (or hip - which lounges rarely are) place to kick back when there’s no other alternative.
FWIW I find myself both pleased and ambivalently disgusted with the UA lounge situation: pleased with the PLs and already have access by virtue of being in the front cabin and no interest with the UCs as I just don’t see any value there...short of helping to clear people who’d otherwise be in the terminal / AX Centurion / PPass location out.
As for agent support, I can’t recall the last time I had an issue I could not take care of over the phone from a 3rd party lounge. Not saying such issues don’t exist, nor is the phone as easy as talking face-to-face with an agent, just that for the majority of issues a phone call is just as effective as an agent.
I’ve already wound down all my co-branded Chase/UA cards in favor of Sapphire / Ink (or AX) and this GS finds himself booking DL / QR / SQ more and more - generally via bank-paid revenue tickets which end up being cheaper than actual rewards! - and only going out of my way to engage in MileagePlan.
Anyways my take away is UA will still sell boatloads of memberships to the fools who’ll gladly buy them and the UCs will remain crowded.
Maybe I’m just cynical in my old age but how do people have so much time to spend at the lounge, short of a connection or padding for an international flight? Today I was flying out on DL domestic ex IAH and I got to the gate ~5m prior to boarding. Planning on doing the same for my flight tomorrow too. Actively planning to minimize my time at the airport.
at ATL I hoped into the SkyClub for the 1,500 SM glasses of Dom
but beyond that, I personally would rather sit in the terminal or a restaurant bar. Key here is there’s no real value add I see for a lounge membership vs the value add of a quiet (or hip - which lounges rarely are) place to kick back when there’s no other alternative.FWIW I find myself both pleased and ambivalently disgusted with the UA lounge situation: pleased with the PLs and already have access by virtue of being in the front cabin and no interest with the UCs as I just don’t see any value there...short of helping to clear people who’d otherwise be in the terminal / AX Centurion / PPass location out.
As for agent support, I can’t recall the last time I had an issue I could not take care of over the phone from a 3rd party lounge. Not saying such issues don’t exist, nor is the phone as easy as talking face-to-face with an agent, just that for the majority of issues a phone call is just as effective as an agent.
I’ve already wound down all my co-branded Chase/UA cards in favor of Sapphire / Ink (or AX) and this GS finds himself booking DL / QR / SQ more and more - generally via bank-paid revenue tickets which end up being cheaper than actual rewards! - and only going out of my way to engage in MileagePlan.
Anyways my take away is UA will still sell boatloads of memberships to the fools who’ll gladly buy them and the UCs will remain crowded.
Last edited by J.Edward; Jun 19, 2019 at 5:03 pm
Jun 19, 2019, 7:03 pm
#137
Join Date: May 2001
Location: RDU
Programs: UA Plat 2MM, Delta Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott cardboard
Posts: 1,699
That's a good plan world wide. My trek in HKG is SQ (best seats + not crowded) --> AMEX (best food + champagne makes up for crowds and bad seating) --> UA (gotta know if my flight to the US has gone fubar)
Jun 19, 2019, 7:18 pm
#138
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
At my home airport, on a high-frequency domestic route, with no irrops? Of course not! I know exactly how long it will take to get to the airport, pass through security, etc. I arrive at my gate 5-10 minutes before boarding begins. I do not think this is where lounges are useful.
But if I have a 4-hour connection, a flight cancellation, am arriving early for a once-a-day int'l flight, or even as simple as hotel check-out is 12pm and flight is at 4pm....then that quiet space to read or work with a free drink, free snacks (esp vegetables), and free wifi (still not available at all airports) is golden.
Can’t say I’m surprise UA’s raising prices and I can’t say I’m ever likely to buy a UC membership. I suspect there’s quite a few travelers who’ll pay whatever for a UC membership “just because” regardless of how crowded / diluted the product becomes. And UA would be even more foolish then them NOT to sell them a membership.
Anyways my take away is UA will still sell boatloads of memberships to the fools who’ll gladly buy them and the UCs will remain crowded.
Anyways my take away is UA will still sell boatloads of memberships to the fools who’ll gladly buy them and the UCs will remain crowded.
But if they raise the price $100 and get the same number of membership renewals as you predict....then I guess that was a good business decision, right?
Jun 19, 2019, 9:03 pm
#139
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
But if I have a 4-hour connection, a flight cancellation, am arriving early for a once-a-day int'l flight, or even as simple as hotel check-out is 12pm and flight is at 4pm....then that quiet space to read or work with a free drink, free snacks (esp vegetables), and free wifi (still not available at all airports) is golden.
Given the choice between UA dinging me $450+ for access to their lounge when I would not already have access to the UC (or PL), I'd rather just take that cash and spend it on a $30 lunch. Said another way, over the course of a year if I spend less than $35 per month on airport dining in lieu of a lounge, I'm coming out ahead with a better (for me) product. And that's not even factoring in non-AX PPass restaurants, Centurion Lounges, and PL access when traveling internationally on *A.
Can't see how it isn't. And even if they keep the revenue the same but have a drop off in membership the existing base still wins due to (what I assume will be) a decrease in crowding.
Last edited by J.Edward; Jun 20, 2019 at 7:55 am
Jun 19, 2019, 11:13 pm
#140
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: SPG Plat
Posts: 459
If crowding is such an issue..
Why not make lounge access *Plat through *A? *Gold seems like the lowest revenue, easiest to get access among the options - I assume they get less than one-day pass revenue.
And also eliminate the Explorer lounge passes? I’m sure they could renegotiate wifi passes or something instead with chase
Why not make lounge access *Plat through *A? *Gold seems like the lowest revenue, easiest to get access among the options - I assume they get less than one-day pass revenue.
And also eliminate the Explorer lounge passes? I’m sure they could renegotiate wifi passes or something instead with chase
Jun 19, 2019, 11:26 pm
#141
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Denver, Colorado
Programs: IHG Spire, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Titanium, Mileage Plus Gold
Posts: 1,736
If crowding is such an issue..
Why not make lounge access *Plat through *A? *Gold seems like the lowest revenue, easiest to get access among the options - I assume they get less than one-day pass revenue.
And also eliminate the Explorer lounge passes? I’m sure they could renegotiate wifi passes or something instead with chase
Why not make lounge access *Plat through *A? *Gold seems like the lowest revenue, easiest to get access among the options - I assume they get less than one-day pass revenue.
And also eliminate the Explorer lounge passes? I’m sure they could renegotiate wifi passes or something instead with chase
Jun 20, 2019, 12:59 am
#142
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,155
Jun 20, 2019, 1:22 am
#143
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,375
Blame Delta
It seems to me that Delta sets the trend for all things negative when it comes to costs and restrictions.
They start something, other airlines follow suit.
- Started BE.
- Lounge membership rates continually increased.
- Lounge membership only got you access if you flew DL / Sky that day.
Furthermore (UA yet to follow suit, but may happen sooner or later):
- DL lounge members no longer get access to Sky partner lounges
- None of DL credit cards offer lounge membership with free access for guest(s).
They start something, other airlines follow suit.
- Started BE.
- Lounge membership rates continually increased.
- Lounge membership only got you access if you flew DL / Sky that day.
Furthermore (UA yet to follow suit, but may happen sooner or later):
- DL lounge members no longer get access to Sky partner lounges
- None of DL credit cards offer lounge membership with free access for guest(s).
Jun 20, 2019, 7:08 am
#144
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,888
It seems to me that Delta sets the trend for all things negative when it comes to costs and restrictions.
They start something, other airlines follow suit.
- Started BE.
- Lounge membership rates continually increased.
- Lounge membership only got you access if you flew DL / Sky that day.
Furthermore (UA yet to follow suit, but may happen sooner or later):
- DL lounge members no longer get access to Sky partner lounges
- None of DL credit cards offer lounge membership with free access for guest(s).
They start something, other airlines follow suit.
- Started BE.
- Lounge membership rates continually increased.
- Lounge membership only got you access if you flew DL / Sky that day.
Furthermore (UA yet to follow suit, but may happen sooner or later):
- DL lounge members no longer get access to Sky partner lounges
- None of DL credit cards offer lounge membership with free access for guest(s).
As far as the guest access and Sky partner lounges, this is where a Priority Pass membership comes in handy. Seemingly a dozen cards offer them.
Jun 20, 2019, 7:14 am
#145
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,392
Why not make lounge access *Plat through *A? *Gold seems like the lowest revenue, easiest to get access among the options - I assume they get less than one-day pass revenue.
And also eliminate the Explorer lounge passes? I’m sure they could renegotiate wifi passes or something instead with chase
And also eliminate the Explorer lounge passes? I’m sure they could renegotiate wifi passes or something instead with chase
I doubt Chase wants to part with the Explorer passes, and they are a huge chunk of revenue for United. But given the typical reaction of UA lounge agents wondering how I will support my lounge entry, I expect that paid memberships are still the majority of people in most UCs.
Jun 20, 2019, 8:11 am
#146
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,418
DL offers SC membership as a Diamond "Choice Benefit." That's why their clubs are so crowded at hubs. Imagine if UA gave 1Ks free membership. For this reason, it's inapt to compare SC pricing to UC pricing, as a large number of SC members don't pay for their memberships.
Jun 20, 2019, 8:32 am
#148
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,888
Yeah, as a low level elite I often forget about the Diamond choice benefit
Jun 20, 2019, 6:06 pm
#149
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: UA 1K | MR Platinum
Posts: 492
In a world...where 1Ks are given not just a hamburger on-board....
but access to the UC....
One man...is about to find out...
What’s it like to eat bar mix for 3 meals per day...for a year.
...we’re about to see...
CLUBMAGEDDON!
Starring Rob Schneider.
</movie announcer voice>