Subdividing LAX United Club
Jul 16, 2019, 4:54 pm
#1
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Subdividing LAX United Club
On a connection at LAX, I went to the UC and while I wasn’t minding my own business 
a bunch of suits came in and were talking about how to carve out a “private room” from the seating area at the Southeast corner of the UC, adjacent to the outside terrace.
Conversation went into how the LAX club offers too much space per pax and there is a missed opportunity to monetize this corner. They seem to think celebs and VIPs would rent the space for airport meetings and events. The view was cited as worth paying for. And they didn’t mean the UC fees!
a bunch of suits came in and were talking about how to carve out a “private room” from the seating area at the Southeast corner of the UC, adjacent to the outside terrace.Conversation went into how the LAX club offers too much space per pax and there is a missed opportunity to monetize this corner. They seem to think celebs and VIPs would rent the space for airport meetings and events. The view was cited as worth paying for. And they didn’t mean the UC fees!
Jul 16, 2019, 5:32 pm
#2
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There is (or was supposed to be) a VIP room just past the work spaces on the north side of the UC. It wasn’t finished when the UC opened and never have seen anybody come/go. The space is an interior room, so it makes sense they carve out something with windows. The space past the bar on the south side is obviously the easiest place to do it, although VIPs would have to traverse the entire lounge to get to it.
Jul 16, 2019, 5:37 pm
#3
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Jul 16, 2019, 5:44 pm
#4
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Jul 16, 2019, 6:07 pm
#7
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Jul 16, 2019, 6:29 pm
#8
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And yet in Houston, they converted all the rooms into general seating area. Not sure of the history of the rooms but there's like three of them with the doors removed and the interiors just filled with general seating. In May, when we had our 5+ hour flight delay, the three of us went into one of the rooms and slept. Much quieter than the main seating area and no one else came in to sit down when they saw we were occupying it already. So some at United obviously think think there's more schmucks who would pay for a private room at the LAX United Club vs just going to the Private Suite lounge.
Jul 16, 2019, 7:21 pm
#10
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I doubt most legitimate VIPs will book a private room in an already private (ie, separate from the terminal) lounge - I've tried upselling our celeb/VIP clients on the Private Suite at LAX, and just about every single one of them came up with the same answer - a total waste of money and very limited value for the cost. Even those who had private flight segments had the same reply. No one wanted to sit in that lounge for hours making sure they got their money's worth, they wanted into the airport, priority check-in, an escort to the lounge, an escort to the plane, and be done with the airport process and on their way as fast as possible. People tend to have money because they are careful with it, and not prone to wasting it on nonsense. Those who want absolute privacy without interaction from other people generally fly private, rather than waste money on lounges.
Leave it to Kirby to start measuring out square feet of empty space to try and squeeze more nickels out of customers. Maybe he will bring in a "scanning fee" to charge $5 for the use of the computer to scan your membership card or boarding pass for club entry.
Leave it to Kirby to start measuring out square feet of empty space to try and squeeze more nickels out of customers. Maybe he will bring in a "scanning fee" to charge $5 for the use of the computer to scan your membership card or boarding pass for club entry.
Jul 16, 2019, 7:46 pm
#11
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There were also supposed to be showers.
Carving out a room over there, in the corner by the large oval-shaped bar, will not be wise from a design aesthetic point of view.
Carving out a room over there, in the corner by the large oval-shaped bar, will not be wise from a design aesthetic point of view.
Jul 16, 2019, 11:37 pm
#12
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There is a room there already north of the bar ( to the right of the glass door that enters the patio )
Jul 17, 2019, 8:56 am
#14
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Jul 17, 2019, 10:34 am
#15
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I doubt most legitimate VIPs will book a private room in an already private (ie, separate from the terminal) lounge - I've tried upselling our celeb/VIP clients on the Private Suite at LAX, and just about every single one of them came up with the same answer - a total waste of money and very limited value for the cost. Even those who had private flight segments had the same reply. No one wanted to sit in that lounge for hours making sure they got their money's worth, they wanted into the airport, priority check-in, an escort to the lounge, an escort to the plane, and be done with the airport process and on their way as fast as possible. People tend to have money because they are careful with it, and not prone to wasting it on nonsense. Those who want absolute privacy without interaction from other people generally fly private, rather than waste money on lounges.
Leave it to Kirby to start measuring out square feet of empty space to try and squeeze more nickels out of customers. Maybe he will bring in a "scanning fee" to charge $5 for the use of the computer to scan your membership card or boarding pass for club entry.
Leave it to Kirby to start measuring out square feet of empty space to try and squeeze more nickels out of customers. Maybe he will bring in a "scanning fee" to charge $5 for the use of the computer to scan your membership card or boarding pass for club entry.
