Aug 2, 2021, 2:33 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
(UA definitions) -- Our hub airports
- Chicago, IL — O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Denver, CO — Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Guam — Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM)
- Houston, TX — Houston/ George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- New York, NY/Newark, NJ — Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) [our New York area hub]
- San Francisco, CA — San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Washington, D.C. — Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Which UA hubs do you prefer? Which do you avoid? What will you do to avoid them?
Jul 27, 2021, 4:18 pm
#31
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: ORD / PHX
Programs: UA LT 1K 3MM (former 12 yr GS), Bonvoy Amb/LT Plat
Posts: 1,341
Jul 27, 2021, 5:20 pm
#34
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,620
I really really miss the CLE hub. It was easy to get around, and the GAs were always friendly. The club there, especially when it was the President's Club, was the best one in the network for staff.
Open ones now? I really don't mind ORD, I've flow through it so many times that I know all the quiet places to work, and where not to go to eat. I do miss the C/F shuttle, when connecting to express it was a huge time saver.
What one do I want to avoid when I can? IAH, I hate Houston, and my layover there yesterday reminded me why. I'll take DEN any day. I really don't pay too much attention to the cost of flights, just that they work in favor of scheduling.
Open ones now? I really don't mind ORD, I've flow through it so many times that I know all the quiet places to work, and where not to go to eat. I do miss the C/F shuttle, when connecting to express it was a huge time saver.
What one do I want to avoid when I can? IAH, I hate Houston, and my layover there yesterday reminded me why. I'll take DEN any day. I really don't pay too much attention to the cost of flights, just that they work in favor of scheduling.
I don't mind DEN and that is second to SFO my second "home hub". SFO is what it is I guess. SFO is my home HUB so I know it very well and generally don't have any problems there.
Jul 27, 2021, 5:58 pm
#35
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K & 2MM, MR Titanium
Posts: 459
IAD is my home airport and I also like it for the Lufthansa and Turkish lounges, which are in the much nicer B terminal (UA is in the dumpy C / D terminal). It makes up for having no true Polaris lounge at IAD, and if I have a connecting flight in Europe to LH or OS, I can usually get the seat changed to a better one at the LH lounge.
My favorite hub is SFO due to the nice eating options, wonderful international terminal and the SFO crews, which are my favorite on the UA network. EWR has gotten better over the years in my experience and I no longer avoid it like I used to.
My favorite hub is SFO due to the nice eating options, wonderful international terminal and the SFO crews, which are my favorite on the UA network. EWR has gotten better over the years in my experience and I no longer avoid it like I used to.
Jul 27, 2021, 6:51 pm
#36
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 2P, UC, Hertz 5*, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 513
From most favorite to least favorite
SFO- Love the view and Rotunda Club
DEN- Love the view looking out and tall windows, Dislike the length of taxi time.
IAD- Home airport so I am used to C / D and like that I can take nonstops to where I need to go most of the time. Also has many lounge options TK, LH, UC x4, BA and AF/KL...
IAH- Somehow relaxing and spacious
LAX- Like the United Club outdoor patio
ORD- Nice tunnel
(reserved as buffer space)
(reserved as buffer space)
(reserved as buffer space)
EWR- Nice that they updated it, but still don't like it due to a lack of airside connections (airside train, bridge, etc.) ...
I'll take my "dump" (IAD- C/D) any day over EWR!
although it is time for UA, MWAA and probably even Virginia and the local governments to pitch in and build a real terminal.
SFO- Love the view and Rotunda Club
DEN- Love the view looking out and tall windows, Dislike the length of taxi time.
IAD- Home airport so I am used to C / D and like that I can take nonstops to where I need to go most of the time. Also has many lounge options TK, LH, UC x4, BA and AF/KL...
IAH- Somehow relaxing and spacious
LAX- Like the United Club outdoor patio
ORD- Nice tunnel
(reserved as buffer space)
(reserved as buffer space)
(reserved as buffer space)
EWR- Nice that they updated it, but still don't like it due to a lack of airside connections (airside train, bridge, etc.) ...
I'll take my "dump" (IAD- C/D) any day over EWR!
although it is time for UA, MWAA and probably even Virginia and the local governments to pitch in and build a real terminal.
Jul 28, 2021, 6:45 am
#37
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: ORD | LGA | 2E
Programs: UA GS 1.6MM UC | AA CK 0.7MM AC | Bonvoy Ambassador | Hyatt Globalist | Hertz PC
Posts: 1,054
Back shortly after the merger I lived in Santa Monica and spent a lot of time, energy, and money to avoid the IAH connection that was almost always the cheapest route for my travel. I had a huge preference for DEN for the sake of the lounge/airport experience on the layover.
I try pretty hard to avoid EWR and IAD for INTL connections now for the airport experience.
In order of desirability I'd say my answer to the question of "what hub would you want to take a 5 hour delay in" I'd say: DEN > ORD > SFO > LAX > IAH > EWR > IAD. This mostly comes down to the quality of the lounge/restaurant composition that I'd be rotating between to kill the time.
I try pretty hard to avoid EWR and IAD for INTL connections now for the airport experience.
In order of desirability I'd say my answer to the question of "what hub would you want to take a 5 hour delay in" I'd say: DEN > ORD > SFO > LAX > IAH > EWR > IAD. This mostly comes down to the quality of the lounge/restaurant composition that I'd be rotating between to kill the time.
Jul 28, 2021, 7:18 am
#38
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Haze gray and underway
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, HH Diamond, Marriott 'clink clink' Titanium
Posts: 1,784
Jul 28, 2021, 7:43 am
#39
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
Back in the day, when I used to live in The Springs, I would often find that my international flights were hundreds of dollars cheaper from COS vs DEN (domestic flights as well but not as big a difference). Don't ask me why because I have no idea what the revenue management logic was but, more often than not, this was the case. In addition, taxi fare to/from COS would save me money vs the parking cost at DEN when I would take my multi-week long business trips.
Jul 28, 2021, 7:43 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,762
I loved CLE, easiest to navigate by a mile...
Despite all the hate for IAD, I don't mind it as much... the staff is generally horrible, but there's the LH and TK lounges, so if (and it usually did) the layover makes sense, those clubs are nice.
LAX is awful but not as a connection point, as O/D its terrible.
Despite all the hate for IAD, I don't mind it as much... the staff is generally horrible, but there's the LH and TK lounges, so if (and it usually did) the layover makes sense, those clubs are nice.
LAX is awful but not as a connection point, as O/D its terrible.
Jul 28, 2021, 8:53 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA Silver, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 21,548
Jul 28, 2021, 9:23 am
#43
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,271
Avoid:
ORD in winter when connecting. Frequent O/D though
EWR always unless flying intl Just dont like the airport
LAX because no direct flight to/from PHL
IAD Preferred during pandemic due to easy CPU but not impossible. CRJ to/from PHL, Train to nowhere. Only saving grace its multiple lounges *G and PP
Prefer:
IAH: Seems more reliable, PP options for long layovers
SFO: Good connection point for TPAC, also PP options for long layovers
On the fence about DEN
ORD in winter when connecting. Frequent O/D though
EWR always unless flying intl Just dont like the airport
LAX because no direct flight to/from PHL
IAD Preferred during pandemic due to easy CPU but not impossible. CRJ to/from PHL, Train to nowhere. Only saving grace its multiple lounges *G and PP
Prefer:
IAH: Seems more reliable, PP options for long layovers
SFO: Good connection point for TPAC, also PP options for long layovers
On the fence about DEN
Jul 28, 2021, 9:44 pm
#45
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Diamond, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,356
I think there used to be a whole thread dedicated to how awful EWR was. It included some stories of gate agents punching out passengers.