DELee

Why is the shower so important if you're flying into IAD from PHL?

David

ezefllying

For the same reason it is deeply important that the lounge offer champagne or bona fide glassware instead of blue plastic.

There is something slightly thrilling about being able to take a nice, entirely private shower at a major airport. This is psychological: To be able to defeat the relentless, cattle-car alienation of global travel by being able to take a (a) clean, (b) warm, (c) relaxed, (d) private (e) shower in an airport is sort of an act of liberating self-determination.

That, and it's possible to get plenty gross going from home to a half-day at the office to PHL to TSA to an ERJ-145 to the A Gates to the C Gates to the lounge.

DELee

I fully agree - as do many others who choose to purchase the J fares in order to take advantage of this benefit of flying Polaris internationally - including my wife.

Prior to our SFO-SYD flight in 2019, the Mrs. availed herself of the opportunity to take such a shower at SFO even thought we'd just left LAX an hour or so before on a 738 between but at the end of a long day. She was happy and relaxed and changed into PJs for the onboard departure dinner and sleep that followed.

David

p.s. And probably everyone who has to fly any of the ERJs, CRJs and other small, cramped lesser sized UAX aircraft would like a shower afterward as well. Unfortunately, UA has seen fit to remove them (the showers) from all domestic UCs.

HNLbasedFlyer

It's just ick to me - I've never understood why people take showers outside of their home or hotel. It's like a shower at a gym - no thank you.

halls120

Exactly. I've used an airport shower many times before trips home after a long workday. Makes the flight so much nicer when I know I'm not annoying my fellow passengers with the way I smell.

uanj

Yup. And it very relaxing so I sleep better on the next flight. So very glad to hear IAD's PL is finally open!

narvik

(bolding mine)

How are the Polaris lounge showers any different than hotel showers though (presuming they're both cleaned after use)?

eng3

1. I didn't say it was, I was answering the OP
2. I don't know where the OP is going, could be a TCON
3. I suppose it depends how dirty one gets. Sometimes depending on the airport or getting to the airport, I can work up a sweat. Some planes have no air vents and I work up a sweat just trying to sleep. I remember a FA (just prior to landing) accidentally dropping a full can of coke on the center table (pre-polaris) and it pouring all over my and my seatmate's lap. I'd certainly want a shower or at least some place to change. Getting a shower is a nice way to wake up. One time, I flew to SFO then EWR. There was a snow storm passing through EWR when we arrived. I had time so I went to the PL at EWR to wait out the storm, got a shower and breakfast then drove home. One of the few times I didn't start to feel sleepy on the drive home and I didn't have to drive in a storm.
4. W/R to cleanliness, I've always found the shower rooms cleaner than the bathrooms so sometimes I'll get the shower room mainly to use the cleanest bathroom eventhough I take a shower too. I find the shower much much cleaner than the shower in a gym. If it were like a gym, I'd never use the shower room. I'll admit, some of the shower rooms at other airports are more gym like, but for the most part, I've found them to be very clean.
5. I don't think it matters why one might want a shower. I was just stating I think there is plenty of time to do whatever you want in the PL with a 3hr layover

exerda

I would certainly prefer to use them on international arrivals, particularly if arriving at a gateway airport before my flight home (e.g. walking off a long TPAC at SFO and still facing a 5 hour TCON afterwards). And I usually do when in those circumstances.

When departing, it depends. I've definitely used lounge showers in BKK and NRT before when arriving at the airport early enough to do so--like the times I took an evening BKK departure. I wish I had had a shower-available lounge in SIN or KUL when taking an evening departure there after a long day in the heat!

Connecting, it depends on the length of the inbound flight. I usually would do so on, say, BKK-NRT-xxx flights at NRT as that first segment is a long one. And obviously when done the opposite direction as the first segment is even longer.

Would I want to use a United Club shower on an itin like IAD-ORD-TVC? Probably not (even though that latter segment is an RJ, ugh). I also usually don't have a long enough connection to make it worthwhile, though.

waddy

It would be nice if I had the option to shower in SFO or LAX after a red eye before my connecting flight

nomad420

In all my years of flying I have never showered prior to or upon arrival on domestic flights but I do see your point for sure. Most my flights are out of hubs (SFO) and into hubs and I try to avoid connections as much as possible. If I do connect I try to make it fast as possible, often not even long enough to hit a club. I have showered after long TATL and TPAC flights for sure. Almost always on long layovers for example in SIN and FRA.

UAPremierGuy

I have showered plenty of times on domestic flights. Hawaii, of course, but can recount many a time after a long day in NYC where I'd shower in the Admirals Club prior to my west-bound flight. It made my flight SO relaxing!

jhayes_1780

Pre COVID... I loved having a shower at the LAS centurion lounge. I would typically tear down a trade show and catch a red eye home, so it made for a much more comfortable flight.

bloodyeyeballs

1) Definitely on arriving to Europe when you were on a red eye for 10 hours and you probably can't check into your hotel for several more.
2) Also, I have spent hours on trains in Japan to get from my city to NRT. If I get to NRT early enough, I gladly shower to be clean prior to a 10 hour flight.
3) For domestic, how about I go straight from work to take an evening flight somewhere for the weekend. I do not have the place to shower at work and I do not have the time to go home first and shower. I got to the airport early because traffic is unpredictable. I now have 90 minutes to kill. If showers were available, I would use them. Heck, even if I have a 2 hour layover and time to kill, I may use them.

ATOBTTR

I was quite happy for the opportunity to shower at the DL SkyClub at LAX after a day-trip from SEA to go plane-spotting at LAX. Took an early flight down and stayed at In-N-Out through sunset and had a late evening flight back, and planned for (and was able to take) a shower at the SC after being out in the sun al day. Felt nice and I'm sure the other passengers around me appreciated it too. I think that's the only time I've showered before or after a US domestic flight. I have used the showers before and after some international redeyes before. It was nice to shower at AKL before a 1 AM redeye departure after spending a full day doing stuff in New Zealand on our last day there.