United Devalues Clubs - Makes sure they are packed beyond capacity.
#61
Join Date: Oct 2013
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#62
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And there's the people who don't know that the sign outside the club "No One Time Passes" means....NO ONE TIME PASSES.
At ORD on Saturday I was in line behind 14 people (which turned out to be 3x families of 4 + 1 young couple) to get scanned in and I had to listen to each on get the explanation "temporary club...no passes...members only...standing room only...no...sorry...can't sell you a pass..." and the follow-up objections/are-you-sure/but-we-won't-take-up-much-room. If I could hear it every time the agent explained it I'm really not sure why groups 2, 3, and 4 made her repeat herself but.....ARRRGH. (Also: Contrary to agent's bleak description, there was available seating for members which I appreciated)
Would be nice if the clubs did the self-boarding-gate thing (that I think I've seen at a few of the EU lounges) -- if you don't need assistance, just scan your BP and in. If the gate says no, see an agent.
At ORD on Saturday I was in line behind 14 people (which turned out to be 3x families of 4 + 1 young couple) to get scanned in and I had to listen to each on get the explanation "temporary club...no passes...members only...standing room only...no...sorry...can't sell you a pass..." and the follow-up objections/are-you-sure/but-we-won't-take-up-much-room. If I could hear it every time the agent explained it I'm really not sure why groups 2, 3, and 4 made her repeat herself but.....ARRRGH. (Also: Contrary to agent's bleak description, there was available seating for members which I appreciated)
Would be nice if the clubs did the self-boarding-gate thing (that I think I've seen at a few of the EU lounges) -- if you don't need assistance, just scan your BP and in. If the gate says no, see an agent.
LOL - because here in the US -- the rules don't apply to ME -- only to EVERYONE ELSE.... However, in their defense as a chase credit card holder -- they do make it seem like you can always use the UA club -- and I honestly believe that the chase pass holders don't think of it as a one time pass -- its a benefit of the card...
Almost like I should believe that I can upgrade a flight using Plus Points....and we know how likely that is now.
#63
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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It's long been common to blame the credit card day passes for overcrowding, but the fact is many UCs are overcrowded even when they are not allowing use of one day passes. Similarly, it's easy to blame "credit cards" but the reality is that United Club card holders get a club membership in exchange for an annual fee which comes very close to the UC membership fee. While it may make you feel better to blame "those credit card people," the fundamental problem is that capacity does not match demand. There are several ways to mitigate that problem, one of them being not allowing members to bring in an unlimited number of dependent guests.
#64
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,638
Can we create two different clubs for the airlines?
United Club - Anyone admitted with a membership, first ticket, business ticket, Day Pass, CC pass. Comes with snacks and limited drink options for free, food and adult beverages for purchase.
United Lounge - Only adults with a membership or with a first or business ticket admitted. Top notch service with no charge food and drinks. Quiet areas where no phone conversations are allowed.
United Club - Anyone admitted with a membership, first ticket, business ticket, Day Pass, CC pass. Comes with snacks and limited drink options for free, food and adult beverages for purchase.
United Lounge - Only adults with a membership or with a first or business ticket admitted. Top notch service with no charge food and drinks. Quiet areas where no phone conversations are allowed.
#65
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ATL, BHM, DUB, County Wexford
Programs: DL DM, AA ExPlt, Diamond HH, HY, BW, & Titanium Elite Marriott
Posts: 4,850
Not sure where you are traveling, but families are definitely not the problem (large or small). The issue with every airline lounge is credit cards and day passes. It's the same problem at Amex Centurion lounges (which they have had to make departure-only), Delta SkyClubs (because of co-branding), etc. Don't even start on Priority Pass lounges, which are often more crowded than the actual terminal.
Until lounge access is removed as a "free" perk from credit cards, they will all be very, very crowded.
Until lounge access is removed as a "free" perk from credit cards, they will all be very, very crowded.
Mine costs hundreds of dollars, not free. LOL
#66
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LAX IAH AMS
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 1,266
I cancelled my paid membership more than 5 years ago due to the overcrowding.... may have been 7 years actually. Now, I get access as a GS and still dont bother to go in. Sure, they may not be at capacity all the time but, on average, they are packed to the gills almost every time I've tried.
I'd rather find a nice spot in the airport to work or at a bar. To me, it's worth paying for my beer vs dealing with a UC.
I'd rather find a nice spot in the airport to work or at a bar. To me, it's worth paying for my beer vs dealing with a UC.
#67
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ATL, BHM, DUB, County Wexford
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Posts: 4,850
I disagree. Large families are a contributor to the problem at both UC and Amex CL. Fortunately, effective 1/1/23, Amex is significantly curtailing guest access. I would expect UA to follow, with tiered memberships, where the lowest price tier includes include only member access (as DL already does).
It's long been common to blame the credit card day passes for overcrowding, but the fact is many UCs are overcrowded even when they are not allowing use of one day passes. Similarly, it's easy to blame "credit cards" but the reality is that United Club card holders get a club membership in exchange for an annual fee which comes very close to the UC membership fee. While it may make you feel better to blame "those credit card people," the fundamental problem is that capacity does not match demand. There are several ways to mitigate that problem, one of them being not allowing members to bring in an unlimited number of dependent guests.
It's long been common to blame the credit card day passes for overcrowding, but the fact is many UCs are overcrowded even when they are not allowing use of one day passes. Similarly, it's easy to blame "credit cards" but the reality is that United Club card holders get a club membership in exchange for an annual fee which comes very close to the UC membership fee. While it may make you feel better to blame "those credit card people," the fundamental problem is that capacity does not match demand. There are several ways to mitigate that problem, one of them being not allowing members to bring in an unlimited number of dependent guests.
#68
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
I disagree. Large families are a contributor to the problem at both UC and Amex CL. Fortunately, effective 1/1/23, Amex is significantly curtailing guest access. I would expect UA to follow, with tiered memberships, where the lowest price tier includes include only member access (as DL already does).
It's long been common to blame the credit card day passes for overcrowding, but the fact is many UCs are overcrowded even when they are not allowing use of one day passes. Similarly, it's easy to blame "credit cards" but the reality is that United Club card holders get a club membership in exchange for an annual fee which comes very close to the UC membership fee. While it may make you feel better to blame "those credit card people," the fundamental problem is that capacity does not match demand. There are several ways to mitigate that problem, one of them being not allowing members to bring in an unlimited number of dependent guests.
It's long been common to blame the credit card day passes for overcrowding, but the fact is many UCs are overcrowded even when they are not allowing use of one day passes. Similarly, it's easy to blame "credit cards" but the reality is that United Club card holders get a club membership in exchange for an annual fee which comes very close to the UC membership fee. While it may make you feel better to blame "those credit card people," the fundamental problem is that capacity does not match demand. There are several ways to mitigate that problem, one of them being not allowing members to bring in an unlimited number of dependent guests.
#69
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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what would be interesting is the metric on visits by subscription type. I suspect that GS has the most visits (they get free membership) 1k next and so on. The paid credit card membership visits might fall somewhere in between the paid membership levels (you must be a MP member to be a UC member). So what is the 'value' per visit for UC by subscription type? If the CC memberships don't visit as much as the other memberships, perhaps their value to UA is in that membership, particularly if other elite levels pay for their subscriptions with miles (non-cash).
We do know that the carriers make lots of money on the co-branded cards, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Explorer and Club cardholders are among the most profitable visitors in terms of net revenue per visit.
#70
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Join Date: May 1998
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IAH UA clubs get pretty full during the connection banks. It's usually 100% full then after 45min or so, it drops down to 25% full.
But I guess that's the difficulty with carrier airline clubs, there's a trade-off because a lot of the club traffic is determined by flight schedule and expensive to maintain such a large space when no one is using it.
Only airline club based on my experience that is not consistently jam-packed, even during peak hours is the AA flagship lounge, which I find kind of impressive given that it's opened to J passengers and OWS.
But I guess that's the difficulty with carrier airline clubs, there's a trade-off because a lot of the club traffic is determined by flight schedule and expensive to maintain such a large space when no one is using it.
Only airline club based on my experience that is not consistently jam-packed, even during peak hours is the AA flagship lounge, which I find kind of impressive given that it's opened to J passengers and OWS.
That is, essentially, what Polaris Lounges are. Demand is intentionally controlled because UA knows it will essentially never practically exceed (#J Seats)x(#Long Haul INTL flights departing/arriving that airport) -- with the small number of PLounge-at-non-Polaris airport flyers being offset by local passengers who don't use the lounge -- no membership, no passes, limited (no?) guests -- and much better amenities at least pre-C19. IIRC, LH's F lounges are similarly "no passes, no membership". I don't think there's sufficient market demand (or available real estate in enough airports) to make two different membership-based lounge products viable.
Given that UA has gutted premium services (see: chauffeured transfers) I wouldn't count on them making a business case for a return in the near future.
In other words... For the "charege big bucks for it" option by the time you make it expensive enough add on to make sense for UA to meaningfully limit availability and combine it with airfare you're probably getting close enough to the charter/fractional charter ranges that a significant number of potential clients would go that route.
Given that UA has gutted premium services (see: chauffeured transfers) I wouldn't count on them making a business case for a return in the near future.
In other words... For the "charege big bucks for it" option by the time you make it expensive enough add on to make sense for UA to meaningfully limit availability and combine it with airfare you're probably getting close enough to the charter/fractional charter ranges that a significant number of potential clients would go that route.
I visited the new UC in EWR on Day 3 - with a one-time CC pass. For those who haven't been there, real estate wise it's at least 3X-4X the size of the ole C74 club. The club was extremely busy at 11:00am on a Saturday, with a lot more people than the old C-74 lounge could hold. While I never saw or used the Pop-up lounge, I'm sure the new lounge still holds a lot more people than the C74 and pop-up combined. The only explanations are people being turned away, people choosing not to visit the old lounges (assuming because they were so crowded), and maybe the novelty of being there newest and nicest UA club in the network was causing more one-time passes to be purchased.
I'm curious to know what Chase has to say about UA turning their customers away. Last year I had 4 UA club passes for a short period and didn't get to use any of them on a family trip to Disney. We traveled the week before MCO opened and EWR denied us. When all 4 of them expired, unused, I sucessfully pressured chase into giving me a $200.00 statement credit for the denied benefit.
I'm curious to know what Chase has to say about UA turning their customers away. Last year I had 4 UA club passes for a short period and didn't get to use any of them on a family trip to Disney. We traveled the week before MCO opened and EWR denied us. When all 4 of them expired, unused, I sucessfully pressured chase into giving me a $200.00 statement credit for the denied benefit.
#72
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,638
#73
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
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Posts: 3,606
Not sure where you are traveling, but families are definitely not the problem (large or small). The issue with every airline lounge is credit cards and day passes. It's the same problem at Amex Centurion lounges (which they have had to make departure-only), Delta SkyClubs (because of co-branding), etc. Don't even start on Priority Pass lounges, which are often more crowded than the actual terminal.
Until lounge access is removed as a "free" perk from credit cards, they will all be very, very crowded.
Until lounge access is removed as a "free" perk from credit cards, they will all be very, very crowded.
#74
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: Mileage Plus, Marriott Rewards, Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 682
I cancelled my paid membership more than 5 years ago due to the overcrowding.... may have been 7 years actually. Now, I get access as a GS and still dont bother to go in. Sure, they may not be at capacity all the time but, on average, they are packed to the gills almost every time I've tried.
I'd rather find a nice spot in the airport to work or at a bar. To me, it's worth paying for my beer vs dealing with a UC.
I'd rather find a nice spot in the airport to work or at a bar. To me, it's worth paying for my beer vs dealing with a UC.
That being said I've found just sitting at the bar is usually a pleasant experience, especially if you pay for a beer and tip, as they'll help you before the line when you need a refill.
#75
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: AA: CK
Posts: 2,230
Can we create two different clubs for the airlines?
United Club - Anyone admitted with a membership, first ticket, business ticket, Day Pass, CC pass. Comes with snacks and limited drink options for free, food and adult beverages for purchase.
United Lounge - Only adults with a membership or with a first or business ticket admitted. Top notch service with no charge food and drinks. Quiet areas where no phone conversations are allowed.
United Club - Anyone admitted with a membership, first ticket, business ticket, Day Pass, CC pass. Comes with snacks and limited drink options for free, food and adult beverages for purchase.
United Lounge - Only adults with a membership or with a first or business ticket admitted. Top notch service with no charge food and drinks. Quiet areas where no phone conversations are allowed.