steves

I just called to clarify the email about the Envoy lounge in PHL - one of the real premium services USAirways offers. It is going away Oct 30. It will be a regular club. The agent spinned it as much as she could - we are expanding service to allow more customers, we will have complimentary beverages (I asked - soft drinks, wine beer - just like the other clubs), food options were explained as very good.....while on the airplane. So, another benefit gone. I am sure it is good overall for club members flying out of A domestically - but it is a drop in service for Star Gold, USAirways Gold and above, and Envoy passengers - oh well.

FlyIgglesFly

I got that email too. A real shame.

jfinsocal

If alcoholic beverages are complimentary doesn't that mean that they can't charge for anything including top shelf? Color me skeptical but I have my doubts that they will comp drinks here.

geo1005

I see this as a win for the US Club member who has Silver or zero status. For the rest of us with Gold or better, it's no big deal IMO.

They aren't going to change anything in the Lounge/Club so it will be the same physical facility.

Also, there are few, if any, domestic departures out of the A terminal later in the day when Envoy passengers will show up so I don't think we will see the place flooded with passengers. (Ever been in a RCC at IAD at about 6 PM?!?! ).

IF, and this has yet to be determined, the food and beverage choices get cut or marginalized then that will be a loss.

vysean

I tend to agree with this view - with the exception that I think the club will be way more crowded come November - especially if they maintain similar f&b offerings to what they currently do as the Envoy lounge.

I read the "hearty snacks" as being exactly what's in place now - fruit, vegetables, breads, dips, and meats and cheeses. They've been doing it long enough now to have a pretty good idea of the costs and of how much is consumed/wasted.

I'm particularly interested in what's in store in CLT, as the email references the same hearty snacks there and I don't recall seeing anything "hearty" - of course, I may not have been there around the TATL departure times.

colpuck

That's a shame, this was the best domestic airline club in the US.

AZ Travels the World

Sounds like they're taking the UA approach. Business Class and Star Gold allowed into the Red Carpet (now United) Club. Nothing special.

It's no surprise, really. To me, the surprise is that they did something above-and-beyond the domestic industry norm for as long as they did.

It is great news though for those of us who fly through PHL regularly on domestic flights. The A club is by far the nicest US Club at the airport. It will be nice to have access to it again.

dcpatti

I'm really on the fence on this one. On one hand, the Envoy lounge is one of the real gems that US has to offer, and I'd really hate to see that diluted.

On the other hand, it is a real hike from the rest of PHL so even though it may get increased traffic from US club members who are not on Envoy tickets, I can't see a whole lot of people going all that way just for a visit. Some will, of course, but most pick whichever club is closest. And I have never seen this club close to capacity, so there's room for more folks.

The CLT clubs desparately need more amenities to be even in the ballpark of standards of an International business lounge, so if PHL and CLT both will have more substantial offerings, even if only during evening tatl-departure time, I think that would be worth the change.

If the wines are upgraded across the board, then it's even more of a win, however I'm a little hesitent to celebrate over that point, as it references the "premium" wines getting an overhaul, and to me that means the paid-for stuff, not the free stuff.

In the end, though, I pass through regular PHL and CLT clubs a LOT more often than I get to go to the Envoy club; my next two tatl's go through CLT so no Envoy club for me, and I connect through CLT or PHL domestially far more often than I do Internationally. So as a club member, while I might not really like seeing the Envoy lounge diluted at all, it's really a net-positive change because I will be getting more "better" things and fewer "worse" things.

I wonder if this was another one of Fran Fernandez' projects? Fran led the team that did the upgraded meals in domestic F and from what I understand, that had to be cost-neutral. Perhaps the project of making CLT better for envoy departure passengers came with the same cost-neutral parameters; if so, hopefully the revenue from more partner passengers going to the future-former-envoy lounge (simply because it's open longer) will be enough to keep them from cutting back from whatever it is that we see in these changes.

Biggie Fries

Count me as thumbs down. No way they retain the good spreads from the Envoy Club. If they do / did, folks would be hiking down from F !

It's basically one less reason to worry about making Gold, and also one less reason to stay committed to US for TATL travel.

Sure, it's at the margin ... But it's like the story of the farmer who decided to feed his cow a little less, and that seemed to go okay; so later he fed it a little less still, and that seemed to go okay; so why not a little less? Then one day he walks in the barn and the cow is dead. "Funny," says the farmer, "it was doing just fine yesterday."

This cow liked the Envoy Club spreads.

SS255

It sounds like the CLT Club will be the winner here, if indeed the food and beverage service is enhanced in the mid/late afternoon. I feel sorry for all of the Envoy and *G pax departing out of PHL who will now have a lesser experience.

twa777

I recall that back in the days of all paid-for wine and alcoholic drinks, Envoy passengers were given coupons for free drinks in the CTL lounge. Perhaps something like this will return, so that Envoy passengers can still get premium beverages for free (even if limited in number by coupons).

CMK10

Count me as one of the people who will probably walk over at least once just to check it out. Also, if I'm flying out of B1 I might walk make the slightly longer walk over. Still, I think overall this is a big as many said, it was one of the few real perks US offered

vysean

They still do - and I was confused as to why they did so since (most?) drinks are now free.

lydia

The PHL club used to have two separate areas, one side was Envoy and the other for domestic. The few times I used the current Envoy lounge, it was not crowded at all. Maybe they'll go back to the divided setup.

Nikolaos

Noooooo!!! That was such a nice place before my getaways to Europe!!

Given all these devaluations lately (MR,HH) I wonder if I jumped in the FF game too late..