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Home » United Airlines » Dear United, Do The Right Thing For Lifetime United Club Members
United Airlines

Dear United, Do The Right Thing For Lifetime United Club Members

Matthew Klint Posted onOctober 31, 2019November 14, 2023 22 Comments

a group of women standing at a counter

Dear United,

Tomorrow marks a new era for United Club members. Staring November 1, 2019, all United Club users, including members and their guests, must be traveling on a same-day United, Star Alliance, or partner flight. This applies to one-time pass holder as well.

This matches a change that Delta already implemented and American Airlines will also introduce tomorrow. But with one notable exception.

Delta has exempted its lifetime Sky Club members from this new policy. American has exempted its lifetime Admirals Club members from this new policy. But thus far, United has not offered a similar exemption.

While I don’t agree with the idea of selling “membership” to a club that members cannot use when traveling on any airline (or not traveling at all), at least you communicated the new policy a year in advance. Restricting members and one-time pass holders is also a reasonable move to cut down on lounge crowding.

But restricting lifetime members can really only be called a pernicious bait and switch. It is not right and should be rectified before tomorrow’s new policy change.

Back in 2010, I seriously considered purchasing a lifetime membership for $4,600. I was 23 years old and figured I’d be using these clubs for the rest of my life. In 2011, I considered it again.


> Read More: Time to Invest in a Lifetime Continental Presidents Club Membership?


Ultimately, I decided against it because I feared it would not be honored.

Well, nearly a decade later it looks like my concerns were spot on.

You’ve made exceptions for high-profile complainers, like Dan Eleff of Dan’s Deals. That exception alone demonstrates the unreasonableness of this policy change. I join with Eleff in stating every lifetime member should be spared from this new policy, not just those who make the biggest stink about it.

Bottom line, you need to think beyond the short-term bean counter mentality of selling a “lifetime” membership under certain terms then changing those terms in a customer-unfriendly way. Think about the kind of customers who bought these lifetime passes and how trust is two-way street. Consider that seemingly inconsequential lounge access changes can influence and shape loyalty for decades to come.

Now go to do the right thing United.

Best Regards,
Matthew

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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22 Comments

  1. Ryan Reply
    October 31, 2019 at 12:01 pm

    Easy workaround if you need access when not flying. Buy a refundable ticket on United. Gain access. Cancel said ticket.

    • Dan Reply
      October 31, 2019 at 12:19 pm

      I’m assuming you meant to write “Easy way to get banned from MileagePlus,” right?

      • Matthew Reply
        October 31, 2019 at 12:23 pm

        Exactly. Very bad advice Ryan.

        • Ryan Reply
          October 31, 2019 at 1:24 pm

          Your plans changed. What are they going to do? Make it a habit, you have a problem. Once or twice, not an issue. If they are screwing you, screw them back.

          • Tom
            October 31, 2019 at 11:00 pm

            I would join a class action suit. Lifetime member since 1983

        • Leslie Hendrickson Reply
          December 2, 2019 at 6:28 am

          I agree completely. We have lifetime memberships and were upset when we were denied admission yesterday to the United Club in Dallas/Fort Worth. We had tickets on an American flight. We are looking for a lawyer to help us sue United. IMHO, “lifetime” means lifetime. It means all the days of our life not those selected days when United feels like letting us in.

          • CANDELARIO ELIZONDO
            December 18, 2019 at 11:28 am

            If you find a lawyer let me know as I am lifetime also. I had no idea my life ended.candelario

  2. Former EWR flyer Reply
    October 31, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    United Clubs aren’t anything to write home about anyway. Always crowded, beat up furniture, food and drink options aren’t anything special. Aside from working on a laptop and getting a power outlet, you aren’t really getting much. It certainly isn’t worth the insane price they charge for it.

  3. Sexy_kitten7 Reply
    October 31, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    I’m surprised such a move is legal. I believe other lifetimes have filed suit in the past and there is a class action in the works for the instant case. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1938782-club-member-one-time-pass-access-changes-nov-1-2019-same-day-bp-ua-partner.html

  4. Henry Reply
    October 31, 2019 at 3:03 pm

    Two years ago I gave up on my United Club membership (after 18 years) and never looked back. I used to pick up the Financial Times, have a drink at the bar, and relax. They stopped providing newspapers, the bar is always mobbed and relaxing is impossible with the crowds. Restaurants are providing far better options now at most airports and I only use the Polaris Lounge where available.

  5. Jeff Reply
    October 31, 2019 at 6:01 pm

    Seems like a reasonable policy… It fixes the loophole that has been abused for years. So united Is doing the right thing for a change.

    • Matthew Reply
      October 31, 2019 at 11:59 pm

      What loophole is that?

  6. Dave G Reply
    November 1, 2019 at 7:33 am

    I thought Oscar is going to revolutionize make FF’s happy at United but he Oscared again.
    Still United can’t come up with proper Polaris business class for many international flights although they keep calling it and charging extremely high prices for old continental configurations. Apple and Google is getting ripped off using United for their employees. If they have factories in China might as well contract with Eva or ANA which has super service and hard products than United.

  7. Gene Reply
    November 1, 2019 at 11:35 am

    Anecdotally, not a single thing they’ve done (vis-a-vis access restrictions) has reduced crowding by any meaningful measure. With few exceptions, the lounges, especially at hubs, are mob scenes at peak times. Food and beverage service is better than the nadir around 2013 or so, but still pales in comparison to Delta at most locations. I’m not sure why anyone would think this change would impact the experience at all.

    • Matthew Reply
      November 1, 2019 at 12:43 pm

      Exactly. The problem is members and international business customers. Not lifetime members who rarely (if ever) book on another airline but want to use the United Club.

  8. Patrick K Haro Reply
    November 21, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    Should you be aware of a class-action lawsuit in formation, I would be interested in joining. UNITED CLUB LIEFTIME MEMBER

  9. Leslie Hendrickson Reply
    December 2, 2019 at 6:26 am

    I agree completely. We have lifetime memberships and were upset when we were denied admission yesterday to the United Club in Dallas/Fort Worth. We had tickets on an American flight. We are looking for a lawyer to help us sue United. IMHO, “lifetime” means lifetime. It means all the days of our life not those selected days when United feels like letting us in.

  10. Mark Marutiak Reply
    December 9, 2019 at 8:42 am

    I too am a lifetime member…and am upset with the changes United imposed on us. It seems like we should have a class action suit against them. I definitely would sign a petition to get them to reconsider. I have reached out several times to their customer service with no success….

  11. Wayne B Corley Reply
    January 3, 2020 at 12:58 pm

    I purchased a Life Membership in the United Airlines Red Carpet Club over 40 years ago. My current card was issued in February of 1995. Since I seldom fly United I didn’t realize that the Red Carpet Club had changed its name to United Club until I was recently traveling and attempted to enter a Club Lounge in O’hare and was told that I had to get my membership card replaced with a United Club card in order to have access? Who do I contact in order to transfer my membership to the United Club?

    • Matthew Reply
      January 3, 2020 at 3:39 pm

      Wayne, contact this number: 1-866-UA-CLUBS.

      Please let me know how your call turns out.

  12. David R. Doucette Reply
    March 11, 2022 at 10:31 pm

    I would love to join too. I have a lifetime membership.

  13. Rick Reply
    October 2, 2024 at 7:15 am

    I purchase Lifetime Memberships in Continental Club in 1988 when I was 30 yrs old for my wife and I. It was absorbed by Red Carpet Club then United Club. We have been traveling throughout Europe for 3 weeks and plan to catch a cruise back to the US in 5 days.
    While attempting to use various clubs that state “Star Alliance Partner Club” in 4 different airports in Poland and Germany so far – and buying Lufthansa, Eurowing or Austrian Airline tickets (all Star Alliance Airlines) 4 separate clubs have said I cannot use my Lifetime Membership card, as only Gold-status cards are allowed, or I have to be flying Business or 1st Class. One Star Alliance Club had a pair of young guys (younger than when my membership went into effect) sitting at the desk that went out of their way to say my card was an “imposter card” that they hadnever seen before. One literally said, “Go back to US to use your card, we do not recognize it here” as though I was wrong. I called United Club customer service from Germany and was told that Lufthansa had been good about accepting the card, but they could not vouch for it’s affiliates. The United Club card might work in the US, but nowhere else in Europe I have tried, and I believe these cards are not recognized since few who bought them decades ago are using them. Clubs just want Chase or AMEX high-fee cards or United GOLD level. Anything else the card is like I pulled out a Mickey Mouse Club card from the 1960s and expected easy free entrance into DieneyWorld today! Lifetime = “Our Interpretation Only”.

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