I spent an hour in the New Orleans United Club before my flight to Denver and give it a very positive review thanks to the great staff and respectable selection of food, including some local favorites.
United Club New Orleans (MSY) Review
Location + Hours + Access
The New Orleans (MSY) United Club is located in Concourse C, near Gate C7. It is open daily from 4:00am to 6:30pm. From the concourse, you will come to a wall with a “United Club” sign and elevator. Take the elevator or stairs* downstairs, where you will find the lounge on a lower level.
*Note the sign above, but if you look at the top picture it papered the stairs were alarmed…so I just took the elevator.
Access is reserved for United Club members, Chase United Club Visa holders, Star Alliance Gold travelers, and international business or first class passengers traveling on any Star Alliance flight. Note that if you hold a Star Alliance Gold card from United Airlines (Premier Gold or higher), you can only access the lounge when traveling in conjunction with an international itinerary.
Those who have a Star Gold card from other programs can use the lounge when traveling on any Star Alliance flight in any class of service. Also note that from New Orleans, United does not give premium cabin passengers access on domestic flights.
Furthermore, one-time passes are accepted. These are distributed to Chase MileagePlus Explorer credit card holders or can be purchased at the door for $59.
Seating
From the front desk, you can head left to the dining and bar area or right to a seating area, which includes chairs with end tables (can copious plugs) as well as a few phone rooms. This club is in the style of Most United Clubs, with a faux white marble countertops, faux leather chairs, and modern light fixtures that look like starbursts.
Food + Drink
I was hungry by the time I reached the lounge and was surprised (and initially amused) to see a container of chicken and sausage gumbo that looked like…well, you know.
But I tired it…and you know something? Not bad at all…looks can be deceiving.
The buffet spread was decent (UA always seems to do better at outstations than at hubs) and included sandwiches, pizza, rice, fresh fruit, pasta salad, and a garbanzo bean salad. It was definitely a respectable spread.
Soft drinks, water, coffee, and tea were available.
A full-service bar was also available with complimentary beer and wine and select sprits with a wider selection for sale. Full menu on the QR code below.
Nursing Room
A room for nursing and changing diapers was available. BYOD (bring your own diapers).
Restrooms
Restrooms were available in the lounge and very clean.
No shower facilities.
CONCLUSION
When I get to the airport early, I appreciate lounges like this. The staff was friendly, I had an (authentic NOLA?) afternoon snack, and I got some work done. That’s about all I look for in U.S. domestic lounge.
It is quite *interesting* how much harder UA tries at outstations as you note…ah the joy of competition
Did it ever get crowded while you were there?
This is a pleasant discovery. With what looks like fewer than 15 United departures per day from MSY and no Star Alliance international traffic, I would not have expected a United Club at MSY at all, much less such a spacious one.
There are many elites travelling UA from MSY and IAH especially in the oil and energy business. The MSY club caters to many of them and is fairly popular.
Glad to see this report and photos. I was involved in the construction of the new MSY terminal and early construction phase of the UAL lounge. But was transfered out to another mega airport project before lounge completed. Finished product looks great!
Typo again! Nice article though.
Yep…instead of saying “I tried it” (referring to the Chicken Gumbo that looked like “p–p”) you said “I TIRED it”! Didnt you proofread your article before submission? OR did the typesetter who entered it for print have a dyslexic moment?
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the dumpster fire of a Club lounge in Denver…