A serious contention that United Clubs are “awful” suggests to me both a failure to regularly visit United Clubs and a shortsighted historical perspective on United Airlines’ network of airport lounges.
Counterpoint: United Clubs Are Not Awful At All…In Fact, They Have Improved Greatly
I read with some amusement the argument by The Bulkhead Seat blog that “United has continued to let its United Clubs deteriorate to the point of making me not want to even step foot in them.” That may well be his subjective assessment to which I can only offer mine, but reading that and the diatribe that followed made be wonder what parallel universe of United Clubs that the writer was experiencing.
Let me start by saying I am not defending United Airlines for the sake of defending United. On the contrary, I am always willing to hold United accountable when it messes things up…such as gruff, poorly-trained lounge staff. But I’ve flown United regularly for 20 years and can offer a lot of insight on both the product offerings and evolution of United Clubs (and the Red Carpet Clubs and Continental President’s Clubs before them).
The writer complains about how “dirty, picked over, and crowded” he recently found the United lounge in Newark Terminal A, one of United’s newest clubs. To demonstrate, he posts pictures from the United Club in Chicago O’Hare…
United is smart in that it’s not giving any pretense of being a premium airline. It gave up that ghost long ago.
With respect, I would disagree. Strongly.
When I started flying United Airlines, the lounges offered cheese and crackers, veggie slices with ranch sauce, whole fruit wrapped in plastic, and maybe some packaged savory or sweet snacks like granoal bars and pretzels. That was it…
But the selection of food and drinks has greatly improved since the pandemic. You can now expect a selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, a number of hot dishes, plus an expanded selection of desserts. Yes, you can still get vegetable crudites and cheese cubes as well.
Furthermore, we’ve seen a lot of investments in the lounge network, such as the beautiful new lounges in Denver:
and Chicago:
and Newark:
The Los Angeles lounge, my home airport, remains one of the most aesthetically pleasing in the network, and has a great selection of food (like a taco bar) and a great staff.
The writer then compares Delta lounges to United lounges, arguing that the United lounges are “dirty…crowded…and the food is awful.”
Here in particular I wonder if the writer has seen the lines out the door in Delta lounges in hub airports… meanwhile, I’ve never had trouble finding a seat in a United Club. In fact, the particular lounge that prompted the “awful” article was half empty when I visited it, also in the morning:
I will say this: the one Delta Sky Clubs I have been in this year has been better than any United Club in terms of food. The LAX Sky Club has a lovely selection of food including an even better taco bar.
Both Delta and American Airlines in its Admirals Clubs offer showers while only a single United Club in the entire domestic network does (EWR, gate C123). That is a missed opportunity.
So while I stop far short of saying United Clubs are better than Delta Sky Clubs, I also stop far short of saying they are awful. On the contrary, I quite like them…and I also note how much they have improved from the “old days” of the past two decades. If the writer was a Global Services member for many years, I would have thought he would have also noted the improvements in food and beverage selection over that time.
Thus, I disagree with the contention that “United no longer cares about passenger experience and even its most luxurious offering is lackluster.” While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, that particular viewpoint strikes me as highly spurious and manifestly unreasonable.
Do you think United Clubs are awful? If so, how often do you actually visit them?
Never been to a UA lounge so can’t say anything about it. Now on Delta lounges, I haven’t seen any lines outside their MSP lounges for many months now. Their food options are much improved and their new lounge at MSP in on pair to the one at LAX.
You’ve admitted before that United was your first love and your attachment is partially emotional. While I don’t dispute your facts in this instance could it be that you’re wearing rose tinted glasses on the overall subject?
Also, I’d dearly love to hear you debate the merits of United with The Bulkhead Seat. As you both have strong opposing opinions but neither of you is fanatical.
@Christian … +1 . Also , Matthew likes the UA taco bar and coffee . I prefer the Beverly Hills Hotel buffet and a glass of burgundy . I know a girl who prefers the Royal Hawaiian hotel pancakes with a mai-tai . I lived with fellow infantrymen who preferred a big steak , three cans of beer , and a cigar . Brandon prefers a glass of prune juice and a sniff . Everyone is different .
Why are you so afraid to reference Biden directly. Are you that scared, or is just the thrill of sounding like an 8 year old?
Would be happy to debate Anthony. And I’ve flown Delta and American this year as well and visted their lounges.
JetBlue still my favorite – great flights in Mint and Core.
It’s funny: as a long time UC member, I find myself agreeing completely with both assessments.
My United stats page says that I had 84 lounge visit last year. I have been a member since 1986. The lounges are just fine and have greatly improved over the years. The only big current problem is during the rebuild I Denver
not enough capacity on the B lounge. This will be taken care of later in the year when the second B lodge reopens. My favorite lounges are. LAX,SAN,CLE
Remember the old SAN lounge? So small…and the commuter terminal. Fun times.
CLE is such a gem, built for hub traffic that’s been gone nearly 15 years . . . Not only can you have a full 8-top table to yourself at CLE, I’ve had a full room to myself some early mornings. (For those who haven’t been, the CLE club is designed as a series of connected, doorless rooms with diffetent arrangements tables, pairs of fake leather chairs, round tables, and then the tiered stadium-seating TV room.) You can almost see the ghosts of passengers past, waiting to connect to Grand Rapids, Buffalo, Milwaukee, Montreal, Erie and Indianapolis.
In other words, the CLE club has some unfair advantages over other outstations, but I always wonder how UA justifies paying for all the square footage! But I do miss the CLE club terribly when I have to fly AA.
Agree, the new A concourse United lounge is fabulous
Where do you see your United stats? I would be very interested in seeing my stats for the year
Anthony from The Bulkhead Seat here.
While I will agree with you that UA has invested in design in some of its new lounges, my praise stops there. Delta has an overcrowding issue and I’m not going to argue that, but United does as well. I’m hoping that next year the Delta Sky Clubs will empty out. I didn’t stay long enough in the EWR UA Club to even snap a picture as it was just gross. The little brat slurping soup off of the buffet was the point I said “time to go.”
While I will agree with you that UA did make improvements from the pictures you posted from 2006, that was a lifetime ago in terms of product offerings. In the past week, I have had a great breakfast in the Atlanta Sky Club, a make-your-own poke bowl in another. When I go into the UA lounges there is nothing appealing. The food served is not at the same level. I think LAX is an outlier (like the LHR location).
There is a reason I am no longer GS with UA and it is a conscious one. I do not enjoy flying United. I do not want to give United my money unless I have to and that is based on schedule necessity. The Wi-Fi is unreliable. The service is meh. This is not a premium airline. Even with full meal service coming back in Polaris, it will not be good. It’s the same old junk. You can’t take something with minimal investment and pass it off as premium. I’m not going to argue that Delta One meals are better. UA domestic meals make no sense. I had the Tortellini en Brodo this week. This dish is meant to be tortellini in broth. UA served a bowl of tortellini in tomato sauce with peas. They try with the descriptions, but the trying ends there.
I respect your opinions, Matthew, but you also clearly have an strong affinity for UA and overlook a lot of its flaws. I used to be the same. I commend UA for its app and route network. Full stop.
Now, I honestly have better experiences on Spirit. I flew to Atlanta on Spirit the other day with a comfortable BIG FRONT SEAT, fast Wi-Fi, and we arrived early. The flight attendant thanked me repeatedly for being a Gold member. I was on a UA flight on Wednesday night. The flight attendant was not into being there and made it known. There was no mention of any status to any passenger that I heard. No beverage napkins. Towels were not even wet and handed out completely dry. Nuts were not warmed. The Wi-Fi worked (slowly) for half of the flight and then cut out. This was after I left the UA Club already annoyed. Why would I put myself through this if I don’t have to.
@Anthony … +1 . Also , a Noo Joisey traveler at Nooark would be happy with a slice of pizza and a beer .
Fair enough, Anthony. Like I said, your exprience is your own and I repsect it. I know you speak as someone who actaully has traveled a great deal on United.
I come at this with my own biases, but I’ve had such good flights and lounge experinces on United lately – really, really good. I’m sitting in the Polaris Lounge SFO now and it is crowded…but still no problem finding a seat and the food is excellent. At LAX, they even know me by name now.
Delta Sky Clubs are the best among AS/AA/DL/UA, but I’ve been in sevearl Admirals Clubs recently and frankly I find the United Clubs a much better experience with better food, coffee, and service (except the showers, as I mentioned).
Fun to debate this!
I didn’t go to UC very often but you mention Polaris. In the afternoon, I OFTEN will literally not be able to find a seat in ORD, IAD, EWR. I have seen people sit with the agents where they help pax because there is no place to sit. I often have to be put on a wait-list for the dining room at EWR and ORD. The food quality has certainly gone down hill compared to before COVID in ask areas and on board. The buffet seems the worst. I think I’d safely call the EWR PL “awful” when it gets really busy. The rest are OK. But as with anything in the universe, it’s all relative. It’s better than 20yrs ago. Better than nothing.
I have never waited more than 4 minutes to access a UA club, and this was at DEN before the new clubs opened. Even when the IAH C closets look crowded after I get inside, there is no line outside.
Now to be fair, my IAH connections these days are timed so tightly I just have time to pop in and out.
But DEN is so much better now. Just zip right in through the e-gates, like ORD C.
@Anthony, curious why you’d judge a UC based on the behavior of another passenger. Do you judge DL clubs similarly?
Objectively, UA has invested significantly in their clubs and has more space for customers than DL does. They also have been investing significantly in their fleet, including updated WiFi. DL flies more outdated 767s than anyone else, while having an order book and international system that pales in comparison to UA.
Reading the Flyertalk thread on Polaris catering, there is consensus that the food has already improved, so I’m not sure how you can definitively say that the food “will be” terrible even after additional upgrades.
If you were to say that DL clubs are marginally better than UA’s, the review would have been credible. But does that make it worthwhile to take a substandard routing on older planes? Probably not.
I took the title of your review to be clickbait and drive views. No judgement there as it’s the nature of the beast. But you lose credibility when you bash UCs that are well-reviewed by so many others, especially when you base a review, in part, on the behavior of a child in the club.
Fair criticisms can be made, but yours are so exaggerated and based on old information. People on FT who have understandably criticized the UA of the past are complimenting so much of the turnaround, but negative and strong opinions are so much more “fun” to debate, as seen here.
Additionally, the Polaris Lounges, already in a league of their own, are already being enlarged in ORD and EWR, as stated in last week’s earnings call, per JonNYC. ORD will have more seating by the end of the year, with EWR by next summer.
DL is opening their own premium lounges, but almost a decade after UA opened theirs, and they will only have three of them, compared to UA’s 6, 7 after DEN opens.
Your article was reminiscent of a Tim Dunn opinion piece. No offense meant!
Where is there a make-your-own poke bowl in a SkyClub? I need to know.
food is fine at United Clubs
After flying home from Kona, I was able to have lunch (chicken Caesar salad) plus teriyaki chicken. Would have had breakfast at DEN on my layover, but was double stuffed from eating breakfast on the plane
I find the UA lounges to be very hit or miss. Some are excellent, Heathrow for example, while it can be busy has been very good for me, when going westbound in premium Econ. Domestically, I have walked out of a few lounges without even sitting down, but I have had a few disappointing Delta and AA lounge experiences domestically too.
Not that this is a enlightened revelation, but it seems to be that the older & smaller a lounge is, the more likely it is to be disappointing.
“Older and smaller,” except for UA club at MSP. That looks like an episode of “Tiny Houses” on HGTV, but it is a club. With reasonable snacks and fabulous staff!! So yes, old and very small, but not disappointing.
Most of the UA clubs are fine for domestic lounges., and more or less on a par with AA. Deltas are a little better. But the Polaris lounges knock it out of the park. Even the domestic F food has improved on UA. But the on board Polaris food and service is a disaster. (I say this as someone who got bumped off an oversold UA flight last night, put on a lame itinerary with a connection (at least still in business), and sitting in Madrid 8 hours later than I should have gotten here and without my luggage which missconnected.)
Saw your post on Flyertalk! 😉
I find United lounges to be overall pretty good. There are a few legacy CO lounges that are not quite as good (I fly out of MSP a lot and that lounge doesn’t have a kitchen), and LAS is a bit weird, but Chicago C Concourse lounge is excellent and the rest of the ORD lounges are nearly as good. IAD has some work to do. Haven’t had a chance to see DEN since the renovations.
I should have mentioned that the IAD UA lounges in C/D are about the worst in the system. Just like C/D itself
I’ll agree with this about IAD. As a West-based traveler, it almost seems like UA is a different airline out East (I mean, IAD and sEWeR), ick. I feel very lucky with DEN, IAH, SFO, LAX and the occasional ORD.
The EWR clubs had work done so they ARE nicer than the IAD options. But it’s still EWR.
IAD was what came to my mind when I thought about UA clubs that I have just walked in and walked right back out of. IAD was the last time that happened, and I didn’t want to mention it by name because I haven’t been in the lounge there in a few years and didn’t know if it had been improved– guess not.
Their DCA club is actually much much nicer than the ones at IAD.
Agree, yet their PL is one of the best IMHO
I have memberships in both the United Club and the Delta Sky Club. Both clubs at my home airport (LAX like Matthew) are excellent. The food at the Sky Club is marginally better but the staff at the United Club is infinitely nicer.
United’s newer clubs like LAX, LGA, ORD-C, etc., are definitely a notch above their older clubs. And Polaris lounges are, by far, the best lounges in the US for a US-based carrier
I think the point is that, objectively, the United Clubs are not bad, and (again objectively) they are much improved from years past. Even so, there are still deficiencies which no one would deny.
“Both Delta and American Airlines in its Admirals Clubs offer showers while only a single United Club in the entire network does (EWR, gate C123).”
Are you not counting the club in LHR? Last I recall, there were showers.
“IAD has some work to do.”
100% agree. Perhaps they’re next in line for renovations?
I should have specified domestic. Just took a shower at LHR UC last week! Thanks, Shawn!
But your general point is taken. It is a missed opportunity!
I’m always so pleased when people think Delta is better (at anything) .. . Because it means I won’t have to awe them on my AA or UA flights!!
As for UA clubs, IAH C (both) are terribly small and overcrowded, but IAH B is amazing – if dated, as in Gordon Bethune might be doing book signings of “From Worst to First” at one of the desks, but I liked CO of the late 90s, so I like IAH B. IAH E is a shameful closet since they took the best parts of E and made those into a Polaris lounge.
But ORD B/C/F, LAX, SFO F, SFO G, the new showplaces of DEN, and even “E” for effort MSP (small but mighty) — great places for getting me in quickly, finding a snack, and a seat. Unlike DL at all those same stations, where I walk by the people standing in line for the SkyClub. I also adore the MCO UA club but I’m only there in the early morning when all the children are sedate. I shudder at the thought of MCO after 9am.
I’ll be keeping my UA Club Visa as I wave at the people in the SkyClub line. The UA club (and AA too) do what I want them to, for me.
As if In-N-Out customers lining up cares about what that one Burger King customer thinks lol
Jan excellent analysis!
Believe it or not, I agree with Jan. Those who think waiting in line is worth their time, should definitely wait in that line. Be it In-N-Out, Delta SkyClub, Disney, or wherever. It’s wonderful to be able to make choices. I like vendors who respect my time. Other people like vendors who make them wait. It’s a personal choice, and each traveler gets to do that!
I’d argue that “much improved” is not the same as “great”. I’d say UA lounges in general are just passable.
While the new United Clubs are aesthetically pleasing (and I liked the food/barista coffee offered at EWR), I’d say they’re still well below the overall experience at most European or Asian lounges. Even by North American standards, they’re just acceptable.
SFO is my home airport for instance. While UA F looks pretty nice (even though it is a more classic lounge), the food offerings are usually much better at the AC MLL in D. (And AC offers barista coffee and doesn’t charge for any of their alcohol.). Even if we wanted to compare one of the new UA lounges (like EWR) to SFO AC MLL… AC still wins imo.
While many new UA lounges and some of the refurbished ones are nice, the issue is the quality of the lounges as a whole is inconsistent more than anything else. As others have mentioned, you have some good lounges like the ones at LHR or EWR, but then you have the ones at IAD…
Also, Matthew, have you had a chance to try out the Skyclub at ORD? I’d say it’s probably the second best lounge there, which, yes, I know is a very low bar to clear, but it is still a very good lounge overall.
I do agree that the UA clubs are pretty good, definitely better than AA lounges, but at least at some of the hub airports they are still packed to the gills. I fly mostly from IAH and the Terminal C lounges are usually packed to the gills and at least one of them hasn’t been updated since the old Continental days. I flew out of IAH two weeks ago and on a Saturday afternoon I could barely find a seat in the lounge near C-31 and the line for food stretched almost all the way back to the reception area. I ended up having a much better time waiting in the empty gate area next to mine.
I wish your reference to his blog would have been a link to it, as other bloggers do. Otherwise, how can we assess your point? It seemed petty, but I’m glad he chimed in here.
There’s a very specific reason for that…has nothing to do with pettiness.
Apparently, you have not visited UA club at SFO, where the biggest and oldest club at Terminal 3 Rotunda is the worst club anywhere in the world. Filthy floor, broken seats, small food station (not enough space when there is a crowd and less choice of food.), dark and slow bar. UA is determined to abuse its San Francisco based domestic flyers. Compare with the new club at EWR, it is day and night.
Good thing is Centurion Lounge by AE is nearby. I go there to get fresh air when I’m not on international flights.
I particularly like the club at LHR’s original first class lounge by UA, but services has gone down in recent years.
I was just in there today. Other than the cheap white paint job, what’s wrong with it. A lot of people, but plenty of seats. Food not bad at all. I quite like it.
That paint job – covering up some beautiful wood that will be on trend again in about 5-10 years — now makes it look like the Disney Yacht Club resort. I cannot tell what look they were going for in SFO F. I suspect the paint was on sale??
Agreed. Paint is a total blunder. Such a foolish move.
Clearly you’ve not been to the Swissport Lounge at ORD T5.
I don’t know the SEA United Club is pretty mediocre. There’s a handful of “neglected” United Clubs that don’t offer much in terms of space or food, which are the two key factors for domestic lounges. The new United Clubs at DEN and EWR are solid. I’d say they generally lag behind SkyClubs still. But if United continues their renovations, they’ll be on par.
SEA is my home airport and I’ve used the United Club there many times. The problem is Seattle is basically an out-station for United. Flights to the hubs only: EWR, IAD, ORD, DEN, IAH, SFO, LAX. No connections. Seattle used to be a United hub decades ago; now Alaska Airlines ‘owns’ half the airport both in terms of gates and operations. (And often at a lower fare.) If I want to go anywhere on United other than the above hubs, it’s by connection. This is almost certainly why the club there is small. The staff however have been very nice indeed.
The issue with the United Club are they are just too damn crowded.
Depends. IAH and ORD in the afternoon…sure. But I’ve never had trouble finding seating, even in crowded lounges.
I visit the UA lounge at LHR when I am flying from there and have time to kill. The staff and showers are excellent, while the food and beverage selection is above average. I recently used the one in MEX which was fine, too, and even offered some unexpectedly good Chinese wine! I am sure there will be plenty of uninspiring lounges at smaller outstations in the USA, but that doesn’t mean that you’d have better luck in smaller airports virtually anywhere else in the world where your airline will generally send you to a contracted facility which may well only serve crisps, crackers, and bananas as in that photo from 2006.
I love the MEX lounge. The last old school PMUA lounge!
Admittedly the décor is rather outdated, but the staff were super helpful (I was hoping to standby and they resolved everything down to printing the boarding pass) and the food and drink selection well above average.
I have not visited a UC. I tried. As a loyal AA elite, I was interlined last month to UA–at O’Hare. You know, UA’s home base. Graciously, AA sent me to the next terminal, the last available seat, ensuring I would get to my destination. I was going to see a UA seat–and a LOUNGE! I was so thankful to finally sit, rest, grab a Diet Coke, maybe a snack since in the stress I had not eaten. There I was at UA’s home, so it was going to be nice.
It was closed. The staff was shutting everything down at 6 p.m.–actually about 5:57. I thought the person before me was being denied entry but the lady was saying “…closed. There is no food, drinks. It’s all gone. You can go to the one by [insert gate].” That was a very long walk with my heavy bag, and I was exhausted after the taxing day. According to the UA app the club I was accessing, planning to rest, was to close at 9 p.m.
I ended up sitting in the dirty and disgusting Terminal 2. I spend a lot of time in ORD, and Chicago in general. I had never been to T2, since I fly AA. I see why my UA friends hate changing planes in ORD. It’s gross. It’s disgusting. I felt the entire vibe change as I walked to the “other side.”
And closing a lounge three hours early, not having showers unless you are paying the big bucks… yeah, so not impressed by my preview of what I was missing.
My opinion is not informed from inside the lounge. Of course it wasn’t. Silly me, trying to enter a lounge at 6 p.m. on a busy weekday when so many people were traveling, at ORD no less! Like why would a lounge be open?!
Which lounge was it? United has four lounges in ORD.
United Clubs generally cater to the masses now. They are not awful. The wine and food selection is better than Admiral’s Clubs and the LGA club in particular has been a huge bright spot relative to other clubs in the system. The DEN clubs had potential but DEN is just a nightmare of a hub. I agree that LAX is awesome, especially with the outdoor terrace, which (knock on wood) has never been busy…and Bruce is a shining star! Don’t really fly DL at all, for the Skypesos and and overcrowded clubs reasons specifically. Admirals Clubs offer less food and way less quality, but other than PHX, are generally less crowded than the other 2 majors, and the showers are a HUGE selling point for me as an outstation traveler who always has long journeys regardless of destination. AA outshines the competition with FFD, of course, and the Polaris Lounges offer the best overall Business product. DEN needs a Polaris Lounge STAT!
I believe crudites are only served in PHL and PIT.
Ha ha.
19 out of 20 random Priority Pass lounges are a better experience than the Polaris Lounge in EWR I`ve been to maybe a year ago. Easy as that. The place was filthy. The food cooked by someone who had no idea about cooking and the service personell couldnt have been any more indifferent.
We had very different experiences.
I agree. I loved the EWR Polaris Lounge. Barely wanted to catch my flight to MUC. And while I don’t frequent United Clubs as much as I once did. I gotta agree with you. And the one at LAX is absolutely phenomenal. Never been to one that’s overcrowded. Food offerings are all amazing WHEN compared with what was offered 15-20 years ago. And having just returned to Germany where the lounges I stopped in were the Club at ATL (at 9 p.m) and the Aspire in AMS, I wonder what people expect if they complain about something like Polaris in Newark. And I am a tough critic, but … come on.
Agreed.
The Aspire Lounge (actually, both of them) in AMS are decent enough. The Club in ATL isnt really that bad either. Certainly better than the Polaris lounge in EWR when I was there. Not a regular UA flyer though. For reasons.
Several thoughts come to mind: (1) the described Newark lounge experience: I too dislike the Newark Polaris lounge as too noisy due to poor design and poorly laid out. That said the kid slurping soup was not a lounge problem, it was a parental problem: the kid was raised by animals and thus behaved like one. There are too many kids allowed into EWR and left unsupervised by the parents which is unpleasant for everyone. Brussels Airlines does one thing very well that UA should copy: their lounge in Terminal A at BRU has a designated room for kids with oversight. It keeps the kids nearby but spares the non-parents’ from noise or rambunctious off-spring.
Over the past 18 months, I’ve experienced the Polaris product at Newark (OK), Chicago (excellent), Washington-Dulles (outstanding) and Houston (cramped for such a large hub but OK). I’ve also stopped by the other lounges at San Antonio (superb!), Newark (fine) and Houston (good). The staff at each one has always been lovely, helpful and accommodating. Food products are usually better than in-flight offerings (not hard, granted) and the atmosphere is a little calmer than the usual chaos in the concourses.