Without warning, United Airlines has dramatically tightened access rules to its network of upscale Polaris Lounges. While I don’t celebrate these changes, they strike me as pragmatic and logical to address overcrowding, which can make even the nicest lounges unpleasant.
United Cuts Polaris Lounge Access For Most Star Alliance Business Class Passengers
United operates upscale Polaris Lounges at five of six hubs in the Continental USA, including:
- Chicago (ORD)
- Houston (IAH)
- Newark (EWR)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Washington Dulles (IAD)
(United CEO Scott announced in 2023 a Polaris Lounge will be built in Denver, but three years have passed and I’ve seen no construction)
These lounges represent an upgrade from United Clubs and feature shower suites, sleeping rooms, a la carte dining, barista-made coffee, and a wide variety of cocktails, beer, and wine. Once inside, everything is complimentary.
First, let’s look at the new access rules, then I’ll offer my thoughts on why these particular changes strike me as far more reasonable than eliminating access for “basic” business class customers flying on United.
New Polaris Lounge Access Rules
Until this month, any Star Alliance business class passenger departing on an intercontinental flight could use the United Polaris Lounge at the airport of their longhaul gateway. For example, I used the Polaris Lounge at LAX ahead of my Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul and used the Polaris Lounge at IAD ahead of my EgyptAir flight to Cairo.
Under the updated policy flagged by One Mile At A Time, United is restricting who can access its Polaris Lounges to United’s own passengers and a handful of joint venture partners. Here’s a table I’ve put together to reflect the changes of who has access to Polaris Lounges:
| Passenger Type | Eligible Carrier / Fare | Polaris Lounge Access | Where Access Is Allowed | Guest Policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Polaris passenger | Standard or flexible fare in United Polaris | Yes | Departure, connecting, and arrival airports on eligible same-day itinerary | No guests |
| Partner first class passenger | Lufthansa, SWISS, or ANA longhaul first class | Yes | Departure airport only for the international longhaul first class flight | One guest |
| Partner business class passenger | ANA, Air New Zealand, ITA, Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels) on all fares | Yes | Departure airport only for the international longhaul business class flight | No guests |
| Other Star Alliance premium passengers | All other Star Alliance business or first class itineraries | No | No Polaris access (only United Club access) | N/A |
As you can see, partners like Singapore Airlines, EVA, LOT Polish, and TAP Air Portugal are off the list.
My Thoughts
Reducing this change to greed is too simplistic. It’s true that United does not see much value in the Star Alliance…that was clear to me when Kirby became CEO of United and made what I understand were some very harsh demands before his Star Alliance colleagues (that’s another story for another day…).
But it’s also true that United Polaris Lounges face a constant crowding problem, especially in Newark, Dulles, and San Francisco. Blocking off EgyptAir and Air China passengers from these lounges is not going to solve the crowding problem, especially with United moving forward to allow premium transcontinental passengers into Polaris lounges, but it will not hurt.
United is trying to lead but in reality it is copying Delta here. Delta One Lounges, the equivalent to Polaris Lounges, also have rather tricky access rules that allow access to some partners but not to others. It’s a function of space and money.
All these restrictions, like cutting of “basic” business class passengers and now cutting off most Star Alliance partners, are meant to solve the crowding issue and a bright line rule is easier than trying to add time of day restrictions to certain partners when the lounges tend to be less crowded. United hopes the lack of crowding will drive more business and provide better value to its own customers. That’s not unreasonable!
What is sad, though, is how restricted and complicated Star Alliance carriers are with their lounges, especially when compared to oneworld. Think about all the restrictions imposed on Star Alliance customers…the first class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich are only for Lufthansa or SWISS first class flyers (or HONs). The Singapore Airlines Private Room in Singapore is only for Singapore’s own first class passengers. The Air Canada Signature Suites are only for Air Canada’s “full fare” business class passengers.
Contrast that with the oneworld alliance, where top-tier emeralds enjoy first class lounge access including amazing Qantas and Cathay Pacific Lougnes plus the stellar Finnair Platinum Wing.
It’s just a different way of looking at lounges and a recognition that Star Alliance is these days, at best, a loose confederation rather than an enduring alliance.
CONCLUSION
United Airlines has tightened access rules to its Polaris Lounges, effective immediately.
While it is certainly not a policy change I celebrate–especially as a former Star Alliance employee who still sees value in such partnerships–I look at all the other exceptions across Star Alliance and find it hard to blame United for looking out for itself and its joint venture partners. Crowded lounges are unpleasant and it is reasonable that United takes steps to protect its own revenue by protecting its own passengers.
As for whether the crowding will get better or worse after all the new rules kick in, we will have to see…I think there will still be a lot more coming in than left outside the door. But this is a start toward at least trying to manage crowd size.
Alloances are starting to become as useless as FF programs, no? Or at least, on the way…
Matt I have a question perhaps you know.
You said: “The Air Canada Signature Suites are only for Air Canada’s “full fare” business class passengers.”
I have an award trip booked using United mileage plus flying business class on Air Canada Toronto to Europe. Do you know if this award booking will allow access to the air Canada signature suites?
Thanks
Hi KC, unfortunately you will not have access.
Thanks! Bummer….
I had understood as long as you’re travelling in business/”signature” class on AC you should have access to the Signature Suite. Worth the effort to ask them in any case, as that lounge isn’t far from the regular AC lounge at YYZ. The following is what they say on the AC website: https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/fly/onboard/cabin-features/signature-service.html#/
“Eligibility: Customers originally booked and ticketed in Air Canada Signature Class (J, C, D, Z or P class) or on Aeroplan Business Class Flexible Reward, with a departure or connection via Toronto Pearson International Airport or Vancouver International Airport to Europe, Asia, South America, Australia or New Zealand on an Air Canada-operated flight.”
Kirby: We have a problem. We’re trying to be more premium but our lounges are already pretty full.
Stooge: That’s simple, boss. Just add lounge capacity. It’ll cost a little more but the premium revenue will more than offset that.
Kirby: COST MORE!?! NO!
Stooge (Meekly): Then we don’t have many choices, boss. The only other thing we could do would entail screwing over lots of people.
Kirby (Grinning): Tell me more. I like this idea already.
Stooge: Umm we could just refuse admittance to our Star Alliance partners business class passengers. That would look awful since we were a founding member but it could be done.
Kirby I like it! Make it so!
Stooge: Sir you DO realize that if they do to us what you plan on doing to them, we’re totally screwed?
Kirby: So what? We’ll just blame them. Proceed.
It’s like we were in the room with them. Vivid!
Come on, there’s no splintering here. These lounges have never been *G lounges, and that’s the only standard that matters. Nobody wants their lounge access to be determined through arguing about whether CTG is part of the ‘Caribbean’ or whether a EWR-YYZ-BRU-KGL journey is considered ‘long-haul’.
While it’s understandable that some people won’t like losing access to these supposedly high-end lounges (FWIW I’ve been to the ORD one and it was alright but didn’t feel materially better than the UA lounge at LHR which I’ve visited flying on a bargain basement TAP fare), there are zero alliance-related consequences to this decision.
In fact, oneworld are worse for this given some of its airlines specifically create fake F lounges to pretend they give elites a higher level of service than what they’d get elsewhere.
The real pain points when it comes to *A are the exclusion of the *G baggage benefit from light fares on LHG and Avianca (maybe also another airline which I can’t remember)- which is the same at oneworld but not Skyteam- and the multiple LH affiliates which offer no *A benefits – which is the same at SkyTeam with Transavia and oneworld with EI/VY. A secondary painful issue is the multitude of fares, including some business class ones, earning nothing on partner schemes where LH and AV are also joined by ET- this is unfortunately also common within Skyteam, not sure about oneworld as I rarely fly them.
At Dulles, the overcrowding is due to the great majority of international flights all departing around the 5-6 pm bank of flights. Almost the entire day’s worth of J flyers is arriving at the lounge at the same time. At other times (like with my upcoming LX flight at 8:30, or my recent 10:30 pm to Lisbon), it is just deserted – in fact, all of Dulles looks pretty deserted except leading up to the late afternoon/early evening bank. I understand that spreading out flights to lessen lounge overcrowding would be letting the tail wag the dog, but it is simply not true that Polaris is crowded all the time.
I’m quite happy if this means less people in a Polaris lounge if I’m in one. I will be denied D1 access at BOS on my next trip because I’m flying J out on AF (bought through and codeshared as DL). I’d prefer access, but think the policy makes sense.
Pretty much everybody is happy if they have to deal with less crowds someplace as long as they get in themselves, an unfortunate selfishness that increasingly characterizes the American people.
Agreed. You could look at my attitude as selfishness. Note, in my case, I’m being denied the better lounge in BOS without a gripe. I can want lower taxes because I want to keep more money, or I could think it’s best for the economy.
LH First Class, AC Signature: HON Circle can access, no other *A top tier status
UA Polaris: no status
AF La Premiere, Delta One = no status
OW First Class lounges = OW Emerald status (and business/first)
Huge differences.
It would be good if *A and SkyTeam could offer a top tier above Gold/Elite Plus (equivalent to Emerald).
It would be pointless for SkyTeam, only three airlines in the alliance really have first class and (MF, GA, MU have it on a tiny number of routes) it’s nowhere near as widely available in terms of routes as on LH, SQ or BA.
Not sold on the idea for *A either- they also have so many hubs without any F service. What really needs attention there is *S which, unlike SkyTeam Elite, is a meaningless status.
Since Star Alliance has 20+ airlines, inevitably some airlines has closer business relationship with UAL than others.
ANA and Lufthansa would like UAL new Polaris lounge policy. Eva Air, which compete vigorously with UAL on SFO-TPE route, would be unhappy as their customers would no longer have Polaris lounge access at Chicago, Houston, and Dulles.
I think EVA flies out of the international terminal at ORD, so it won’t be a huge change for their passengers at that airport.
It’s worth recalling that as the world’s first and largest airline alliance, Star Alliance has 26 member airlines.
The competition between BR and UA is less of a direct rivalry and more of a strategic “co-opetition” focused on specific routes and service quality, given that both airlines are members of Star Alliance. However, BR’s steadily expanding North American service network in recent years is seen as a direct challenge to UA’s influence in its hub cities.
I was flying out of BRU a few weeks ago, and I was not granted access to any of the lounges operated by SN despite having a J ticket on TAP. Since the main lounge is being refurbished, I was told (at both lounges) that they are only admitting *G. To me, this actually seemed like the opposite policy of what should be in place, but I didn’t make the rule. It does seem like *A isn’t the same as it once was.
Why should it be the opposite? If there’s an ’emergency’ of sorts, it’s logical for them to prioritise their regular customers- some of whom will be corporate travellers on stupidly expensive flexible Y tickets- over someone who once paid €120 to upgrade the first leg of an one-way to Faro.
I was flying BRU-LIS-RAK, and admittedly I thought ~€450 was a pretty decent J fare. When purchasing a business class ticket on European carriers, lounge access is typically something you’re paying for. Considering the aircraft types flown, it’s one of the few differentiators from economy. However, considering the way you think, it sounds like you’d make a great LH Group senior manager. You should send them your CV.
Scott Kirby & Co just made a massive change that has premium travelers absolutely angry, and most people didn’t even see it coming… Are your alliance members no longer your partners?
Would love for you to write more about United’s relationship and standing within Star Alliance.
I feel like these alliances, for the most part, are just going through the motions anymore. I honestly wonder how much attention is paid to the promotion of them and how truly strong they are in coordination and developing benefits within. They have been around for so long now but the shine has clearly worn off. It’s like a marriage that was dead years ago but the couple stays together to avoid the unknown.
United is boiling the frog here it seems. Given the new global clout they have they are testing the waters of who they want as partners. It’s a bit of an Emirates approach. Unfortunately for all of us the days of lounge hopping and benefits across alliances may soon be over.
I don’t agree – what’s happening is that alliances are part of the landscape and people no longer get excited by them.
However, those who are doing the legwork (as opposed to the insta feed) within airlines continue to be busy with maintaining and improving the infrastructure and alignment between alliance members. Aeroroutes reported this morning that Finnair have filed codeshares with Srilankan, and a couple of days ago there was a similar item for Garuda/VN. Skyteam introduced domestic lounge access only last year, while oneworld is finally opening up its own lounges.
Alliances are not an exciting new priority for their members – airlines are safe in the knowledge they can get connecting traffic and maybe a bit of incremental loyalty through them, but they have no incentive to blow their marketing budgets on trying to promote their alliance.
I certainly can’t speak for others but I can tell you that I have absolutely been affected by alliances over the years. And I still am.
With that said, I think you do agree with me. That from the late 1990’s until Covid these three alliances had huge impact on business travelers and the carriers many regular flyers would choose. Now, as business travel lags behind what seems is the focus on luxury premium leisure travel those alliances are less important. The sad reality is that there are still many of us that are slogging it out across the world as if it’s 2015. What once made it tolerable back then is all going away now. What once made us loyal is no longer relevant.
As I said, they are boiling the frog of who we are in the ecosystem. Loyalists are not relevant anymore. To the point I sort of laugh when an airline employee says, “Thank you for your loyalty.” For which I check for my wallet to make sure they didn’t distract me so as to steal it.
I obviously agree that alliances are more relevant for business travellers than leisure ones, but I still don’t understand which part of the customer experience has been degraded for them.
When I did the SAS challenge 1.5 year ago, I was able to take full advantage of my matched ITA status with basically every Skyteam airline out there even if I was crediting the miles to another airline and neither of them were 100% integrated into the alliance (ITA never was, and SAS had only just joined). I was pretty impressed with that and I’m sure it would have been a lot different back in 2009 when I was Elite Plus with Czech Airlines and had to have a lengthy conversation with the dragon every time I tried using a lounge in Asia (most hadn’t even heard of the airline!).
I’m also pretty happy with my *G status- the list of benefits may have remained static, but there are more airports with Gold Track (or even just fast track security) and the premium leisure market has contributed to improving the standard of many outstation lounges which used to be devoid of basic things like fresh food or fast WiFi.
I’m curious as to which parts of the passenger experience you think have been deteriorating.
The Problem with Polaris Lounges is that they are located in the US, staffed with surly US employees and offer bland US food.
Polaris lounges have always been for Polaris customers, I don’t see the issue. Other star alliance carriers dont let gold/business fliers into their top lounges (see SQ, LH, etc)…