United Lounges at EWR

are all of the lounges and pop ups still off limits to day passes (the cards you get each year for credit card membership)? Do any take this again yet?

we had the credit card passes

And got into the lounge at ewr near gate 74 a week ago 

74 is hit or miss. I’ve seen the sign you’re talking about up 50-50. It goes up depending on how that particular day is going. 

Outrageously, the “good” lounge is straight Polaris international now. 1k club member domestic 1st can’t get in. The overcrowding issues is 100% due to United’s decision to screw their domestic travelers.

Jackson_Fusion said:
74 is hit or miss. I’ve seen the sign you’re talking about up 50-50. It goes up depending on how that particular day is going. 


Outrageously, the “good” lounge is straight Polaris international now. 1k club member domestic 1st can’t get in. The overcrowding issues is 100% due to United’s decision to screw their domestic travelers.

 Once that lounge went Polaris / Int'l only (and after they stopped stocking the NY Times at all lounges), I let my membership lapse.  Just not worth it.

lanky said:

Jackson_Fusion said:
74 is hit or miss. I’ve seen the sign you’re talking about up 50-50. It goes up depending on how that particular day is going. 


Outrageously, the “good” lounge is straight Polaris international now. 1k club member domestic 1st can’t get in. The overcrowding issues is 100% due to United’s decision to screw their domestic travelers.

 Once that lounge went Polaris / Int'l only (and after they stopped stocking the NY Times at all lounges), I let my membership lapse.  Just not worth it.

 I’ve considered it but fact is when delays hit the fan and I’m stuck someplace it’s still worth it. But I feel you. I was angrier about the change than most things associated with airlines.

Jackson_Fusion said:

lanky said:

 Once that lounge went Polaris / Int'l only (and after they stopped stocking the NY Times at all lounges), I let my membership lapse.  Just not worth it.

 I’ve considered it but fact is when delays hit the fan and I’m stuck someplace it’s still worth it. But I feel you. I was angrier about the change than most things associated with airlines.

 I dunno, ever since they put those mid-way restaurants and bars in Terminal C at EWR, for delays I find it useful to be able to sit at a bar within sight and earshot of my gate.  The United Club agents often aren't the most connected with respect to real-time updates from the gate with respect to updates and boarding times.

oots said:
we had the credit card passes
And got into the lounge at ewr near gate 74 a week ago 

 Good to know. We’ll give it a try tonight. Thanks.

There is a "pop-up" lounge over by gate C-124 (I think).  It doesn't have the same level of comfort and offerings as the big lounge by Gate 74.  It's small, the restroom is outside,  and has limited snacks and drinks (no liquor - only beer and wine). 

Starting next year, they are making a change to the United Club admittance policy:

United reserves the right to limit access and only allow entry to members with a same-day boarding pass. All United Club customers, including members, are eligible to access United Club locations only when they have a flight arriving or departing on any airline the same day, and must show a boarding pass for entry. Effective November 1, 2019, United Club customers, including members and their guests, must provide a same-day arrival and/or departure boarding pass in the customer’s name on a United or Star Alliance partner operated flight for entry into all United Club locations. United reserves the right to extend access to customers traveling on partner carriers with whom United holds commercial agreements outside of Star Alliance.

erins said:
There is a "pop-up" lounge over by gate C-124 (I think).  It doesn't have the same level of comfort and offerings as the big lounge by Gate 74.  It's small, the restroom is outside,  and has limited snacks and drinks (no liquor - only beer and wine). 

 The pop up lounge doesn’t accept the pass cards. I know that for sure.

erins said:
Starting next year, they are making a change to the United Club admittance policy:


United reserves the right to limit access and only allow entry to members with a same-day boarding pass. All United Club customers, including members, are eligible to access United Club locations only when they have a flight arriving or departing on any airline the same day, and must show a boarding pass for entry. Effective November 1, 2019, United Club customers, including members and their guests, must provide a same-day arrival and/or departure boarding pass in the customer’s name on a United or Star Alliance partner operated flight for entry into all United Club locations. United reserves the right to extend access to customers traveling on partner carriers with whom United holds commercial agreements outside of Star Alliance.

 Who accesses United lounges when they don’t have a same day boarding pass? How would you even get to them? They are almost always beyond security.

conandrob240 said:

erins said:
Starting next year, they are making a change to the United Club admittance policy:


United reserves the right to limit access and only allow entry to members with a same-day boarding pass. All United Club customers, including members, are eligible to access United Club locations only when they have a flight arriving or departing on any airline the same day, and must show a boarding pass for entry. Effective November 1, 2019, United Club customers, including members and their guests, must provide a same-day arrival and/or departure boarding pass in the customer’s name on a United or Star Alliance partner operated flight for entry into all United Club locations. United reserves the right to extend access to customers traveling on partner carriers with whom United holds commercial agreements outside of Star Alliance.

 Who accesses United lounges when they don’t have a same day boarding pass? How would you even get to them? They are almost always beyond security.

 Flying another airline.

Lanky agree with you on overall state of C. I’m more concerned with having a club on returns when EWR has a ground hold (ie always).

conandrob240 said:

erins said:
There is a "pop-up" lounge over by gate C-124 (I think).  It doesn't have the same level of comfort and offerings as the big lounge by Gate 74.  It's small, the restroom is outside,  and has limited snacks and drinks (no liquor - only beer and wine). 

 The pop up lounge doesn’t accept the pass cards. I know that for sure.

 I'm not sure what a Pass Card is - but in September, we were able to go to the pop-up club using our complimentary one day passes given with the United Mileage Club credit card.  Are you talking about Priority Pass - I thought United stopped accepting those long ago.

conandrob240 said:

erins said:
Starting next year, they are making a change to the United Club admittance policy:


United reserves the right to limit access and only allow entry to members with a same-day boarding pass. All United Club customers, including members, are eligible to access United Club locations only when they have a flight arriving or departing on any airline the same day, and must show a boarding pass for entry. Effective November 1, 2019, United Club customers, including members and their guests, must provide a same-day arrival and/or departure boarding pass in the customer’s name on a United or Star Alliance partner operated flight for entry into all United Club locations. United reserves the right to extend access to customers traveling on partner carriers with whom United holds commercial agreements outside of Star Alliance.

 Who accesses United lounges when they don’t have a same day boarding pass? How would you even get to them? They are almost always beyond security.

 Don't forget that in other airports, United doesn't have its own terminal like it does at Newark.  So you can be flying Norwegian and still be able to use the United Club lounge.  The change for next year will be that you have to be flying United or a Star Alliance partner to use the United Club.

erins said:

conandrob240 said:

erins said:
There is a "pop-up" lounge over by gate C-124 (I think).  It doesn't have the same level of comfort and offerings as the big lounge by Gate 74.  It's small, the restroom is outside,  and has limited snacks and drinks (no liquor - only beer and wine). 

 The pop up lounge doesn’t accept the pass cards. I know that for sure.

 I'm not sure what a Pass Card is - but in September, we were able to go to the pop-up club using our complimentary one day passes given with the United Mileage Club credit card.  Are you talking about Priority Pass - I thought United stopped accepting those long ago.

 Yes, I am talking about those cardboard little passes. So, it seems maybe the pop up is doing the same and allowing it on a day by day basis based on volume. I assume tonight’s going to suck with people trying to get on flights that got cancelled yesterday, but I’ll try both lounges and let you know. Thanks.

erins said:

conandrob240 said:

erins said:
Starting next year, they are making a change to the United Club admittance policy:


United reserves the right to limit access and only allow entry to members with a same-day boarding pass. All United Club customers, including members, are eligible to access United Club locations only when they have a flight arriving or departing on any airline the same day, and must show a boarding pass for entry. Effective November 1, 2019, United Club customers, including members and their guests, must provide a same-day arrival and/or departure boarding pass in the customer’s name on a United or Star Alliance partner operated flight for entry into all United Club locations. United reserves the right to extend access to customers traveling on partner carriers with whom United holds commercial agreements outside of Star Alliance.

 Who accesses United lounges when they don’t have a same day boarding pass? How would you even get to them? They are almost always beyond security.

 Don't forget that in other airports, United doesn't have its own terminal like it does at Newark.  So you can be flying Norwegian and still be able to use the United Club lounge.  The change for next year will be that you have to be flying United or a Star Alliance partner to use the United Club.

 I was always under the impression you had to be flying United tomuse their clubs unless you were on some sort of shared flight code. 

I don't know why anyone pays for membership to United club anymore. There are plenty of comfortable place in the airport to hang out if you're delayed. The Polaris lounge is amazing but it is packed solid at peak times so I completely understand why it's so strongly limited. I did enjoy a meal recently at Classified - the invite only restaurant - if you want to get away from the fray.

I don’t pay for it. I have a bunch of “free” passes I’ve acquired, most of which have expired over the past two years since they stopped accepting them. We’re here now-regular lounge and pop ups not accepting them and I can assure you, there’s no quiet, pleasant place in all of terminal C right now. It’s miserable and packed.

I’ve never seen EWR quite like this. It’s so disorganized. We’ve switched gates 4 times (and so have a bunch of the flights all around us) and we are now entering our 2nd hour of delay for now real reason. Our incoming plane landed at 8:48pm and they are just pulling into our gate to deplane now. Ugh. Each time, the posted departure long time passes before they post the next delay for our flight. 

Ironically, the gate 124 pop up

Lounge started accepting passes around 9:15pm. It closes at 10pm. LOL

erins said:
Starting next year, they are making a change to the United Club admittance policy:


United reserves the right to limit access and only allow entry to members with a same-day boarding pass. All United Club customers, including members, are eligible to access United Club locations only when they have a flight arriving or departing on any airline the same day, and must show a boarding pass for entry. Effective November 1, 2019, United Club customers, including members and their guests, must provide a same-day arrival and/or departure boarding pass in the customer’s name on a United or Star Alliance partner operated flight for entry into all United Club locations. United reserves the right to extend access to customers traveling on partner carriers with whom United holds commercial agreements outside of Star Alliance.

 They somewhat started doing this earlier this year.  I landed in EWR in June (having discarded my printed BP on the plane) and was notified by my driver that he'd be a bit late to pick me up.  I pulled up the app with my club code at the counter of the club and the agent demanded a boarding pass.  She was unrelenting and I had to pull up a boarding pass on my United app as well to get in (despite paying the $450 per annum for the United Club visa card).

United sucks. Continental was so much better before the merger.