United Airlines Airport Lounge Day Pass Worth It?
 

I will be in Denver with a long lay-over and am considering buying a $50 day pass for the United Red Carpet Club. Does anyone have any thoughts/opinions about the Red Carpet Club?

I've been to the big RCC in Denver (there might be a second, smaller one). It is better than waiting outside, for sure. You can get a comfy seat have some snacks (cookies, chips, cheese and crackers, fruit), coffee and drinks (juice,soda). Watch TV, read, relax.

Would you be able to use a RCC in your departure airport in addition to DEN? If so, I probably would spend the $50.

I would not pay $50. All of the Red Carpet clubs I've been to have pretty much the same ambience: no food (except maybe a banana or cheesy bits), no free drinks, and lots of people using cell phones. There's probably a TV that's perma-tuned to CNN, too.

I agree that it's better than sitting at a gate area somewhere ... but $50??

Yes, they do get busy and are not as nice as they used to be. The RCC can also be useful when things go wrong.

At the end of May I was flying LAX-IAD-MCO and saw that my first flight was delayed. I went to the UA agent in the RCC (instead of having to go to Customer Service outside). There was no line. The agent saw that there was a good chance I wouldn't make the connection and she got me on the nonstop flight. She was able to transfer the upgrade cert from the original flight and print me a boarding pass for a first class seat on the nonstop. So I went back to the lounge area for the additional wait.

Agree on the agent part. In fact, that might be the biggest plus of the RCC: when there's an operational irregularity, you are usually a LOT better off dealing w/agents in the RCC than waiting in the endless CS line or playing telephone-agent roulette.

I bought one for my niece when she joined me in London last year from St. Louis & had to get it on Ebay since you must buy them from a UA club or desk directly & I couldn't.

Anyway, it was cheaper on Ebay. She enjoyed it (didn't use the Denver Club, though.)

I been in the DIA Red Carpet Club many times, but I certainly wouldn't pay $50 for it.

How long is your layover?

I'm a United 1K and frequently connect through Denver--and I long ago gave up my membership in the Red Carpet Club.

There are two RCCs in DEN (West and East); they are pretty similar to each other. They generally shut one of them at quiet periods. There's no food except airline-type snacks (and you cannot bring food in), and you pay for anything except soft drinks. The furniture is tatty and not particularly comfortable and the toilets are not great. As a general rule, the RCCs are the worst of all airline clubs. I've never checked how easy it is to get over to the Continental or Delta gates in DEN, but their clubs are usually far better.

I suggest spending the $50 on a (couple) of decent meals and drinks in the restaurants, and for the rest of the time find an empty gate and settle down and browse Fodors on your laptop--they have free wifi throughout the airport.