Most United elites out there have probably been disappointed by how hard it actually is to get into a United club. United’s own Star Alliance Gold elites don’t get access when flying domestically, and not even a domestic “first class” ticket will get you in. Rather, United encourages you to purchase a club membership to the tune of $450 a year in order to gain admittance. To my surprise, thousands of travelers find that cost worth it and purchase the membership. However, in order to have parity with their partners, United still allows Star Alliance Gold status holders with their other alliance airlines to access their club lounges. At the time I held Gold status with Singapore Airlines, so I was allowed in before my United flight to Boston. The check in agent actually rejected my business class boarding pass to Boston before I pulled out my membership card. I found it pretty funny that even the higher paying business class passengers are denied from these lounges on domestic trips.

Right at the entrance, there’s a beautiful ceiling fresco featuring some of the animals in various constellations. There’s a clock above it to tell the time, which is a nice touch. There are also a few model ships like the one above on display at the entrance, which were fun to look at on my first visit. That’s most of the decoration in the lounge, however.

Domestic United clubs tend to be pretty short on food options, and that was definitely the case here. There were apples, bananas and oranges on display, but nothing beyond that. There’s usually a vat of clam chowder and some sort of bread on display, but I didn’t get them pictured. They have a machine that makes coffee, including a very fluffy cappuccino. Since I was looking forward to having a hearty meal on the plane, I skipped the food here this time. But I’ve sprung for coffee and some fruit on other days when I was due to fly in Economy class. 

There’s all sorts of seating in the main areas of the lounge, from bar stools and countertops to couches with views of the apron and United’s domestic terminal. Even though it’s a hub lounge, I’ve never seen the seating fill up during the few times I’ve been here. 

One of the best parts of this lounge for extended stays however, is the presence of a cluster of workstations that’s separated by the rest of the lounge by a quiet corridor. It’s easy to miss at first, but because it’s so quiet and gets very little foot traffic, it’s easy to be incredibly productive here. I’ve had a couple really solid afternoons of work before boarding flights to other places. Honestly, the workspace reminds me more of UC Berkeley’s desks in their underground Main Stacks library. I guess I’ll take that bit of nostalgia as a bonus.

So, is the United Club worth a stop if you have access? I find it more comfortable than the terminal, and some seat is usually guaranteed, so I’ll usually enter if I have time. However, I wouldn’t arrive at the airport early for it unless I thought I’d be more productive here than anywhere else I might work that day. I’ve come here early for say, noon flights where it wasn’t worth the detour to the office for being able to see coworkers that morning. And one key to productivity is snagging one of these desks. It isn’t impossible to be productive without it, but it does get considerably harder for me. I also stop by here to give my electronics some extra charge, rather than scouring the terminal for a port. And if I’m willing to choke down a banana (I hate bananas), then I’ll also stop to pick up a couple of those. All in all, I wish they’d improve the food offerings here, but that’s really my only complaint about the lounge, as it’s solid overall.