United First/Bus. class lounge access - FlyerTalk Forums (2024)

bwoodlandca

Join Date: Feb 2008

Posts: 37

I have UAL First and Bus. Polaris seats outbound SMF-DEN-FRA-BER, and inbound MUC-DEN-SMF. A few questions:

1. Outbound flights: Do these seats include lounge access at DEN and FRA?
2. Inbound: Do these seats include lounge access at MUC before flight and at DEN?
3. Are there still different lounges only for international flights?
4. If I have two UAL lounge passes from my cc, would I need to use them for any part of this trip?

mariol

Join Date: May 2015

Location: DFW

Programs: UA Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum

Posts: 143

Yes fore DEN, Yes, Yes, No. I don't think you get LH lounge access on arrival in FRA. You would need *G to access a lounge there, I think. Is FRA-BER in LH F?

edit: actually I think you may get Welcome Lounge access at FRA: "Entry with a boarding pass for a Lufthansa Group long-haul flight and on selected flights, Air China and United Airlines flights[size=8333px]"[/size]

Last edited by mariol; Jun 14, 2024 at 9:49 amReason: edit from LH site

fumje

Join Date: Aug 2015

Posts: 11,675

1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Yes, generally, but in your case only at FRA and at MUC, and they are stocked pretty much the same as each other.
4. Not for anyone on that itinerary.

tods27

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: DEN

Programs: UA 1P-1MM, Marriott LT Titanium

Posts: 3,966

1: Yes
2: Yes
3: Not at DEN
4: No, and even if you did, you could only use them at DEN (no UC in FRA or MUC)

fumje

Join Date: Aug 2015

Posts: 11,675

tods27

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: DEN

Programs: UA 1P-1MM, Marriott LT Titanium

Posts: 3,966

They will get access to the Welcome Lounge in FRA (outside security) for sure. If FRA-BER is in Business (likely if the entire trip is in C), then they will get access to the LH Business Class lounge in FRA. There are separate lounges in FRA for Schengen and Non-Schengen flights. In this case, FRA-BER is a Schengen flight, so that dictates the lounge option.

Last edited by tods27; Jun 14, 2024 at 9:55 am

bwoodlandca

Join Date: Feb 2008

Posts: 37

Yes, FRA-BER is LH F booked thru United Awards

Things have changed since I flew Intl. Bus. 10 years ago. What is a Welcome Lounge? Is that different than other lounges?

Last edited by bwoodlandca; Jun 14, 2024 at 9:56 am

findark

Join Date: Nov 2014

Location: MSP

Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found

Posts: 14,621

To note the applicable rules:

• If you are departing the current airport on a *A flight in business class, you have access to that airport's business class lounge. Lufthansa has Senator loungers which are not business lounges, which can be confusing. FRA and BER will have both, so make sure you visit the right lounge. This rule also does not apply to flights in United First at United lounges, except see the last point.
• Arriving an airport generally does not convey any lounge access, but see the next point.
• If you are flying in United Polaris, you have access to United Clubs and United Polaris Lounges at all points (departure, connection, and arrival) on your same-day itinerary. There is no Polaris Lounge at DEN, but there are United Clubs.

bmwe92fan

Join Date: Nov 2013

Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air

Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P

Posts: 6,591

The Welcome Lounge is a very nice lounge -- but it is landside, not airside -- so if you visit you should leave enough time to clear security for your flight. The airside lounges have been undergoing "renovations" for quite some time -- I would check the Lufthansa thread for the current status of the lounges in FRA.

Here is a review of the lounge: Frankfurt Welcome Lounge

jhayes_1780

Join Date: Apr 2005

Location: MBS/FNT/LAN

Programs: UA 1K, HH Gold, Mariott Gold

Posts: 9,640

I have not been on LH since 2019; and you didn't ask, but: FRA-BER on LH will not be in F, it will be in "European Business Class" Which is a Y seat with the middle blocked/folded down.

Its fine for the 1 hr flight to BER, but just wanted to make sure you were not expecting something like a UA F seat (or lie flat) for this flight.

bwoodlandca

Join Date: Feb 2008

Posts: 37

So I just found this on Reddit from 6 mos ago: "At Munich on my way to DEN with a Polaris seat. Not allowed in any Lufthansa lounges. How are you folks accomplishing this?!" "This" is referring to the original question and replies about accessing lounges at MUC.

findark

Join Date: Nov 2014

Location: MSP

Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found

Posts: 14,621

If I had to guess, the OP tried to access a Senator lounge instead of a Business lounge.

bmwe92fan

Join Date: Nov 2013

Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air

Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P

Posts: 6,591

Having flown from MUC to the US in Polaris probably 20-30 times in the past five years I have never been denied lounge access with a business class seat. Can't explain the reddit experience other than maybe they though they ere in "business" -- but they were really in Economy plus or something?

WineCountryUA

Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: SFO

Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat

Posts: 67,284

Insufficient info to answer
If on a non-stop MUC-DEN, in business, they would have access
if on a MUC-XXX-DEN, then likely no

No really, Polaris Lounge it an additional benefit. UC access and partner lounge access rules have not change in more than 20 years.

PTahCha

Join Date: May 1998

Location: CT/NY

Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat Amb

Posts: 6,086

SMF-DEN-FRA-BER, and inbound MUC-DEN-SMF

Outbound:

DEN - Yes, United Club (since there are no Polaris Lounges in DEN)
FRA - if exiting secured area, Welcome Lounge. If staying within secured area, Business Lounge, or Senator Lounge if *G

Returning:

MUC - Yes, LH Business Lounge, or Senator Lounge if *G
DEN - Yes, United Club (if arriving on a UA flight from FRA, or *G); No (if arriving on LH flight without *G)

As for UC passes, they are only valid for United Clubs. Only need to use them if you are not eligible to use the lounge based on your class-of-service.