Date of Visit: October 2023
Access: Star Alliance Gold Status
RATING (OUT OF 5 STARS)
Seating area and comfort: 5
Natural light: 5
Staff friendliness: 5
Washroom cleanliness: 5
Shower facilities: (available but not rated)
Food variety: 4
Bar selection: 5
Decompress Zone: 5
Dedicated WiFi: 5
OVERALL RATING: 4.9 STARS
Seating and comfort - 5
On a recent flight back to Vancouver, I visited the United Club lounge at Terminal A. Beware, when you get to Terminal A and look at the directory in the center of the airport, this lounge does not appear on the map.
The lounge is open to those with United Premier Gold (or higher) status and to Star Alliance Gold members. It located close to Gate 25 in Terminal A. This is one of the most oversized lounges that United Airlines has, or at least I have been to, being larger even than the one I recently visited in Narita, Japan (review here). This means many seating options exist, from couches to loungers to kitchen chairs and benches.
Natural Lighting - 5
All the sides of the outer perimeter have windows on both levels. This does leave you with few options if you are looking for a dark corner in the lounge.
Staff Friendliness - 5
On entry to the lounge, I did not have to speak with anyone due to the automated entry system. All I did was scan my boarding pass at the entrance gate, and I was allowed to enter the lounge. The staff-to-guess ratio was adequate, as the dishes were promptly cleaned from the seating area. Also, there were many plugs for both AC and USB to charge your devices. I was able to charge up my iPad, iPhone, and headphones before my 2-and-a-half-hour flight back to Vancouver.
Washroom Cleanness - 5
The washrooms are private and are not your traditional male and female layout. The washroom layout had a sink, a large counter, and a conventional toilet, and the space in the washroom was large enough to use as a changing room.
Shower Facilities - Available but Not Rated
This Lounge had dedicated shower facilities, which I anticipate would be adequate based on the rest of my lounge experience. I did not, however, have a chance to test them as I only had a small amount of time in the lounge.
Food variety - 4
The lounge had two food sections, one on the main floor and the other on the second level. The variety of the food was adequate for snacking and even actual meals, as you can see from the pictures. It also had a chicken meal and macaroni and cheese, of which I had a second helping. There is a self-serve coffee vending machine with various options, including a latte. There is also a touch screen Coca-Cola product vending machine with many options, including Vanilla Coke. The food had good flavour, no complaints. I would give them full marks if there was a dedicated chef like they have in the Air Canada International Lounge in Vancouver.
Bar Selection - 5
This lounge has full bar service on both levels; the second-floor bar seemed less busy than the main level as you can see from the pictures below. I was told that the United Lounge in Terminal B has the largest selection of beers on tap of any United lounge. I was thrilled that this lounge had Blue Moon. Now, if they had Yuengling on tap, that would impress me. They also had a good selection of hard liquor, including Hendricks Gin.
Decompress zone - 5
There is no dedicated decompressing area, but lots of room and chairs. These are tucked into far corners where you can be left undisturbed, and you can find a configuration of chair and area to fit your needs. The lounge does have a foosball table on the top level and a shuffleboard table on the lower level that can be used to relax and have some fun.
Wifi - 5
The lounge does have dedicated Wi-Fi. The readings were very impressive. I would come to this lounge for its high-speed Wi-Fi access.
Overall Thoughts
I was happy I found this lounge. This is the best lounge that I have experienced from United. So much so that if I had an extended lay-over or missed my flight, I would be quite content to hang out here. This is a newer lounge for United and, I have to say, I am impressed. I have noticed that United is updating its lounges in other airports and, if this is the result, they are off to a great start. Check out the full video review here on our YouTube Channel.