The United ‘Club Lite’ between gates B61 and B63 in Denver – just 1582 square feet, very limited seating and no bathrooms, but ‘grab and go’ for packaged food – is almost ready to open. And it’ll be called Club fly.
Coming soon to @DENAirport 👀… pic.twitter.com/vrXriEfiz9
— Jon Gooda (@jonathangooda) July 30, 2022
The entrance, at least, looks pretty fly for that Scott Kirby guy! It’s on the B concourse – but it remains to be seen whether the B-side turns out to be a MileagePlus Paradise.
Original post from December 6, 2021:
United Airlines appears to be planning a new club lounge concept in Denver. Aviation watchdog JonNYC flags a new United Club concept being developed for the ‘B East’ concourse addition there, between gates B61 and B63, detailed on pages 146-147 of the airline’s contract with the City and County of Denver.
(It isn't just a small UA club, it's a totally new concept with a focus on grab and go items.)
— ˜”*° JonNYC °*”˜ (@xJonNYC) December 6, 2021
What’s striking about this lounge is that it is small at just 1582 square feet and with very limited seating – however there’s a service counter for an agent to provide booking assistance, a self-service drink area and ‘grab and go’ for packaged food. There do not appear to be restrooms. The concept design is called CLUB LITE.
Traditionally airport lounges have eschewed ‘grab and go’. In fact they’ve implemented rules around it and worked to ensure service items make it difficult. They don’t want you taking a bottle of water because everyone would, and that would be expensive.
Recently through there’s been a shift in thinking for some lounges. The Air Canada Cafe near the domestic gates in Toronto which opened in late 2019 offers grab and go. Many guests only have a moment, they go to the lounge for clean restrooms and ideally want a quick snack – not to linger.
Capital One has put this concept in action in an impressive way in their new Dallas – Fort Worth lounge. Restrooms are near the entrance to the lounge, and there’s a marketplace with gourmet items near the front too packaged for takeaway.
Passing through Houston I was actually impressed by the packaged foods in the United Club and realized these would be perfect for takeaway although historically United has frowned upon this practice.
The effort, though, perhaps most reminds me on American Airlines Service Centers that have been set up when that airline closes an Admirals Club temporarily. There’s an agent or two staffing a desk to help club members with itinerary issues, along with packaged snacks and sandwiches and a refrigerator with drinks. You can’t get free bottled water to go in an Admirals Club but you can generally get one when the club has been closed for renovation and replaced by a Service Center.
Denver has had labor unrest at the airport of late. Moreover, the minimum wage is $15 an hour. I imagine only offering a grab-and-go food option is a significant cost savings for United and/or its contractor.
I also wonder if the airlines will use these grab-and-go options to basically eliminate meals on domestic flights under 3 hours. I won’t lie. The Air Canada and Capital One grab-and-go offerings look like they are of a higher quality than the meals served in first on most domestic flights outside of key markets.
I like the idea. But I bet we all know at least one person or have seen losers fill up a bag in the lounge. Same people who take the blankets and pillows from the plane.
There’s also Lufthansa’s Delights To Go in Munich: https://onemileatatime.com/lufthansa-munich-lounge-food-to-go/
I think it’s a great concept. You don’t always have time to sit in a lounge for a meal and maybe your upgrade didn’t clear on your next flight. I think it’s fantastic.
Some of the AA clubs have beefed up their breakfast offerings with scrambled eggs and waffles. Based on the poor breakfast in F these days – the AA offerings are much better.
No toilets in the lounge = less expenditure for cleaning the bathrooms.
Maybe some of these smaller lounges will eventually go to just automated/self-service kiosks/gates gates so as to have even lower expenditures on staffing the lounges.
I am constantly amazed by the low expectations of us passangers and the low quality service such low expectations then result in. Good luck with trying to get international class service. Ever.
All lounges should hand passengers bottles of water as they depart to their gates.
Pretty sure this is to minimize overcrowding in the one of two main lounges that is open while the other one is closed for renovations. Denver is a huge United hub and currently has a single operational lounge.
Interesting change, but will UA again allow access to Chase One Time Passes?. Closed now and if they do not re-open a change might be in the works for our family.
I’m curious if this test is successful, will the concept be used as a relief valve to stop crowding in main clubs, and servicing elites during tight connections, or will smaller markets have their full services clubs replaced with these (Cleveland)?
They’re going to need to have someone there just to watch things and ensure that people don’t just bring in an empty backpack and fill it to the brim with stuff. Then there will be all sorts of arguments – I’m paying hundreds of dollars for membership/I’m a Star Alliance Gold/etc., so how dare you stop me from grabbing what I want.
Any insights on who will be able to use these? Given the price of the one day passes, this doesn’t sounds like a good value proposition and likewise for those paying for annual membership……
United’s new 7 Eleven lounges will just be a way to clear out day old sandwiches and out-of-date food. yuk.
If they can take up more idle airport retail space to take pressure off great, but access to clean private lavs is something to prioritize so don’t let this take away from proper main clubs
This could be an interesting concept. I actually like the idea of being able to assemble a boxed/bagged snack to bring on the plane. Hopefully it will be tasty and real food (think grocery store prepared foods and cold brew), and not bags of chips
So wait, I get to watch my husband eat? I get it that they don’t want *everybody* who flies with the club member to go in but your spouse who travels with you? Seems a bit cruel.