# Select Plus Lounge Access With Guests



## seat38a (Jul 29, 2014)

I can't seem to find any information regarding if you can bring guests with you into the lounges including United Club. I'm almost to Select Plus and was wondering for my upcoming United Flights if I can take guests in with me.


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## William W. (Jul 29, 2014)

United Club locations allow either your family, or two guests. Select Plus status entitles you to United Club access, so the same rules (2 guests) that apply to other United Club members should also apply to you.


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## PRR 60 (Jul 29, 2014)

seat38a said:


> I can't seem to find any information regarding if you can bring guests with you into the lounges including United Club. I'm almost to Select Plus and was wondering for my upcoming United Flights if I can take guests in with me.


I believe the policy for admission of the S+ member plus one guest (same rule as other partner access for United Club). You will likely need a physical AGR Select Plus card to enter. This means that earning S+ status will not alone gain you access. You will have to wait until AGR mails you your S+ kit including the new card. The United Club system can read the S+ card and confirm access, but I do not believe the UC system is connected back the AGR membership database. Just swiping an AGR or AGR Select card will not confirm access even if the member has subsequently earned AGR S+ status. You could try showing your existing card plus an email or some other evidence of you having made S+, but I would not bet on that working.

By the way, the S+ and Select Executive access to United Club is a huge perk. Even United's own top-tier elites (1K's and Global Services) do not get UC access. I'm not sure how AGR got this from UA, but for an Acela regular (particularly those who are not even paying the fare themselves), it is a quick and easy route to what otherwise is a $500 membership. Ten Acela round trips (less than one a month) gets you in the United Club. Regardless of the lounge amenities themselves, having access to the lounge agents for rebooking during irrops is priceless.


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## seat38a (Jul 29, 2014)

PRR 60 said:


> seat38a said:
> 
> 
> > I can't seem to find any information regarding if you can bring guests with you into the lounges including United Club. I'm almost to Select Plus and was wondering for my upcoming United Flights if I can take guests in with me.
> ...


United Club access is like the biggest perk of AGR. While points are great for free train tickets, United Club access will come into play more me than a free LD train ride.


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## jis (Jul 29, 2014)

I agree that UC access is huge for those who are not bigoted enough anti-air to actually want to fly somewhere.


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## William W. (Jul 29, 2014)

I personally despise United, and almost always fly Delta. However, since my dad often gives me United Club passes, I'll use their lounges when it is convenient.


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## seat38a (Jul 29, 2014)

William W. said:


> I personally despise United, and almost always fly Delta. However, since my dad often gives me United Club passes, I'll use their lounges when it is convenient.


Not pro United as well, just pro Star Alliance, which means having to love United.


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## seat38a (Jul 29, 2014)

jis said:


> I agree that UC access is huge for those who are not bigoted enough anti-air to actually want to fly somewhere.


I'd like to think in my case that trains and planes compliment each other. We take the train out but fly back or the other way around. Can't take too much time off to be on the train 4 to 6 days round trip.


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## jis (Jul 29, 2014)

seat38a said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > I agree that UC access is huge for those who are not bigoted enough anti-air to actually want to fly somewhere.
> ...


Same for me. But you should see some of the vitriol that spews forth in this forum regarding flying!


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## William W. (Jul 29, 2014)

Flying is usually a good experience for me, especially since I have TSA PreCheck. Airport security for me is similar to what one would have experienced pre-9/11.


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## seat38a (Jul 29, 2014)

William W. said:


> Flying is usually a good experience for me, especially since I have TSA PreCheck. Airport security for me is similar to what one would have experienced pre-9/11.


Flying is fine for me as well. It really helps to show up with low expectations. Also, I show up expecting to pay for everything so not a big deal, but I love seeing the ones that always flip out because security is long, they have to pay for snacks etc.


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## seat38a (Jul 29, 2014)

jis said:


> seat38a said:
> 
> 
> > jis said:
> ...


LOL for sure. Well since I am a rail ran plus an aviation buff, I won't throw either one under the bus.


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## JayPea (Jul 29, 2014)

seat38a said:


> William W. said:
> 
> 
> > Flying is usually a good experience for me, especially since I have TSA PreCheck. Airport security for me is similar to what one would have experienced pre-9/11.
> ...


I have no problem with flying. The worst part about it to me is hearing from those nosy narrow-minded types who hate flying and think everyone else should do. And beingcalled mindless sheeple for doing so. My next Amtrak adventure beginning Sunday will involve a flight from Spokane to Midway in Chicago and I'm looking forward to that as well.


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## trainman74 (Jul 29, 2014)

seat38a said:


> Not pro United as well, just pro Star Alliance, which means having to love United.


I'd say it's okay to love Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa, and grudgingly tolerate United.


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## jis (Jul 29, 2014)

Singapore Airlines yes. I am not sure Lufthansa is that much better than United, at least in my experience. "You vill close your Vindow shades" attitude of their cabin crew positively irks me.


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## seat38a (Jul 29, 2014)

The thing I like about star alliance is you don't really have to try hard to be in the alliance. You throw a dart on a list of airlines and chances are good that it will be a star alliance carrier.


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## trainman74 (Jul 30, 2014)

jis said:


> I am not sure Lufthansa is that much better than United, at least in my experience. "You vill close your Vindow shades" attitude of their cabin crew positively irks me.


I've never actually flown Lufthansa, but in the year I had Gold status on United, I got to use their lounge at Dulles a couple times. It was nice (aside from American liquor laws not allowing me to get my own beer from the tap).


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## Acela150 (Jul 30, 2014)

trainman74 said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > I am not sure Lufthansa is that much better than United, at least in my experience. "You vill close your Vindow shades" attitude of their cabin crew positively irks me.
> ...


That's a common problem..  I can understand it though. Previously I've worked in bars and the owners were very tight about bar seating and bar tending. To sit at the bar you have to be 21+. Although most of my employment time there was before I was 21 they didn't mind me sitting at the bar unless a surprise health inspection was going on. Servers for the dining room could serve alcohol if they were 21+ and bartenders had to be 25+. They didn't have an issue with me getting my own fountain soda or any employee. They just couldn't go behind the bar unless escorted by a manager if they're under 25, with some minor exceptions.


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## William W. (Jul 30, 2014)

Acela150 said:


> trainman74 said:
> 
> 
> > jis said:
> ...


Let's just agree that American liquor laws are backward, outdated, and ineffective. They encourage irresponsibility among youth when it comes to drinking, and the artificial taboo around alcohol prevents young people from being properly educated about how to drink responsibly. You don't see young Europeans getting stupid drunk all the time.

There is little difference between an 18 year old, and a 21 year old, physiologically. If you're old enough to be sent to war against your will, you're old enough to have a drink.


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## Shanghai (Jul 31, 2014)

I'm a Million Mile Flyer on United, so I have had my up & downs with them - mostly ups!!

Overall, I have found them fine. I have also flown Lufthansa, Austrian, KLM & Cathay Pacific

and found them roughly the same as United. I never had a favorable impression of Singapore

although I did fly them several times between Hong Kong and Singapore. After retiring, my

preference is clearly Amtrak!!


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## Steve4031 (Aug 5, 2014)

I've used the select plus to get my dad in several times. And my gf twice. This is a nice perk. I understand the red carpet clubs are not that great compare to other airlines. They are still better than the waiting areas.


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## jis (Aug 5, 2014)

Red Carpet Club? We are a little behind times aren't we?


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## Ryan (Aug 5, 2014)

Shanghai said:


> I'm a Million Mile Flyer on United, so I have had my up & downs with them - mostly ups!!


Hopefully your number of ups and downs remains equal!


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## Ispolkom (Aug 5, 2014)

William W. said:


> Let's just agree that American liquor laws are backward, outdated, and ineffective... You don't see young Europeans getting stupid drunk all the time.


You've never spent an evening out in Glasgow or Moscow.

Actually, all you can say about US alcohol laws is that they are hopelessly contradictory. On a Sunday, for instance you can cross the St. Croix River from Wisconsin, where a brewery can literally sell beer to go in a steel pail, to Minnesota, where you can't buy a six pack of Bud. Further south, there are dry counties in Mississippi that are across the river from parishes in Louisiana where as a sop to drunk driving laws the drive-through daquiri stands now tape the straw to the enormous styrofoam cup, rather than putting into the drink.

I think the "not serving self beer" rules come from dram shop laws. If the club is legally liable for not cutting you off, they have to be able to.


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## jebr (Aug 5, 2014)

Ispolkom said:


> William W. said:
> 
> 
> > Let's just agree that American liquor laws are backward, outdated, and ineffective... You don't see young Europeans getting stupid drunk all the time.
> ...


Full strength Bud, anyways. You can still buy the six pack if it's 3.2.


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 5, 2014)

Ever been to Octoberfest or a Soccer game in Europe, especially in Ireland, Scotland and England?

Those crazies make the tailgater's @/American Football games seem like drys!

And the posts about the kooky alcohol laws in the various states are spot on!


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## jis (Aug 5, 2014)

jimhudson said:


> Ever been to Octoberfest or a Soccer game in Europe, especially in Ireland, Scotland and England?


Not to mention Munich..... the home of Oktoberfest!
Ireland you don't need any excuse. Every evening is Guinness evening


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## neutralist (Aug 5, 2014)

Ever heard of hooligans? History suggest that, the English, Polish and German has the worst behaviour after football matches  Hint: People who follow the Championship (2nd tier of English football), especially with Millwall F.C., can tell you that!


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## Devil's Advocate (Aug 5, 2014)

William W. said:


> Airport security for me is similar to what one would have experienced pre-9/11.


If that's really what you believe then you must not have done much flying pre-9/11.




William W. said:


> You don't see young Europeans getting stupid drunk all the time.


The US does indeed have a rather confusing (and cronyistic) attitude toward alcohol, but that doesn't change the fact that there are stupid drunks in Europe as well.




seat38a said:


> The thing I like about star alliance is you don't really have to try hard to be in the alliance. You throw a dart on a list of airlines and chances are good that it will be a star alliance carrier.


The thing I _don't_ like about star alliance is that there's not much of an actual alliance behind it. Outside of luggage holds and economy cabins the airlines barely seem to cooperate at all. The alliance is full of poorly reasoned and barely explained restrictions and exemptions that make redeeming premium seats and securing premium lounge access more of a chore than it should be. Rules are applied haphazardly or simply ignored altogether and whatever recourse is coming won't arrive until after your trip is over.




Acela150 said:


> Previously I've worked in bars and the owners were very tight about bar seating and bar tending. To sit at the bar you have to be 21+.


That sounds nice actually. For some reason parents around here think nothing of filling bar stools with little kids who won't be able to order their first real cocktail for another decade or more. The bar makes $5 on a Roy Rogers or Shirley Temple and the $50 cocktail customer leaves empty-handed. Seems kind of silly but that's how it is where I live.




Shanghai said:


> I'm a Million Mile Flyer on United, so I have had my up & downs with them - mostly ups!! Overall, I have found them fine. I have also flown Lufthansa, Austrian, KLM & Cathay Pacific and found them roughly the same as United. I never had a favorable impression of Singapore although I did fly them several times between Hong Kong and Singapore. After retiring, my preference is clearly Amtrak!!


After having flown hundreds of flights across a couple dozen airlines (including the likes of LH, CX, & SQ) I've come to the conclusion that none of them really give a damn about coach passengers. Most of them don't seem to care all that much about business class passengers either. A few work really hard to make _international_ first class extra special, but by that time you're either jumping through major loyalty hoops or you're spending enormous sums of money. Which is why I spend my time and my money looking for nicer hotels rather than worrying about which airline is going to disappoint me next.


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