As an Austin based traveler and a United frequent flyer, I’ve had the opportunity to visit the United Club Austin (AUS) on many different occasions. I hadn’t reviewed it in the past but, during a recent trip, I decided to put together a review of the lounge at my home airport. Note that some photos in this review are from a prior visit.
United Club Austin Location
The United Club Austin is located one level above the concourse. Elevators and stairs up to the lounge, shared with the American Airlines Admirals Club, are located across from Gate 22.
Once upstairs, the Admirals Club is straight ahead and the United Club is off to the left.
United Club Austin Hours of Operation
The United Club is open between 4:30a and 7:15p daily.
United Club Austin Entry Requirements
There are a few different ways to access United Clubs. The most common is via a United Club membership. These annual memberships can be purchased directly and range in cost from $650 for general Mileage Plus members along with Silver and Gold elites, $600 for Platinum, and $550 for Premier 1K. Chase also has a United Club card that comes with access for a $525 annual fee.
In addition to a membership, select premium passengers can access the United Club. Of the big 3 US airlines, United is the most lenient when it comes to club access on premium tickets.
United Polaris Business Class passengers, Business Class passengers on an international or transcontinental flight, and First Class passengers heading to Canada can access the United Club. First and Business Class passengers on a Star Alliance airline and Star Alliance Gold members also have access. Finally, you can purchase a day pass for $59 and prices are discounted for those flying in Premium Plus. The full list of access requirements and terms and conditions can be found here.
A very friendly United Club agent welcomed me in after a short wait. There were some delays in Austin on the day of my visit and the agents were working to re-accommodate a couple of passengers.
Layout
The lounge is long and skinny, divided up in multiple seating areas. From the check-in desk the lounge expands out to the right. A long hallway connects the various rooms in the lounge and has some windows overlooking the check-in area. This is the only part of the lounge where you’ll get any natural light.
The United Club Austin is broken up into multiple, smaller rooms. This provided a decent amount of privacy and space to spread out. Though the lounge is on the smaller side, I’ve never seen it very full (I typically visit in the afternoons so morning flights may see more crowding). Closest to the entrance is a small space with three workstations. This space is secluded from the rest of the lounge seating and is a good place to take calls.
The middle portion of the lounge is equipped with a large, communal high top table with power outlets. Some individual chairs with shared side tables are also located in this room.
The bar and dining area is located at the rear of the lounge. This is the largest space in the lounge and has a mixture of seating including dining tables, lounge chairs, and barstools lining the length of the bar.
Food and Beverage
Of the big three U.S. carriers, I find United’s club offerings to be the weakest. However, you occasionally get some bright spots which was true of the food during this visit.
Upon entering the lounge there is a water and snack station located in the hallway. Regular and flavored water were available along with a selection of fruits, chips, and granola bars.
The buffet is located at the rear of the lounge closest to the bar. It featured a salad bar, cheeses and cold cuts, along with a hot dish and some soup.
The hot dish was actually quite good, shredded chicken tacos with cotija cheese was the offering during my visit.
The bar has a selection of complimentary beer, wine and spirits. Premium options are also available for a fee.
Miller Lite and Budweiser were the complimentary draft beers during my visit. I had a Miller Lite accompanied by some croutons from the salad bar to snack on.
Atmosphere
During my visit to the lounge, I grabbed a seat at the bar. The space was mostly empty with a few passengers and employees milling about. This visit was on a Thursday afternoon so most passengers were traveling home after spending the week in Austin. It was clear many of the passengers were road warriors as they knew the staff well.
I found the staff to be quite friendly and the bartender and I chatted for the majority of my visit. The lounge itself was quiet and passengers were courteous, taking phone calls in the workspace area instead of the main lounge. It certainly beats the chaos of the main terminal area at the Austin airport though it is far from my favorite lounge in Austin.
Summary
Theis lounge is far from the best United Club in the system. The space is small with no real windows or exterior views to let in any natural light. While the food is hit or miss the friendly staff make the lounge worth visiting if you have a little bit of extra time prior to your flight.
