United Airlines’ Biggest Club Lounge Opens at Newark Airport

May 19, 2022

Have a long airport layover? A delayed flight? Need to a place for the family to decompress and freshen up before going out into the world after a trip?

Flyers at Newark Liberty International Airport got such a place Thursday morning when United Airlines opened the 30,000-square-foot United Club in Terminal C, the largest in the airline’s system.

What’s inside could be described as a travel oasis far from the maddening crowd that just deplaned or bumped bins with you in TSA screening.

Despite its big size, it doesn’t feel like an airplane hanger and was deliberately designed to have a more intimate feel.

The club has plenty of places for a traveler to sit, grab a drink, something to eat and some solitude in a variety of eating and lounge areas.

There are high-top tables for working. One eating area has intimate diner-like booths that are higher end in appearance. Couches and easy chairs dot the bar-lounge area that have great views of the skylines of Jersey City and New York in the distance.

Travelers from other cities, look around, because this will be the look for all of United’s premium clubs at its hubs throughout the country, said Kevin Mortimer, director of premium services and clubs.

The reason why United choose Newark for its first and largest new premium club is because of the airport’s schedule and reach throughout the airlines system, Mortimer said.

“It has the most to offer in domestic and international departures, the amount of international departures is 50 plus, which makes it in, (the) truest sense, this is a gateway,” he said.

United’s new club has been in the works for three years, which was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in 2021. It is not a direct response to a new American Express Centurion lounge that is being constructed as part of the New Terminal A expected to open this year. But it is intended to compete with other airlines’ premium clubs and — when it opens — the AmEx lounge.

“If we want to be competitive in a place like Newark, we’re competing with other airline clubs and AmEx and other clubs coming up,” Mortimer said. “This is a great time to set the standard and raise the bar. As we move forward all the clubs will have this look. This is the new standard for United Airline clubs.”

The good news is this club is open to anyone, either through buying a day pass, if you don’t travel as much, or being a club member, or through a partnership United has with Chase bank, he said.

“The nice things about that is, if you’re here in the airport and your flight’s delayed or the frequency isn’t one every hour and a half, you might want to buy a one-day (pass),” he said. “It a great option if you have to be in an airport longer than you anticipate.”

The club isn’t geared to one specific type of traveler, but designed to satisfy customers from a business traveler to a family going away on vacation with two or three kids, he said. Fliers who are used to old-school airline clubs are in for a surprise.

“The wow factor here is when they (passengers) come in here and have been in any of our other locations, (the reaction is) ‘Wow.’ You’re awestruck by the space and the furniture,” Mortimer said. “Everything it’s got to offer is so above and much beyond what many have been accustomed to.”

There are also little touches that delight, such as vintage Samsonite luggage that your parents may have lugged to the airport. Some tables and chairs have a mid-Century styling, and all the seating is comfortable and supportive. For power-hungry devices, there are electrical outlets and USB ports almost everywhere.

It’s also the only United club with showers, except for the Polaris level. Each of six shower suites has two shower heads, towels from Saks Fifth Avenue and plenty of space.

“If you’re flying international, it’s a great opportunity to freshen up, he said. “That’s a real plus for our clubs.”

While the club boasts having spectacular New York City views from its runway side windows, New Jersey isn’t overshadowed by the Big Apple here, which is by design, Mortimer said. Two murals were created in in collaboration with The Newark Museum of Art and Gallery Aferro by local artists Gilbert Hsiao and Dahlia Elsayed.

Hsiao’s mural was inspired by Newark’s musical heritage and United’s history and it greets travelers at the club’s entry. Elsayed’s mural in the lounge references Arshile Gorky’s famous 1936-67 murals at Newark Airport, and imagery of built and natural environments of the area.

“Well do the same in other locations with local artist providing their touch,” Mortimer said. “A club in Denver will take on a mountain atmosphere. You’ll see that in all the locations, it will take on a local slant.”

Food also is geared to the region and where possible, sourced from food suppliers and from minority-owned and women-owned businesses, he said

The club offers hero-style deli sandwiches, a mini-taco bar, salads, a charcuterie board and a sun-dried tomato pasta dish that got raves, even from Mortimer, who describes himself as being picky about pasta.

“It’s creating an elevating experience in these clubs. Before, it was an opportunity to get off the airport concourse. It used to be cheese cubes and not a lot to offer,” Mortimer said. “Now... it’s making it an experience important enough, it should be part of your travel.”

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Larry Higgs may be reached at [email protected].

©2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.