United Club Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU)

3.7

Rating

3.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Modern design
Convenient location

Flyctory.com Cons

Might be too small for peak demand
Limited buffet

After having four Weird Al Yankovic shows in the U.S. Southeast, I flew back home to Germany on a Lufthansa service from Raleigh-Durham (RDU) to Frankfurt (FRA). As I upgraded my ticket to business class cabin, I also had access to the lounge by their Star Alliance partner United. Here is my lounge review of the United Club at Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU).

United Club RDU – Location & Access

All major airlines, including Delta, American and United, operate from Terminal 2. The United Club is located on a level above the gates, right at the beginning of the D Concourse, opposite to Gate D1. Elevators and stairs lead you to the lounge, the directions are clearly given after passing security.

The United Club ar Raleigh-Durham (RDU) is opening daily from 5:00 to 19:30. The main focus is on members who have a club pass for the airline. Star Alliance Gold members on international connections also have access to the lounge. Business class guests on international connections are not explicitly stated at the entrance, but apart from Lufthansa, there is no other option for that at the time of writing anyway.

United Club RDU – Atmosphere

The United Club is a typical basic North American lounge, comparing to Admirals Clubs by American Airlines. A nice feature are the large windows which give you a bit of an overlook of the runway operations. There are long work desk areas as well as more cozy options. Another key element of the lounge is the bar (see below). There were just a few guests in the lounge when I arrived briefly after noon. However, it filled up quite quickly – on a Saturday. Thus, I guess that the capacity of the place might reach its limits during peak travel days.

United Club RDU – Eat & Drink

United’s lounges (at least if it is not a Polaris one…) don’t come with the best reputation. A key reason for that is the food and drink supply. I felt, the lounge did a reasonable job. There were some sandwiches and sweet options as well as cold cuts, cheese, salad and crackers on the food side. Additionally, there was also some basic warm food, which I appreciated.

You can help yourself with soft drinks and coffee from dispensers. Beer and wine is complimentary, but needs to be fetched from the bar. The bar also offers additional “premium” drinks, which require an additional charge.

United Club RDU – Services

The service at the United Club was fine. The reception staff was friendly and the lounge staff overall attentive. I did not explore any shortages in the buffet. The lounge also drives three all-gender toilets, which were clean and well-maintained during my visit.

United Club RDU – My View

You don’t fly RDU because you love the United Club. But I felt that the US American Star Alliance carrier does a nice job at their place. The service is nice, the layout is friendly. Thus, I enjoyed my stay there.