United Airlines to Upgrade Airport Lounge Experience for United Club Members

- All-new fresh and healthy complimentary food menu to begin this month

- More renovations, new club openings scheduled in 2015

- Hospitality-focused customer service approach

News provided by

Mar 04, 2015, 09:05 ET

CHICAGO, March 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announced it is transforming the customer experience in its United Clubs with upgrades including an overhauled, complimentary food menu launching this week, extensive club renovations and a hospitality-focused approach to customer service.

New afternoon and evening complimentary food offerings include fresh hummus with pita thins or pretzel crisps and assorted sides, including Greek olives and freshly sliced red bell peppers.

"We're making major changes in our United Clubs to give our customers the elevated, hospitality-centric service and experience they deserve and expect. This year will be transformational," said Jimmy Samartzis, vice president of customer experience. "Our new fresh, tasty and healthy food offerings, overhauled service approach, and systematic investment in renovating the rest of our 49 clubs worldwide will give our customers an airport getaway for relaxing or being productive during the hustle and bustle of their travel day."

New Complimentary Food Menu

United will launch an all-new complimentary food menu in its United Clubs – from a Greek yogurt bar and hot oatmeal station to hummus with pretzel crisps and peppers. The menu is focused on freshness, variety and quality. United is replacing all current offerings with the new healthy and delicious choices, beginning with Chicago O'Hare International Airport this week.

The new items will be available at United Clubs in Houston, Denver, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington Dulles by the end of summer. All United Clubs worldwide will feature the new food by the end of the year.

Visit United's Newsroom for additional photos.

New Morning Food Selections		New Afternoon Food Selections
Hot Old-Fashioned Oatmeal -assorted toppings- mixed fruit, granola, cinnamon, raisins, honey, brown sugar	Fresh Bagel Sticks plain and everything bagel sticks with cream cheese, assorted jams	Fresh Hummus -assorted toppings- pita thins or pretzel crisps, Greek olives, freshly sliced red bell peppers	Mediterranean Salad wheat berries, peppers, tomatoes, black olives
Greek Vanilla Yogurt -assorted toppings- mixed fruit, granola, cinnamon, raisins, honey, brown sugar	Cage-Free Hard- Boiled Eggs served with fresh chives and paprika	Soup du Jour hearty garden vegetable soup	Cured Salami and Cheddar Cheese served with hearty wheat crackers
Scones flavors rotate between cinnamon vanilla, blueberry, cranberry orange	Spicy Bloody Mary Trail Mix with pretzel sticks and assorted nuts (peanut-free)	Healthy Fitness Trail Mix with assorted dried fruit and seeds (peanut-free)	Salty Ranchero Trail Mix with sesame sticks (peanut-free)
Assorted Cereals + Milk Corn Flakes®, granola, 2% milk, skim milk	Fresh Fruit apples + bananas	Sheila G's Brownie Brittle™	Artisan Breads

Also in 2015, United will launch an upgraded beverage-for-sale program of premium wines, beers and spirits including Champagne Laurent-Perrier and Trinchero Family Estates Wines. United plans to test a new food-for-sale pilot program later this year as well.

United Club Renovations

In the coming year, the airline will renovate clubs in Chicago O'Hare, Washington Reagan, Hong Kong and Tokyo Narita. It will also build new clubs in Atlanta and San Francisco, and begin major changes in Los Angeles.

Each lounge will reflect the new, modern style with upgraded amenities showcased in the airline's Chicago O'Hare, Boston, London Heathrow, San Diego and Seattle United Club renovations. The new design schemes incorporate both United's unique aviation history and panoramic views of modern-day aviation in action. New and renovated United Clubs offer more and diverse seating arrangements.

United's recent renovations at London Heathrow have been nominated by the American Institute of Architects for the Design Excellence Award for Interior Architecture. The London club is also a finalist for the 2015 Design Et Al International Yacht & Aviation Awards in the category of Commercial Aviation, First Class Lounge.

Service and More

United will re-train its United Club agents with a new, comprehensive customer service program throughout 2015. The training will reflect standards of the hotel and hospitality industry to better match club members' expectations. United Club members will also enjoy complimentary, Wi-Fi-based printing for greater customer productivity this year.

About United Clubs Worldwide

United Club members enjoy an airport oasis to recharge and relax in more than 45 locations worldwide. In addition to the food and snack offerings, other complimentary amenities include personalized travel assistance and beverages including select beer, wine and spirits. United Club members also enjoy access to Copa Club locations and participating Star Alliance affiliated airport lounges worldwide. For more information, including membership details, visit united.com.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,055 flights a day to 373 airports across six continents. In 2014, United and United Express operated nearly two million flights carrying 138 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking delivery of 34 new Boeing aircraft, including the 787-9 and the 737-900ER. United is also welcoming 49 new Embraer E175 aircraft to United Express. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 27 member airlines. More than 84,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook.

The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150302/178933

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130404/MM89155LOGO

SOURCE United Airlines