United-Continental business class lounges now called United Club

IN BRIEF | If you're hunting through a US airport's for the United Red Carpet Club or Continental Presidents Club, check again: you're now looking for the United Club.

That's what the two merging airlines are calling their business class lounges, in a change that went into effect over the weekend.

Between the two airlines, there are over 50 lounges in 39 airports, mainly dotted around the US.

Compared with other international offerings, especially in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, the United Clubs aren't especially competitive.

But there are several airports familiar to Australian travellers where the lounges are surprisingly useful, including Melbourne, Hong Kong, Tokyo Narita, Osaka Kansai, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Business class passengers on the two airlines have access to the lounges, which will also undergo a refit: "remodeled clubs will provide additional business-friendly features that customers say they value, including more workstations that enable travelers to be more productive," United says.

Star Alliance business class passengers -- and frequent flyers -- also have access to the United Clubs, although officially not on US domestic journeys. (This policy isn't always enforced, though, so have a go.)

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.