Kate's on a Plane

My home airport of Raleigh-Durham International Airport, or RDU, is a mid-tier airport with just a handful of international flights and no Priority Pass or bank lounges. Today, however, thanks to the kindness of a stranger on the internet, I had the opportunity to try out the United Club lounge, one of three airline lounges in the main terminal.

United Club passes are a benefit of select United co-branded credit cards, and are transferrable to other patrons, although you must be flying United in order to use them. Although many have reported having trouble using United club passes, I had no trouble getting in with one at 9am on a Thursday. The lounge was clean and pleasant, with ample seating and plenty of outlets. The bar is pretty, although at this early hour, virtually no one was using it. The space was almost unnervingly quiet; although a retreat from the commotion of the terminal was nice, a little music would have been welcome.

The buffet featured a selection of breakfast foods including vegetarian egg bites, bacon, potatoes, toast, bagels, muffins, fruit, Greek yogurt, and oatmeal. I found this satisfactory for a full breakfast. In addition to the full bar, a soda machine and an espresso drink vending machine were also available. Club staff were circulating and dishes were cleared promptly.

There were four bathrooms, and I did not see a wait for any of them at any time. In one of the restrooms, the baby changing table was broken and would not stay closed; the open changing table partially blocked the door and made it difficult to enter.

Overall, the United Club at RDU was a nice place to stop for a decent meal before a flight. I probably wouldn’t pay for access, and I’m not sure I would commit to a United Club card either, but if any other strangers on the internet want to give me another day pass, I’d be happy to return!