News

Inside United's new club at Newark, a massive upgrade to an aging facility

Zach GriffSenior reporter
Zach Griff is a senior reporter at TPG. He writes travel and product reviews, deep dives into loyalty programs, news about the airline industry and more.

October 12, 2023 • 9 min read

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Quick summary

United Airlines has reopened its fully renovated lounge near Gate C74 at Newark Liberty International Airport, completing the transformation of all its Newark clubs to a modern design.
The updated lounge features a new entrance, escalators, a custom art installation, and a variety of comfortable seating options for over 400 travelers.
Amenities include a signature bar, improved buffet and snack stations, upgraded bathrooms, high-speed Wi-Fi and ample charging ports.
This renovation addresses previous issues of overcrowding and outdated facilities, aiming to enhance the overall lounge experience at one of United's busiest hubs.

What to consider

The C74 lounge no longer offers showers; travelers needing this amenity should visit the C123 club.
Automated entry gates now streamline access and help manage lounge capacity in real time.
Natural light remains limited due to the lounge's central terminal location, though new lighting fixtures help brighten the space.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed walkthrough of the lounge's design, amenities and food offerings, plus tips for navigating Newark's United Clubs.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

United Airlines' Newark hub is getting another glowup.

This time, it's the opening of a gut-renovated United Club, which has been under construction for about a year and a half.

The club, next to Gate C74, is the final one at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to receive a makeover. Every single United Club at Newark features the airline's new design motif, modern amenities and much more. As of Oct. 11, this United Club is welcoming passengers once again.

The opening also brings some much-needed additional lounge capacity to one of the airline's busiest hubs in the system. This should help create a more pleasant lounge experience for everyone.

For years, United's Newark clubs suffered from severe overcrowding. When United converted one of the old Newark clubs into the Polaris Lounge, it left the location at Gate C74 as the sole full-service club in the airport.

United built a new "one-of-a-kind" club near Gate C123 that finally opened last year after three years of construction. It was among the first to feature United's new design scheme, which has since become the new standard for the airline's clubs.

Since then, the carrier also opened a brand-new club in the airport's new Terminal A. Now, with the reopening of the C74 club, Newark becomes the first United hub to exclusively feature the new club design.

Want to know what to expect at the C74 club? Well, I happened to be flying through Newark on day two of operations, so here's what it's like inside.

Gorgeous new design

The upgrades begin even before entering the revamped lounge.

Aside from the eye-catching new entrance with a black marble column emblazoned with United Club branding, I love that the airline installed escalators to get to the upper level of the terminal.

Back in the day, the only option to get upstairs was a cramped elevator (that was often out of service) or the stairs. These escalators will make it much easier and quicker to get inside.

Once upstairs, you'll find yourself in the gorgeous reception area, which features a custom ceiling art piece designed by local architect Ron Norsworthy. I love the vibrant blue hues with gold detailing, which is supposedly inspired by Grand Central Station.

The welcome area features a few reception desks, but most travelers should be able to self-scan their boarding passes and use the automated entry gates to get inside — a new standard feature for United Clubs. (These gates also help the airline track live capacity since they measure how many people exit.)

After validating your boarding pass, the gate will open into the gorgeous new lounge. From the moment you step inside, you'll quickly forget how dilapidated this place used to be.

Right by the entrance is a refreshment and snack station, which gives way to the club's main seating areas.

The lounge itself is still arranged in a diamond shape built around a central rotunda. During the renovation, the airline installed colorful frosted glass along the interior of the lounge, which adds an additional pop of color and helps promote a feeling of exclusivity once inside.

united lounge — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Gone are the worn-out couches and recliners. Instead, you'll find brand-new furniture that you might actually enjoy relaxing in. From high-top tables to couches to counter seating to private booths, you'll almost certainly find somewhere to sit.

Plus, at 18,000 square feet with room for more than 400 flyers, you hopefully won't have an issue finding a seat either.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the variety of seating options that United installed. Though there aren't any private workstations or phone booths, I'd still consider this a massive upgrade over the previous design.

One thing that United couldn't really change is the amount of natural light that the lounge gets, which is limited due to the lounge's location in the center of the terminal. However, the airline did add some new fixtures that seem to help boost the light levels.

It largely resembles what you'll find in the other new United Clubs, which are a whole lot better than the design motifs that they replace.

Glitzy bar

Aside from various new seating areas, the lounge also features a stunning new signature bar, accented from above by a handful of chandeliers. Even at 6:30 a.m., the barstools here seemed to be the most popular seats in the house.

United Club at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

While some may come to the bar for a complimentary drink (you can see the full menu below), this aviation enthusiast quickly locked eyes with a piece of aviation history: a model Continental Boeing 747-200 with the "red meatball" livery from the 1980s.

Aside from the bar, there are two (nonalcoholic) refreshment stations — one near the restrooms and the other near the lounge's buffet. Both feature Eversys coffee machines and water fountains, and there's even a dedicated water bottle refill station near the bathrooms.

Meanwhile, the lounge's buffet is near the bar. It features two full-service stations physically connected to the kitchen to make it easier to refill the food. Between these stations is a snack bar with jars of nuts, banana chips and wasabi peas.

United's lounge catering seems to have improved (ever so slightly). The breakfast service included a new signature dish: the so-called New Jersey state sandwich made of Taylor ham, egg and cheese. I wasn't hungry during my visit, but I liked the look of the fruit bar, and the "carb" station even tempted me.

I'll wait to reserve judgment until I actually try some of the food in the lounge, but at least everything looked much more appetizing than it did before the renovation.

Upgraded amenities

United has two types of lounges: business-class-only Polaris Lounges and membership-based United Clubs. The former is where you'll find all the fancy amenities, while the latter is more of a traditional airport lounge.

Most United Clubs, including this C74 outpost, no longer feature showers. That said, if you are looking to shower before your United flight leaving Newark, you'll want to visit the C123 club, which has six shower suites.

Perhaps the biggest upgrade that United brought to this lounge is the new bathrooms. Aside from the fact that there are no more leaks, broken toilets or inoperable sinks, the bathrooms are beautifully designed with wood accents and gold trims.

Other lounge amenities include free high-speed Wi-Fi, as well as AC power outlets, USB-A and USB-C ports at nearly every seat.

There is one wellness room tucked back near the lounge's emergency exit, and there are two agent-staffed customer service desks for those seeking last-minute flight help.

Bottom line

Before the renovation, the United Club near Newark's Gate C74 was a dark, dilapidated space that I tried to avoid at all costs.

Unless I wanted to quickly grab a snack, I almost never went out of my way to stop inside.

Now, after a gut renovation, I'm already looking forward to my next visit. From the splashy entrance to the plethora of seating options to the glitzy bar, Newark is now home to three of my favorite United Clubs in the entire system.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
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$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

United Airlines' Newark hub is getting another glowup.

This time, it's the opening of a gut-renovated United Club, which has been under construction for about a year and a half.

The opening also brings some much-needed additional lounge capacity to one of the airline's busiest hubs in the system. This should help create a more pleasant lounge experience for everyone.

Want to know what to expect at the C74 club? Well, I happened to be flying through Newark on day two of operations, so here's what it's like inside.

Gorgeous new design

The upgrades begin even before entering the revamped lounge.

Aside from the eye-catching new entrance with a black marble column emblazoned with United Club branding, I love that the airline installed escalators to get to the upper level of the terminal.

Back in the day, the only option to get upstairs was a cramped elevator (that was often out of service) or the stairs. These escalators will make it much easier and quicker to get inside.

After validating your boarding pass, the gate will open into the gorgeous new lounge. From the moment you step inside, you'll quickly forget how dilapidated this place used to be.

Right by the entrance is a refreshment and snack station, which gives way to the club's main seating areas.

Plus, at 18,000 square feet with room for more than 400 flyers, you hopefully won't have an issue finding a seat either.

It largely resembles what you'll find in the other new United Clubs, which are a whole lot better than the design motifs that they replace.

Glitzy bar

I'll wait to reserve judgment until I actually try some of the food in the lounge, but at least everything looked much more appetizing than it did before the renovation.

Upgraded amenities

Other lounge amenities include free high-speed Wi-Fi, as well as AC power outlets, USB-A and USB-C ports at nearly every seat.

There is one wellness room tucked back near the lounge's emergency exit, and there are two agent-staffed customer service desks for those seeking last-minute flight help.

Bottom line

Before the renovation, the United Club near Newark's Gate C74 was a dark, dilapidated space that I tried to avoid at all costs.

Unless I wanted to quickly grab a snack, I almost never went out of my way to stop inside.

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Gorgeous new design

Glitzy bar

Upgraded amenities

Bottom line

Comments

Comments

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