They’re closing Las Vegas and reducing staff in Phoenix.
At some point the unique U.S. model where airline lounges are paid memberships rather than a perk of status, becomes no longer sustainable. Crowded rooms with insufficient furniture, virtually no snacks, pay cocktails, and without special services agents don’t make for an attractive sales proposition.
I realize that they’ve reduced their Vegas flying, and they claim they’re not seeing the usual staff attrition hence the need for Phoenix club layoffs. But this is just another step n the US Airways model of catering less and less to the premium customer. One less club in the US system, though no expected corresponding reduction in club membership fees…
The LAS club is outside security, which, given the at times unpredictable security lines, seems rather inconvenient.
I would never bother paying money to belong to a US club. I think the only one making money is CLT because it’s the only airside place to smoke. An airside lounge in LAS would have been nicer when i used to be a red carpet club member, but now I so rarely fly through LAS it doesn’t really matter.