Review : United Club  – Orange County/John Wayne Airport (SNA)

Small lounge with limited offerings

The summary

There are three tiers of domestic United Clubs in the airline’s non-hub airports. The top tier would be Boston and NYC Laguardia. A middle tier would be Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, and San Diego. The lower tier would be Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. The United Club in John Wayne Airport (Orange County, CA) is in this last tier. All these lower tier lounges have one thing in common from my visits: They are very space restricted.

The lounge is located on one level above the gate concourse near gate 9. Guests need to enter the lounge via elevator. Entry is clearly marked by signs. After taking the elevator, guests are greeted by a few blue chairs, which I like, but there are only a few of those in the main lounge. The reception desk is on the right.

After presenting your credentials, you enter the lounge and quickly realize that the lounge is just one smallish room. The coffee/espresso machine is on the right.  Past the coffee station is the small bar. Like all domestic lounges, there are complementary offerings but a charge for more premium drinks.

Across from the coffee station and bar (on the left past reception) is the small buffet. There is an infused water station, pastries, cereals (hot and cold), some fruit, and salad fixings. I suppose a small kitchen precludes any hot breakfast items (there was some good French toast in the Denver lounge).

Past the food and bar is the main part of the lounge. It’s one room filled with beige chairs, which are typical of this older iteration of United Clubs (mid-2010s) and a few hi-top tables. One thing United does well is connectivity. There are outlets everywhere and internet is very fast. The lounge does benefit by being open to the terminal’s arched ceiling. This gives the lounge an airy feel that really benefits the small space.

My favorite design element has to be the vintage United posters that highlight San Francisco, Disneyland, and New York. United Clubs generally do a good job highlighting the airline’s past.

The two individual restrooms are down a small hallway behind the reception. The staff was working hard to keep this rather small lounge tidy. It was surprisingly busy on a Saturday morning. I can see during the week that this lounge can get busy with business travelers. United has a decent amount of flights out of the airport to all its hubs (with Dulles being added too).

I would use this lounge to check some emails and maybe hydrate with some coffee (which was good) and water.

The wrap

…the details: Date: June 27, 2026. Rating: Average.  Access: United Club membership

….what I like: Ease of connectivity, the vintage posters

—what I don’t like: Limited offerings, dated design, space is too small