Airline lounges are a major luxury that has a big impact on travel decisions for many flyers. 

Some people will pay for access to lounges. Others buy upgraded first-class seats to gain access, or they get credit cards with high annual fees so they can have a comfortable place to eat and relax before boarding their flight.

Passengers who are paying for this luxury typically expect that the lounge will provide them with a great experience. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily always the case. 

In fact, recent reports about problems in a United Airlines airport lounge could give travelers pause when it comes to visiting the space on their next United Flight.

Luxury travelers expect an upgraded lounge experience. 

Image source: Shutterstock

United Airlines forced to shut airline lounge because of a health code violation

The Travel reported in early October that United Airlines had to shut down one of the airline’s lounges as a result of a health code violation.

The United lounge faced a Cease Operations Order, meaning it needed to discontinue food operations immediately.

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Required for an extended period, the shutdown was “issued for a minimum of 48 hours due to several violations.”

The health inspection leading to the shutdown took place between 10:40 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. local time on Monday, September 29, 2025.

Which United Airlines lounge was shut down due to a health code violation?

The United Airlines lounge that faced the shutdown was in Philadelphia International Airport.

The Philadelphia Health Department issued the shutdown order, releasing this statement:

This inspection has revealed that the establishment is not in satisfactory compliance. Corrective action is required to eliminate these violations. Compliance status will be assessed upon reinspection.

Which health code violations did the Philadelphia Health Department identify?

The Philadelphia Department of Health made the report with the violations public. The Travel also reported on specific violations identified by the Department of Health, including:

  • There was no soap and hand-wash reminder at the handwashing sink in the area where food is prepared.
  • The hot water at the handwashing sink was only 74.8 degrees maximum, when it should have been at or above 100 degrees.
  • The hand sanitizer and dish detergent dispensers were not working at the 3-bay sink in the prep area.
  • There was visible evidence of insect activity present in the men’s room, in the form of a fly infestation.
  • Sponges that were seen in the garbage grinder were being used to clean areas where food was prepared (this was a repeat violation).
  • Utensils used to dispense food were in direct contact with the food (the corn nuts specifically), and the handle wasn’t kept out of the food.

The violation notice also said:

No person shall operate a food establishment that handles, prepares, or serves non-prepackaged potentially hazardous food who does not have present and in the employ of the food establishment at all hours of operation at least one (1) person with a valid Food Establishment Personnel Food Safety Certificate issued by the Department.

Unfortunately, the person in charge was lacking this certification.

United Airlines issues a statement on violations

Obviously, these are serious issues, and United Airlines made clear it is addressing the problem. An airline representative told the Philly Voice:

We are working with our service provider, Sodexo, and the city of Philadelphia to fix the shortcomings found by the city. We look forward to re-opening the club soon.

It remains to be seen how long it takes to fully and permanently fix the issue, or whether United Airlines can remain in compliance over the long haul, given the repeat violations noted.

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