Everything is bigger in Texas, or so the saying goes. United seems to have taken that quite literally with its newest airport lounge.
Opened October 22 at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the sprawling, 54,000-square-foot United Club has room for 800 travelers, making it the largest in the airline’s network and the largest airline-operated lounge in the United States.
And there’s plenty packed into all that space. An open-air terrace offers sweeping views of the airfield, a space-themed bar pays tribute to Houston’s NASA connections, and the dining stations serve Texas favorites like brisket and tacos.
The lounge is part of an even bigger transformation at the Houston hub. It occupies the mezzanine level of the newly redeveloped Terminal B North Concourse, a three-story, 765,000-square-foot addition that also opened on October 22. The concourse replaces facilities dating back to 1969 and adds 22 gates capable of accommodating larger aircraft, each equipped with a jet bridge. It’s the centerpiece of United’s $2.6 billion Terminal B modernization program, which will eventually bring additional improvements to the terminal’s southern concourse, baggage handling systems, check-in areas, and roadways.
For United, which operates more than 500 daily departures from Houston and connects the city to 65 international destinations, the expansion is part of an effort to both accommodate more passengers and make the airport experience more comfortable and elevated.
The new United Club is the airline’s seventh lounge location at IAH; it joins several traditional United Clubs, the grab-and-go United Club Fly, and its more exclusive Polaris Lounge.
Here’s what travelers can expect inside and how to get in.
Food and drink: Texas barbecue, a taqueria, and a space-themed bar
A second full-service bar serves an impressive selection of tequila.
Couresy of United Airlines
Texas flavors are prominent in the lounge’s food offerings, including dishes like smoked beef brisket, chicken chili enchilada casserole, and biscuits and gravy. There’s also a build-your-own taco station with chicken tinga, rice, beans, tortillas, guacamole, and salsas, plus lighter options like soups, salads, and fresh vegetables. For dessert, travelers can expect sweets such as tres leches cake. The food is spread across two large buffet stations, each on opposite sides of the lounge, which should help to keep lines moving during peak traffic.
There are also two full-service bars. The larger one anchors the main dining area, while the smaller Moonshot Bar, near the outdoor terrace, pays tribute to Houston’s connection to NASA. The latter bar has a particularly extensive tequila selection. Travelers can order complimentary beer, wine, and standard spirits at either bar. Premium brands and specialty cocktails cost extra.
For those who prefer caffeinated drinks, a dedicated barista counter serves complimentary made-to-order cappuccinos, lattes, Americanos, and mochas, along with matcha and chai. Throughout the lounge are self-serve espresso machines, soda fountains, and infused-water stations, so a coffee refill doesn’t require a trek across 54,000 square feet.
Design and amenities: An outdoor terrace, private workspaces, and plenty of room to spread out
The gargantuan space offers ample seating options, including many with wide-open views of the Houston airfield.
Courtesy of United Airlines
Houston influences carry through into the design, from sweeping wooden ceiling treatments inspired by the city’s winding bayous to the Moonshot Bar, which pays tribute to its aerospace history with dark finishes and oversize moonlike light fixtures. Artwork is predominantly by Texan artists, including photographs taken by a San Antonio–based United employee.
The space has a mix of communal dining tables, curved banquettes, and more-secluded armchairs, many positioned beside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the airfield.
A 1,350-square-foot outdoor terrace offers fliers a chance to get some fresh air and watch planes taxi; this is only the second United Club to have an outdoor terrace, following one at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Outdoor ceiling fans help with Houston’s heat.
For travelers who need a quiet place to work, there are 11 enclosed phone rooms with adjustable lighting, ventilation, and charging outlets, and the lounge has high-speed Wi-Fi.
Families will find an area with tiered, cushioned seating and a Pac-Man arcade machine, plus private family bathrooms and a wellness room for nursing or pumping.
One amenity travelers won’t find is a shower. Those are available at Houston’s separate United Polaris Lounge, restricted to eligible premium-cabin passengers only.
How to access the new United Club in Houston
The new lounge is part of a larger overhaul of Houston’s Terminal B North Concourse.
Courtesy of United Airlines
The lounge is located after security on the mezzanine level of the new Terminal B North Concourse, near Gate B11. It’s open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Access is available to United Club members, travelers with eligible United credit cards, passengers flying in qualifying international premium cabins, and certain Star Alliance Gold members. Travelers without a membership can purchase a onetime pass for $59, although entry is subject to availability.
And for passengers with a particularly tight connection, the new lounge isn’t the only United option in Terminal B. The airline’s smaller United Club Fly, on the south side of the terminal, offers self-scan entry, grab-and-go food and drinks, and barista-made coffee for travelers who would rather take something to their gate than settle in for a longer visit.
