After great success in Denver, United Airlines has opened its second grab-and-go Club Fly Lounge at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
New United Airlines Club Fly Lounge In Houston (IAH)
In 2022, United opened its first Club Fly Lounge in Denver International Airport, a concept that is the antipode of a traditional lounge concept. Rather than a traditional United Club lounge geared at providing a comfortable environment for passengers to stick around in, this lounge encourages you not to linger. Rather than prohibit the removal of food and beverages from the lounge, this new concept actively encourages it.
- It is small (2,440 square feet). There are no seats but room for guests to stand around the bar. But the point is not to linger, but to grab something and go. There are no bathrooms
- The standing island in the center of the lounge is ADA-accessible and has USB-A and USB-C outlets
- Access is via automated gate
- It is open daily from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm CT and is located in Terminal B
- Polaris passengers and United Club members will have access
- No guests of United Club members or Star Alliance Gold travelers will be allowed
- Grab-and-go snacks include sandwiches, salads, wraps, yogurt, vegetables, fruit, and more
- Pastries can be warmed on request
- Grab-and-go drinks include water, juice, soda, coffee, and tea
- No alcoholic drinks will be available
- Not only will automated coffee be available via two machines, but baristas will be present to offer various specialty coffee drinks using illy coffee, including standard espresso drinks and unique drinks like a lavender matcha latte or blueberry acai “Galaxy” latte.
- Fresh-squeezed orange juice is also available at the barista bar
United says the new lounge has a “Space City inspired design” that celebrates the Houston area (the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is located in Houston).
I love that there is fresh-squeezed orange juice and I love that pastries can be heated on request…I hope both of those options will expand to Denver eventually.
In the meantime, Delta has opened a similar concept in Atlanta, which I visited earlier this month. However, there is no barista coffee there (in fact, I don’t think there is a single Delta Sky Club with barista-made coffee).
Air Canada pioneered this concept with its Air Canada Café in Toronto Pearson (and now Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport). Even before that, Lufthansa opened a similar concept it calls its Senator Café in Munich. ITA Airways has one in Rome, too.
Finally, I must offer this reminder that I penned when the Denver Club Fly Lounge opened: let’s not mess up the great innovation United has introduced. Moderation is key.
Kudos to United for opening this new lounge in its busy Houston hub. I look forward to visiting soon.
> Read More: Dear Fellow United Flyers, Let’s Not Ruin The New Lounge Concept
“ …I hope both of those options will expand to Denver eventually”.
So do I! I love my little United Club fly and sometimes prefer it to the larger UC on B or A.
Really appreciate United expanding these smaller types of clubs (especially when impacted by the 900 miles rule).
Good point on the 900-mile rule.
What terminal is this new club?
B.
I wonder if they put it in Terminal B to intentionally discourage use by the bulk of travelers connecting within Terminals C and E? B has traditionally been the RJ terminal, although it is being renovated to accommodate full-size jets. Maybe people on Terminal B flights typically have tighter connections and less time?
AmEx and Capital One both need to copy this idea. The insane wait times at many of their lounges make membership virtually worthless unless on a 3+ hour layover. The Capital One Lounge in DEN actually has grab and go, but absurdly you cannot use it without getting on the wait list and waiting your turn. By creating a space for grab and go, those with short layovers could still benefit from their card even though the lounge is at capacity.