United Airlines opened its newest United Club Fly lounge at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston today. The grab and go lounge joins Denver as the only other United Club Fly location in the system.
About the United Club Fly Houston Location
The newly opened United Club Fly in Houston is located in Terminal B on the south side of the terminal. Terminal B is where most United Express flights depart from and, in my experience, connections are typically on the tight side. Therefore, having a United Club Fly location here makes a lot of sense.
It’s worth noting that Terminal B is also undergoing a significant reconstruction effort and will be home to the largest United Club in the system when it opens next year.
The new United Club Fly location is designed for travelers who want a convenient option to pick up a snack, beverage or barista-made coffee as they head to their flight. Aside from the baristas, you won’t find any United Club employees here as access is managed via a turnstile. All you have to do is scan your qualifying boarding pass or United Club membership card to gain entry.
According to United, guests can experience:
- Seamless, self-scan entry with their boarding pass at automated entry gates.
- Selection of premium food and beverage for the on-the-go traveler, including fresh-squeezed orange juice, warmed pastries, wraps, salads, sandwiches and more.
- Barista-crafted, personalized coffee beverages from the club’s full-service coffee bar, helping customers skip long lines at airport coffee shops.
- Self-service beverage counter with a reusable water bottle refilling station and other favorite nonalcoholic beverages, including soft drinks, iced tea and more.
- Space City inspired design that celebrates the Houston area.
Alexander Dorow, Head of United’s Club and Lounge Program, had this to say about the opening of the new United Club Fly in Houston:
“We’re bringing elevated convenience to Houston with the opening of our second Club Fly location. Designed for on-the-go United Club members, Club Fly offers a club experience that matches the ways travelers’ needs have evolved, especially when they’re pressed for time. Not all customers travel the same way and that encourages us to constantly look at new opportunities to add value to our club program and support travelers throughout their entire journey.”
Success of the United Club Fly Concept
As part of its announcement, United noted that since its Denver United Club Fly opened in 2022, more than 300,000 passengers have visited the location. During my visit late last year, the space was packed but, thanks to the grab and go nature of the lounge, things moved quickly and the staff worked diligently to keep everything restocked.
Hopefully the continued success of the Denver Club Fly and the opening of one in Houston will encourage the airline to add more at its other hubs.
As I mentioned earlier in this post, I typically have very tight connections in Houston or longer 3+ hour connections. On those shorter connections, typically to and from regional flights, I usually have to race to my next gate. On the longer ones, I make the trek over to Terminal D and visit the American Express Centurion Lounge. To say I’m excited about this concept and location is an understatement and I look forward to visiting in the near future.
Summary
United Airlines has just opened its newest United Club Fly location at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The new grab-and-go location is located in Terminal B where the majority of United Express flights depart from. With how heavily banked Houston is, this will be a great option for many passengers with tight connections and I hope to see the carrier open more of these in the future.
