During a recent trip to Breckenridge, I had the opportunity to explore the newly opened “High B” gates at Denver International Airport. Due to construction, the East United Club was under construction and a temporary club was set up in one of the gate areas. Because of this, I spent time before the flight in the West United Club until closer to boarding.
It’s no secret that the Denver Airport is quite large and, with Concourse B being the nucleus of United’s hub operation, has a very long distance from end to end. Thankfully, there are moving walkways in the middle of the concourse but these don’t extend all the way to the end.
The Good
At the end of the main concourse, United opened its first ClubFly location, an unmanned club that functions like a market. Simply scan your boarding pass or United Club card and a set of automated gates open to grant you access. I’m hoping this concept spreads to more airlines and airports as it seems like a great way to alleviate lounge crowding when folks just want a quick bite to eat.
Past this, the concourse splits in two. To the right are the old, ground level regional jet gates that primarily serve E145s and CRJs while to the left is the new section of terminal. There is a massive, floor to ceiling, window that overlooks the ramp here as well.
Heading down the concourse, you’ll find a bright and airy concourse with floor to ceiling windows on both sides. There is traditional gate seating as well as communal high-top tables and some Colorado themed benches that had views out over the ramp and the front range.
There was even enough space for this guy to play whatever game he was playing on his virtual reality headset.
While the majority of the fights operating out of this new addition are larger regional jets (E175s and CRJ700s), you can still get some mainline flights here including my A320 flight to Austin. The gate area was a very comfortable place to wait for a flight which was great given the fact that my flight ended up delayed for about 45 minutes.
The Bad
While the new concourse extension is gorgeous, it has one major flaw. There is absolutely nothing in the way of food or retail in the area. Aside from a couple of vending machines, you have to go all the way back to the end of the main concourse to get to the United ClubFly location and, if you aren’t a United Club member, you have to go even further.
There is a Starbucks located at the top of the ground level regional jet area, but that location is only open from 5:00a-3:00p. Your other option, adjacent to Starbucks, is the SweetWater Mountain Tap House. This location is tiny and there was a line out into the concourse waiting to be seated when I was there.
Otherwise, the closest food options are in the main concourse, near gate B52 which is a 5-7 minute walk away from the new expansion. The airport had plenty of space to add some food/retail as the extension has two massive sets of restrooms for only 10 gates but for some reason they elected not to do so.
Summary
The new Concourse B East extension is absolutely gorgeous with tons of natural light, comfortable seating and floor to ceiling windows. However, be prepared as there are no food/retail outlets so prepare in advance and grab some food from the main part of the concourse.
