United to open its second grab-and-go Club Fly and largest-ever lounge in Houston
United Airlines is building on its popular grab-and-go lounge concept by introducing its second United Club Fly.
The Chicago-based flyer will open its newest United Club Fly at its Houston hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) next year. United started construction on the new lounge within the past few weeks, though the carrier hasn't started promoting the upcoming lounge yet.
The new United Club Fly will be located in Terminal B at IAH. United confirmed the plans with TPG but stopped short of sharing any more details about the new lounge.
In addition to the new United Club Fly, the airline reaffirmed in a statement that it "will complement a new United Club in Terminal B — currently projected to be the largest club location in our network." (United originally announced this new club last year when it shared more details about Houston's new Terminal B North.)
So, Houston will be getting two new lounges — a grab-and-go United Club Fly and a new United Club.
The largest existing United Club is in Denver. It measures 35,000 square feet and has seating for more than 600 flyers. Passengers passing through the Mile High City have been impressed with the new Denver club, which is likely a harbinger of good things to come for Houston.
It'll be welcome news for United's Houston flyers, who currently have lackluster lounge options when flying the airline. Just one of the existing United Clubs in Houston features the latest design motifs, and this one, located near Gate C1, is often overcrowded during peak departure banks.
United didn't share when the new full-fledged club will open in Terminal B, but it does expect the Club Fly concept to open next spring.
Right now, there's just one United Club Fly, and it's located at Denver International Airport (DEN). This space opened in 2022 as the carrier's first grab-and-go lounge focused on getting travelers in and out of the space in just a few minutes.
There's no reception desk, no real seating area and no amenities (not even a bathroom).
Instead, there's a coffee bar staffed with baristas and a bunch of fridges and beverage stations stocked with snacks and sandwiches for flyers to quickly grab before their next flight.
This concept originally rolled out in Denver because of the many tight connections United funnels through the airport. That space has soared in popularity, with many flyers saying that they love the idea of quickly grabbing a bite before their next flight.
In addition to Denver, Houston is another major United hub that serves as a key connecting point for travelers, so it makes sense for the airline to open its second Club Fly in Houston.
Over the years, the grab-and-go lounge concept has become even more appealing since traditional lounges continue to suffer from overcrowding, and airlines and their cobranded credit card partners want to keep getting people signed up for their premium cards.
While there's a finite amount of space in existing airports to keep building larger lounges, the Club Fly concept fits in a much smaller space, so it should be easier for United (and its competitors) to find leases that support this type of club.
Interestingly, United is the only U.S. airline offering a grab-and-go lounge. Capital One has a takeaway fridge at its proprietary lounges, and United's Star Alliance partners Air Canada and Lufthansa also offer similar spaces outside of the U.S.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.