United to close lounge in Houston, but there's good news
United Airlines is making some big changes to its premium experience at its Houston hub.
Effective Jan. 15, the airline's United Club in Terminal B at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) will close, the airline confirmed with TPG. The good news is that this closure is a harbinger of good things to come.
The closure allows United to make room for a new, bigger club that'll eventually become the largest in the entire club network.
While we've known about this new club since late 2023, when United shared details about Houston's new Terminal B North, this is the first time there's a timeline for when construction on the lounge will actually begin.
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The new, larger United Club in Terminal B will open in 2026. In the meantime, United will proactively email club members and those traveling on lounge-eligible itineraries about their options during the closure.
For those looking for a traditional United Club experience, the airline is advising travelers to visit one of the other club locations in Terminal C near gates C1 and C33. Of course, you can pick whichever lounge suits you best — there are four of them in Houston, excluding the one under construction — but the airline does say that "we recommend the location near Gate C33."
The location near Gate C1 is one of the newest clubs in Houston, but it's not that big and often hits capacity quickly during peak departure banks. That's likely why United wants to funnel flyers to the location near Gate C33.
Just note that it could take as long as 20 minutes to get from the C gates to the B gates, so plan your visit accordingly.
Alternatively, United says that flyers can soon visit the new Club Fly location in Terminal B, which will debut in early 2025.
Club Fly outposts are 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.
Right now, there's just one United Club Fly that opened in 2022, and it's at Denver International Airport (DEN). 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.
In terms of traditional lounges, 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 great news for Houston once the new location opens next year.
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- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
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- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month