United's new Terminal B North Concourse at Houston Bush Intercontinental opens to the public on Thursday, Oct. 22. Inside it is a 54,000-square-foot United Club that United says is the largest club of any airline in North or South America. It seats 800 people.
United previewed the concourse on Oct. 21 in its announcement. We first wrote about this club in our look at United's two fall megaclubs. Now it has a date.
What is inside the new club
According to United, the club sits on the mezzanine level and looks out over the airfield. Here is what the airline lists:
- Seating for 800 people
- A 1,350-square-foot outdoor terrace
- Two full-service bars
- Two buffet stations
- Eleven private phone rooms
- Wi-Fi and power outlets throughout
United says the design mixes the Houston skyline and bayou landscape with nods to the city's space history. The art comes mostly from Texas artists, including photos by a United employee from San Antonio.
United has not said anything about showers in the new club. It also has not given opening hours or said whether the club will use a waitlist at busy times. We will update this story once those details are public.
Who gets in
United says you can enter its clubs with a United Club membership, an eligible United credit card, or select premium cabin tickets. The release does not list any new rules for this club. That means the usual United Club rules should apply, but check the United app before you go, since the airline has not posted a page for this location yet.
The outdoor terrace is the unusual part. Outdoor space is still uncommon in US airline clubs. If you like watching planes, plan extra time here.
The terminal around it
The club is one piece of a bigger project. The North Concourse has three levels, 765,000 square feet and 22 gates built for mainline narrow-body jets. United says every United flight from the North Concourse will board through a jet bridge. With the South Concourse, United will have 48 gates in Terminal B.
The concourse replaces buildings from 1969. It is the center of a $2.6 billion Terminal B program, and United says it has put more than $3.5 billion into the airport since 2015.
Food outside the club leans local. United names B&B Butchers & Restaurant, Rosie Cannonball, Pizaro's Pizza, Blood Bros. BBQ, Katz Coffee and Blue Bell Creameries. There is also a Be Relax spa, a soft play area for kids and a sensory room for travelers with autism and sensory needs. Later this year, United plans to add food delivery through its app at IAH.
How the new club fits into IAH, by our numbers
With this opening, United says it has seven club and lounge locations at IAH, counting United Club Fly and the Polaris lounge. Lounge Frog's own ratings show the bar the new club has to clear:
| Lounge | Lounge Frog score | Showers |
|---|---|---|
| United Club (E) | 4.7 | 2 |
| United Polaris Lounge | 4.6 | 6 |
| Centurion Lounge | 4.6 | 2 |
| United Club (C South) | 4.1 | 0 |
| United Club (C North) | 4.0 | 0 |
| United Club (A) | 2.7 | 0 |
| United Club Fly (B) | 2.6 | 0 |
Scores are out of five and come from the ratings on each lounge's page. The new Terminal B North club has no score yet.
Two things stand out. First, the best United Club at IAH today is in Terminal E, the international side, and in our data it is the only United Club here with showers. Second, Terminal B has been the weak spot. The quick-stop United Club Fly scores 2.6, and it has no bar. If you fly regional jets or narrow-bodies out of B, this new club should be a big step up.
Our take
Size alone does not make a great lounge. A room for 800 can still feel packed when every bank of flights leaves at once. The test will be food, staffing and whether the terrace stays open.
Still, this is the most important United Club opening of the year for Houston flyers. If you connect through Terminal B, budget time to see it. If you fly from Terminal E, the E club is still the one to beat until we see the new room in person.
See all IAH options on our Houston airport page and our guide to the best Houston lounges.
