Houston
Sponsored by

IAH is an unmitigated effing disaster right now - it's Afghanistan level

192,709 Views | 1600 Replies | Last: 2 days ago by txags92
tamuags08
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to kelkel25 • 8:13p, 3/25/25
kelkel25 said:
gougler08 said:
kelkel25 said:
SJEAg said:
United Explorer card going from 95 to $150. That card is the primary supplier of day passes...that will make an impact I think. Suddenly, one trip with checked bag(s) doesn't or barely covers the fee.


Club is $525 to $695, but United is "excited" to offer more useless benefits to justify the increase.
I'm lucky, my Club fee is paid by my employer but hopefully these increases slow the pace a little.


Mine has been the last couple of years but probably harder to justify at $695, we'll see if my company changes the policy or not


Yeah I'll submit it and hope it slips by the goalie


Mine only does $500 so these increases only hurt me
Reply Quote
Sea Speed
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:24p, 3/25/25
Which terminal has security closed right now?
Reply Quote
scd88
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Sea Speed • 8:26p, 3/25/25
Sea Speed said:
Which terminal has security closed right now?


B
Reply Quote
Sea Speed
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to scd88 • 8:39p, 3/25/25
Thank you
Reply Quote
Sea Speed
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:05p, 3/26/25
Is the centurion lounge in D the one they just renovated? I sure hope not because this place is not very good compared to lounges I have been in in other major airports. No wait today at least.
Reply Quote
Sea Speed
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:06p, 3/26/25
I will say that Sam Adams NA IPA is probably the best NA beer I have found at a lounge though, so major points for that.
Reply Quote
Bondag
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Sea Speed • 1:51p, 3/26/25
Sea Speed said:
Is the centurion lounge in D the one they just renovated? I sure hope not because this place is not very good compared to lounges I have been in in other major airports. No wait today at least.


Not part of renovation. They have been promised a new location, but none of them really make sense
Reply Quote
Jackal99
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Sea Speed • 2:05p, 3/26/25
Sea Speed said:
I will say that Sam Adams NA IPA is probably the best NA beer I have found at a lounge though, so major points for that.


That stuff is good.
Reply Quote
cab559
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Jackal99 • 3:06p, 3/26/25
Jackal99 said:
Sea Speed said:
I will say that Sam Adams NA IPA is probably the best NA beer I have found at a lounge though, so major points for that.


That stuff is good.
Not wanting to hate on people choosing a NA option, but you have to be a complete psycho to drink a NA IPA and think it is good.

Reply Quote
Texaggie7nine
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to cab559 • 4:54p, 3/26/25
cab559 said:
Jackal99 said:
Sea Speed said:
I will say that Sam Adams NA IPA is probably the best NA beer I have found at a lounge though, so major points for that.


That stuff is good.
Not wanting to hate on people choosing a NA option, but you have to be a complete psycho to drink a NA IPA and think it is good.

That's actually a type of NA beer i WOULD drink.
7nine
Reply Quote
Sea Speed
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Bondag • 6:05p, 3/26/25
Bondag said:
Sea Speed said:
Is the centurion lounge in D the one they just renovated? I sure hope not because this place is not very good compared to lounges I have been in in other major airports. No wait today at least.


Not part of renovation. They have been promised a new location, but none of them really make sense


Gotcha.

Well the centurion lounge in Mexico City blows the Houston one out of the water. Table service, a host that walks you to your preferred seating, nice dishes including the salmon I'm having right now. For shame, Houston.
Reply Quote
trestamu
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Sea Speed • 7:46p, 3/26/25
Monterrey MX is the same
Reply Quote
Sea Speed
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:03p, 3/26/25
Noticed the in noted lounge had a big sign out that they aren't accepting day passes at this time. Does that include business class ticketed passengers? I only had a little over an hour and chose to waste my time in centurion. Pretty crappy if you don't get one of the perks of a business class ticket.
Reply Quote
Gaeilge
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Sea Speed • 9:17p, 3/26/25
Business class tickets aren't considered day passes.
Reply Quote
CowtownAg06
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:24p, 3/26/25
Best lounge I've been to is the Chase Sapphire at LGA. I hope they eventually make into IAH.
Reply Quote
Ag06Law
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Sea Speed • 9:32p, 3/26/25
Sea Speed said:
Noticed the in noted lounge had a big sign out that they aren't accepting day passes at this time. Does that include business class ticketed passengers? I only had a little over an hour and chose to waste my time in centurion. Pretty crappy if you don't get one of the perks of a business class ticket.


There is a lot of confusion in this post.
Reply Quote
Sea Speed
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Ag06Law • 10:06p, 3/26/25
How so? Was just curious if they considered business class tickets day passes or not. I got the answer. Good to know.
Reply Quote
Ag06Law
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Sea Speed • 10:32p, 3/26/25
Sea Speed said:
How so? Was just curious if they considered business class tickets day passes or not. I got the answer. Good to know.


Passes to which lounge? United Club or Polaris? "Business class" or domestic first class? If you have international tickets (United doesn't sell domestic "business class" seats) and they are business class, then you get into the Polaris lounge, which is different from the United Club. If you are flying domestic, you have first class seats, not business class, and domestic first class does not come with a pass to the United Club.
Reply Quote
Stat Monitor Repairman
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:38p, 3/26/25
Who would win in a The Warriors style street fight between occupants of the United club, Polaris club and AMEX centurion club?
Reply Quote
GAC06
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Stat Monitor Repairman • 10:41p, 3/26/25
Military get AMEX platinum without the annual fee so I'll go with centurion, but I've never been in the United clubs
Reply Quote
Gaeilge
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Stat Monitor Repairman • 10:42p, 3/26/25
Stat Monitor Repairman said:
Who would win in a The Warriors style street fight between occupants of the United club, Polaris club and AMEX centurion club?


AMEX. Any swinging dick can get a platinum card along as their credit score is over 600. Though the spend threshold has reduced the # of people recently. Plenty of interesting people in there still. I don't even use the AMEX lounge at IAH anymore.
Reply Quote
Bondag
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to CowtownAg06 • 10:42p, 3/26/25
CowtownAg06 said:
Best lounge I've been to is the Chase Sapphire at LGA. I hope they eventually make into IAH.


IAH had a chance to have world class lounges as credit cards are fighting for space, but Sylvester Turner stepped in and grifted for his buddies and now we have the exact same lounges we had before a billion dollars of construction.

B will have an upgrade, but that is due to United putting up money
Reply Quote
gougler08
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Ag06Law • 6:11a, 3/27/25
Ag06Law said:
Sea Speed said:
How so? Was just curious if they considered business class tickets day passes or not. I got the answer. Good to know.


Passes to which lounge? United Club or Polaris? "Business class" or domestic first class? If you have international tickets (United doesn't sell domestic "business class" seats) and they are business class, then you get into the Polaris lounge, which is different from the United Club. If you are flying domestic, you have first class seats, not business class, and domestic first class does not come with a pass to the United Club.


He said he was flying to Mexico City so they may call it a business class seat but not eligible for Polaris
Reply Quote
TXTransplant
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Gaeilge • 7:31a, 3/27/25
Gaeilge said:
Stat Monitor Repairman said:
Who would win in a The Warriors style street fight between occupants of the United club, Polaris club and AMEX centurion club?


AMEX. Any swinging dick can get a platinum card along as their credit score is over 600. Though the spend threshold has reduced the # of people recently. Plenty of interesting people in there still. I don't even use the AMEX lounge at IAH anymore.


We don't use the AmEx lounge at IAH very often because we don't usually arrive early enough to make it worthwhile.

But I'm always surprised at how young the demographic is at the other AmEx lounges we visit. Always looks like it's full of 25-30 year olds. I'm 46 and my BF is 55, are we are regularly some of the oldest people in there.

I know it's not hard to get the card, but for people that young to be meeting the annual spend requirements makes me wonder if they are all Tik Tok or Only Fans influencers.

I guess they could just be paying the $50 fee.
Reply Quote
2 edits
AgCPA95
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to gougler08 • 8:02a, 3/27/25
gougler08 said:
Ag06Law said:
Sea Speed said:
How so? Was just curious if they considered business class tickets day passes or not. I got the answer. Good to know.


Passes to which lounge? United Club or Polaris? "Business class" or domestic first class? If you have international tickets (United doesn't sell domestic "business class" seats) and they are business class, then you get into the Polaris lounge, which is different from the United Club. If you are flying domestic, you have first class seats, not business class, and domestic first class does not come with a pass to the United Club.


He said he was flying to Mexico City so they may call it a business class seat but not eligible for Polaris
Correct. Polaris is for international business class to: Europe, Asia, South America and Oceania
Reply Quote
Gaeilge
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to TXTransplant • 8:27a, 3/27/25
The annual spend only applies for guests. The cardholder doesn't have an annual spend threshold for lounge access. Just pay their annual fee. If you utilize their credits (uber, airline, digital entertainment, Walmart+), the card pays for itself. Not including the offers you can add for business promotions.
Reply Quote
MyMamaSaid
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:38a, 3/27/25
New Club Fly in terminal B is….a little sparse at the moment. Good barista though.
Reply Quote
TXTransplant
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Gaeilge • 8:40a, 3/27/25
Yeah, I Googled it out of curiosity and saw my error.

I'm the guest of a card holder, so both of us using the lounge for free is the perk we use (which requires the high spend).

I'm still amazed by the number of young people that travel a lot better than I do now, much less at that age. I recently upgraded to Premium Plus on a flight to New Zealand (using points). I had the dreaded middle seat, and the combined age of the people on either side of me was probably less than my own.

The gal on my left who looked to be early 20s said she "always upgrades on long flights". Clearly I've been doing life all wrong.
Reply Quote
CowtownAg06
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Bondag • 10:02a, 3/27/25
Bondag said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Best lounge I've been to is the Chase Sapphire at LGA. I hope they eventually make into IAH.


IAH had a chance to have world class lounges as credit cards are fighting for space, but Sylvester Turner stepped in and grifted for his buddies and now we have the exact same lounges we had before a billion dollars of construction.

B will have an upgrade, but that is due to United putting up money
Say more about this... I'm very curious.
Reply Quote
jh0400
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to CowtownAg06 • 11:26a, 3/27/25
CowtownAg06 said:
Best lounge I've been to is the Chase Sapphire at LGA. I hope they eventually make into IAH.


For domestic lounges the Sapphire lounge at LGA and Venture lounge at DEN are tied for me. Sapphire might get a slight edge for being much larger. The new United clubs at EWR are third for me.

Given the amount of international traffic out of IAH on UA it's a shame don't have something like the Air France Salon at CDG or Maple Leaf Lounge at YYZ.
Reply Quote
Bondag
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to CowtownAg06 • 11:26a, 3/27/25
CowtownAg06 said:
Bondag said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Best lounge I've been to is the Chase Sapphire at LGA. I hope they eventually make into IAH.


IAH had a chance to have world class lounges as credit cards are fighting for space, but Sylvester Turner stepped in and grifted for his buddies and now we have the exact same lounges we had before a billion dollars of construction.

B will have an upgrade, but that is due to United putting up money
Say more about this... I'm very curious.
The original plan was to replace the terminal and have lounge spaces, but Turner did not have a hand in the bidding on the initial projects so he burned it all down and started from scratch.

https://www.airport-technology.com/projects/mickey-leland-international-terminal-george-bush-intercontinental-airport-houston/?cf-view

https://www.chron.com/business/article/Airport-officials-fly-new-plans-for-international-13228403.php

Quote:
A series of contracts was first brought to City Council in late 2015, but a vote was delayed by then-city controller Ronald Green. His successor, Chris Brown, would later cite potential violations of procurement rules and other concerns for not certifying funds for the contracts. Mayor Sylvester Turner, just one month after being sworn into office, tore up the contracts and restarted the bidding process.
Diaz, however, said Thursday that it was his understanding that the mayor rebid the contracts to get rid of a perception of wrongdoing left by the former city controller not because there was actually any wrongdoing.
"When we rebid them, the same contractors won," he said, "which I think was affirmation of the decisions we made the first time around."
Basically they rebid it and everyone came in at more money so they couldn't afford the initial plan anymore and did a hybrid.
Reply Quote
1 edit
Stat Monitor Repairman
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
11:31a, 3/27/25


Less meltdowns at airports if they'd just bring back the smoking lounges.
Reply Quote
bigjag19
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Stat Monitor Repairman • 11:53a, 3/27/25
I'd like to see pot lounges where it's legal.
Reply Quote
tamuags08
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to jh0400 • 12:02p, 3/27/25
jh0400 said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Best lounge I've been to is the Chase Sapphire at LGA. I hope they eventually make into IAH.


For domestic lounges the Sapphire lounge at LGA and Venture lounge at DEN are tied for me. Sapphire might get a slight edge for being much larger. The new United clubs at EWR are third for me.

Given the amount of international traffic out of IAH on UA it's a shame don't have something like the Air France Salon at CDG or Maple Leaf Lounge at YYZ.


Even the united club at LGA is great. IAH had a chance to have a great terminal and completely blew it.
Reply Quote
gougler08
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to tamuags08 • 12:03p, 3/27/25
tamuags08 said:
jh0400 said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Best lounge I've been to is the Chase Sapphire at LGA. I hope they eventually make into IAH.


For domestic lounges the Sapphire lounge at LGA and Venture lounge at DEN are tied for me. Sapphire might get a slight edge for being much larger. The new United clubs at EWR are third for me.

Given the amount of international traffic out of IAH on UA it's a shame don't have something like the Air France Salon at CDG or Maple Leaf Lounge at YYZ.


Even the united club at LGA is great. IAH had a chance to have a great terminal and completely blew it.


LGA and EWR have the best United clubs in my view, granted I don't fly out to the west coast hubs much so I'm really just comparing to IAH, ORD and IAD
Reply Quote
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.