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The definitive guide to lounges in Houston, Texas (IAH/HOU)

Old Feb 8, 2018, 8:50 pm
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Last edit by: weezl
version 1 of the wiki has been complied by krazykanuck

Houston-Hobby (HOU)

There are no airline lounges here! Huzzah! *hits "that was easy" button*
There is a USO lounge post-security down the elevator near gate 44 (Southwest side), open from 9am-9pm; access is for military members (active, guard, reserves), retirees, and dependents (normally anyone with a valid DoD ID card). There is a small food selection, many snacks, and sodas/juice/coffee available along with computers, TVs and sleeping chairs.

Houston-Bush Intercontinental (IAH)
First a couple basic comments:

Please do not ask "can I get to Terminal X to Z?" The answer is yes. Every terminal at IAH is connected airside by the Skyway train, and also connected landside by the underground hallways and tram. IAH is extremely efficient to get around. I'd be surprised if it took more than 20 minutes to get between the 2 least accessible gates.

You can walk airside between terminals B, C, D, & E without the Skyway. To reach A from those four you need to use the Skyway.

Alright to the lounges:

Priority Pass

IAH is home to 2 Priority Pass accessible lounges, both of which are located in Terminal D (hours of operation are as of 2/8/18):

KLM Crown Lounge (open from 6am-9pm daily)
Air France Lounge (open from 12pm-5pm daily)

IAH also has 2 PP restaurants (added 9/13/18)

Cadillac Mexican (Terminal A)
Landry's Seafood (Terminal C)

American Express

IAH is home to an Amex Centurion Lounge, located what could double as a bomb shelter, also in Terminal D. Current access rules permit complimentary access to all Platinum and Centurion cardholders and 2 guests. Please find all discussion, FAQs, and ask all of your questions specific to that lounge in the dedicated thread housed in the Amex sub-forum:

Amex Centurion Lounge IAH [opened 24 June 2016]

United/Star Alliance

IAH is home to a litany of United Clubs. They inhabit every terminal of IAH except D. Kindly direct all of your "What United Club..." and "Can I get into the United Club..." to these threads, which live in the United sub-forum, and I swear the answer is likely already there or will be answered quickly if it isn't: United has a lounge in Terminal A that is the smallest of their collection at IAH but is commonly used by Star partner Air Canada in A North and of course by the few United Express flights using A north daily.

IAH: United Club Lounge - Which is better lounge at IAH? Lounge renovations?

Consolidated "United Club Access Questions" Thread

The Polaris Lounge is now open located one floor above the current Terminal E United Club with a separate entrance door.

Buried in FT is the answer to the question about *G members who have *G through their UA status, traveling within the US:
No Exec Club access for UA*G traveling domestic at IAH (see post #20)
This is different than for example the LH lounge at IAD, where UA *G pax can enter even if traveling domestic.

American Airlines/Oneworld

IAH recently received an Admirals Club in terminal A south open at 4am (opened in 2017). Please find discussion here... I think. I get confused easily in the AAdvantage forum with its labyrinth of wiki's and master threads. But somebody will point you on your way.

Guide to Lounge Changes: Flagship Lounge, Admirals Club, etc.

Also of note, BA operates not one, but two lounges at IAH. Both located in Terminal D. Seriously this end of D should just be called lounge central.

There is the BA First Lounge, which is restricted to First and OW Emeralds. There is the BA Business lounge for Biz and the lesser precious stones.

I have personally visited the F lounge, detailed here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29396739-post2.html

Those of the various OW stones may wish to peruse this thread:

Lounge Access Denied: IAH flying AA/F

Delta/Skyteam

I didn't forget about you Skyteam people. Try your luck at the KLM lounge. And yes, you have a thread too.

IAH KLM lounge... hardly worth the detour

And last and certainly least, the Executive Club

IAH also has a 3rd party lounge called the Executive Club/Lounge. All I know is it's in Terminal D. I've never been and I think it's where non-OW/*A airlines send their premium cabin passengers.

764toHI gives a brief comment below. In addition, this is the most comprehensive review I've seen for it: https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...xecutive-club/

There is a nice, remodeled, USO lounge near gate D2 open from 6am until 9pm, access is for military members (active, guard, reserves), retirees, and dependents (normally anyone with a valid DoD ID card) There is a good food selection, many snacks, fruit, and sodas/juice/coffee available along with computers, TVs, local newspapers/magazines, and recliners and several sleeping chairs (donated new by Houston "Mattress Mac").
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The definitive guide to lounges in Houston, Texas (IAH/HOU)

Old Feb 8, 2018, 8:49 pm
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The definitive guide to lounges in Houston, Texas (IAH/HOU)

As somebody who was supportive of the creation of this new forum, I submit my first top level thread. I'll be adding to this over the next couple weeks as I revisit some of the earlier lounges, namely the Priority Pass lounges.

Please read the wiki as it will answer many questions and also if you have unanswered questions, will point you to the various sub-forums of FT that will answer you.

Gracias.

krazykanuck
IAH preferred, HOU if I must

Last edited by krazykanuck; Feb 8, 2018 at 8:57 pm
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 9:03 pm
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BA First Lounge IAH

(shamelessly re-posted from my Trip Report where this originally appeared in May 2016)

I'm not really sure why BA operates two premium lounges at IAH, 1 for F and OW Emeralds and 1 for F/J and lesser OW members when they have all of 2 flights a day to LHR. The lounge is rather small but well appointed. There is a hot soup, cold sandwiches, and a variety of other nibbles (look at me, I can speak British too!)

The highlight is the bar though. Free pour Woodford Reserve is the bourbon and both Tanquarey 10 and Bombay Sapphire are two gins on offer and they had a decent bottled beer selection including 2-3 local brews. I spent a pleasant couple of hours here before hiking all the way back to Terminal A for my flight to LAX. To modify a Ferris Bueller quote, if you have the means, I highly recommend visiting this lounge. It was a virtual sanctuary compared to the KLM Crown Lounge which I usually use and have been disappointed with the decline in food and beverage quality over the last year.

Food area of the lounge



Seating and bar area in the back



Beer and some delicious chili



Bar close up

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Old Feb 16, 2018, 9:06 am
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I visited the Executive Lounge last year when flying LH and I thought it was better than most domestic lounge offerings; if I had to hazard a guess, definitely better than the KLM lounge at IAH and would appear to be on par with the BA F lounge based on the pics above. Solid food and drink spread with ample seating. No natural light unfortunately.
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Old May 25, 2018, 5:46 pm
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I'm currently in the KLM lounge at IAH and it seems fairly decent. More people have been entering as time goes on, however, so I can see it getting crowded before their flight.
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Old May 26, 2018, 3:27 pm
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Originally Posted by tmiw
I'm currently in the KLM lounge at IAH and it seems fairly decent. More people have been entering as time goes on, however, so I can see it getting crowded before their flight.
Any description on what the food and drink spread was like? I still haven't revisited in a long while since I can't make myself go to the KLM lounge when I have Centurion lounge access.
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Old May 26, 2018, 5:52 pm
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Originally Posted by krazykanuck
Any description on what the food and drink spread was like? I still haven't revisited in a long while since I can't make myself go to the KLM lounge when I have Centurion lounge access.
Alcohol selection looked decent from what I remember. I didn't eat anything, however, so I can't comment on food.
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Old Jul 3, 2018, 7:53 am
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Update to KLM Lounge

I stopped my the KLM Lounge briefly around 8pm on Monday this week to discover a few changes since my last visit a couple years ago. The food selections are even more meager than I remember, and the alcohol is no longer self serve. The food was limited to pita, hummus, veggies, and chips and empty carbs. They have a place for a soup but there wasn't any available. The lounge wasn't too busy - not really a surprise since it's not a very busy hour at IAH in general and the lounge closes at 9.

I was chatting with the bartender and one of the managers and when I asked about the bartender change, they said the lounge had some TABC complaints lodged against it a few months back and the liquor inspector said they needed a bartender. Apparently people were overindulging in the lounge and showing up tanked at the plane, using the paper to go coffee cups to take booze out of the lounge, and also stealing unopened bottled beer and taking it with them stashed in their bags, so as a result there is now a bartender to carefully pour liquor and open beers.




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Old Jul 3, 2018, 10:00 am
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Is this image from a previous visit?


Originally Posted by krazykanuck
....the alcohol is no longer self serve. ....

....
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Old Jul 3, 2018, 10:14 am
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Originally Posted by mia
Is this image from a previous visit?
No, however the bartender kindly stepped to the side to let me take the picture. The bartender literally stands in front of the alcohol, more like a gatekeeper, and if you grab for the bottle like I did - since I didn't know the policy change - he told me I can't serve myself. I guess they felt that leaving the bar the way it was, was easier (and clearly cheaper) than building an actual bar.
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Old Jul 10, 2018, 9:50 pm
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I edited the sticky: noting that you can now walk to terminal B from CDE, there is no United club in D, Polaris is now open, and added the information for the USO lounges at both HOU and IAH.

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Old Sep 13, 2018, 7:00 pm
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As of this week two restaurants at IAH have joined Priority Pass:
  • Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar (Terminal A, near the AA gates) Menu here
  • Landry's Seafood (Terminal C, near gate C42)
Both restaurants allow for the usual $28 credit per person with a limit of 1 guest.
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Old Sep 19, 2018, 3:48 pm
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Just as an FYI, the Landry's today would not let us use Priority Pass for a to go order. Waitress said it is full dine in only. Some of the Priority Pass restaurants list this in the fine print at the bottom, but did not see it specified for the Landry's so thought it was worth a shot.
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Old Sep 21, 2018, 12:51 am
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Originally Posted by grouchysaurus
Just as an FYI, the Landry's today would not let us use Priority Pass for a to go order. Waitress said it is full dine in only. Some of the Priority Pass restaurants list this in the fine print at the bottom, but did not see it specified for the Landry's so thought it was worth a shot.
Not totally surprising. I'm flying out of IAH next Friday and on Delta, so I have to be in Terminal A anyway, though Cadillac is on the AA side (south side) of A. I just don't really see the appeal of menu watching and tipping on their insane menu prices vs. having my breakfast at the Centurion Lounge gratis. Perhaps I'll have my full breakfast at the lounge and then just get some sipping tequila to utilize PP. There's nothing wrong with tequila at 10am, right?!
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 1:32 pm
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Originally Posted by krazykanuck
I just don't really see the appeal of menu watching and tipping on their insane menu prices vs. having my breakfast at the Centurion Lounge gratis.
100% agreed! Food is the main reason I go to lounges, so the restaurant option is definitely appreciated, especially since many lounges serve snacks as opposed to a meal. But the Cent lounge at IAH has great food and great service, and it's hard to really see myself going anywhere else other than testing things out and curiosity.

Originally Posted by krazykanuck
Perhaps I'll have my full breakfast at the lounge and then just get some sipping tequila to utilize PP. There's nothing wrong with tequila at 10am, right?!
I'm pretty sure in Texas any time is tequila time
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Old May 7, 2019, 12:25 pm
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Hey folks,

Im passing through and looking at the pp choices. Anyone have a suggestion on which would be best for a quick meal?
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