Is Grab and Go the Future of Lounge Access? A Peek at Houston’s United Club Fly [Review]

United Club Fly debuted at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in 2025 at a time when the United Club in the same terminal closed for renovations. Its target audience is short-layover travelers, which is beneficial given that more than half of Houston’s passengers are connecting.¹ There are no seats and no traditional lounge buffet. Instead, guests are encouraged to grab a drink, meal, or snack (or all of the above) and head on their way.

I often judge a traditional lounge by what I can take onward, be it a Diet Coke or a local prepackaged snack for my kids, though removing anything from a lounge is generally frowned upon. When the script is flipped, and passengers are encouraged to grab their items quickly and leave, would I still enjoy the lounge “experience” or feel like I was just shopping for free at a convenience store? The answer is a bit of both, and I’ll dive deeper into what I liked about this concept in my detailed review.

Where Is the United Club Fly at IAH?

Terminal B at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is undergoing significant renovations, and the check-in lobby, TSA security screening area, and baggage claim areas are closed through fall 2026. Passengers are directed to Terminal C to check in, then take the Skyway train to Terminal B.

The path from the train to the gates routes passengers through a temporarily barricaded construction area into a food court ahead of the departure gates. The United Club Fly is ahead of the gates on the left.

If you’re arriving at Terminal B from a connecting flight, walk toward the Skyway and the United Club Fly will be on your right.

Who Can Access the United Club Fly?

For my January 2026 flight, I was waiting at the United Club Fly entrance before its 5:30 a.m. opening when I realized that my domestic first class ticket wouldn’t grant me access. Thankfully, I chatted up a fellow waiting passenger who brought me in as her guest.

The following passengers have access to the United Club Fly:

• United Club members
  • Individual membership includes 0 guests
  • United Club℠ Card and United Club℠ Business Card memberships include 1 guest
  • All Access membership includes 2 guests
• United flyers in an international premium cabin
• Premium cabin passengers on a Star Alliance member airline
• United MileagePlus members who have Premier Gold or higher
• Star Alliance Gold earned on other airlines traveling domestically or internationally

If you plan to access the United Club Fly with elite status, ensure your account with that status is linked to your reservation and boarding pass. Entry is granted by scanning your boarding pass at an unstaffed automated gate, and it was unclear during my visit who might come to assist you if you felt you deserved entry but couldn’t scan through.

One-time passes (like those you might receive with the United℠ Explorer Card or United℠ Business Card) are not valid for access to United Club Fly.

The lounge is open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

First Impressions

United Club Fly instantly reminded me of a quiet Hudson or WHSmith — an airport convenience store without the books, magnets, or last-minute gifts. The space was anchored by a coffee bar, and it was spacious enough for a high volume of passengers to move through quickly without bumping into each other.

There were no restrooms, no seats, and no alcohol served. If you needed an outlet to charge a phone or a surface to whip out your laptop to write a quick email, there was a counter along one side of the lounge near a departure board. There was also a standalone island between the entrance and exit.

Food and Beverages

The real fun began when I explored the coolers at the rear. Available drinks included juices, milks, sparkling water, and Coke products. Then came the breakfast items, like a spinach-artichoke quiche and sausage kolache (just ask to have them heated up, if you prefer). Chobani yogurts in various flavors were also available.

If you were thinking more lunch-oriented items, you could grab a caprese or roast-beef-and-horseradish sandwich, a Southwest chicken wrap, a chef salad, or a spinach salad. If you just wanted a fresh snack, you could grab cups of grapes and cheese cubes or veggies and hummus.

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Drinks and breakfast items.

Zapp’s Kettle Potato Chips, Grandma’s Cookies, and Otis Spunkmeyer muffins were on offer in the snacks section.

Baristas were on hand to make a variety of coffee and tea drinks, and one of those snazzy orange-juicing machines filled to the brim with fresh oranges was also behind the counter. Guests could also ask a barista to heat up a croissant or a soft pretzel.

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The cafe menu, including seasonal specials.

Self-service drink dispensers were also available, including brewed coffee, water, and a reusable water bottle refilling station.

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Illy coffee and Twinings tea service.

Is Grab and Go the Future of the Lounge Industry?

United first debuted its grab-and-go concept at Denver International Airport (DEN) in 2022, and the Houston location opened in 2025. These followed a growing trend among lounges to offer a fast, pared-down experience to their guests, though the rollout has typically not been network-wide … yet.

Lounge networks like American Express’ Sidecar by Centurion and Capital One Lounge are in the game, as are airlines like Air Canada Café, Delta Air Lines’ Grab and Go at some Sky Club locations, and Provisions by Admirals Club. Not every attempt is pure grab and go, as some concepts like Sidecar by Centurion offer more of an express experience, and many offer seating.

I love that lounges are encouraging guests to take items to go, and I hope to see this trend continue and expand. No longer shall guests be restricted to consuming items only on-site or feel guilty for smuggling a snack or drink out of the lounge in their bag — be free to grab what you need and get on with your day!

Final Thoughts

As airports renovate their public gate areas to be more comfortable and accommodating for waiting passengers, the most comfortable and quiet seats are often in terminals, outside lounges. Grab-and-go lounges can provide added value to guests, helping bridge the lounge and brand experience onward in the journey.

I enjoyed my first experience at United Club Fly, and I am a big fan of the grab-and-go concept. While guests aren’t given a takeaway bag to fill with goodies, as you might see at a Capital One Lounge, I could easily (but reasonably) grab snacks and drinks for my family and get us on our way to our gate or have something to eat on our flight. Oftentimes, that is what I need more than an “exclusive” place to sit, a private restroom, or reliable Wi-Fi.