Review of the United Club at Houston Terminal C North: What You Need To Know Before Visiting

I meticulously plan my family’s travels. I study airport maps ahead of time and typically read lounge reviews to determine how early to get to the airport and where to focus my efforts based on where I have lounge access. However, an early morning September 2025 girls trip out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) threw any planning out the window, as I knew I wouldn’t have lounge access for everyone in our group.

I had just received 2 one-time passes to the United Club as a credit card benefit, and as luck would have it, one of my friends had the same 2 passes about to expire. We made a last-minute decision to unite our passes to treat our friends to the lounge and toast our way to a fabulous kids-free trip ahead.

These passes gave a great glimpse of what lies beyond the blue frosted doors of the United Club. I’ll review the access, seating, food, and beverages to help you decide if a stop at the United Club at IAH Terminal C North Concourse is worth redeeming your passes.

1. United Club Locations Are Close to Security

I visited the United Club in Terminal C North, near gate C1, but it’s worth noting that the United Club locations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) are strategically close to the TSA security screening areas, so you’re always close to one at the start of your airport journey.

This became all too convenient when my friends and I realized we had plenty of time ahead of our flight and a few spare United Club passes to use. Having just cleared security, we had just walked past the club closest to gate C1, and it was easy to reverse our gears and pop in.

2. Use Your One-Time Passes … if You’re Lucky

I was eligible to access the United Club with 2 one-time passes I received as a benefit of the United℠ Business Card.

United℠ Business Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A business card from Chase for United loyalists with benefits such as free checked bags and discounts on inflight purchases.

United℠ Business Card

A business card from Chase for United loyalists with benefits such as free checked bags and discounts on inflight purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

75,000 miles + 2,000 PQP

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$150

APR

20.24% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The United℠ Business Card is a compelling option for traveling business owners that are also frequent United flyers. Not only will this Chase business card help you earn more United miles, but it also offers great perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, a discount on inflight purchases, and much more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 2x miles per $1 on United purchases
• 2x miles per $1 on dining
• 2x miles per $1 at gas stations and office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting

Cons

• Doesn’t earn transferable rewards
• Other United cards are more rewarding for United purchases

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
• 2x miles on United^® purchases, dining including eligible delivery services, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting.
• 1x mile on all other purchases. Plus, employee cards at no additional cost - miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards faster.
• Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the United℠ Business Card and a personal Chase United^® credit card.
• Enjoy a free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United Club℠ one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges.
• Receive a $125 United travel credit after making 5 United^® flight purchases of $100 or more each calendar year with your United℠ Business Card.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.24% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Other ways to access the United Club include:

• A day pass
• United Club membership (a complimentary benefit of the United Club℠ Business Card and United Club℠ Card)
• Polaris or business class on an international or transcontinental flight
• First or business class on a Star Alliance airline
• United MileagePlus, Star Alliance, or Virgin Australia Velocity Gold status or higher
• Active U.S. military personnel
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Club members

Some restrictions apply, so please see our guide to United Club eligibility and pricing for full details.

I’ve mentioned that my friends and I decided to visit the lounge at the last minute. We were traveling in a group of 4: I had 2 new passes, and another person in the group had 2 passes from the United℠ Explorer Card near expiry. She mentioned we’d be lucky to get in, as she had tried to use the passes on at least 5 other occasions and hadn’t been able to because the lounges had been at capacity.

The United Club at Terminal C North is open from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and we visited from 8 to 9 a.m. When we arrived, there was virtually no line to enter, and while seating wasn’t abundant, we were able to find 4 open seats together.

However, as our visit progressed, open seats became nonexistent, the buffet was flooded with people, and the paths to walk around the lounge were clogged. It was no surprise when we left to see the dreaded sign my friend was so familiar with: “We’re currently unable to accept one-time passes.”

3. Good Variety of Seating

The majority of seating was dominated by tan leather club chairs divided by narrow tables, each with a lamp, 2 standard outlets, and 2 USB-A ports. These tables had an open space underneath big enough for a purse or small laptop case but not sized for any larger carry-on items.

To the right of the entrance were 2 long high-top tables, and this is where my friends and I quickly landed.

To the left of the entrance was an extended high-top counter with stools. The entire lounge, but this area especially, felt ideal for solo travelers. A similar counter ran a significant length of the lounge along the windows.

Restaurant-style dining tables were across from the buffet and in the general seating area, just on the other side of the low white dividing wall shown below.

4. Views for Days

An AvGeek could not ask for a better view than morning aircraft traffic at a busy hub.

The lounge was dominated by a lengthy swath of windows, which offered views across the North Concourse C and D gates.

5. Breakfast Options Are Plentiful

Lounge breakfast is usually the slimmest of pickings, but I was pleased with the morning offerings at the United Club. Hot dishes included biscuits, scrambled eggs, and sausage patties. An oatmeal bar was also available and featured toppings such as pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.

The cold bar featured Greek yogurt, honeydew, pineapple, grapes, and strawberry banana-chia overnight oats.

Baked goods included corn muffins, lemon-glazed coffee cake, bagels, and toast, with unique spreads like lemon chive cream cheese. Whole oranges, peaches, and bananas were in baskets, and 3 types of dry cereal were offered.

Drinks available included a self-service Illy coffee machine, a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, juices, tea service, and infused and regular water.

The staffed bar featured complimentary beer, wine, and liquor.

6. Amenities Are Light

Outside of in-lounge bathrooms (without showers), Wi-Fi, and departure boards, the tangible amenities were limited to 3 phone rooms.

I noticed a locked wellness room and asked a nearby staff member about it. I was told this functioned primarily as a room for nursing parents.

7. Smiles Are Infectious

The staff members at check-in were friendly, and dishes and trash were promptly cleared from the seating areas with a smile. The employees constantly observed the buffet to ensure that it was well-stocked, so service-wise, this lounge checked all the boxes.

However, when you can tell a staff member is having a great start to their day or enjoys their job, that feeling easily spreads. For 8 a.m., a witching hour full of grumpy morning travelers, the United Club bartender was in the zone. He was cutting jokes, making small talk, and fulfilling orders with ease, and just watching him do his thing for a few minutes put me in a great mood for my visit.

Final Thoughts

I’ve just moved back to Houston, and my Priority Pass options when flying domestically from IAH are limited. The 2 United Club passes I received with my United Business card gave me a taste of what the lounge network had to offer, which, like most airport lounges nowadays, can be quiet and comfortable or quickly overcrowded.

I liked that the United Club at IAH Terminal C North was well-located with great views, offered healthy breakfast selections, and had personable staff. The amenities were light, but I was able to take a banana and a Diet Coke with me as I left for my flight, and those small touches left a lasting impression on me.

I’m not certain that one of the higher-annual-fee United credit cards that offers United Club membership is a fit for me yet, but if I continue to fly United consistently, I would certainly consider whether I’d receive more value from United Club access than I would from my other credit card’s Priority Pass membership.