United’s swankiest lounge making its IAH debut
Premium payers offered exclusive airport experience
UNITED Airlines is opening an exclusive lounge for its Polaris first- or business-class international travelers at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Opening Friday in Terminal E, the 12,528-square-foot lounge features an array of plush seating, Texas and South Americaninspired cuisine, shower suites and stunning views of taxiing airplanes.
It’s United’s fourth Polaris lounge as the airline works to differentiate the experience for travelers paying premium fares.
“It’s very wise in trying to improve their return by making investments like this one,” Houston-based airline consultant Pete Garcia said.
Airport lounges are increasingly crowded as travelers seek to escape congested gates. Investing in the Polaris lounges is a good way to keep customers loyal and to lure travelers from other airlines, Garcia said.
The Polaris lounge is available to those who purchase a Polaris first- or business-class ticket outright or with points, who use points to upgrade to
Polaris or who fly through Houston to catch another flight where they will sit in Polaris.
“With international travel a vital part of what George Bush Intercontinental Airport has to offer, the customer service and elevated amenities in United’s latest Polaris lounge enhance the experience of our discerning travelers,” Ian Wadsworth, chief commercial officer for the Houston Airport System, said in a statement.
That experience begins in the lobby, where a light fixture features seven zodiac constellations — Aquarius, Capricorn, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio and Virgo — as a nod to the Polaris namesake, the North Star.
Polaris travelers take an elevator to the fourth floor and have their choice of 191 seats, all in close proximity to the lounge’s 324 power outlets and 264 USB ports. There are 22 work spaces, too.
Quiet suites and rainfall showers are available on a firstcome, first-served basis, though flyers with tight connections are prioritized. A washer and dryer are available, if needed, and restrooms are spacious, individual compartments to make up for the cramped airplane bathrooms that customers will soon be using.
Free food can be snagged from the buffet or delivered during a sit-down meal. A bar offers wine, beer and cocktails — some featuring vodka that the lounge infuses with star anise, and bourbon that it steeps with oolong tea.
Because many Polaris flights from Houston are headed to South America, United offers food and beverages from south of the border. The buffet includes Brazilian empanadas and Argentinian picadillo stew while the sit-down menu offers Argentinian roasted chimichurri chicken. The bar features the Brazilian caipirinha cocktail and, in a nod to Texas, a margarita with jalapeños.
“How could you have a club in Houston and not have a really great margarita?” asked Jayne Portnoy, director of marketing and beverage strategy for Sodexo, the company that manages the lounge.
Polaris tickets are sold for flights departing Houston for Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.
Flights on the Boeing 767-300 and Boeing 777-200 could have the new Polaris seats, which provide travelers with additional personal space and direct access to the aisle so they don’t have to climb over other travelers. But these seats aren’t yet guaranteed as United is in the process of retrofitting these planes throughout its network.
The carrier will also retrofit seating on its Boeing 767-400 and the Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners. The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners will be delivered with the new seats starting later this year, and the Boeing 777300s were delivered with the new Polaris seats.
On average, United plans to add one aircraft with the new Polaris seats every 10 days through 2020.
“You need a good seat to compete,” said Alex Dorow, director of premium services for United. “You need great service, thoughtful details and an excellent airport experience to win.”