United Polaris Lounge Houston (IAH)
My Croatian Sailing Adventure began at check-in with Turkish Airlines in Terminal D at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Bag checked, I breezed through an empty security checkpoint, then walked past all the construction in Terminal E to the Polaris Lounge for dinner and to prepare for my 12-hour overnight flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
With three business class flights ahead of me (Houston to Istanbul, Zagreb, and finally Split), this would be my big chance to experience the new lounge, as the only way to get into any Polaris lounge is to have a same-day business class international ticket on United or a partner airline. You cannot buy a membership or day pass.
A few years back I nearly had an opportunity to visit, just after United opened the Polaris Lounge in Houston. I was supposed to fly business class on United from Houston to Dublin for work. Unfortunately, that meeting was canceled and I had to cancel my flight. Soon after that, COVID happened and the lounge closed. United began re-opening the Polaris lounges last fall, and the Houston lounge re-opened this winter, so it was perfect timing for my trip!
