George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

[Houston19514]

It’s been reported on airliners.net that “Terminal B North is closing January 7, 2024 for demolition”

Terminal B North is closing January 7, 2024 for demolition

[Naviguessor]

Can’t say I’ll miss it. Maybe the ‘“tunnel/bridges” a little bit. 

[Houston19514]

The word from Airliners.net is that United is starting preliminary moves this week on their Terminal B project (such as closing Gates B25-30).

[Houston19514]

Houston continues to hold on to (and in fact slightly widen relative to DFW) its lead in international air traffic among Texas cities.

2023 YTD through August:

•    Bush Intercontinental:  7,817,323
•    Hobby International:      703,467
• Houston Total:             8,520,790
• DFW:                            7,505,999
• San Antonio:                  401,088

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/11/09/united-airlines-nonstop-service-iah-tokyo-haneda.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_27&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s

"Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) could soon be welcoming more daily nonstop flights from Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport.

Chicago-based United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAL) filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation on Nov. 9 to begin offering this route. If approved, United will become the first U.S.-based carrier to fly nonstop service between IAH and Haneda.

United currently offers nonstop flights from IAH to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. However, Haneda is Tokyo’s close-in airport, while Narita is more than twice as far from downtown Tokyo."

[mattyt36]

On 10/10/2023 at 12:54 PM, Houston19514 said:

Houston continues to hold on to (and in fact slightly widen relative to DFW) its lead in international air traffic among Texas cities.

2023 YTD through August:

•    Bush Intercontinental:  7,817,323
•    Hobby International:      703,467
• Houston Total:             8,520,790
• DFW:                            7,505,999
• San Antonio:                  401,088

WRONG . . . the long-term trend is horrible, and definitely not something I'd be crowing about.  In fact, 2023 was a degradation from 2022 and the second worst year on record.

Enplanements* for the 12 months ended 6/30, source U.S. DOT:

					DFW as %
	DFW	IAH	HOU	IAH+HOU	IAH+HOU
2010	2,405,979	3,910,711	0	3,910,711	61.5%
2011	2,554,272	4,218,972	0	4,218,972	60.5%
2012	2,713,955	4,193,425	0	4,193,425	64.7%
2013	3,060,908	4,224,102	0	4,224,102	72.5%
2014	3,346,754	4,556,493	0	4,556,493	73.5%
2015	3,614,270	4,818,210	1,711	4,819,921	75.0%
2016	3,862,233	5,259,895	254,846	5,514,741	70.0%
2017	3,977,730	5,160,323	425,468	5,585,790	71.2%
2018	4,151,756	5,018,714	469,221	5,487,935	75.7%
2019	4,327,097	5,283,314	473,582	5,756,895	75.2%
2020	3,322,000	3,859,088	289,577	4,148,665	80.1%
2021	1,942,966	1,865,448	206,825	2,072,273	93.8%
2022	3,788,809	4,063,828	413,368	4,477,196	84.6%
2023	5,133,673	5,165,698	477,370	5,643,068	91.0%

Long haul (i.e., excluding Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean) trends are much worse and DFW surpassed in 2018:

			DFW as %
	DFW	IAH	IAH+HOU
2010	939,712	1,314,639	71.5%
2011	991,241	1,423,408	69.6%
2012	1,111,076	1,479,275	75.1%
2013	1,267,153	1,524,376	83.1%
2014	1,420,645	1,725,525	82.3%
2015	1,611,325	1,853,277	86.9%
2016	1,760,463	1,996,298	88.2%
2017	1,880,072	1,920,150	97.9%
2018	1,989,298	1,875,071	106.1%
2019	2,052,739	2,031,814	101.0%
2020	1,541,464	1,446,250	106.6%
2021	323,328	328,191	98.5%
2022	1,126,371	1,042,232	108.1%
2023	1,925,217	1,814,007	106.1%

* - This is how these things are measured in the U.S., as we don't count passengers twice, i.e., once when they leave and once when they come back.

[Houston19514]

2 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

WRONG . . . the long-term trend is horrible, and definitely not something I'd be crowing about.  In fact, 2023 was a degradation from 2022 and the second worst year on record.

Enplanements* for the 12 months ended 6/30, source U.S. DOT:

					DFW as %
	DFW	IAH	HOU	IAH+HOU	IAH+HOU
2010	2,405,979	3,910,711	0	3,910,711	61.5%
2011	2,554,272	4,218,972	0	4,218,972	60.5%
2012	2,713,955	4,193,425	0	4,193,425	64.7%
2013	3,060,908	4,224,102	0	4,224,102	72.5%
2014	3,346,754	4,556,493	0	4,556,493	73.5%
2015	3,614,270	4,818,210	1,711	4,819,921	75.0%
2016	3,862,233	5,259,895	254,846	5,514,741	70.0%
2017	3,977,730	5,160,323	425,468	5,585,790	71.2%
2018	4,151,756	5,018,714	469,221	5,487,935	75.7%
2019	4,327,097	5,283,314	473,582	5,756,895	75.2%
2020	3,322,000	3,859,088	289,577	4,148,665	80.1%
2021	1,942,966	1,865,448	206,825	2,072,273	93.8%
2022	3,788,809	4,063,828	413,368	4,477,196	84.6%
2023	5,133,673	5,165,698	477,370	5,643,068	91.0%

Long haul (i.e., excluding Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean) trends are much worse and DFW surpassed in 2018:

			DFW as %
	DFW	IAH	IAH+HOU
2010	939,712	1,314,639	71.5%
2011	991,241	1,423,408	69.6%
2012	1,111,076	1,479,275	75.1%
2013	1,267,153	1,524,376	83.1%
2014	1,420,645	1,725,525	82.3%
2015	1,611,325	1,853,277	86.9%
2016	1,760,463	1,996,298	88.2%
2017	1,880,072	1,920,150	97.9%
2018	1,989,298	1,875,071	106.1%
2019	2,052,739	2,031,814	101.0%
2020	1,541,464	1,446,250	106.6%
2021	323,328	328,191	98.5%
2022	1,126,371	1,042,232	108.1%
2023	1,925,217	1,814,007	106.1%

* - This is how these things are measured in the U.S., as we don't count passengers twice, i.e., once when they leave and once when they come back.

 

Not WRONG.  What I posted is factually correct and I reported the numbers given by the airports.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Houston19514

[Houston19514]

Sept 2023 Airport International Traffic Report:

SEPTEMBER

• Bush Intercontinental: 889,141 (up 21.5% from 2022)
• Hobby International:  61,279 (up 0.6% from 2022)
• Houston Total:  950,420
• DFW:                  840,895  (up 6% from 2022)
• San Antonio:         43,183  (up 19.6% from 2022)

2023 YTD through September:

•    Bush Intercontinental:  8,706,464 (up 23.9% from 2022)
•    Hobby International:        764,746 (up 8.9% from 2022)
• Houston Total:                  9,471,210
• DFW:                                 8,340,410  (up 15.9% from 2022)
• San Antonio:                       444,271  (up 6.5% from 2022)

https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiMDE3ZWI1YmEtOTZiOS00NjZjLWEzZTAtNjRmZmM1NWY2OGU3IiwidCI6IjU3YTg1YTEwLTI1OGItNDViNC1hNTE5LWM5NmM3NzIxMDk0YyJ9

https://flysanantonio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-SEPT-Stats.pdf

https://assets.ctfassets.net/m2p70vmwc019/5aTzmr0CeIWORQNEJJjNWS/6f1680729bfc8f8c8ba997e5534254fb/Sep_2023_Pax_Report.pdf

Edited November 10, 2023 by Houston19514

[mattyt36]

25 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

 

Not WRONG.  What I posted is factually correct and I reported the numbers given by the airports.

The statement "continues to hold on to (and in fact slightly widen relative to DFW) its lead in international air traffic among Texas cities" is, indeed, factually wrong.

You presented data for a 10-month period with no comparison for the prior year, so how can you say what you posted shows that it has "widened its lead"?  "Widened its lead" relative to last year for 10 months, maybe, but the long-term trend shows quite the opposite.  At best, your post is unintentionally misleading because you did not present a complete picture.  Which is fine, as you probably don't have access to the data, but for those that do the trend is very clear . . . the most recently available 12 month period for which "apples-to-apples" data are available from the same source show that FY 2023 was the second worst on record for Houston international traffic relative to Dallas.  

"continues to hold on to" = "still has the lead, but it's slipping"

"slightly widen relative to DFW" = since 2010, DFW has increased its share of traffic from 61.5% to 91.0%.  In the 12 years since 2010, DFW has increased its share relative to IAH in all but 4 years, including 2023.

I certainly wouldn't put money on IAH being the busiest international airport in Texas in 2030.

[mattyt36]

15 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

Sept 2023 Airport International Traffic Report:

SEPTEMBER

• Bush Intercontinental: 889,141 (up 21.5% from 2022)
• Hobby International:  61,279 (up 0.6% from 2022)
• Houston Total:  950,420
• DFW:                  840,895  (up 6% from 2022)
• San Antonio:         43,183  (up 19.6% from 2022)

2023 YTD through September:

•    Bush Intercontinental:  8,706,464 (up 23.9% from 2022)
•    Hobby International:        764,746 (up 8.9% from 2022)
• Houston Total:                  9,471,210
• DFW:                                 8,340,410  (up 15.9% from 2022)
• San Antonio:                       444,271  (up 6.5% from 2022)

https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiMDE3ZWI1YmEtOTZiOS00NjZjLWEzZTAtNjRmZmM1NWY2OGU3IiwidCI6IjU3YTg1YTEwLTI1OGItNDViNC1hNTE5LWM5NmM3NzIxMDk0YyJ9

https://flysanantonio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-SEPT-Stats.pdf

https://assets.ctfassets.net/m2p70vmwc019/5aTzmr0CeIWORQNEJJjNWS/6f1680729bfc8f8c8ba997e5534254fb/Sep_2023_Pax_Report.pdf

@Houston19514

(1) There is no airport called "Hobby International," it is called "William P. Hobby Airport"

(2) Take a look at the long-term trends

[Houston19514]

29 minutes ago, mattyt36 said:

The statement "continues to hold on to (and in fact slightly widen relative to DFW) its lead in international air traffic among Texas cities" is, indeed, factually wrong.

You presented data for a 10-month period with no comparison for the prior year, so how can you say what you posted shows that it has "widened its lead"?  "Widened its lead" relative to last year for 10 months, maybe, but the long-term trend shows quite the opposite.  At best, your post is unintentionally misleading because you did not present a complete picture.  Which is fine, as you probably don't have access to the data, but for those that do the trend is very clear . . . the most recently available 12 month period for which "apples-to-apples" data are available from the same source show that FY 2023 was the second worst on record for Houston international traffic relative to Dallas.  

"continues to hold on to" = "still has the lead, but it's slipping"

"slightly widen relative to DFW" = since 2010, DFW has increased its share of traffic from 61.5% to 91.0%.  In the 12 years since 2010, DFW has increased its share relative to IAH in all but 4 years, including 2023.

I certainly wouldn't put money on IAH being the busiest international airport in Texas in 2030.

IAH widened the lead it had held earlier in the year (and has continued to do so through September, because IAH's international traffic again grew faster than DFW's.)

Edited November 10, 2023 by Houston19514

[Houston19514]

25 minutes ago, mattyt36 said:

@Houston19514

(1) There is no airport called "Hobby International," it is called "William P. Hobby Airport"

(2) Take a look at the long-term trends

I know it's not called Hobby International, but it should be (and this is part of my little campaign to make that happen.  ;-)

I realize, DFW has made great strides in catching up to IAH in international traffic and in fact passed us in CY 202;  I have never suggested otherwise, and in fact posted up-thread regarding 2022.  But the numbers I have reported are 100% factual. (I think AA may be adding a bunch of international service at DFW in summer 2024, so our hold on 1st place may not last.)

Edited November 10, 2023 by Houston19514

[citykid09]

1 hour ago, Houston19514 said:

I know it's not called Hobby International, but it should be (and this is part of my little campaign to make that happen.  ;-)

I realize, DFW has made great strides in catching up to IAH in international traffic and in fact passed us in CY 202;  I have never suggested otherwise, and in fact posted up-thread regarding 2022.  But the numbers I have reported are 100% factual. (I think AA may be adding a bunch of international service at DFW in summer 2024, so our hold on 1st place may not last.)

I agree. Hobby should be called international and if it was up to me bush would too. Intercontinental is confusing to people that don’t understand what it means. Houston to me just doesn’t do a good job at marketing itself. 

[mollusk]

At least Jetero never caught on (although trying to name something after a typo is certainly Classic Houston).

I've always preferred "Intergalactic" for IAH.  🥷

[august948]

1 hour ago, mollusk said:

At least Jetero never caught on (although trying to name something after a typo is certainly Classic Houston).

I've always preferred "Intergalactic" for IAH.  🥷

[mattyt36]

United and HAS jointly released this summary of the Terminal B redevelopment project today.

It will, as suspected, include a new United Club, which will be the new largest in the system.  That said, I remain surprised they won't have one in Terminal D for purely competitive reasons.  (Actually, I guess if LH builds a club, many UA passengers would have access to it as Star Alliance Gold as they do in DTW or IAD, for example, so maybe that's it, but I haven't seen anything one way or the other.)

The middle pier of B-South to be demolished with parking positions added in the "bottom of the U" between the east and west piers. It doesn't look to me from the renderings that they intend to redo the piers, so I guess there will be no individual holdrooms and loading bridges up from the apron level like with Southwest in A.  Security will now be on a level above the ticketing level, I believe in an entirely new building.  I'm sure the new club will be between the two new piers.  As drawn, they look a little more "flavorful" than "New C North."  $2 billion is a pretty big chunk of change, so good for them.

The Controller did not approve the most recent legislative request to appropriate $150MM in City funds for the project, but UA and HAS would not be putting this out if they did not expect to iron out those issues.

United, Houston Airport System Invest more than $2B in Terminal B Transformation

[freundb]

I don't know if I'm reading this right. Are they tearing down the central terminal building or are they just refurbing the center building? It's too bad the south concourse wont be similar to the north. In time it will I'm guessing

[Houston19514]

On 11/16/2023 at 6:14 PM, freundb said:

I don't know if I'm reading this right. Are they tearing down the central terminal building or are they just refurbing the center building? It's too bad the south concourse wont be similar to the north. In time it will I'm guessing

Major refurbishing and large addition (to the east).

[Houston19514]

On 11/15/2023 at 12:08 PM, mattyt36 said:

United and HAS jointly released this summary of the Terminal B redevelopment project today.

It will, as suspected, include a new United Club, which will be the new largest in the system.  That said, I remain surprised they won't have one in Terminal D for purely competitive reasons. 

It looks like United's use of Terminal D will primarily be in the new D West pier I surmise that because that is the only part of Terminal D for which United has claimed preferential rights -- the three gates on the west side (or 6, depending if you count Wide-Body gates or narrow-body equivalents).  There is already a United Club at the base of that new pier (formerly known as the C North Club -- perhaps they will rename it as the Terminal D Club.

[Houston19514]

On 11/15/2023 at 12:08 PM, mattyt36 said:

United and HAS jointly released this summary of the Terminal B redevelopment project today.

The middle pier of B-South to be demolished with parking positions added in the "bottom of the U" between the east and west piers. It doesn't look to me from the renderings that they intend to redo the piers, so I guess there will be no individual holdrooms and loading bridges up from the apron level like with Southwest in A.  Security will now be on a level above the ticketing level, I believe in an entirely new building.  I'm sure the new club will be between the two new piers.  As drawn, they look a little more "flavorful" than "New C North."  $2 billion is a pretty big chunk of change, so good for them.

United, Houston Airport System Invest more than $2B in Terminal B Transformation

The rendering attached to the linked story is interesting.  It appears to show ticketing on the ground floor. The initial renderings and presentation made it look like ticketing was upstairs, as it is now, but that the drop-off area was on the ground level.  For sure the departing passenger drop-off lanes are on the ground level, rather than on elevated ramps as they are currently in A, B and C. The central processor building will be about 1/2 new building and 1/2 remodeled building.  It's going to be fun watching more details roll out.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Houston19514

[mattyt36]

29 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

It looks like United's use of Terminal D will primarily be in the new D West pier I surmise that because that is the only part of Terminal D for which United has claimed preferential rights -- the three gates on the west side (or 6, depending if you count Wide-Body gates or narrow-body equivalents).  There is already a United Club at the base of that new pier (formerly known as the C North Club -- perhaps they will rename it as the Terminal D Club.

Several things:

-The three preferential use gates is a legacy of the old D agreement and really has nothing to do with the new gates on D West other than HAS took them back when international growth was strong early in the 2010s and said they would give them back when additional gates were built.  (An airline doesn't have any "claim" on preferential use rights in a common use terminal, they're negotiated and may be granted.)  Since there will be no FIS built in B, the D gates will really be the heart of UA's future international growth--and we should hope UA uses the gates as much as possible or else the rates could be prohibitively high for the foreign flag airlines (this was a problem when Terminal E opened in the early 2000s, but UA provided traffic guarantees).  And if these gates are going to be the "nicest" at the airport, one would think UA would be interested in a new club there, especially since the Polaris Lounge reduced the size of the E club.  

-The C-North United Club is a renovation of a decades-old club and not appropriate or competitive to serve multiple widebody international flights in addition to the new C-North gates--not sure why that is so difficult to understand.  It's horribly overcrowded today.  If the gates will be appreciably "nicer" than the other international gates, one would assume that UA would want to depart their more highly competitive flights from there (e.g., LHR and AMS).  If they're little better than the new C-North gates, well, I guess it doesn't matter.  The gates will certainly be a long haul from the Polaris Lounge, so maybe they don't care.

Still, there may be a Star Alliance Gold lounge on the new pier that UA intends to use in common with other airlines--I believe that was proposed at one point, but I haven't read anything recently.  The only Star Alliance Gold eligible lounges at IAH (able to be used by a passenger flying on any Star Alliance airline) were the UA lounges as LH and BR used the common use lounge.  SQ, NH, and NZ used the UA lounge in E.  Usually when you invest $1.5 billion in a new signature "front door" international facility, you would make an investment in this sort of thing to elevate the passenger experience.  

[Houston19514]

However it came about, United indeed has a contractual claim to preferential rights to use those 3 (6) gates, so one imagines those will be the Terminal D gates they primarily use.  (It's a little odd to say their preferential rights have nothing to do with the gates in D West, when the preferential rights are specifically for those gates.) There is also little doubt that the bulk of their international arrivals will continue to be run through Terminal E (and as mentioned in our earlier discussion; they may be able to shift purely domestic flights to Terminal B, freeing up additional capacity for international flights in Terminal E). 

Also, I guarantee they will remodel (and maybe expand) the existing C-North (D West) club.  Not sure why THAT is so hard to understand.  I AM surprised they haven't undertaken the remodel, but I imagine they are waiting until they have the additional capacity of the "largest in the system" club in Terminal B, to which, by the way, C-North gate passengers will have easy access.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Houston19514

[mattyt36]

1 minute ago, Houston19514 said:

However it came about, United indeed has a contractual claim to preferential rights to use those 3 (6) gates, so one imagines those will be the Terminal D gates they primarily use. 

It's not a contractual "claim," it is a contractual "right."  I don't know how relevant it is to the discussion here, however.  They got half of the gates on the new concourse as a legacy of an agreement negotiated more than two decades ago.  Most of the gates will be empty for most of the day, as they are today.  Does that sound good to you?

4 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

There is also little doubt that the bulk of their international arrivals will continue to be run through Terminal E.

No flurf?  (Are you arguing with yourself again?)

4 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

Also, I guarantee they will remodel (and maybe expand) the existing C-North (D West) club.

Well (1) we'll see; (2) remodeling won't solve the main problem, which is space; and (3) thinking (and unfoundedly so) that they "may expand it" because it helps your argument today also doesn't help the problem today.  I guess I can take your "guarantee" only to the extent that, assuming UA stays in business, all clubs will eventually get remodeled, renovated, or expanded--solid "death and taxes" reasoning there, I guess. 

5 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

C-North (D West) club.

You're the only one calling it that, but go right ahead.

6 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

Not sure why THAT is so hard to understand.

Well, usually when one makes a "guarantee," they have something to back it up besides what can only be described from reading your responses as your "gut feel."  I'll accept that as a supposition because, hey, we all suppose, I suppose.

8 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

I AM surprised they haven't undertaken the remodel

Because they just remodeled less than 10 years ago.  Why would they remodel it over the one on C-South, which is legacy 1990s?  If they were planning a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion of the C-North (oh, I'm sorry, D-West) club, why wouldn't they invest in an entirely new and purpose-built lounge in D-West?  I mean, it really makes one scratch one's head.

13 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

I imagine they are waiting until they have the additional capacity of the "largest in the system" club in Terminal B, to which, by the way, C-North gate passengers will have easy access.

I don't believe your definition of "easy access" is the same definition as others, especially at widely accepted planning standards and service levels in the industry, but we've been over this before.  Whatever UA does seems to be good enough for you because one can always fallback on finding examples of decidedly crappier facilities elsewhere.  Other people disagree.  It's all a matter of preferences and taste. 

(While we're on the topic of the UA Club in Terminal B, it's a great time to point out that UA never built out the new lounge shell space that they build on B South, even though they "guaranteed" it in press releases when the project was announced.)

[Houston19514]

I missed the edit window.  It occurred to me after typing the above post, that it's very possible the old C-North (D-West) club may not need expansion, once the "largest in the system" club is open in Terminal B.  In any event, I think we can count on a big remodel.

[Houston19514]

Facts can be stubborn things:

1) United has made it very clear their use of Terminal D will be focused on the west side of the new West pier.

2) United already has a club situated at that pier.

Will they make use of other gates in Terminal D from time to time?  I imagine so, but probably a lot less once Terminal B is complete. And probably not with enough frequency for a second club serving Terminal D to make any sense.

Edited November 22, 2023 by Houston19514

[mattyt36]

@Houston19514

1) Yes, you have established multiple times that the C-North club is close to D-West.  Not sure why you think that is in dispute.  

2) The problem, once again, is the size of the club.  It's way too crowded as it stands now.  (I must ask, have you ever even been in it?  Because this is pretty self-evident.)  It goes without saying it's not optimal (a generous description) to serve either 3 additional widebody or 6 narrowbody flights.  

3) You should hope that UA uses the D gates WAY more than the 3 gates they have preferential rights to because (1) that would imply they are expanding international service here; and (2) it keeps rates for the other airlines in check.  Do you want to risk some airlines operating at the margin to leave, either to go to HOU or leave the market altogether?  

4) Yes, UA can operate more international flights from E once the B gates open and domestic operations can be transferred off of E.  HOWEVER, you seem to not understand how hubs work.  E is ALREADY at capacity at peak times, so UA is ALREADY overflowing to D as it stands today.  If UA is going to add new markets, you add them at the peak times to maximize connectivity.  Therefore, if UA is not using any more than the 3 gates in D that they are close to using today at the peak, it implies UA is not expanding international service from IAH.  I'm not sure why that would be desirable.

So I find it very difficult to understand how someone who is purportedly in favor of expanded air service to continue making such arguments.  Maybe you aren't in favor of expanded air service--maybe your interests simply align more with (what you think) UA's are. 

If one does have the interest of the region at heart, it seems to me that the following argument is just not very logical:

1) HAS is about to open the first new international gates at the airport in two decades.  They hired an airport "starchitect" (Fentress) to design it. 

2) If it were to be a "signature" facility (like essentially any new international terminal in the country would be), you would hope the hub airline (or a consortium of the airlines in the same alliance) would install appropriate facilities to serve its passengers conveniently and signal the importance of IAH in their global networks and UA's continued expansion opportunities.

3) Yes, the C-North club is in close proximity to the new pier, but it is way too crowded as it stands today (I can only assume you haven't stepped foot in it) and not anywhere near on par with international clubroom standards.

4) Yes, there will be a new club opening with the new gates, maybe even as soon as 2 years from now (but I'm not holding my breath).

5) Yes, people will be able to walk to it--but is that what you would ideally want, or would you, say, prefer one of the only Star Alliance lounges in the world?  Maybe you are just being contrarian, or just rationalizing whatever decisions UA makes as OK for them (trust me, they have made plenty of boneheaded decisions in the past).

6) Yes, B gates will provide room for UA to expand at IAH, but they will not be internationally capable.  If UA is not using D at a higher degree 5 years from now than it is today, I can only interpret that as indicative of a world in which UA is not expanding internationally from Houston. 

Your argument essentially boils down to, "All is good if UA doesn't intend to use Terminal D."  Why on earth would you be arguing "in favor" of that?  

[JBTX]

Personally I always feel like D is a UA afterthought with all the non-UA international flights. Obviously some fly out of there, but it just doesn't feel like the role of that Terminal.

That said, maybe now that it's up to two flights a day, maybe Turkish will go for a star alliance lounge in D and Air New Zealand and UA pitch in a bit so that it's open to more than just Turkish 

[wilcal]

UA adding 4x weekly IAH-GEO flights.

I would def go if the price ever got cheap!

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-expands-in-houston-with-2-6b-terminal-project-state-of-the-art-baggage-system-new-club-and-thousands-of-new-jobs-302002015.html

[mattyt36]

43 minutes ago, wilcal said:

UA adding 4x weekly IAH-GEO flights.

I would def go if the price ever got cheap!

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-expands-in-houston-with-2-6b-terminal-project-state-of-the-art-baggage-system-new-club-and-thousands-of-new-jobs-302002015.html

Just in time for you to join the fight!

Rumors of Venezuela Invasion Plans Put Oil-Rich Guyana on Edge | OilPrice.com

But definite good news.

[wilcal]

35 minutes ago, mattyt36 said:

Just in time for you to join the fight!

Rumors of Venezuela Invasion Plans Put Oil-Rich Guyana on Edge | OilPrice.com

But definite good news.

Yikes. I just noticed the border lines between the two countries is dotted on Google Maps. 

There's a chance that the Dynamo will play a game in Suriname next February, so maybe that'll satisfy my hunger for checking out a lesser-known northern coast of SA country.