I was on my way to Belize this week and had a layover in IAH. It was a couple hours and I decided to hit up the United Club for some snacks and some quality time in a leather chair near a sunny window. These lounges aren't nearly impressive as others globally, but they definitely have more comfortable chairs than those at the gates.
Business offerings:
Available snacks:
I grabbed a diet coke and sat down in a set of four broad, squarish leather chairs. Beside me a man yammered in Korean to either a close business associate or his wife. Either way, it was an argument.
In the chair across from me a man sat working on his laptop. He was a business-type that was on vacation, complete with the collared polo shirt and fancy watch. His hair was trimmed around his ears and sparse on top of his head, but he was smiling and didn't seem so frayed around the edges.
I would be fraying. On the phone he commented to his wife that the airline was rerouting him and even though it was only ten in the morning it was unlikely he would be home that day.
His son was sitting next to him, his short legs tagged with Nike runners sticking straight out from the top of the chair.
"I have 278 pages to go," the little boy announced. He hadn't started reading the book yet, he was just looking at the number on the last page.
"Oh my gosh, that's a lot," his father responded jovially, looking up from his laptop. "I think you're going to like it."
I couldn't help but think of all the books I enjoyed reading in my childhood. In many ways they helped form the person I am today.
The boy promptly put down the book and started playing with a plastic cup full of beer nuts. That entertainment lasted for thirty seconds.
"I'm going to start reading," the boy announced. Standing, he grabbed his book and marched off.
"Where are you going?" his father called after him, half standing then sitting down again. He didn't get a response. His son was on a mission, and how much trouble could an eight year old really get into in the little United Lounge filled with serious looking adults and their flashy laptops and iPhones?
He was back moments later, book in hand, being tossed in fact from one hand to the other but certainly not opened. Dramatically he reaseated himself on the broad leather chair. He sipped his apple juice, the sunlight playing off the golden sides of the glass. It was fundamentally more interesting than the book.
I spotted the name on the blue-green cover of the book. It was "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne. If he read it, this eight year old would have one up on me. I had never managed to open that cover either.
Immediately I started building complexes about this fact. True, books had helped shape my philosophical outlook on life, but what opportunities had I missed by not reading this one? Obviously the boy's father thought this was an important component of his education.
I seriously consider downloading a copy. Ebooks are great for exactly this sort of instant gratification. At the same time I tried to convince myself that I really should not be listening in on the conversations of people next to me, and I definitely shouldn't be making choices based on half-heard discussions. I'm sure I'm a better person for not having read a few things, aren't I?
I suppose that last question is open to debate. Perhaps I should have asked the eight year old.
The boy started blowing bubbles in his apple juice.
I glanced at the clock on my cell. Time to head for the gate. Cue exit, stage left.
For more information on the United Club, you can check out their website.
Business offerings:
- Printing: Not available in this lounge
- Copying: Available
- Faxing: Available - oddly, they suggested this as an option to print my document. I declined.
- Meeting rooms: there were 3. They were locked so I couldn't glance in, but only 1 was noted "In use".
- Family room: Had a nice glass door and looked sound proof.
- TV room: With several layers of chairs
- Cubicles: Filled with businessmen that were chatting rather than working
Available snacks:
- Packages of carrot sticks & ranch dressing
- Fruit: Green apples, red apples, bananas - oddly, the apples are each wrapped in saran-wrap
- Cookies: Scottish shortbread, Pepperage Farm dark chocolate milanos
- Chocolate covered peanuts
- Mixed salty-bits
- Tillamuk cheese and Pepperage Farm crackers
There was also coffee, tea, Ghirardelli hot chocolate, and a bar where you could order pop, sparkling water, juice, and an assortment of booze. United offers a couple house wines free of charge, and has a wide selection of other alcohols and wines they do charge for. There are price lists widely available near the bar, with a number of wines costing $3 per glass, prosecco for $12USD and a cliquot champange for $14 (odd inconsistency in pricing on the bubbles - I will also note that the duty free had a bottle of Laurent-Perrier available for $40USD).
I grabbed a diet coke and sat down in a set of four broad, squarish leather chairs. Beside me a man yammered in Korean to either a close business associate or his wife. Either way, it was an argument.
In the chair across from me a man sat working on his laptop. He was a business-type that was on vacation, complete with the collared polo shirt and fancy watch. His hair was trimmed around his ears and sparse on top of his head, but he was smiling and didn't seem so frayed around the edges.
I would be fraying. On the phone he commented to his wife that the airline was rerouting him and even though it was only ten in the morning it was unlikely he would be home that day.
His son was sitting next to him, his short legs tagged with Nike runners sticking straight out from the top of the chair.
"I have 278 pages to go," the little boy announced. He hadn't started reading the book yet, he was just looking at the number on the last page.
"Oh my gosh, that's a lot," his father responded jovially, looking up from his laptop. "I think you're going to like it."
I couldn't help but think of all the books I enjoyed reading in my childhood. In many ways they helped form the person I am today.
The boy promptly put down the book and started playing with a plastic cup full of beer nuts. That entertainment lasted for thirty seconds.
"I'm going to start reading," the boy announced. Standing, he grabbed his book and marched off.
"Where are you going?" his father called after him, half standing then sitting down again. He didn't get a response. His son was on a mission, and how much trouble could an eight year old really get into in the little United Lounge filled with serious looking adults and their flashy laptops and iPhones?
He was back moments later, book in hand, being tossed in fact from one hand to the other but certainly not opened. Dramatically he reaseated himself on the broad leather chair. He sipped his apple juice, the sunlight playing off the golden sides of the glass. It was fundamentally more interesting than the book.
I spotted the name on the blue-green cover of the book. It was "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne. If he read it, this eight year old would have one up on me. I had never managed to open that cover either.
Immediately I started building complexes about this fact. True, books had helped shape my philosophical outlook on life, but what opportunities had I missed by not reading this one? Obviously the boy's father thought this was an important component of his education.
I seriously consider downloading a copy. Ebooks are great for exactly this sort of instant gratification. At the same time I tried to convince myself that I really should not be listening in on the conversations of people next to me, and I definitely shouldn't be making choices based on half-heard discussions. I'm sure I'm a better person for not having read a few things, aren't I?
I suppose that last question is open to debate. Perhaps I should have asked the eight year old.
The boy started blowing bubbles in his apple juice.
I glanced at the clock on my cell. Time to head for the gate. Cue exit, stage left.
For more information on the United Club, you can check out their website.
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