KLM Crown Lounge
at IAH
Houston George Bush International Airport (IAH) has no shortage of lounges throughout the massive complex. Being a United Airlines hub, the company dominates the space with 5-6 United Club lounges, including a Polaris Lounge offering. Other airlines with their own host lounges, such as American Airlines with their Admirals Club lounge, are spread throughout the complex. However, Terminal D tends to have the most amount of diversified lounges including the Centurion Lounge, KLM Crown Lounge, Air France Lounge and (currently closed) British Airways lounge. Rationality explains that reasoning for all these lounges is that most international flights, with the exception of United international destinations, fly out of Terminal D. While there is a wide selection of lounges they tend to be smaller in size and thus, offerings. Of course, the exception is the American Express Centurion Lounge, where style and offerings are top notch. In this article, we explore the KLM Crown Lounge.
After clearing TSA in Terminal D a set of escalators will whisk you to the upper level where souvenir shops, convenience stores and retail opportunities exist. There are open spaces, seating areas and charging stations throughout the small terminal, but they tend to fill up quickly in the later afternoon and early evening when most European flights depart. The Centurion Lounge is very well identified after passing through TSA, but signage for the other lounges is lacking. At the intersection with Terminal E, maintain the path straight ahead as going towards the inviting people-mover to the right will take you away from Terminal D. Past the Chanel store on the right will be the KLM Crown Lounge, which is well marked. Past this, on the right father down the terminal, is the (currently closed) British Airways Lounge and at the end, the Air France Lounge.
Entry into the KLM Crown Lounge is for those traveling on branded airlines associated with the SkyTeam alliance within a premium seating or special access. In addition, entry is available with a Priority Pass Select membership which is provided through a number of credit card outlets. Credentials are required and will be checked by the friendly staff within the small entry vestibule.
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Secondary seating area at rear of loungee
Dining room area
Hallway seating leading to secondary room
Overall, the space is compartmentalized and on the smaller scale compared to host lounges. It has numerous seating environments including a larger area when you enter the facility, table tops where the food stations are, a secondary room and privacy booths. The privacy booths are at the farthest end of the facility and a little difficult to find. And while there is a chair, desk and outlets, there is no ceiling to the cubicles, so conversations are not just limited to you and your party. The restrooms are large and accommodating, however there are no shower services. Most seats are made of cloth but if you want power outlets, you should be seated in the two main rooms and not necessarily in the food area. Several TVs are available but the sound tends to be muted and channels are placed on news or sport channels.
Alcohol is available for no additional charge. Beer is housed in a dedicated refrigerator, wine on the counter next to it and the harder stuff on the other side. Staff members are around to assist with obtaining the beverages of your choice and discourage self-pours, although there doesn't seem to be any hard restrictions. Soda includes Coca-Cola products and juices. The food is limited to a hot soup selection, cut cheeses, a selection of crackers, humas and pita, a variety of salads and two flavors of Lays Potato chips.
Overall, the lounge is not bad. It can get crowded in the early/late evenings when the international flights depart. Using your Priority Pass membership during the day will provide you with more solitude, but the same offerings. The space is not as big as the United Clubs in the other terminals, but that comes with benefits and contradictions. The offerings are decent with alcohol variety, snack service and clean communal space and restrooms. It may lack character, but the smiles of the staff and cleanliness of the space make it worthy of a visit.
Entrance
Food offerings
Privacy booths in the back
Originally Published on June 17, 2022
