When Does the New United Club Open at Seattle Airport?

United Club access at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is getting a new address. The Port of Seattle Commission approved Item 10a on July 14, 2026, authorizing a $15.5 million tenant reimbursement so United Airlines can build a two-story United Club on Concourse B in the former American Express Centurion Lounge space across from Gate B3.

Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with the new club scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2027. United’s existing lounge near Gate A9 is expected to stay open during the transition, which matters for MileagePlus elites and United credit-card holders who still connect through SEA today.

Why the lounge is moving

United already shifted its Seattle gates from Concourse A to Concourse B. The old club near A9 no longer sits next to the airline’s operation, so the Port’s airline-realignment work includes a like-for-like lounge replacement closer to United’s current gates, including B7A, B9, B11, and B15.

According to the Port of Seattle Commission Regular Meeting for July 14, 2026, Item 10a covers the Concourse B United Airlines Lounge Construction Project. Independent reporting from View From the Wing and Simple Flying places the total project near $21 million, with the Port reimbursing about $15.5 million for construction and United funding enhancements beyond a basic replacement.

That split is useful context for travelers: the airport owes United a replacement after the forced gate move, and the airline is choosing a larger vertical build rather than a minimal swap.

What the new United Club is expected to include

Plans call for a full-size kitchen, family rooms, and views from both the concourse and mezzanine levels. Building up instead of out fits Sea-Tac’s tight footprint and puts more seating closer to United’s Concourse B operation.

The two-story concept is a design choice, not a guarantee of every amenity on day one. Treat kitchen, family-room, and view details as planned features reported from Port and airline project coverage until United publishes a final opening amenity list.

Compared with Alaska’s much larger Concourse C lounge project also aimed at late 2027, United’s club is a smaller, gate-proximate product for United Club members, eligible premium travelers, and day-pass guests who specifically need United access rather than a hub-wide Alaska lounge.

What to do while A9 stays open

If you fly United through SEA this year or early next year, keep using the Gate A9 club when you qualify. Do not assume the Concourse B space is open because gates already moved. The A9 lounge and the future B3-area club are sequential, not simultaneous, for most of the build.

When you book connections, note that United’s gates are on Concourse B. Walking from A9 to a B gate still costs time, so leave buffer if you plan to use the current club before a tight outbound.

Deep Arrival’s United Club vs United Polaris Lounge guide remains the planning companion for access rules, while this SEA project is specifically about where that Club product will sit at Seattle-Tacoma.

Cost, timeline, and traveler decisions

The headline $21 million figure mixes Port reimbursement, design, contingency, and United upgrades. For passengers, the traveler decision is location and calendar, not the construction spreadsheet. Mark late 2027 as the expected opening window and recheck Port and United notices if your itinerary depends on lounge access at SEA.

Sea-Tac already competes hard on lounges, with Delta Sky Club and Delta One product nearby and Alaska expanding. A modern United Club beside United’s gates should reduce the awkward A-to-B walk for members who currently backtrack to A9.

Related airport context: Deep Arrival’s earlier coverage of the Sea-Tac C Concourse expansion shows how vertical and phased terminal work is reshaping passenger flow. This United Club project is a separate Concourse B lounge stream, not part of the C expansion itself.

Booking and access checklist

Confirm United Club eligibility before you count on either lounge. Membership, premium-cabin tickets, and qualifying credit cards still set access; a new building does not widen those rules by itself.

If you hold a same-day United itinerary with a long SEA connection in 2026, plan around A9 until United announces a cutover date for the Concourse B opening. Do not discard A9 access early.

Travelers connecting to Alaska, Delta, or international partners should not assume United Club access. Reciprocal lounge rules are separate from this construction approval.

For Seattle city planning around a United itinerary, Deep Arrival’s things to do in Seattle page helps if a long connection turns into a city break, but the lounge decision itself stays airside.

Watch for a United or Port opening notice closer to late 2027. Commission approval authorizes construction; it is not the same as a public opening day with hours posted.

If your travel depends on showers, hot food, or quiet rooms, wait for the final amenity list rather than assuming every rendering detail survives construction.

MileagePlus elites who already prefer SEA over other West Coast connects should treat the late-2027 club as a reason to keep watching United’s Seattle schedule, not as a reason to rebook 2026 trips solely for lounge geography.

Families using United Club day passes should also confirm child policies before counting on either lounge for a long SEA layover. Access rules can differ by membership type, and a construction project does not rewrite those guest limits.

If you are comparing SEA with Portland or San Francisco for a United connection, lounge location is only one factor beside schedule reliability and bag connection times. Use the late-2027 opening as a Seattle-specific upgrade on the Club map, not as a blanket reason to reroute every West Coast itinerary.

For United travelers who already feel the A9 disconnect after the gate move, the Port vote is the practical signal that a Concourse B United Club is funded and scheduled, with late 2027 as the working opening target.