United Airlines has temporarily shut down its United Club at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after stomach-churning photos and a short video surfaced that appear to show cockroaches, mold and pooled liquid in kitchen and back-of-house areas. The airline says the lounge, which is operated by third-party vendor Sodexo, was closed on Nov. 9 while the two work through repairs and deep cleaning. Regulars who count on the DFW club for a quiet preflight stop should brace for limited options in the meantime.
Grimy Photos Spark Lounge Shutdown
Images and a brief clip published by View from the Wing appear to show black, viscous liquid pooling in floor drains, mold growth, rust near equipment and what the author describes as live cockroaches in food-service areas. According to the post, multiple pictures and the video were shared with the writer by people familiar with the club’s back rooms.
United Airlines Closes DFW Airport Club — Photos Show Roaches, Mold and Serious Sanitation Issues https://t.co/hLn0EfO101 via @garyleff pic.twitter.com/1Hai1vYrhK
— BoardingArea (@BoardingArea) November 19, 2025
United Cites Safety, Points To Recent Perfect Score
In a statement to View from the Wing, a United spokesperson said, “Safety for our customers is our top priority,” noting that the DFW United Club received a perfect health-department inspection score on Aug. 14. United added that it “proactively closed the club on Nov. 9” to address concerns in the Sodexo-operated space and said it looks forward to welcoming customers back once the issues are resolved. No specific reopening date has been given.
Already-Crowded Lounge Scene Gets Tighter
Even before this closure, the DFW United Club had a bit of a reputation among frequent flyers for being small and routinely packed compared with clubs at other big hubs, which makes losing it, even temporarily, especially painful for connecting travelers. The Points Guy recently walked through how limited seating, stopgap lounge conversions and ongoing construction have combined to leave DFW with fewer reliably comfortable lounges overall.
Inspection History And Other Sodexo Lounge Troubles
Local inspection summaries have previously flagged pest activity at the DFW United Club; a Tarrant County inspection rollup noted flies or fruit flies at the club in 2023, according to reporting. The problems also are not unique to Texas. The Sodexo-operated United Club in Philadelphia was temporarily closed by health authorities late last month after inspectors documented fly activity and multiple violations, per reporting from Yahoo and One Mile at a Time.
What Travelers Should Know Right Now
For flyers connecting through DFW, the lack of a clear reopening timeline means a little extra homework before heading to the airport. United’s club listings and public lounge directories currently show the DFW United Club in Terminal E (mezzanine near gates E22 to E30) as closed, while another United Club near gates E6 to E7 is still listed as available for eligible travelers. LoungeReview details the club’s layout and notes recent temporary relocations within Terminal E.
For now, the DFW closure is a messy reminder of the operational and reputational risks that can come with outsourcing lounge operations. United says it is working with Sodexo to sanitize, repair and restore the club before reopening it to customers.
