IAH Airport General Questions [master thread]
 

We'll use this thread for any general questions about the IAH airport.

So I'm scheduled for a flight to Houston next week but in the end I need to get to Dallas that night so I booked a separate ticket.

I booked for 90 minutes after arrival on BA transferring to AA.

I don't know Houston at all so...is this enough time?

I'm a US citizen with Global Entry and will be flying with only hand luggage and my seat is the very first row of the economy cabin on the BA flight.

You should be OK. I did a BA-->AA connection at IAH a few years ago, but I had much longer. I ended up going downstairs to the old train. But if you want to be quick, after you pass through immigration, clear security right in that terminal (going upstairs), then take the train over to the AA terminal.

Is the AA flight the last of the day?

Yeah, last flight of the day. It's not the biggest deal if I have to move to the first flight the next day, I'd just really prefer not to. Sounds like I'll go for it and see what happens.

If you really had to be in the DFW area for early the next day, I'd say to just rent a car and drive it, especially if you'd be renting one there anyway. This makes even more sense if you're going to the SE side of the Metroplex.

If the BA flight is on time and you move quickly, you should be OK. AA starts boarding about 30 min prior, and they close the door by 10 min prior (there's stories of both happening even earlier).

That drive after arriving from Europe with the accompanying jet lag just seems downright dangerous to me. I won't have to be anywhere until 930 or so in Dallas so I'm fine with an early flight if I need it.

Yeah I would not recommend the drive despite it being less than 4 hours or so. I forgot the highway number off the top of my head but one of the stretch of highway is really dark and narrow and driving at night, especially when you are jet lag or sleepy is just a bad combination.

Hopefully not too late, but it's I-45 (I've driven this at least a hundred times. Yes, literally).

It's an easy drive with controlled access multilane highway all the way between airports.

Unfortunately intra Texas flights are outrageously expensive, normally about $100 one way between Houston, Dallas, Austin or San Antonio.

At that price, Vonlane scheduled coaches may make sense - 22 (US domestic equivalent) first class seat with FA. OK, not flight attendant, but an attendant and FC service. I generally go for Megabus, being a budget traveler ;)

I'll be on an int'l flight out of terminal D in a few weeks on an ANA F ticket. What lounge would you suggest to spend a few hours in? I do not have status but I do have access to the Centurion lounge.

Have not been to either Centurion or new (maybe about to be opened) UA Polaris (for premium longhaul - probably *should* include NH), but Polaris at ORD was very nice. It is on 3rd floor of UA Lounge in Term E IIRC, a relatively short walk.

Link to Centurian thread / review with pix. IIRC has good reviews. Before becoming Polaris 3rd floor had showers, so assume they still do. And yes .....

Centurion is excellent (though getting more crowded at certain times). It is located down the elevator in the back of the duty free shop in terminal D and likely closest to your ANA flight gate. The Polaris lounge just opened in Terminal E near gates E 11/12 and is a fairly easy walk from D (above the normal United club lounge). I have not had the pleasure of the Polaris at IAH yet but have read a lot of good reviews on this site and others since it opened. Polaris does have showers (AMEX does not ).

You'll have access to the now open Polaris Lounge, so personally I'd visit both. The breakfast options at Polaris will be better than the ones in the Centurion Lounge because they have the buffet and the restaurant menu. Centurion lounge is closer to your gate, though admittedly the Polaris, Centurion, and ANA gate are maybe 5 minutes end to end walk time.

The Centurion Lounge does have a shower, though I think they only have one. The ANA flight leaves around 11:30 am, and speaking from personal experience of taking the ANA flight to Tokyo, neither lounge is likely to be very crowded at that time of the day.

Is it possible to do enrolment on arrival after I have transferred my luggage from an international to domestic flight? or does it need to be done before customs/immigration?

I have also never done a international to domestic in USA, is the process the same as International to International in USA, as in, just after customs/immigration there is an area to drop off my luggage or do I need to take it to the other terminal and drop it off? (I am comparing with LAX int'l to int'l)

Thanks

:confused: :confused: :confused:

enrolment :confused:

Well, you are posting in IAH thread, so if you are connecting there, NO, it's not like other US airports. IAH has a pilot program where checked luggage does NOT need to be picked up, but as I understand it (I never check luggage) they show you a photo. Of course, it would be same if it's another carrier without an interline agreement or separate tickets.

Self loading cargo is the same as everywhere in US, go through Immigration, then Customs, out to non sterile area and back through security to go airside and next plane.

Thanks for the response, Yes connecting in IAH, so it sounds a lot easier than LAX, that's good to know

I mean global entry enrolment on arrival.