November international connection through IAD or IAH?
 

Sorry if this is the wrong forum. I'm flying UAL back from AMS the Sunday after Thanksgiving and have an option of travel through IAH or IAD. I'm traveling Business First and I like the equipment and timing of the IAD connection, only 2.5 hours layover, and that plane has the center single row of seats in BF, but I'm concerned with travelling through IAD on the weekend after thanksgiving and with weather it might be a bit tight. No price difference in the tickets.

The IAH connection is over 6 hours, I have to get to the airport earlier in AMS and I get to my final airport an hour and half later.

I think the answer is obvious, take the IAD flight but I'm worried about the weather. Am I over thinking this?

IAD.

2.5 hours is good enough to pass through customs. If you are *G, head to the Lufthansa Senator lounge to get some decent food and beer.

Weather is unlikely to be a factor for Dulles at the end of November. Heavy snowfall is usually reserved for January/February (if it ever comes). Go with IAD unless your connection puts you on a long single-cabin regional jet or something.

It would not be typical in November for snow in IAD. It can happen, but I would not think of snow at Thanksgiving.

cnx to ???
 

Another reason to go with IAD is the prospect of visiting the TK Lounge in Concourse B:
https://www.prioritypass.com/en/loun...c-9fa54cf11d74
Depends (of course) on where you are connecting to?

Wow, that was fast! Thanks for the input, I knew I was over thinking this. I'm going to book through IAD.

I'm not Gold this year (though this flight will get me to gold) but I have lounge access.

Thanks again!

I am not a fan of the connections inbound from overseas at IAD.

If you have a Plat Amex card, Centurion lounge literally makes any lounge at IAD worthless and weak, go IAH.

If you don't, the options at IAD are better.

I like customs at IAH better, but it is typically a longer walk than IAD, or at least it seems so.

I can't remember the last time we had snow in DC in November.

I have not visited the Centurion lounge at IAH, but seems a bit extreme to characterize the Lufthansa Senator lounge and the Turkish Lounge at IAD as "worthless and weak". They are both fine places to pass the time during a short connection at IAD.

Agree. IAH is better than IAD IF you have Amex Platinum. Plus, you are in International First Class from AMS -- that trumps domestic first.

It will definitely take longer to clear customs and get to your connection through IAD. But 2.5 hours should be plenty of time.

Where are you connecting onto? PDX per your handle?

For me that would play a role in this decision between whether you prefer a long TCON F flight after the TATL or a shorter midcon F flight (and potentially what equipment is being run on IAD - XXX vs. IAH - XXX).

IAD still appears the obvious answer to me since you get home more quickly and I don't think the layover is something to worry about but some people hate stepping of TATL/TPAC flights just to get on another fairly long domestic flight (I much prefer IAD/ORD/DTW/ATL/JFK if possible because of the short hop flight to RDU vs. IAH/DFW/LAX/SFO/SEA)

Yeah I'm connecting to PDX. I did consider that AMS-IAH was longer than AMS-IAD, meaning longer with the better class of service versus in the domestic flight. But in the end, the shorter total transit time is much more appealing. Also the AMS-IAD flight leaves at noon, whereas the AMS-IAH flight leaves at 10am. Doesn't sound like much but it's the difference between leaving at 7:30 in the morning vs leaving at 5:30 in the morning to catch a plane.

Since everyone is debating the clubs, I only have access to the United Club so IAH would probably be better choice for that. We usually do a trip to Mexico over Thanksgiving, always transiting through IAH and the clubs there have always been quiet. Whereas just about anytime I'm in IAD the clubs are at capacity and you're circling to find a seat. May be time to ditch the MP Club card for the Platinum AMEX since there's better lounge access.

While the Centurion lounge in IAH is very nice, it's a long haul from any UA connecting gates. So far that I've often settled for the UC just to avoid the hike.