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IAH is an unmitigated effing disaster right now - it's Afghanistan level

53,100 Views | 462 Replies | Last: 20 hrs ago by maroon barchetta
JDUB08AG
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Panama Red said:

Quote:

Denver is the worst airport in the country and TSA is an absolute nightmare
Are you not pre-check?. I've flown there no less than 30 times the last 2-3 years, never waited for than 5 or so minutes in pre-check.

The lines for the non-precheck are pretty insane though, I could understand hating it in that instance, but other than being in West Kansas, its a breeze to navigate once you are inside.




I'm precheck and clear. Last Thursday was an absolute nightmare. Maybe it was a one off or early holiday traffic but easily the worst I've experienced at any airport in the last few years. And I travel a lot.
Sea Speed
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I've got all the extra air travel credentials and DIA has always sucked, but that doesn't alleviate how bad standard passengers have it.

I will amend my previous statement though as nothing compared to the giant CF that is the Mexico city airport.
BMX Bandit
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I had Clear. Found that not using it was quicker sometimes, especially at DIA.

Many of yall need a Xanax before you head time airport it seems.
bigjag19
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Clear had 10 idiots that had no clue what they were doing in line Monday. Pre check line I walked right up.
randy828
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Sea Speed said:


I will amend my previous statement though as nothing compared to the giant CF that is the Mexico city airport.
We went through there on our way to Brazil this summer. I agree completely!
Furlock Bones
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Sea Speed said:

I've got all the extra air travel credentials and DIA has always sucked, but that doesn't alleviate how bad standard passengers have it.

I will amend my previous statement though as nothing compared to the giant CF that is the Mexico city airport.
It might be a CF. But, at least it's completely shrouded in dense smog.
BohunkAg
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We were in the Frankfurt airport this summer. Good lord.
TX04Aggie
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Welp. At IAH. The skyway is "delayed" between terminal C and E… and I am on it. Delayed as in been waiting for 10 minutes to move.. stay tuned!

Update: moving again after some guys walked the safety track and worked on on one of the cars…. Then all the international people piled up at the E Station were pushing on before we could get off. That was pleasant.
Ciboag96
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I sometimes forget a multitool in my backpack just to get a free rub and tug by some hot TSA womanatee.
gougler08
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BohunkAg said:

We were in the Frankfurt airport this summer. Good lord.


Might be the worst airport in the world
malenurse
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Thanks, I have a layover there on my way to Edinburgh in two weeks.
gougler08
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malenurse said:

Thanks, I have a layover there on my way to Edinburgh in two weeks.


Have fun randomly going through security for a second time and walking miles
jh0400
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I connected through FRA last week, and it was a breeze. Passport control took less than a minute and we were on our way. Didn't have to go through security again at any point. The worst part was having to take a bus to the tarmac to board our flight.
Jock 07
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They did the bus thing in STR as well.
MAROON
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Just went thru immigration in the past week in Dubai, Johannesburg, and Victoria Falls,Zimbabwe. All better experiences than IAH.
gougler08
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jh0400 said:

I connected through FRA last week, and it was a breeze. Passport control took less than a minute and we were on our way. Didn't have to go through security again at any point. The worst part was having to take a bus to the tarmac to board our flight.
I'm not sure why/when there is a 2nd security check but I've been through it multiple times there, normally jet lagged as hell so it's never a fun experience
TXTransplant
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Jock 07 said:

They did the bus thing in STR as well.


Lots of European airlines do this. Especially for the flights to/from European cities on the European "regional" airlines.

The worst airport for a layover IMO is Milan. We landed at MXP from Sicily and had to take a bus to a completely different terminal. The bus ride must have been 20-30 min, and it had multiple stops at hotels, parking lots, etc. Because of that, the bus was super crowded and the signage giving directions on where to get on and off was absolutely terrible. We were lucky to squeeze on the first bus that drive by, but we left a long line of people behind and made multiple stops where no one could get on because it was so crowded

If you fly to Milan from some other city in Europe to catch your flight back to the US, be sure you leave a LONG layover. I had no clue about this, but since we were flying on two totally different airlines/tickets (a Euro-carrier to MXP to catch a United flight), I was already paranoid about missing connections. The whole reason I booked the flight out of MXP was because its departure time was the farthest from the earliest departure we could get out of Sicily.

FRA is often crazy busy at the EU destinations gates, but we've never had an issue arriving from the US at the international terminal. It's usually empty or barely busy (more so if you land early morning).

Many EU airports also won't let you check in at the counter until 2 hours before your flight. If the counter is even open earlier than that, I've been told I have to wait.

So, 1) if you get to the airport super early, you may be sitting around for a while and 2) you are almost guaranteed to have to wait in a long line to check in (even if you don't have checked bags). Because by the time they open the counter for check in, all passengers are at the airport and it's a rush to line up. This happened in Milan, too. Basically the entire plane was lined up to check in for the flight at the same time.

MXP wont even let you go past the main entrance lobby until your counter opens for check in. They have boards in the main lobby telling you what time you can go back based on your flight. The main lobby has nothing more than a cafe and a couple of convenience shops. All of the good shopping and restaurants is after check in. If you have thoughts of having a long layover there to shop at the Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores, you will likely barely have time to snap a picture before you rush to your gate.
Furlock Bones
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BohunkAg said:

We were in the Frankfurt airport this summer. Good lord.
does it still have the enclosed glass smoking rooms?
Furlock Bones
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one of the more annoying things that has happened to me was when my wife and i went to Madrid. captain was on the mic telling us how lucky we were to get a massive tailwind and get in way early to MAD. we land head towards the gate. Stop about 150 yards from said gate, and then wait. And wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, the captain comes on and says, "I'm sorry for the delay but Madrid has a noise abatement law in place and we cannot proceed to the gate X time in the morning." Nothing like sitting on the tarmac after an overnight flight staring at the gate for an hour and 30 plus minutes.
TXTransplant
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Furlock Bones said:

BohunkAg said:

We were in the Frankfurt airport this summer. Good lord.
does it still have the enclosed glass smoking rooms?


Never been surprised to see one in any EU airport, but I was shocked to see them at the Vegas airport when we flew through there a few months ago!
ChipFTAC01
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I haven't been to Vegas in forever, but I miss thr smoker terrariums. They always make me laugh.
TXTransplant
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ChipFTAC01 said:

I haven't been to Vegas in forever, but I miss thr smoker terrariums. They always make me laugh.


"Smoker terrariums". Ha!

Letting people indulge two vices at once! Three if they sell alcohol in there.
Furlock Bones
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ChipFTAC01 said:

I haven't been to Vegas in forever, but I miss thr smoker terrariums. They always make me laugh.
that's the perfect description. when i was posting about frankfurt, i kept thinking glass jails. smoker cells. but, nothing seemed to fit just right.
ChipFTAC01
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Furlock Bones said:

ChipFTAC01 said:

I haven't been to Vegas in forever, but I miss thr smoker terrariums. They always make me laugh.
that's the perfect description. when i posting about frankfurt, i kept thinking glass jails. smoker cells. but, nothing seemed to fit just right.


Glad I could be of assistance growing your personal lexicon!
bigjag19
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Until recent overhaul, they had them at Salt Lake City. Always found that humorous.
BohunkAg
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Furlock Bones said:

BohunkAg said:

We were in the Frankfurt airport this summer. Good lord.
does it still have the enclosed glass smoking rooms?
Oh hell yeah. It's Germany. Everyone smokes there.
BrazosBendHorn
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There was a smoking compartment on the Hindenburg, for crying out loud. (Although in fairness, it almost certainly had nothing to do with the disaster).
BrazosBendHorn
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I must have been exceedingly lucky with my flight on 9/4 to Newark and thence to Zurich. Got to ParkingSpot1 at 7:30 am, the driver was very nice; breezed through baggage check and TSA at Terminal B; both flights (United) were on time; and the flight attendants in business class were very nice. I'll see how things go on my return trip from Munich on 9/12.
MAROON
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Flew into DFW on an international flight yesterday. I hate to brag on anything Dallas. Walk to passport control - global entry. Machine takes my picture and I walk to agent who greets me with "welcome back to the USA Mr. MAROON, no need to see your passport". Total time one minute. Last time in Houston at least ten minutes standing in global entry line after photo face recognition.

Baggage arrive in five minutes, walk out the door to a nice clean terminal and our driver waiting to pick us up.

Less than 10 minutes from passport control to in the car. Amazing
jh0400
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EWR has the same process. They take your picture and wave you through. I'm not sure why IAH takes so long after your picture is taken.
agracer
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Landed 20m early on United flight. Pull up to gates (B) and wait. Captain comes on intercom and tells us we were assigned to an open gate but they moved us to an occupied gate so we get to wait for them to leave.

Sitting here 20m….then we make a 180 and we're just sitting on the open tarmac because, per the captain, operations "has no own gates for us right now).

We're now 9m late and still waiting.

FU United!
RingOfive
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Flew out of terminal C last Sunday morning to Cancun. Easiest airport experience of my life. From drop off to our gate it took maybe 10 minutes at the most.
agracer
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LOl, finally get to gate "sorry the ground crew went to another airplane "

malenurse
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Flew out of Terminal D Monday afternoon. Parked at The Parking Spot on JFK. Shuttle to D, no lines at Lufthansa.

Huge line at security. TSA Pre took 15 minutes to get through.

Went immediately to gate and waited until my flight.

One of my best airport experiences ever.

Then Frankfurt. It's like two completely different airports built next to each other. Shuttle from one terminal to the other. Luckily had 3 hour layover to get to departure gate. Then a 10 minute shuttle ride from gate to airplane.
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But, it's still on the list.
agracer
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How bad is terminal C going to be tomorrow (Sunday) at noon?
 
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