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

58,596 Views | 508 Replies | Last: 20 hrs ago by sushi94
Ag06Law
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Tabasco said:

Advice please.

Leaving for Cancun Monday 7:45am 7/29 United out of E with at least 1 checked bad. All 4 of us all have precheck. Return Friday E 5:30pm.

Wast planning fast park lot. So I assume ask for drop of at B, check in, pre-check security, above ground train to E.

Return, after customs, look for fast park bus at E, or tram to B or another terminal for pickup?


A good rule of thumb is to not go near C or E in any type of vehicle whatsoever. I would get dropped off and picked up at B. Ride either the above ground train or the underground Disney train between the terminals.
WES2006AG
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MAROON said:

Wish the US could get our act together like the UK. I walked right through immigration at Heathrow in about two minutes with tier automatic gates.
Went through Heathrow at noon on Thursday and was shocked how quickly we got through customs. We were on a train like 20 minutes after getting off the plane.
fire09
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For those using B, a heads up the connecting building between the A/B garage is demolished and they have reduced capacity for vehicles. Security in B was the worst I've seen it since I've started using the B shortcut. Over 15 min to get thru with pre check/clear.
Ag06Law
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fire09 said:

For those using B, a heads up the connecting building between the A/B garage is demolished and they have reduced capacity for vehicles. Security in B was the worst I've seen it since I've started using the B shortcut. Over 15 min to get thru with pre check/clear.



B is definitely not as good since the construction started. You have to walk outside and through baggage claim to get into the terminal. The way to go is A, but if you're flying United, you can only do that if you don't check bags. Otherwise you have to go to B.
BayAg_14
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My folks have been stuck in C garage for almost two hours. What a cluster f***.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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This got to ba a pain in the ass for people that travel for work.
Ryan the Temp
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I went to C today around 3:00 and yes, it was quite slow, but at departures I got all the way to the left to get around the CF of people getting dropped off and once I got down the ramp (which was also slow as all six lanes merge into one) I remembered to get all the way over to the right to avoid the CF that is Terminal E arrival pickup. All said, my entire time at IAH was about 15 minutes.
WES2006AG
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Coming back through IAH Terminal E tonight. Getting picked up and was wondering which terminal is best to take the train to have him meet us?

Hearing that having him try to get us from Terminal E would be a nightmare.
Ducks4brkfast
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We lane in about 2 hrs. May God have mercy on our souls.
gougler08
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Why is it so bad last night / today?
Cannon Crew Ag
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Storms from yesterday afternoon practically had IAH on its knees. We landed yesterday shortly after 3, and after sitting at the gate for nearly an hour because they wouldn't extend the jet bridge with the lightning(never heard that before), we waited another hour and a half for our bags. Lightning delay bottle-necked all arrivals, departures, baggage, you name it.
gougler08
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Cannon Crew Ag said:

Storms from yesterday afternoon practically had IAH on its knees. We landed yesterday shortly after 3, and after sitting at the gate for nearly an hour because they wouldn't extend the jet bridge with the lightning(never heard that before), we waited another hour and a half for our bags. Lightning delay bottle-necked all arrivals, departures, baggage, you name it.
Ah yeah, that makes sense...flight out tonight so hopefully they've gotten cleared of all that by then
TX04Aggie
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IAH has had a ROUGH year… ignore the construction fiasco, it has been hit with weather non stop for months now.
AgCPA95
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Cannon Crew Ag said:

Storms from yesterday afternoon practically had IAH on its knees. We landed yesterday shortly after 3, and after sitting at the gate for nearly an hour because they wouldn't extend the jet bridge with the lightning(never heard that before), we waited another hour and a half for our bags. Lightning delay bottle-necked all arrivals, departures, baggage, you name it.
For the jet-bridge, its because they cleared the workers off the tarmac to get back into the airport due to lightening.
randy828
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Took off on July 11th, parked in A/B and took train over to D. Arrived back on July 26th at D and took train back to A/B. No problems at all.
lunchbox
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Cannon Crew Ag said:

Storms from yesterday afternoon practically had IAH on its knees. We landed yesterday shortly after 3, and after sitting at the gate for nearly an hour because they wouldn't extend the jet bridge with the lightning(never heard that before), we waited another hour and a half for our bags. Lightning delay bottle-necked all arrivals, departures, baggage, you name it.
There was a storm on the afternoon/evening of July 13th that just sat on top of IAH for 2-3 hours. My wife and daughter were supposed to take off at 5pm and the plane got called back to the gate...then they had to wait for the jet bridge....then they had to wait a couple of hours in the terminal. I don't think they actually departed until 11pm.
sushi94
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Daughter landed Sunday at 8 am in terminal E - picked her up at Terminal D at 8:30 Traffic was heavy but flowed and no issues other than traffic cops getting ready to make me circle. Looked like Terminal A-B were clear with no issues but it was a Sunday morning.
Cannon Crew Ag
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AgCPA95 said:

Cannon Crew Ag said:

Storms from yesterday afternoon practically had IAH on its knees. We landed yesterday shortly after 3, and after sitting at the gate for nearly an hour because they wouldn't extend the jet bridge with the lightning(never heard that before), we waited another hour and a half for our bags. Lightning delay bottle-necked all arrivals, departures, baggage, you name it.
For the jet-bridge, its because they cleared the workers off the tarmac to get back into the airport due to lightening.
Being in construction, I'm well aware of lightning delays. I would've figured that since the jet bridge's controls are located inside it and under its roof, that lightning delays wouldn't have effected it, but thems the rules...
Ag06Law
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sushi94 said:

Daughter landed Sunday at 8 am in terminal E - picked her up at Terminal D at 8:30 Traffic was heavy but flowed and no issues other than traffic cops getting ready to make me circle. Looked like Terminal A-B were clear with no issues but it was a Sunday morning.


I'd say this is fairly typical of some of my experiences. I've had times where I've gotten into and out of C/E with no issues. I've had other times where I've sat with my car in park for over an hour. I just go exclusively to A/B now to avoid having to roll the dice.
Ducks4brkfast
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Not IAH related, but something weird with United yesterday. I showed up at an airport with my son yesterday to try to get on a flight via standby.

Before boarding begins, United agent at the gate announces the flight is oversold by 11 people so they start making offers. The last announcement they made, that I could hear, they were down to 4 oversold and were offering hotel + $1,000 travel voucher.

I think there were about 15 on standby. My son and I were #1 and #2 on the standby list. Group 4 was boarding and I get a text I had cleared standby. This was all the while there were a group guys yelling at the gate agent cause they were getting bumped. Was pretty awkward that I was standing there getting a boarding pass printed and my name was highlighted in green as having cleared.

How does that even happen?

ETA my seat went unused cause I told the gate agent my son was a minor and I couldn't leave him behind. I told him that when he printed my boarding pass. He told me he'd "get it taken care of".

He finally announces they're done boarding and the group fo guys needed to take it up with the other United agents. And he closes the door, etc. I was standing there and I'm like uh, I can't leave without my son. He just shrugs. Was a total CF.
htxag09
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Ducks4brkfast said:

Not IAH related, but something weird with United yesterday. I showed up at an airport with my son yesterday to try to get on a flight via standby.

Before boarding begins, United agent at the gate announces the flight is oversold by 11 people so they start making offers. The last announcement they made, that I could hear, they were down to 4 oversold and were offering hotel + $1,000 travel voucher.


I think there were about 15 on standby. My son and I were #1 and #2 on the standby list. Group 4 was boarding and I get a text I had cleared standby. This was all the while there were a group guys yelling at the gate agent cause they were getting bumped. Was pretty awkward that I was standing there getting a boarding pass printed and my name was highlighted in green as having cleared.

How does that even happen?

Not sure. But when we flew to Omaha for the CWS they were making the same announcements. There were at least 5 empty seats on the plane.

I assume no shows? But can't be just that many, so maybe delayed connections. But you'd think United would have that visibility.

Side note, read an article about a retired lady who books about 6 flights everyday (refundable) that are typically overbooked. She just hangs out at the airport for vouchers. If they aren't overbooked she just cancels.
Ducks4brkfast
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Funny cause this was actually in Omaha.
gougler08
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Ducks4brkfast said:

Funny cause this was actually in Omaha.


I've had the opposite happen where I was on standby and the app showed 2 seats open and the attendant couldn't clear me "because the system wouldn't let her"

I fly United all the time but their customer service still sucks, even at 1K status
gougler08
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Also my D terminal trick may be dead. Two times in a row there's no pre check line setup
Ryan the Temp
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I take back everything thing I said about it not being that bad. I had to got to terminal C yesterday and it took me almost an hour to go the 1.3 miles from one of the cell phone lots to the terminal.
agracer
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Stat Monitor Repairman said:

2024 and the fourth largest city in the US can't run an airport.
It's been a mess for like 5 years now. HTF is it not done yet?
txags92
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agracer said:

Stat Monitor Repairman said:

2024 and the fourth largest city in the US can't run an airport.
It's been a mess for like 5 years now. HTF is it not done yet?
Finishing construction projects too quickly leaves insufficient room for graft.
htxag09
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Ryan the Temp said:

I take back everything thing I said about it not being that bad. I had to got to terminal C yesterday and it took me almost an hour to go the 1.3 miles from one of the cell phone lots to the terminal.
I mean there is a reason every time a thread like this pops up everyone recommends going to A/B and not messing with C. Yet people don't like to listen....guess they need to experience it themselves.
12th Man Ag
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htxag09 said:

Ryan the Temp said:

I take back everything thing I said about it not being that bad. I had to got to terminal C yesterday and it took me almost an hour to go the 1.3 miles from one of the cell phone lots to the terminal.
I mean there is a reason every time a thread like this pops up everyone recommends going to A/B and not messing with C. Yet people don't like to listen....guess they need to experience it themselves.

But, will going to B still be a fix when they "finish" the C/D/E work at the end of the year and then tear into B?

My guess is it will all be a disaster starting in January 2025!
agracer
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PJYoung said:


Honestly I've been thru ATL on normal days and it looks like that.
BSD
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I'm leaving out of C2 today at 2:00pm. Should I go thru security at B or give C a shot?

Edit: I have TSA Pre, taking Uber.
Flaith
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Family and I flew out of C last Friday at 2pm without issue. Parking Spot bus straight to terminal, TSA pre line had 5 people in it.

Flew back in to B, had to walk to the parking garage area where busses pick up, but otherwise no issues or obvious delays in getting in and out.
Ag06Law
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Flaith said:

Family and I flew out of C last Friday at 2pm without issue. Parking Spot bus straight to terminal, TSA pre line had 5 people in it.

Flew back in to B, had to walk to the parking garage area where busses pick up, but otherwise no issues or obvious delays in getting in and out.
Someone will read this and think, "man, C doesn't sound that bad, I'm gonna give it a shot." Then they'll hit it at one of the bad times and be back on here to tell us how awful it is.

As I've said before, C/E is a dice roll. You may be ok if you catch it at the right time, or you may be completely screwed if you don't. If you're a gambler, go to C. If you prefer certainty, go to A/B. It really is that simple.
12th Man Ag
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BSD said:

I'm leaving out of C2 today at 2:00pm. Should I go thru security at B or give C a shot?

Edit: I have TSA Pre, taking Uber.

I would do B.
Flaith
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Ag06Law said:

Flaith said:

Family and I flew out of C last Friday at 2pm without issue. Parking Spot bus straight to terminal, TSA pre line had 5 people in it.

Flew back in to B, had to walk to the parking garage area where busses pick up, but otherwise no issues or obvious delays in getting in and out.
Someone will read this and think, "man, C doesn't sound that bad, I'm gonna give it a shot." Then they'll hit it at one of the bad times and be back on here to tell us how awful it is.

As I've said before, C/E is a dice roll. You may be ok if you catch it at the right time, or you may be completely screwed if you don't. If you're a gambler, go to C. If you prefer certainty, go to A/B. It really is that simple.
I realize it's a dice roll, but just felt necessary to highlight that it's not always an unmitigated disaster. I think the A/B advice is sound. If you get to C/E, and it's a sheet show, you can always head down to the "its a small world" train and scoot over to A/B.
 
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