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

57,456 Views | 496 Replies | Last: 1 hr ago by TX04Aggie
BSD
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agnatgas said:

Sunday evening, it took 47 minutes to exit the parking lot at Terminal C and another 15 minutes to exit the airport. Attendant told me she's heard complaints of more than 3 hours on a Sunday.


I just left baggage claim and got in a cab. It took about 15 minutes to get out of cab line and past the BS where passengers are getting picked up. It looked like a gigantic cluster**** for those waiting. Both north and south terminal roads are packed with traffic.
Ducks4brkfast
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Flew into E this evening, Disney train to AB garage. Piece of cake. Nary a soul in customs.
malenurse
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So, let me get this straight.

I will be flying Lufthansa to Frankfurt which I assume will be in Terminal E.
Will be parking at the Parking Spot on Will Clayton.

I should have the shuttle drop me off at Term B.
Probably will have only one suitcase and wife and I will have two carryons
Take the Disney Train to E where we can check in and clear security.

Returning do the same thing in reverse.

I assume we can't check bags internationally anywhere but E.

Sound about right?

The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But, it's still on the list.
AgCPA95
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malenurse said:

So, let me get this straight.

I will be flying Lufthansa to Frankfurt which I assume will be in Terminal E.
Will be parking at the Parking Spot on Will Clayton.

I should have the shuttle drop me off at Term B.
Probably will have only one suitcase and wife and I will have two carryons
Take the Disney Train to E where we can check in and clear security.

Returning do the same thing in reverse.

I assume we can't check bags internationally anywhere but E.

Sound about right?




Lufthansa's will depart from D. You need to check bags in D
malenurse
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Thanks for the info. So, if I replace E with D, then my post should be the right way to handle the trip?
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But, it's still on the list.
htxag09
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Just ask the driver how traffic is going to D/E and if you should just go directly there or take the shuttle.

Either way, if you're parking offsite and traffic at C, or anywhere, is bad, the shuttle will be slow.
Silvy
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Terminal D is typically the 1st stop that Parking Spot makes.

With the construction at B, they've been going D, C, A, and then B.
wessimo
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Ecopark has separate shuttles for A/B and C/D/E; taking the A/B one avoids the C/D/E terminal traffic.
GCRanger
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I flew into C yesterday, Wednesday, and had no problem getting out of C on rental bus. It was early though, about 6:30 AM. As soon as I land I check Google traffic map and also try to get a glimpse of the road while walking towards baggage claim. If it looks like a cluster then I'll Sky Train it over to B. Similar on the way out of IAH. Just zoom in on the traffic map and see how much of a cluster it is and also check security line status. 9 out of 10 I'm going through A/B and taking the train.

Also, rental car inventory for Avis was super low again. Maybe 10-15 cars in the giant lot. No free upgrade options.
Petrino1
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malenurse said:

So, let me get this straight.

I will be flying Lufthansa to Frankfurt which I assume will be in Terminal E.
Will be parking at the Parking Spot on Will Clayton.

I should have the shuttle drop me off at Term B.
Probably will have only one suitcase and wife and I will have two carryons
Take the Disney Train to E where we can check in and clear security.

Returning do the same thing in reverse.

I assume we can't check bags internationally anywhere but E.

Sound about right?


Ive read this several times, and not sure it makes sense lol. The main advantage of going to Terminal B (if your flight is in a different terminal) is to checkin at B, clear security, then take the skyway to your correct terminal. This way youre skipping the craziness and crowds of checking in/security at other busy terminals like Terminal C.

It doesnt make sense to go to Terminal B and not check in there, just to take the subway to Terminal E (or D), and then do checkin/security there. Youre not really gaining anything there or saving time, youre basically just adding 20-30 minutes to your checkin time by doing all of that.

In your case, just go straight to D/E!
FHKChE07
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It does when the traffic to get to C/D/E can be horrific.
Petrino1
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FHKChE07 said:

It does when the traffic to get to C/D/E can be horrific.


The above poster is parking at the parking spot and then taking the shuttle to IAH. In any case, the traffic isn't bad getting dropped off at D or E. It's bad getting picked up from E.
maroon barchetta
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I'm picking up a passenger from D on Saturday, I just found out.

I'll need to park and wait for them to clear Customs.

Should I just plan on A/B and taking the train?
TX04Aggie
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They will come out of E arrivals though if it is international flight.
maroon barchetta
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TX04Aggie said:

They will come out of E arrivals though if it is international flight.


It is international. Thanks for the tip.
FHKChE07
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I have and several others on this thread have waited upwards of 30-60 minutes from the exit off JFK to CDE before you even get to D. Yes, E can also be bad but I have sat in traffic so bad that loads of people who were obviously travelling internationally by the sheer amount of bags they were taking were just walking in between the cars down the road.
Cepe
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I was on a parking shuttle and the other passengers were getting dropped at C. The driver went towards A/B and avoided all the traffic to C. He stayed in the very left lane and looped around the hotel right into a drop off on the left to C.

It was quick and if you need to drop someone it may be an option. I need to look at a map to make sure what they did.
TX04Aggie
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Terminal B escalators are down and only one side of elevators working.. haha. Just went through that mess.
gougler08
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Cepe said:

I was on a parking shuttle and the other passengers were getting dropped at C. The driver went towards A/B and avoided all the traffic to C. He stayed in the very left lane and looped around the hotel right into a drop off on the left to C.

It was quick and if you need to drop someone it may be an option. I need to look at a map to make sure what they did.
Pretty sure they don't allow cars to do that
ktownag08
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Good thing the steps are open and still seem to work!

Just messin'...

The airport is a cluster at the moment, but they do seem to be working consistently. I'm through there every week to every other week and they're getting after it. I look forward to seeing it done in 2030...
TX04Aggie
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I agree. Same cadence. One day it will be done! I keep joking hopefully it is as good as LaGuardia after that painful decades long experience.
gougler08
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TX04Aggie said:

I agree. Same cadence. One day it will be done! I keep joking hopefully it is as good as LaGuardia after that painful decades long experience.


LaGuardia B terminal is awesome now
MyMamaSaid
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gougler08 said:

TX04Aggie said:

I agree. Same cadence. One day it will be done! I keep joking hopefully it is as good as LaGuardia after that painful decades long experience.


LaGuardia B terminal is awesome now
talk about things you NEVER thought would leave your lips…..LaGuardia was once the WORST. As recent as 10 years ago.

Let's hope the same is true for IAH terminal B in a couple of years.

wessimo
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ktownag08 said:

Good thing the steps are open and still seem to work!

Just messin'...

The airport is a cluster at the moment, but they do seem to be working consistently. I'm through there every week to every other week and they're getting after it. I look forward to seeing it done in 2030...



By the time they finish work on the current terminal it is time to start over on the one that was remodeled the longest ago.
gougler08
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MyMamaSaid said:

gougler08 said:

TX04Aggie said:

I agree. Same cadence. One day it will be done! I keep joking hopefully it is as good as LaGuardia after that painful decades long experience.


LaGuardia B terminal is awesome now
talk about things you NEVER thought would leave your lips…..LaGuardia was once the WORST. As recent as 10 years ago.

Let's hope the same is true for IAH terminal B in a couple of years.




I know, I flew there last year and was dreading it as I remembered it being like a crappy subway station and was amazed at how much nicer it is now

We can only hope IAH ends up like that
maroon barchetta
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That guy from Krakovia that was in love with Catherine Zeta-Jones did a lot of really good work at La Guardia.
mcampers
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Is taking the tram to Marriot for pickup an acceptable option for E terminal international arrivals? I arrive international once a month; I have tried A/B/C/E pick-ups and all have been gigantic clusters.
TXTransplant
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wessimo said:

ktownag08 said:

Good thing the steps are open and still seem to work!

Just messin'...

The airport is a cluster at the moment, but they do seem to be working consistently. I'm through there every week to every other week and they're getting after it. I look forward to seeing it done in 2030...



By the time they finish work on the current terminal it is time to start over on the one that was remodeled the longest ago.


There are parts of A that are still not remodeled. We landed at A29 a couple of weeks ago. When we deplaned, I thought I was at the wrong airport.

Granted, it was 3 am, because our flight had been delayed to after 1 am, and I was groggy from my crappy in-flight nap. But it looks like the back end of A is due to be torn into next.

La Guardia is super nice now. But the construction made it SO BAD the couple of times we flew there that I wonder if it was worth it. Isn't it possible to remodel an airport without giving passengers the third world country experience for several years?

kelkel25
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TX04Aggie said:

Terminal B escalators are down and only one side of elevators working.. haha. Just went through that mess.


The whole B experience is just a cluster rn. At least they went to the facial recognition for TSA.
sts7049
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kelkel25 said:

TX04Aggie said:

Terminal B escalators are down and only one side of elevators working.. haha. Just went through that mess.


The whole B experience is just a cluster rn. At least they went to the facial recognition for TSA.
government data harvesting
MAROON
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mcampers said:

Is taking the tram to Marriot for pickup an acceptable option for E terminal international arrivals? I arrive international once a month; I have tried A/B/C/E pick-ups and all have been gigantic clusters.

Seriously - walk down to the cab stand at Terminka E - after leaving immigration go outside and walk past all the masses waiting for their Ubers and get a cab. It is very quick.
TheMasterplan
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That was unreal. I dropped someone off at D for an Air New Zealand flight. Bad traffic in and took me forever to get out.

For the first time, it made me want a public transport train to the airport to be dropped off at and head in.

Ive dropped off and picked up at D a few times the last year already and has been fine. Maybe Sunday night is bad?

Next time I'll drop him off at B I guess and take the underground tram to D for the Air NZ counter to check in.
TheMasterplan
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For those that are not in the know - is the Disney train underground or after security?
Jack Cheese
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TheMasterplan said:

For those that are not in the know - is the Disney train underground or after security?

Sad underground tram is before/outside security.

Above ground tram is inside security.
txags92
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TheMasterplan said:

For those that are not in the know - is the Disney train underground or after security?
There is a skyway train that is after security, and the subway (Disney) train that is outside of security.
 
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