I'll be sitting at IAH this week for over 3 hours waiting on my international flight. Any suggestions on how to pass that time, things not to miss, good food to eat? I haven't been to this airport before, and I noticed there is no AA lounge.
I've been through there several times in the last six months or so, and none of the food options have really stood out. I got a mushroom-swiss burger at a place called Ruby's Diner during a layover last month. It was serviceable, but nothing to remark about. The fries were pretty good, though, and the guy next to me was raving about the onion rings he ordered. There is a KLM lounge in Terminal D if you have a Priority Pass card. It's clean, quiet (or at least was when I was there), and has some nice drink options. The staff was very pleasant.
It looks like I don't have the membership required to enter, and paying to get in looks like you have to be on a KLM or partner flight (I'm on AA/BA). Thanks, though. EDIT: It looks like I can take the link transportation while inside security to travel to other gates from D for better food options. I'm there for more than three hours, so there's definitely time to peruse around.
Oh, well that sucks about the lounge. Crappy. Here's to hoping you find a good place to hang for the better part of that three hours.
It looks like any terminal besides D will be beneficial, ha ha. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have three hours+ in ORD on my return, but will leave that for brainstorming later.
Maybe! I don't eat much though, so I'd need a partner. I think it will be a miracle if I even get to IAH. My layover at DFW is all of 40 minutes from landing in DFW to takeoff to IAH. Every time I have ever flown out of MSY the planes have been late/delayed, so I might be spending the night in DFW. Fingers crossed every plane is on time tomorrow.
Of course you would. Because this is a definitely a two person job if its to be done correctly... I feel a project coming on.
Uhg, that's a super tight connection, since it's pretty much impossible to do the DFW run in less than 12 parsecs. Fingers crossed. I'll cross a toe too, just for good measure...
Are you propositioning me? Cross everything! I'm landing in terminal A and leaving in terminal A, albeit quite a ways down. If I hop on the Skylink (provided all my flights are on time), I should make it. My AA rep offered to change my flight, but it would mean flying standby. I'm not comfortable with that, because if I don't get on that first plane it's on me. If I follow AA's flight plan and don't make the connection because they are late, it's on them. I've spent many a night in Dallas because of missing the last flight out to London, so I'm not too worried. I'll either get to my destination or AA puts me up in a hotel.
Well, duh... Usually I'd be a lot more creative about it, but it was ~03:30 when I wrote that and even now, more than a pot of coffee later, my brain is still firing at only about half speed. Ugh--Tuesdays.
Everything is crossed. It sounds like you have your contingencies well planned out, and I agree with your perspective on flying standby in this case (because my opinion on this would of course be the deciding factor...). I like Dallas even less than IAH. Definitely crossing everything... I presume the world doesn't end if you arrive in country later than you planned?
Nope. I always add "buffer days" to international departures and returns in anticipation of delays (I've slept in DFW hotels more often than catching my flights thanks to the slow people at MSY).
Flight from Dallas to Houston cancelled due to weather (after sitting on the plane for two hours then told to disembark). Rebooked to LHR/London on a direct flight, the last one at 9:20pm out of DFW. Currently sitting in the AA lounge and trying to track down my luggage to re-route it, so no time to go food shop hopping.
Curses! Foiled all around. Sad panda. Seriously, that sucks. And the first blog entry will have to wait. Well, at least there was a lounge. That should have taken at least some of the sting out of the evening. And hopefully at this point you've managed to get some sleep time.
It wasn't too bad since I was able to wait in the lounge. I was able to sleep on the plane some and more when I arrived, so that helped. Despite the lounge attendant calling and requesting my bag re-routed to my new flight, it followed the next flight out to IAH. Due to the delays, my bag *should* arrive tomorrow morning in London, then be delivered to my address here in England. They didn't offer anything for the delays and trouble, but I was told they would reimburse me up to $150 for immediate necessities or clothes until my bag arrives.
It might help to deal with my aggravation. My luggage was supposed to be delivered today ~ nope, still MIA. I hope they deliver on Saturdays, otherwise it will be a long weekend for me.
