Face it: traveling during the days around Thanksgiving can be a hassle. Packing, parking, crammed planes, long waits — it's almost enough to justify not seeing friends and family for the holiday.
Despite the challenges, both Houston airports will be packed this week. From Thursday, November 21 to Monday, December 2, Houston Airports estimates that George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) will serve 1.7 million passengers, while William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is anticipating 500,000 travelers. That’s a 2% increase from 2023 and a 9% increase from 2022.
But, as the airports get ready to serve these 2.2 million travelers, Houston Airports touts improvements that should make holiday travel smoother for all involved.
Travelers can do themselves some favors, too, to help alleviate a lot of angst that comes with heading out of town. Read for a few tips that will make the journey run more smoothly.
Download the Houston Airports app
This app is a one-stop shop for travelers, allowing them to reserve parking, monitor TSA wait times, and locate dining options by terminal.
Reserve parking online
For travelers who want to take their own vehicles to the airport, instead of using Uber, Lyft, or convincing a pal to drop them off, HAS recommends making parking reservations at least 12 hours in advance to secure a spot.
Stay aware of traffic conditions
Increased holiday travel across Houston and ongoing construction could impact drive times to Bush Airport. This is when apps like Waze or the Houston Transtar traffic maps come in handy. Check them before leaving the house, and be ready to take an alternate route in case of chaos.
Arrive early
A reminder: HAS expects 2.2 million people — roughly the entire population of the City of Houston — to come through Hobby and Bush this week. That means arriving early is crucial for navigating parking, ticketing, and TSA security lines.
“Our focus is on providing an efficient, seamless experience for the record number of travelers passing through our airports this Thanksgiving,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports. “With new traffic and parking enhancements, we’re committed to supporting passengers during the busiest travel days of the year.”
Meanwhile, Houston Airports stresses it’s ready to handle the holiday crush. In fact, two of the busiest days on the Thanksgiving travel calendar are already over, Friday, November 22, where 205,000 passengers were expected, and Sunday, November 24, which was predicted to see 200,000 passengers. The busiest day, however, is still to come. As many as 206,000 passengers are expected on Sunday, December 1. Pack patience.
Travelers will notice something else when they get to Bush International Airport. Last week, in a symbol of construction progress of the new international terminal, an additional lane opened on North Terminal Road, restoring the road to four-lanes of traffic.
While the additional lane will improve traffic flow, it will not alleviate congestion, due to the record number of travelers expected, and the continued construction projects. That means passengers should anticipate delays and plan to arrive early.
When it comes to parking, the new, cashless parking should help. The advanced system includes license plate readers, and the technology is operating at Hobby Airport and at IAH ecopark2. The latest phase of the installation is happening at the IAH Terminal C/D/E Garage.
Finally, the two Houston airports and the Houston Police Department continue to work together to mitigate traffic along the arrivals and departures curbs at Bush Airport. Law enforcement officers from other area agencies are also on hand for traffic control.
Houston Airports estimates that more than 75 percent of passengers will fly domestically, with less than 25 percent traveling internationally over the Thanksgiving holiday.
