Cool your jets
Houston soars in new list of best cities for long layovers
Memorial Park's Eastern Glades makes for a fun trip during a layover.
Given this week's travel nightmare for anyone flying, or working for, Southwest Airlines, it's natural for travelers to be thinking some version of, "What if that happens to me? Please don't let that happen to me."
Lawn Love has been thinking about that, too. Well, perhaps not specifically about this week. But, the timing of the company's latest survey is coincidental. Lawn Love ranked the best and worst cities for long layovers, and Texas cities do well overall. Houston ranked fourth, while Dallas came in seventh.
Houston has travelers covered if a long layover means the need for a hotel stay. The Bayou City ranked third in number of accommodations, and Houstonians can attest that we've got some killer hotel rooms, from the funky to the posh and everything in between.
Locals here might take issue with Lawn Love ranking the city as 15th in terms of attractions, because, well, come on. The Museum District. Beautiful parks. The Orange Show. We might be spread out, but we've got plenty of ways to spend a lot of time waiting on a flight.
That could be the best news overall, though. Lawn Love places Houston 35th in terms of its share of cancelled departures, which means folks heading out of our airports are likely to make their destinations without a lot of disruptions.
Dallas' top-10 placement was surely due in part to its number of airline lounges. The city places fifth in that ranking. DFW's got 19 of them, including four American Airlines Admirals Clubs and the airline's Flagship Lounge. Also represented are Delta, Emirates, Lufthansa, Qatar, and United airlines. All provide travelers with space and quiet to chill while waiting on that flight.
San Antonio and Austin round out the top 20 in Lawn Love's rankings, with the Alamo City placing 17th overall, and Austin taking 20th. Both cities fare well in terms of delays. They place 48th and 44th respectively, which means travelers are more likely to leave on time and get to where they're going. The two cities also fall into the top 20 when it comes to accommodations and dining options, finishing 15th and 19th respectively.
So, who fared among the worst? Hawaii. The Aloha State might be paradise on the ground and home to some stunning patches of sand, but the it's got four cities in the top 10 for worst places for a long layover. On the other hand, three of those four (Hilo, Kailua Kona, Honolulu and Lihue) get top marks for having the shortest departure delays.
All something to ponder as travelers pack their suitcases and plan to hit the road for 2023.
