George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

[Houston19514]

Here's another interesting bit of information about Bush IAH. It is the USA's 7th largest international passenger gateway.

I believe the only larger international passenger gateways are JFK (NYC), LAX (Los Angeles), Chicago O'Hare, Newark Liberty, Miami, and San Francisco.

[HeightsGuy]

Goodness, unhappy and with a temper too. Who woulda thunk it? Speaking of passive-aggressive...

(1) Who said anything about bashing? I did not accuse you of bashing. Nor do I think I did any bashing. The reference to your spreading bile was about your negative posts that have nothing to contribute, except to try to spread your unhappiness. You demonstrate you are clearly not attempting to contribute to a mutually beneficial conversation by your statements to the effect that you are impenetrable to facts or argument or reasoning. (And we've seen you say this in other threads as well.) (And you have certainly demonstrated that you are indeed impenetrable.) Why would you waste your time here if you are so insistent on being impenetrable, if not to just spread your unhappiness? Fair presumption, no?

(2) You tell us that your statement that "the terminal can be a nightmare" was an "allusion". An allusion to what? That does not even make sense. Perhaps you meant illusion? ;-)

A little perspective, please. That's all I'm saying. If a walk from the gate to the shuttle indeed ranks as a "nightmare" in your life, you must have lived one pampered comfortable life indeed. ;-)

Yes, I meant allusion. Anyway, I asked if we could move on, but you don't want to. I'm sorry.

[Houston19514]

Yes, I meant allusion. Anyway, I asked if we could move on, but you don't want to. I'm sorry.

LOL So move on with yourself already. (I guess you're impenetrable to dictionary defintions too.)

[HeightsGuy]

LOL So move on with yourself already. (I guess you're impenetrable to dictionary defintions too.)

Just can't give it up, can you? Have to put in one last dig huh? Even after I asked twice to move on and said sorry. Now I take it all back. Please, go look up allusion, think about my use of the word nightmare above and see if you can put two and two together.

[dbigtex56]

LOL So move on with yourself already. (I guess you're impenetrable to dictionary defintions too.)

Just can't give it up, can you? Have to put in one last dig huh? Even after I asked twice to move on and said sorry. Now I take it all back. Please, go look up allusion, think about my use of the word nightmare above and see if you can put two and two together.

Enough.

Further posts in this vein will be deleted.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

I'm not exactly sure which cities will be available to a 787 from IAH versus the existing 18 777-200ER models. The 787 should get a few hundred extra miles, somewhere in the low 8000 nm range. Of course, just having more aircraft that can fly long distances will help tremendously towards adding destinations. I think Continental has plans to purchase ten 787s at the moment, the only US carrier to do so. However, I'm sure EWR will eat up some of those additional long range flights.

18 777-200 models? The 787 is more fuel efficient and im not only talking about Continental. I was speaking of airlines in general. With the introduction of the 787, you will see new service by non US carriers into Houston from far away.

Northwest Airlines has also purchased the 787 and they will see them before Continental.

What are the odds of having Richard Branson bring the Virgin brand to IAH?

Not bloody likely :):):)

[Trae]

These destinations are needed from Continental:

Athens

Madrid

Rome

Seoul

Lagos (lots of Nigerians in Houston)

Hong Kong

Dubai

Mumbai

Delhi

Edited April 7, 2006 by Trae

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

These destinations are needed from Continental:

Athens

Lagos

Madrid

Rome

Seoul

Lagos (lots of Nigerians in Houston)

Hong Kong

Dubai

Mumbai

Delhi

and Amsterdam

Continental tried Nigeria, but couldnt get approval for the route. Nigeria is also important for energy/oil in addition to the many Nigerians living here. Would be nice for the Space City to have a nonstop link to an important country like Nigeria. As for Mumbai, i believe we will see Air India doing that route out of Houston. I know thats in the works. Does Continental not already fly AMS-IAH?

[Trae]

Actually, it does.

Edited April 7, 2006 by Trae

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Add Moscow to your list there.

[ssullivan]

Nope, would just be happier to have an airport that doesn't require a 20 minute walk from gate to shuttle bus. I don't need pretty, I need functional. In that regard, lil ol Terminal A beats the rest of IAH hands down.

HeightsGuy, just in case you were not aware of this -- if you don't have any checked luggage to pick up at the domestic baggage claim in C, you can catch any of the parking shuttle buses from Terminal E. To get there, take the sky bridge toward Terminal D and the TerminaLink station in the middle of E (right across from the Continental Presidents Club). Turn left just past the security checkpoint and you'll exit the secured area into the E departures lobby. There are elevators and escalators to go down to the international arrivals area just ahead. Go down one level and then right out the doors into the pickup area where the rental car and parking shuttle buses stop. It's very fast, and I do it all the time. I've never had a long wait there for a parking shuttle, and on the plus side, the shuttles tend to be less crowded than those picking up at C.

Of course if you have a checked bag to pick up at the C baggage claim, you're stuck making that long walk, or taking the TerminaLink train which can cut a few minutes off the walking if you arrive in the far east side of E.

[HeightsGuy]

HeightsGuy, just in case you were not aware of this -- if you don't have any checked luggage to pick up at the domestic baggage claim in C, you can catch any of the parking shuttle buses from Terminal E. To get there, take the sky bridge toward Terminal D and the TerminaLink station in the middle of E (right across from the Continental Presidents Club). Turn left just past the security checkpoint and you'll exit the secured area into the E departures lobby. There are elevators and escalators to go down to the international arrivals area just ahead. Go down one level and then right out the doors into the pickup area where the rental car and parking shuttle buses stop. It's very fast, and I do it all the time. I've never had a long wait there for a parking shuttle, and on the plus side, the shuttles tend to be less crowded than those picking up at C.

Of course if you have a checked bag to pick up at the C baggage claim, you're stuck making that long walk, or taking the TerminaLink train which can cut a few minutes off the walking if you arrive in the far east side of E.

Excellent, thanks ssullivan, I'll give it a try next week. I was talking about this yesterday to a coworker, and they said that if you have a flight departing from the far side of Terminal E, it's actually faster to take the permalink over to E.

I have lived through all the construction over the past few years, and I guess I just got into a habit. I picture the escalator you are talking about, you can see it as you walk through the area. I assumed it just took you to the International terminal and you had to have an international flight ticket to get anywhere.

[ssullivan]

You're welcome. I feel your pain, HeightsGuy, as I travel about 9 out of every 10 weeks for work myself. This past Monday I arrived from Newark at E-20, had a checked bag, and another flight to Denver leaving a few hours later from E-1. However my Denver flight was on a separate ticket (I was coming home from vacation in Montr

[Houston19514]

January 2006 passenger volume at Bush IAH:

Total: 3,295,043

Domestic: 2,685,638

International: 609,405

If they continue this rate of growth, Bush IAH will serve more than 43 million passengers in 2006, including more than 7 million international passengers.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

January 2006 passenger volume at Bush IAH:

Total: 3,295,043

Domestic: 2,685,638

International: 609,405

If they continue this rate of growth, Bush IAH will serve more than 43 million passengers in 2006, including more than 7 million international passengers.

Thats a lot. Would have thought the INTL numbers would be higher due to the fact that IAH is a large hub for flights headed south of the border to warmer climates. Snow bunnies from the north and midwest.....

[ssullivan]

Thats a lot. Would have thought the INTL numbers would be higher due to the fact that IAH is a large hub for flights headed south of the border to warmer climates. Snow bunnies from the north and midwest.....

Yes but also considering that the vast majority of all those flights to Mexico are on 37 and 50 seat aircraft, the small size of the regional jets flying many of those routes limits the number of passengers carried each day.

January is also just about the slowest travel month of the year, so those are numbers for a relatively slow month.

[houstonfella]

I found this link from Dallas Morning News

IAH Growth

[KimberlySayWhat]

And it's not even followed by a but, or a however, or an although. What gives?

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

This paper actually has a history of speaking positively about IAH. I was suprised to see that

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Yes but also considering that the vast majority of all those flights to Mexico are on 37 and 50 seat aircraft, the small size of the regional jets flying many of those routes limits the number of passengers carried each day.

January is also just about the slowest travel month of the year, so those are numbers for a relatively slow month.

You are correct on all accounts. January is the time where i usualy use the FF miles. Wide open flights and no black out dates.

Forgot to ask you....when you were in SYR, did they ever finish that mall thing that was being proposed there? It was a project they were looking at a few years ago.

[ssullivan]

I don't know about the mall in Syracuse. I was actually working over in Utica, so didn't spend much time in Syracuse except at the airport.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Here ya go DJVLawrence. Fisrt the cargo service then the passenger service. You and your lady will not have to make a connection in other cities, when this all comes together, to get to and from S Korea from here

Korean Air to start cargo service at IAH

Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd. plans to start scheduled all-cargo service to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on Jan. 25, 2007. The flights will depart Houston twice a week.

This is the first time that the Korean-flagship airline has served the Houston market directly........

Full story here http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto...ml?jst=cn_cn_lk

[Houston19514]

I think I've said this before, but I've heard that "Jetero" was actually a clerical typo in the county recording office. It was supposed to be "Jet Era". The name applied to the land that was aquired for building the airport -- Jet Era Ranch -- just a name to put on the title for the land transaction. I've never heard that "Jetero Airpark" was a serious suggestion. The story I heard was that IAH intended to move the name "Houston International" from the present Hobby Airport. The idea to make it sound more important was to upgrade "International" to "Intercontinental".

I don't remember when the Will Clayton Parkway name became official. I think it was maybe as recent as 10-12 years ago, though. There was never a big exit sign on 59 for it until the newest overpasses were built. I remember seeing the small road signs for Jetero within the time I've lived here -- which is going on 20 years, now.

It was Will Clayton Blvd when I moved to Houston in 1989, and I believe there were signs for it on 59 at that time too. (I think there were still some random remaining small street signs with the jetero name on them; some may still be out there.)

I've always thought they chose "Intercontinental" rather than "International" not to appear more important but to distinguish the new airport in peoples' minds from the old Houston International Airport.

[Subdude]

Jetero airport rendering:

I really wish they had used the Jetero name. It certainly would have been cooler than "Houston Intercontinental."

[Vertigo58]

I made an attempt to locate specific date the airport opened but could not find, was it 1969?

I must say one of the most exciting times for me was going to the Intercontinental airport when it 1st opened. My big sister was a "stewardess" for Eastern Airlines from around 1968-1972. Whenever she was in town we would drive waaaayyyy far from Houston to pick her up at this new airport you always would hear about. Seemed like an eternity to get there but it was well worth it! As a nine year old kid it seemed so exciting to see the big jet planes taxiing down the runways and hearing them fly overhead. The hustle and bustle of the crowd was even more exciting. I recall almost everyone being so well dressed, but what really floored me was the airline staff. They were always dressed so professionally. In those days stewardess's had to be single, no children, beautiful and the right weight. Basically perfect in every way. Luckily I still have my old Eastern Airlines toy plane. Just wondered if any others remember visiting the airport and of other airlines that used to stop over at that time, ie: Pan-Am, etc.

Anyone know where to find pics of official opening?

[musicman]

we would go just to ride the underground tram!

Edited March 6, 2007 by musicman

[Houston19514]

Yes, it was 1969, but I cannot locate an exact date either. They have a little history on the IAH website. They used to have some pictures on the website of the opening ribbon-cutting, but they don't seem to be there any more...

[mkultra25]

we would go just to ride the underground tram!

Ha! We used to do that, too - couldn't be beat for low-cost fun. Even as late as high school, I had a few friends that would occasionally head out there just to ride around and around on the tram. You probably couldn't do something like that now without attracting unwanted attention from Homeland Security.

[Firebird65]

I made an attempt to locate specific date the airport opened but could not find, was it 1969?

Bush IAH opened in June 1969, although I can't find the exact date.

[Vertigo58]

Bush IAH opened in June 1969, although I can't find the exact date.

Close enough, Thanks!

Now if only if we can locate some good old photos.

I have several but they are mostly of Eastern Airline staff in flight to Miami, Chicago, Canada.