The fam is flying business class international this evening. The United App is telling me to bag drop at terminal D, then check in at terminal C, then depart from terminal E.

Everyone is saying go through B then take the tram, but can you do that for international flights? Do they still have priority security screening for Group 1 or is everyone lumped together for security?

I've flown into and out of C/E during the construction and it was a nightmare getting parked and out.

We've started parking in A/B and subwaying or skywaying to C/E. The traffic around C/E has been atrocious but I haven't had any issues when I've trained to A/B from C/E.

You can skyway from A/B to D/E and then back to C.
The subway train runs from outside of security to the different terminals. The skyway runs between terminals from inside security.

You can park at B and check bags at B, and fly out of E.

I recommend it. Did this last month with a big group and going through C was way worse than B.

Agree. Park at B, bag drop and check in at B and take the sky train to D/E after check in. If you are concerned then park at B, take the tunnel train to C to bag drop and check in. C check in usually isn't terrible, but B check in is always shorter line. Either way definitely park at B and do not check in at D.

As far as security at B I don't believe there is Premier access line but there is TSA Pre and Clear if you have those. The line for regular check in never seems to be long.

You can check wait times here

https://www.fly2houston.com/iah/security

I did this a few weeks ago with a party of 5 to London. Checked in at B, breezed through security, took the overhead tram to C.

Just a word of caution - we flew out of A on American a few weeks ago. Like others have said, passenger drop off and security was a breeze (we are TSA pre).

However, as we walked past the United check in desk, there was a sign that said passengers had to go to terminal C to check bags. I thought this was pretty crummy considering what a mess C is right now, but I also know C is United's main terminal.

That's what we experienced too.

TXTransplant said:

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Just a word of caution - we flew out of A on American a few weeks ago. Like others have said, passenger drop off and security was a breeze (we are TSA pre).

However, as we walked past the United check in desk, there was a sign that said passengers had to go to terminal C to check bags. I thought this was pretty crummy considering what a mess C is right now, but I also know C is United's main terminal.

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I wonder if that's because it was Terminal A, which may not have United gates every day. I think the checking in at B is an accepted "hack."

I hope you don't mind if I have a laugh.

Hi, I'm spending $$$$$ to fly my family International Biz and I don't know how to navigate Intercontinental (Bush).

In America, we don't care who leaves the country so once you get airside past security, you can move around between terminals at most airports. SFO, LAX, DEN, ATL, DFW and of course IAH.

These days, there's even a nice shuttle between terminals (wish LAX had this).

With a Business Class ticket, you'll get priority security lines and priority boarding.

For checking your luggage, I'd do whatever the United App tells you to do.

For International flights, HollywoodBQ recommends being at the airport at least 120 minutes early if you're a novice and at least 65 minutes early if you're a professional traveler.

Be sure to screen your family's carry on bags for knives, scissors, etc.

Be sure your paperwork - passports, Visas are in order before you go to the airport. Last decade, I had my manager miss his flight to Australia because as an American who had never traveled overseas, he didn't know he needed a Visa and he only showed up 45 minutes before his flight.

Also consider the conventional wisdom on the TexAgs Travel board is that you'll need Global Entry to get back into the country. Otherwise you'll have to wait in line with the unwashed masses to use a kiosk for reentry to the USA and might cost you an extra 5-10 minutes.

Pro tip - don't get in line behind Chinese people (from China) and your immigration experience will go much more quickly.

Enjoy your Business Class trip. I never got to fly Business with my family. Only First Class on an Alitalia 747 - one time, by accident, from JFK to Rome.

Ha. I figured I'd get at least one of these responses. I consider myself one of the unwashed masses who flies domestically a lot and is using years worth of miles to upgrade to business class.

Plus, my Gulfstream is in the shop

In your defense (coming from someone who flew international (other than cancun or Cabo) for the first time in my life last month … I can see how those instructions from the app seem very odd and roundabout and I know you want to eliminate as much stress as possible when traveling with the fam.
I know HBQ is half kidding but hope he doesn't mind if I eye roll at his response.
The rest of his post was pretty helpful though.
Goodluck !

Drillbit4 said:

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Ha. I figured I'd get at least one of these responses. I consider myself one of the unwashed masses who flies domestically a lot and is using years worth of miles to upgrade to business class.

Plus, my Gulfstream is in the shop

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Ya got me

Hey, a little creative writing for a Saturday morning.

I know IAH is under construction so it's more confusing than it used to be but, including the fact that he was flying his family International Business Class was a classic TexAgs move (not a big deal since we all make $200K anyway).

When I was flying Business Class to/from Australia, it was between $6,000 - $13,000 per round trip ticket.
I know other destinations are cheaper - I think you can do Jeddah, Saudi Arabia round trip for about $3,000 in Business Class on Saudia (no alcohol). In any case, a minimum $12,000 spend (or comp'd) for a family of 4.

For playing along, here's my funny Alitalia accidental First Class story.
We were headed home to Saudi Arabia from Houston, probably 1984 because that was when we went to Egypt after going to Italy.

We check in at Houston and they can't issue boarding passes for the connection to Rome. We'll have to get those when we arrive at JFK. Probably something about codesharing between airlines.

So we get to JFK and at the Alitalia counter, they issue all six of us boarding passes but they're spread out all over the aircraft. I didn't care because I was 14 and didn't want to sit with my parents anyways but my 3 y/o sister needed to sit near my mom for sure (side note - my sister had status on PanAm at age 3).

When we were boarding - late due to the connection from Houston, the old Italian purser sees our boarding passes and that we're a family and that we're spread out all over the aircraft. He says this will not work, you're a family.

Now I'm thinking when he says this won't work, that he means we're not going to be allowed to board and we're going to have to wait until tomorrow or something. He says, I will fix this.

We wait there at the gate and after a few minutes, he comes to get us and says everything is taken care of, follow him. As we finish our walk down the jetway, he turns left. I've never turned left before.

He marches us up to the nose of the aircraft where there are only two seats on each side of the plane and he parks us in seats A&B, Rows 1-3. There were a few complaints I could overhear from the First Class passengers who weren't too happy about having an American family with 4 kids in First and having to rearrange their seating but... they got over it.

And that's my story about how important Family is to the Italians.

lazuras_dc said:

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In your defense (coming from someone who flew international (other than cancun or Cabo) for the first time in my life last month …

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In 2011, I was working in Sydney and there was an American Sales Rep who was going to move down there with our company.

I asked him if he had ever travelled overseas and he said yes. He told me he'd been to 5 countries. Well, turns out, I should have qualified that further. He was from Oregon so he'd been to Canada and he'd been to Cabo so that's 2. The other 3 countries were all Sales Achiever Club trips to resorts in Belize, Costa Rica, Jamaica, etc.

The dude had never actually really travelled on his own to any country where he was going to have to fend for himself. He flamed out after 10 months in Australia and jetted home to the USA never to return.

After that, they directed all potential transfers from the USA to me. And I'm not proud to say it but, I talked every single one of them out of transferring to Sydney and that probably worked out best for everybody.

I was flying American out of IAH a few weeks ago and our Parking Spot driver took us and another (also flying American) couple to C and insisted that we would get out there and take the underground train to get to A. We waited almost 30 min for him to get through the traffic to the drop off until finally we insisted that he open the doors and let us out instead of waiting on his van to get closer. We ran into C with our bags, went downstairs, took the train to A, and was really late getting our bags checked.

I was livid and it really soured me on The Parking Spot.

Why would they take us to the C terminal when both groups on the van were flying out of A?

Flew to Cancun last month and dropped bags at D - zero line - and then security at D - small line - before walking to E terminal.

As a follow up since I asked the question: I got dropped off in terminal B. Checked in luggage, no line. Breeeezed through security with no line, even with my wife's expired Pre Check. Then made our way to E. Piece of cake, thanks.

Flew to Rio through terminal E a couple weeks ago.

Shuttle dropped me off at D for United bag drop shortcut and have Global Entry/Pre-Check so security was fast.

D is a nightmare this morning. Bag Drop took 20 minutes and TSA Pre line very long. Go to B instead! Always!

I have to pick a friend up next week IAH United.

How much of a cluster flock is this going to be?

Highly dependent on the terminal. I'd do everything I could do to get them to Terminal A/B. It's an easy ride on the airtrain if they don't have a checked bag. Slightly bigger pain if they have to go to baggage claim then ride the dinky underground rail out or walk to A/B. There is construction at B which has made getting to the garage and arrivals a longer walk but it's not terrible. Getting out of C/E is brutal if there's even a tiny bit of traffic. Took me 30 mins and a mirror rub with an airport shuttle to get from the C garage exit to jfk last time I tried.

I'm just picking him up, I think United is C.
If I need him to go to A I will and he will have a checked bag.

I'd recommend telling him to grab his bag and go down another escalator/elevator to the lowest level. Ride the train to B and pick him up there.

We have started picking up at the Marriott there and it's super convenient. But A or B works fine too. The underground train is best for this.

JMac03 said:

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We have started picking up at the Marriott there and it's super convenient. But A or B works fine too. The underground train is best for this.

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My parents recently flew into the international terminal, and my wife just got back yesterday in C. I parked in B both times but I might start doing so at the Marriott. I'm assuming that's where you park? That's a good idea.

How does one get from the terminal to the Marriott?

AlaskanAg99 said:

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How does one get from the terminal to the Marriott?

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Basement tram. Below baggage claim.

scd88 said:

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JMac03 said:

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We have started picking up at the Marriott there and it's super convenient. But A or B works fine too. The underground train is best for this.

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My parents recently flew into the international terminal, and my wife just got back yesterday in C. I parked in B both times but I might start doing so at the Marriott. I'm assuming that's where you park? That's a good idea.

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Yes. My husband actually beat me there last time - so I didn't wait, but I know the rest of my family just pulls in and waits. I'm not sure if they hang out in the cellphone lot til they get off the plane or if they just pull in at the Marriott. But it worked perfectly.


And yes to other poster - same underground tram. From E you can walk underground or take the tram.

Great plan.