William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is my go-to when flying to Houston, and for good reason. It’s more compact and easier to navigate than Houston’s larger George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), sits only 11 miles southeast of downtown (about twice as close), and it’s often a convenient choice for Houston travelers.
Hobby connects to over 70 cities across the US and several destinations in Mexico, Central America (including Belize and Costa Rica), and the Caribbean (including Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Aruba, and the Cayman Islands). Dominated by Southwest Airlines, it’s a natural choice for Southwest flyers, though American, Delta, Frontier, and Allegiant operate here too.
Tips for going through the terminal
Hobby Airport has consistently ranked as North America’s first and only Skytrax 5-Star airport, a rating it’s retained in recent years. And honestly, I’m not surprised. Every time I fly through HOU, I find it to be convenient and clean, with friendly customer service, easy in-and-out procedures, and ample seating (I love the Allegiant check-in area pre-security, which has comfy armchairs with laptop tables).
Compared to the 5 terminals serving IAH, navigating the only terminal at Hobby is a breeze. Post-security, the terminal is split into two connected concourses. The smaller West Concourse to the right of security has 5 gates (Gates 1–5) reserved for Southwest, primarily for their international flights. Straight ahead via a short walkway, the 25-gate Central Concourse (Gates 20–32 and 40–51) serves Southwest and the other 4 airlines at Hobby: American, Delta, Frontier and Allegiant. This concourse is compact and easy to navigate.
The terminal rarely feels congested despite its busy schedule. I usually travel with just a carry-on, but the few times I’ve checked a bag, it took less than 20 minutes from deplaning to grabbing my luggage. (Yes, I time it, long baggage waits are a personal pet peeve).) Beware that during the holiday season travel rush, Hobby does tend to get quite crowded.
Car transportation
With no traffic, expect the car ride from Hobby to downtown to take about 20 minutes. This airport sits about twice as close to downtown as IAH, and depending on road conditions, the ride can be twice as fast. Both taxi and rideshare app costs reflect that: expect to pay about 2 times less to get into the city from HOU than you would from IAH (this is Houston’s version of JFK versus LaGuardia).
Cabs and rideshares
I tend to go with Lyft most as it’s often slightly cheaper than Uber. A number of smaller ridesharing apps such as Wingz, Get Me, and GreenLight (GLT) serve HOU as well, costing about the same. I choose Lyft because I used to accrue points with Delta Airlines through their partnership, though Delta now partners with Uber instead, allowing SkyMiles members to earn miles on eligible Uber rides and Uber Eats orders.
One drawback to using rideshare apps at Hobby: the pickup is at Arrivals level Curb Zone 5, which is 3 lanes farther than the taxi pickup at Curb Zone 2. I still choose rideshare apps over taxis: the costs are comparable while rideshare gives the opportunity to collect points.
Car rental
Planning to explore beyond downtown? Renting a car at HOU is a solid move. The airport is served by 12 major car rental agencies, including Avis, Budget, Alamo, Dollar, Easirent, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt and Thrifty. They’re located at the Rental Car Center, which you can reach via courtesy shuttle from Curb Zone 1 outside the Baggage Claim/Arrivals Level. Rates are comparable to other major US cities. I’ve rented with Avis here before and the service was impressively fast.
Parking tips
If you’re driving your own car, you can reserve a spot in one of the two terminal self-parking garages (Red and Blue) that are within walking distance of the terminal. A one-day rate (starting at $9.24 for ecopark) is significantly less than a one-way rideshare to the city. If you plan to park at the airport, always check the app first, because rates there can be considerably lower than drive-up rates.
Public transport
Public transport at Hobby costs at least 20 times cheaper than rideshare or cab (METRO bus fare is just $1.25 compared to the approximate $29 taxi fare), but it comes with a tradeoff: the bus ride to downtown’s central business district can take significantly longer depending on traffic and time of day. The METRO Bus 40 line picks up passengers outside the Arrivals level at Curb Zone 3.
Personally, the rideshare fares are reasonable enough that I’ll trade the extra cash for a faster, more convenient ride. Still, if you’re looking to save a considerable amount on transport costs, the bus is the way to go. The city-bound service runs from approximately 4:05am to just after midnight on weekdays and from approximately 5:00am to around midnight on weekends.
Hobby Airport app
The Hobby Airport app is one of the more useful airport tech solutions I’ve seen. While parking can be reserved in advance online at Fly2Houston.com (often at a discount), the app offers turn-by-turn directions to your gate or a kids’ play area, shows security wait times, and provides real-time flight updates. It’s a handy tool to have in your pocket.
Navigating security
Going through security at HOU takes about 10 to 15 minutes if you go through the regular lane. TSA PreCheck (which I get as a credit card perk) usually gets me into the concourse even faster. The TSA PreCheck lane closes at 8:45pm, while the general lane is open until 11pm.
No TSA PreCheck? You can zip through the nearby CLEAR lane, which offers expedited biometric screening. It’s open from 4:30am to 8pm Sunday through Friday, and 4:30am to 7pm on Saturdays.
I like using the Hobby Airport app to see how congested security lines are. On the rare occasion I’m running late or stuck in traffic, this feature gives me peaceofmind that I’ll still make my flight on time.
Keep in mind that during the holiday season, security lines will be more crowded. While CLEAR and TSA PreCheck might not save you a ton of time during the regular season at this airport, they can be a real game-changer during the holiday rush.
A guide to passenger experience
There are no lounges at Hobby Airport, except for the USO lounge which is reserved for active duty US service members. As a fan of airport lounges, I haven’t noticed a lack of one at this airport, because Hobby is usually fast, efficient and centered around a great passenger experience.
My favorite part about flying through Hobby is Harmony in the Air, the award-winning airport music program that features musicians from venues like the Houston Symphony and Grand Opera performing jazz, classical and R&B throughout the day.
You can’t miss the Harmony in the Air stage. It’s located at the entrance to the Central Concourse as soon as you exit the walkway post-security. There is ample seating in front of the stage and a children’s play area to the right. I’ve seen people dance here on a number of occasions and it creates a special atmosphere that I haven’t experienced at any other airport in the world.
I also love the art program at Hobby, which exhibits an abundance of art for such a small airport. Many of the artworks and sculptures are located on the Departures level before security, along the walkway to the West Concourse and on the Arrivals level.
My favorite piece at Hobby is the large two-panel mural by Houston artist Cruz Ortiz called Karankawa Sun Dream and the Truth Teller, located by Gate 1 in the West Concourse. I also love checking out the art near the baggage claim carousels on the Arrivals level.
The Artists In Residence (AIR) program is my top pick, though. Together with IAH, Hobby is the only airport in the US to offer this kind of program. The artist’s studio is in the post-security walkway on the way to the Central Concourse. If you’re lucky, you might catch the artist at work.
Connecting to IAH
For Hobby passengers who have a connecting domestic or international flight out of George Bush Intercontinental, there isn’t a convenient way to transfer via public transport. Technically, you can connect via two bus lines – METRO Bus 40 from HOU to downtown, followed by METRO Bus 102 from downtown to IAH – but it takes over two hours and can be stressful if you have an international flight to catch.
A car transfer is your best bet. I recommend a rideshare service, which is usually cheaper than a taxi, especially if you avoid surge pricing. The ride should take about 40 minutes, depending on traffic. A few shuttle companies also offer transfers, but they tend to cost at least double the rideshare fee.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
