Houston's IAH Airport sees surge in Holiday travelers ahead of Christmas

With just five days until Christmas, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) experienced its busiest travel day, as thousands of passengers navigated through terminals to reunite with loved ones for the holidays.

Airport officials anticipated a significant increase in traffic, with more than 207,000 travelers expected to pass through IAH. Despite the hustle and bustle, operations at Terminal A ran smoothly, though some flights faced delays.

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Marcia Holman, who was flying to Boston, encountered setbacks due to a snowstorm that placed the area under a winter weather advisory. "Long, long. First of all, where we were staying it was over two hours from the airport, and then we got here and found out our trip was delayed. So now we won’t get back until after 1a.m. probably," she said.

Travelers from Florida also faced delays, albeit without the snowy conditions. Cassi Gregory, returning from Fort Lauderdale, remarked, "Coming back from Fort Lauderdale wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, but there was a lot going on. It didn’t help that we were slightly behind because of delays. It was a great vacation. I feel sorry for anyone who is in line right now leaving Houston, it’s crazy."

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On such busy travel days, many passengers emphasized the importance of arriving early. Gustavo Salas, also flying from Fort Lauderdale, shared, "I always do. I always arrive 3 hours before. It helps to be there, and then you just sit down and drink and buy a soda."

Kwanzaa Frazier, traveling from Orlando, echoed this sentiment, saying, "I did [arrive] three hours. [Did you find that that helped you?] Very much because I didn’t know what I was doing. I’m a little lost."

In addition to early arrivals, travelers noted that services like TSA PreCheck and Clear can expedite the process. Layvon Lynn stated, "I have TSA, Clear, everything. In general, walking to the airport is simple. It’s a lot busier here in Houston."

As holiday travel peaks, IAH officials advise passengers to allow extra time for a smoother experience.

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