Houston Airport has 5 main terminals, with a distance of about 2.5 kilometres from one end to the other.
All terminals are connected by two separate automated rail systems. The elevated train runs exclusively through the transit zone, while the underground train runs between the terminals through the public zone.
The terminals are dedicated to specific airlines. Your departure terminal will always be marked on your ticket.
Which terminal?
Which Houston Bush Airport terminal will your flight depart from?
- AeroMexico - Terminal D
- Air Canada - Terminal A
- Air France - Terminal D
- Alaska Airlines - Terminal A
- All Nippon Airways - Terminal D
- American Airlines - Terminal A
- Avianca - Terminal D
- British Airways - Terminal D
- Delta - Terminal A
- Frontier - Terminal A
- JetBlue - Terminal A
- KLM - Terminal D
- Lufthansa - Terminal D
- Qatar Airways - Terminal D
- Spirit - Terminal A
- Southwest - Terminal A
- United - Terminals A, B, C, D, E
- VivaAerobus - Terminal D
- Volaris - Terminal D
- Westjet - Terminal A
Airport Map
An interactive map of the entire airport and each terminal can be found on the airport's official website: fly2houston.com/iah/maps.
Transfer between flights
How do I transfer between connecting flights?
Due to its location, IAH is a frequent transfer point for travel from the East Coast to the West Coast of the USA and also to Central and South America.
Even though Houston Bush Airport has 5 terminals, connecting here is relatively quick and well signposted.
What checks do I go through when I change planes?
What are the exact procedures for each type of transfer?
- International -> International: immigration and security check
- International -> domestic: immigration and security check
- Domestic -> international: no check
- National -> national: no check
Do I have to leave the transit zone when transferring between terminals?
If you are arriving in Houston on an international flight, you must always exit the transit area, go through immigration, and move between terminals via the outside area. You will check in again and go through security into the transit area.
If you are arriving from another destination within the U.S., you can proceed directly to the connecting departure gate for both domestic and international flights.
How do I move between terminals?
Transportation between terminals is provided by two automated trains.
- The Skyway, an elevated train operating within the transit zone, serves only checked-in passengers transferring between domestic flights or moving between terminals after passing through security.
- Free
- Runs 24/7
- Frequency every 2 minutes
- Runs 4.5 minutes from one end of the airport to the other
- Underground train - runs only on the public section and serves all passengers and visitors to the airport. It connects all terminals.
- Free
- Runs from 3:30 to 0:30
- Frequency every 3 minutes
- Runs 5 minutes from one end of the airport to the other
Do I need to pick up my luggage?
If you are arriving at IAH from abroad, you must always collect your luggage and hand it in again at the check-in desk.
If you are flying from a destination within the U.S. and you have a layover of no more than 8 hours, your bag will be automatically transferred. It does not matter whether you continue on an international or domestic flight.
Do I need to apply for ESTA?
Every time you transfer from an international flight, you must collect your baggage and exit the transit area.
Therefore, you must have an electronic ESTA to enter the United States (for 21 usd online processing at the official website: esta.cbp.dhs.gov).
How long does the immigration check take?
If you arrive during off-peak hours, you can be in the public section in 20 minutes, but especially during the afternoon rush hour for arrivals from Europe or Asia, the immigration line can be longer than 2 hours.
If you have less than 1.5 hours to transfer, we recommend that you tell the informants that you have a tight transfer before you join the queue. In this case, you may be sent to the priority queue.
If you do not make your guaranteed connection due to the length of the immigration check, the airline will arrange the next flight free of charge. However, accommodation at the airline's expense will not be provided in these cases.
Do I go through passport control on departure?
No. There is no longer an immigration check on departure from the USA.
