Every now and then, I find myself annoyed that in buying airline tickets, we essentially put ourselves at the mercy of a specific carrier. Continental/United took it upon themselves to change the timings of both of my flights back to California, which meant that my two-hour layover in Houston became a five-hour one.
Luckily, I had two things working in my favor. One, Houston International is a busy and sprawling airport, and two, the NFL playoffs were on.
Houston Airport is disappointing in that it does not offer free Wi-Fi--although some of the people surrounding me tried to find ways to cheat the system and poach even 45 minutes' worth of free internet. I am a big fat coward and attempted no such thing.
The size of the airport did mean that there were a variety of dining options at my disposal, but initially, I had a delicious bagel from home to keep me sated. Towards the end of my layover, I contemplated seeking out one of the two Wendy's at the airport, but my carry-on (consisting of two laptops, among other things), was doing a serious number on my shoulder, and I am a weakling. Also, I did not really feel like having my carry-on rupture from the weight of said items.
Some takeaways from Houston:
- The womens' bathrooms have free tampons! An airport is one of the better, and more logical places to offer this amenity.
- I don't get bored very easily, or often, but for those who might: This airport, like others that are so large, is one of the better airports at which to spend a lengthy layover. There are numerous televisions set up at the gates, and the speaker system is solid enough that one isn't straining to hear what's being said, even amidst the bustle of a busy airport. There's a plethora of dining options, umpteenth stores at which to browse and/or shop,
- The busyness of the airport means that people are always milling around, and so spending three hours camped out at a gate that's not yours doesn't feel so strange. For a young female traveling alone, that's a comforting feeling. The crowd never thins out, and while under normal circumstances, I'd be annoyed, it's part of the appeal of airports. It's a people-watching haven (and heaven, depending on the types of people strolling by).
I'm not bursting at the seams to visit Houston, nor do I have any plans to do so in the near future, so any returns to this airport are likely to be due to a layover. If it's a lengthy one, sign me up.
