ATTENTION PASSENGERS...
Houston airport lands among the worst for waiting out holiday delays
John Egan
Nov 19, 2018, 11:56 am
Bush Intercontinental boasts a strong on-time ranking. Photo courtesy of Houston Airport System
This article originally appeared on CultureMap.
If George Bush Intercontinental Airport were an airplane seat, it’d be the one towards the back when judged among the best and worst major airports in the U.S. for waiting out holiday delays.
Examining the 15 busiest airports in the country, travel website Orbitz ranked Bush Intercontinental as the 13th best airport to be stuck at if your flight’s delayed during the holiday rush. The website used these categories for its ranking: shopping, dining, Wi-Fi, on-time departures, flight cancellations, member lounges, and public lounges.
Despite the less-than-stellar ranking, Bush Intercontinental scored well with punctuality, with 83 percent of flights leaving on time (that puts IAH third best in the U.S. after Denver and Atlanta). However, IAH did not perform as well when it came to cancellations, with 2.96 percent of flights canceled, better only than Newark Liberty.
The Orbitz list also lauded IAH for its shopping with 112 outlets and 25 dining options offering fare like pizzas, barbecue, and Tex-Mex. Lounging at the airport is made easier with free Wi-Fi service (with a download speed of 14.53Mbps), four members-only lounges and three public lounges, costing an average of $59.
Orbitz also had high praise for Bush’s Harmony in the Air program, which features live performances from a diverse repertoire of classical, contemporary, jazz, and international artists, “creating an atmosphere that’s designed to sooth and destress passengers.”
A study released earlier this year by market research company J.D. Power rated Bush Intercontinental as the seventh best major airport in North America, based on input from more than 40,000 North American travelers. Among large airports, Dallas Love Field landed at No. 2 and Houston’s Hobby Airport at No. 10 (one place behind Austin-Bergstrom International Airport).
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Isaac Paredes has been a steady force in the middle of the Astros’ order, but a tweaked hamstring suffered during Thursday’s win over the White Sox may force Houston to recalibrate, again.
If Paredes misses time, the most logical shuffle would see Jose Altuve sliding back to second base, with Mauricio Dubón stepping in at third. It’s a reasonable patch. But internally, there’s also some intrigue around whether Cam Smith—currently thriving in right field—could slide back to his original position on the infield. The idea isn’t without merit; Smith is the club’s best offensive option at third in Paredes’ absence. But defensively, it’s hard to justify moving him right now. Smith made several standout plays in the Chicago series, reinforcing just how important his glove has become to the Astros’ outfield defense. One thing is for sure, the Astros can't afford to play both Dubon and Brendon Rodgers in the infield regularly. The offense would take a huge hit.
Timing, however, might be on Houston’s side. The next stretch of games features the Twins, Athletics, and Angels—three teams the Astros can beat even while navigating lineup instability. It helps that Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker are showing signs of life at the plate. Diaz, in particular, has been red-hot, posting an OPS north of 1.200 over the past week. Walker is batting over .300 during that same span, giving the Astros enough firepower to survive short-term turbulence.
Elsewhere, the outfield presents its own set of choices. Jacob Melton has shown enough in the field to warrant a serious look as Chas McCormick’s replacement when he returns from injury. He’s still searching for consistency at the plate, batting under .200 in his first 10 big league games. But his arm and left-handed bat give manager Joe Espada a little more lineup flexibility—especially with Yordan Alvarez still out and the offense skewing right-handed.
For now, the Astros have room to adjust. But if Paredes ends up missing significant time, they’ll need more than just a few temporary solutions to keep their momentum going.
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