Houston is served by two major airports: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), a global hub for United Airlines, and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), a major base for Southwest Airlines. This dual-airport system provides extensive domestic and international coverage into the city, with IAH focusing on global long-haul arrivals and HOU on domestic and near-international point-to-point travel.
IAH offers an immense international network with direct flights from Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and across North America. HOU provides strong domestic connectivity, especially from the Eastern U.S., and international service from Mexico and the Caribbean. Top domestic routes into Houston include arrivals from major coastal cities and hubs served by both airports.
IAH is a primary hub for United Airlines and is served by dozens of international carriers flying into Houston. HOU is dominated by Southwest Airlines for arrivals. Both airports are also served by American, Delta, JetBlue, Spirit (at IAH), and Frontier into Houston. This creates intense competition on many domestic routes into the city.
To find the cheapest flights into Houston, always compare fares to both IAH and HOU. For international arrivals, book into IAH 3-6 months in advance. For domestic leisure travel into Houston, book into HOU on Southwest 1-3 months ahead. Use flight comparison tools with a "Houston (All Airports)" destination search. Flying on weekdays (Tuesday-Thursday) for arrival is cheaper. Houston is a competitive market for fares from the West Coast, Northeast, and Latin America. Southwest into HOU often provides the best value for domestic arrivals. For complex international itineraries, IAH's vast network is typically more suitable for reaching Houston.