Inexpensive Airfare into Houston

Aloha Everyone,

Looks like we are going to try to do a cruise out of Galveston. We have never cruised from this port before, so I have a few questions.

1. Looks like the closest airport is Houston (IAH)? Are there any discount carriers that fly into IAH? We will probably fly from Honolulu to the West Coast, then on to Houston.

2. What is the best transportation from IAH to the Cruise Port for a party of 6-8?

3. If I need an inexpensive pre or post cruise hotel night, where do you suggest?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Mahalo,

Kat

If your flying from Honolulu to LAX, look at Spirit airlines from LAX to IAH.

Spirit flys to IAH direct from San Diego, LA, Oakland, and Las Vegas.

Not sure if there is a cheap flight from Hawaii to the mainland. Would love to know though.

1. Hobby Airport (HOU) is actually closer to Galveston than IAH is. Southwest Airlines operates out of Hobby and, if you book far enough in advance, their fares are very good. (If you book last minute, the fares are not great.) Also, Southwest allows 2 free checked bags and does not charge a fee to change flights. (You might have to pay more for your flight, but you don't pay a change fee like the other airlines charge.) Southwest flies out of LAX, too.

2. You can probably find out more about transportation option from HOU or IAH to Galveston on the Gulf Departures forum.

3. We flew into HOU last December for a cruise that departed from Bayport, not Galveston. We stayed in an airport hotel near HOU the night before our cruise because it was affordably priced--probably a lot less than you would pay to stay in a hotel in Galveston. You could then take transportation the next day to Galveston. I will say that there is not much to see or do around Hobby Airport, but there are plenty of hotels. (Our hotel, SpringHill Suites, offered a free shuttle to anywhere within 5 miles of the hotel. We used it to go to Walmart, but you could also use it to go to a restaurant.) If you want a location with more to see and do, then pay the extra $$$ and stay in Galveston.

Are you staying on the west coast 1st before you head to Houston? If not United flys nonstop from Honolulu to Houston (IAH).

Southwest Airlines operates out of Hobby and, if you book far enough in advance, their fares are very good. (If you book last minute, the fares are not great.) Also, Southwest allows 2 free checked bags and does not charge a fee to change flights.

I know that everybody loves to suggest Southwest, but this is one time when I wouldn't bother with them. They don't have Interline agreements with other airlines, meaning that you will need to buy two separate tickets. In addition, no Interline means that you can't check your bags all the way to your final destination. You'll be arriving at one terminal in LAX, collecting luggage, transferring to a different terminal and checking in again. You may not have to pay for checked bags on the Southwest, but you'll still need to pay for checked bags on the portion from HNL to the mainland.

By the time it's all said and done, any perceived savings (if any) will be negligible, not to forget the hassle.

Allegiant flies to Vegas, check them. Spirit flies from Vegas to Houston. Both cheap airlines.

United has a non-stop HLN to IAH that departs HLN in the evening, arriving in Houston at 8AM the next morning. We have flown this route a couple times and it works well, especially if you can sleep on a plane (I cannot, even in first class w/lay flat seats). Just picking a couple dates out of the air, the price is about $950p/p, R/T (coach).

If you fly in the day of the ship's departure, and then take the cruise line's transfers, this would certainly be the easiest trip by far, and maybe not any more expensive than some other suggestions since there would not be any extra hotel costs.

The big downside is United's has only one return non-stop return flight, which leaves IAH at 10AM. This would not be feasible unless you stay one night in Houston before returning. However, they have other 1-stop possibilities, which may work.

No real easy answers to your flight planning. The two Houston/Galveston cruise ports are too far from IAH to make transfers easy. But, at least having a non-stop inbound would be nice. I guess you have to add up the total $$ and decide not only which is the least expensive, but which option is the least painful (plane time, airport sitting, transfers, etc).

If go ahead and make this trip, welcome to the greater Houston area!

United has a non-stop HLN to IAH that departs HLN in the evening, arriving in Houston at 8AM the next morning. We have flown this route a couple times and it works well, especially if you can sleep on a plane (I cannot, even in first class w/lay flat seats). Just picking a couple dates out of the air, the price is about $950p/p, R/T (coach).

 

If you fly in the day of the ship's departure, and then take the cruise line's transfers, this would certainly be the easiest trip by far, and maybe not any more expensive than some other suggestions since there would not be any extra hotel costs.

 

The big downside is United's has only one return non-stop return flight, which leaves IAH at 10AM. This would not be feasible unless you stay one night in Houston before returning. However, they have other 1-stop possibilities, which may work.

 

No real easy answers to your flight planning. The two Houston/Galveston cruise ports are too far from IAH to make transfers easy. But, at least having a non-stop inbound would be nice. I guess you have to add up the total $$ and decide not only which is the least expensive, but which option is the least painful (plane time, airport sitting, transfers, etc).

 

If go ahead and make this trip, welcome to the greater Houston area!

That direct IAH-HNL (and back) doesn't have lie flat seats for some reason. I don't understand why they don't refurb some of their old 777's and add lie flats for that route.

That direct IAH-HNL (and back) doesn't have lie flat seats for some reason. I don't understand why they don't refurb some of their old 777's and add lie flats for that route.

You are correct. One of the benefits of United buying Continental LOL, which did have lay flat (or almost, I don't remember for sure) on this route. Either way, I could not sleep anyway. For some reason I cannot sleep on planes. I believe that United does not have true first class seats on any plane used only for domestic flights . Continental considered Hawaii the same as other overseas flights.

You are correct. One of the benefits of United buying Continental LOL, which did have lay flat (or almost, I don't remember for sure) on this route. Either way, I could not sleep anyway. For some reason I cannot sleep on planes. I believe that United does not have true first class seats on any plane used only for domestic flights . Continental considered Hawaii the same as other overseas flights.

The IAD-HNL and back on a 767 has lie flats and the DEN-HNL on a 757 :eek: has lie flats as well. Those are the only two I can find. Everything else is on a 737,A320 or 777 with no lie flats. I did the IAH-HNL a few years ago in coach and the ride over was ok...the ride back was awful. I guess as I get older and have a little more disposable income, comfort is becoming more important. There is no way I would do a red eye in regular coach these days, I would pay the extra and route through DEN or IAD for the lie flats.

Thank you all for your ideas. I will keep looking.

Aloha,

Kathy

US Airways (now American) has some great deals out of PHX, non-stop to IAH costing us about $200 a ticket. More times than not, I find Southwest more expensive than US/AA, and I get free baggage with US/AA so the free baggage deal with WN is worth much to us.

The IAD-HNL and back on a 767 has lie flats and the DEN-HNL on a 757 :eek: has lie flats as well. Those are the only two I can find. Everything else is on a 737,A320 or 777 with no lie flats. I did the IAH-HNL a few years ago in coach and the ride over was ok...the ride back was awful. I guess as I get older and have a little more disposable income, comfort is becoming more important. There is no way I would do a red eye in regular coach these days, I would pay the extra and route through DEN or IAD for the lie flats.

I think you mean IAH..I wouldn't fly to Dulles to catch a ship out of Galveston, if you know what I mean.:)

I think you mean IAH..I wouldn't fly to Dulles to catch a ship out of Galveston, if you know what I mean.:)

I was just saying the IAD and DEN flights are the only ones with lie flat seats to HNL, everything else is non lie flat, even the red eyes. :eek: