William P. Hobby Airport — Local services in Houston

I absolutey HATE this airport! The fact that you can get last-minute, low-cost Southwest flights isn't even worth it! I have a service dog - who is certified by CDC, and approved by other airlines and cruise lines - who has flown with me on Southwest airlines before FROM THIS AIRPORT! We get to the airport and we're running a little late so we're rushing - so obviously my anxiety is a bit high. I'm carrying two bags into the airport, so my dog is in a bag on my back. I check in with my paperwork, answer their questions and am about to be on my way, until another rude representative approaches me because my dog was whining. She asked me if he's supposed to be a service dog, I said yes. Then she says, "well shouldn't you be holding him?" I told her that my hands were full and I was in a rush. I explained that he was only whining because I frantically ran into the airport, he's in a bag on my back and was probably bouncing around, also likely needed the bathroom after the hour drive to the airport. She tells me that "a real service dog wouldn't do that". I told her that he would stop as soon as I took him out of the bag and he could properly do WHAT HE IS TRAINED TO DO! Then she started questioning me about his age saying that it takes 1 1/2 to 2 years to properly train a service dog. If you're a dog trainer then why are you working at the airport? She then says, "I'm going to get a second opinion". She brings a manager out who didn't listen to anything I had to say and just regurgitated the idiocracy that the previous woman uttered. Ultimately, they made me pay $125 pet fee and we missed our flight. We had to catch another flight 4 hours later! We had paid for Early Bird check-in as well. She had the nerve to tell me that I wouldn't be refunded because it's an ancillary cost, and it was my fault we missed our flight!

When we finally went through TSA, I put my service dog's EMPTY carrier, my shoes, phone, and wallet in a bin. They ran it through and said it had to be thoroughly checked again! FOR WHAT? THERE'S LITERALLY NOTHING IN IT! The lady scans the bin and says "I'm going to run it again because this is the wrong bag"😒 There was literally like 10 people standing there and most had the same issue. Waited almost 10 minutes for a basically empty bin to be run twice.

After all of this hassle, I try to take my dog to the bathroom and of course the Relief Station is OUT OF ORDER! Why did I expect anything different? And guess what!? THAT'S THE ONLY ONE, IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE AIRPORT!

Let this be the reason why American is our preferred airline and Bush is our preferred airport! Dogs who are properly trained BY PROFESSIONALS do not need 2 years to be trained - especially the more intelligent breeds. Further, the Southwest website and the CDC website - WHO CERTIFIED MY DOG AS A SERVICE DOG LAST YEAR - state that he must be 6 months of age. My service dog has taken more flights and visited more countries than most people! We have NEVER had an issue until today with this miserable lady from Southwest who obviously just had no...

I have traveled solo through this airport and with family and my experience has consistently been quite positive!

My biggest Recommendations for new travelers going to Hobby follow down below:

Arrive to the airport early.

Please show up 2 hours in advance to when your flight departs this will ensure you'll make it through with plenty of time and feel less anxiety!

Review TSA rules thoroughly before your flight and pack accordingly to the rules and for efficency.

I've seen a couple reviews stating that the TSA was rude and I wanted to come on and say that isn't the case at all. TSA is trying to do their job, not be your friend and the airport regardless of whose airport it is is unfortunately going to be a bit stressful. Some people handle stress better than others and you don't know someone's story so try to be kind and understanding with your TSA agents!

That being said, here is what I recommend to get through TSA quicker:

Opt out as many liquid toiletries for solid toiletries as you can and see what you can purchase at your destination instead.

Avoid packing unnecessary valuables and large electronics.

Pack everything that you need to take out and place into the bins towards the front of your personal item/carry on or on an outside pocket to be able to efficiently access and place.

Don't overpack your bag.

For those with Disabilites or Medical conditons: Speak up clearly.

The worst thing you could do is not speak up and end up getting held back and go through an anxiety enhancing process of trying to explain your situation last minute in a noisy airport only to be almost late for your flight or worse actually miss it. Don't do it. Be upfront about what is going on! They deal with alot of these situations all the time and they are trained to handle it. You can always fill in and print out the official TSA notification card online to present to your agent discreetly if you struggle to communicate. This does not exempt you from screening but it will adequately communicate to your agent your needs and help make things alot smoother for you. You can also request accessible seating, private screening, or a Passenger Support Specialist (PSS) and I highly encourage you to get informed on your various options before you arrive. There is a TSA Cares hotline and website you can call/look over for more information as well.

For those with Disabilites, Medical Conditons & Service Animals: BRING MULTIPLE KINDS OF DOCUMENTATION ALWAYS!

Wear comfortable, loose clothing and shoes you can easily slip on and off.

Have your flight information and ticket info ready to go both for the Kiosk/airline check in counter when you arrive.

Use the restroom as soon as you see it. You don't know if there will be a restroom near your...

Today, I learned why HOU is one of the best airport in the nation and deserves the 5-Star Skytrax Rating.

After I checked in my baggage and was waiting in the security line, I suddenly remembered that I left a small portable phone battery in my checked bag, which I originally planned to carry it onboard. So I rushed back to the counter to explain the situation. With an hour left until departure, I assumed it wouldn’t be too difficult to retrieve the battery.

However, things turned out differently. The baggage room crew was busy handling an incoming aircraft and didn’t have the capacity to retrieve the bag or remove the lithium battery. The only option was to call the baggage room and wait for someone to locate the bag. As time passed, the crew cannot do anything, and I began to worry—should I leave the battery in the bag, or should I board first and hope for the best and whatever may happen to my luggae? I felt helpless and frustrated, wondering how I had ended up in this situation.

That’s when Dora, check-in agent of Delta, stepped in. She decisively said that we had to remove the battery, no matter what. Kudos to her for her judgment and risk awareness. As boarding time approached, she personally went to the baggage room, FaceTimed me to identify the bag, removed the battery, and rushed back to deliver it. By then, there was very little time left. She helped me pass through security quickly, skip the line, and reach the boarding gate safely. She even messaged me afterward to make sure everything was in order.

I truly want to apologize for the inconvenience I caused to the crew. But I also realized something important: HOU is the best airport because of all the amazing and incredible crew like Dora. Emergencies and crises reveal the true character of people and organizations. I’m grateful I made the decision to notify them, even though it was stressful. Even if I had missed my flight, I wouldn’t have regretted making that call.

Dora has worked at HOU for 17 years—even before many of the airport’s incredible transformations—and I cannot thank her enough for her help...