<p>We are coming from Balto. to Houston for Orientation...what is the best way to fly...Southwest or Continental...we will get a credit card to earn miles for whichever airline seems best. I thought going into Hobby by Southwest would be best, my Rice to be student son believes othewise.</p>
<p>Hobby is much closer to Rice...but it just depends on your deal. If you get cheaper tickets on a flight coming into Intercontinental, it may be worth the drive.</p>
<p>continental might be the cheapest because IAH (Bush-Intercontinental) is a Continental Hub, but IAH is a lot further. Also, it is a huge airport so if you base your flight experience on overall hassle, then I would choose to go to Hobby. Southwest has a lot of cheap flights, especially one way flights. You can check their flight deals, which change every Thursday and expire each Tuesday (I think, maybe it is sunday). They are usually really cheap. I got a flight from Houston to Fort Lauderdale like a week or so before my flight at 120+ and a flight from FL (I spent a week there on vacation) to Phoenix for another 120+. It is all about shopping around. Use Orbitz to get an idea of which airlines offer the cheapest price and then go to their websites directly to check it out for yourself. I usually do Expedia then Orbitz to see if there is a difference. Southwest has something called Internet Promos that start at 99 bucks. </p>
<p>So, in conclusion, Hobby is easier because it is smaller and closer to Rice and Southwest flies into Hobby.</p>
<p>Just a notes, in case you do go to IAH. I really prefer the smaller airports, but I have never had a problem navigating around IAH. They also have a train that runs underneath the terminals to transport people around the airport.</p>
<p>I really like the service Southwest gives. I might be biased because Continental is notoriously difficult to fly a bass on, but Southwest pretty much rules. And the first-come first-served seating rule is wonderful.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for the response..is it expensive to get to Rice from Hobby?</p>
<p>My s took the bus/rail system once. I think it cost him a buck. (This is before he got his free rail pass). But it was a hassle, as the busdriver was new and had no idea where he was going!! Sometimes he takes the shuttle to/from the Marriott Medical Center. Its about $15-20 (I forget exactly). There's also the supershuttle, and they often have coupons on line.</p>
<p>I would definitely vote for Hobby and Southwest. It would cost you a pack of money and a lot of time to get from IAH to Rice (especially since the freeways are likely to be jammed somewhere with normal traffic plus all the construction going on).</p>
<p>mtnstr: </p>
<p>Since you used the word 'we', I am assuming that it is more than one. In that case it might be cheaper to rent a car than a taxi or shuttle from either of the airports. Hobby may be about 15 miles from Rice and IAH may be about 40 miles from Rice.</p>
<p>S flies from BWI to Hobby via Southwest all the time. SWA has some flights in both directions that are non-stop. His first two years he wound up with Wednesday afternoon labs that were being held the day before Thanksgiving. He still made non-stop flights home. After making friends -- very easy to do -- he was able to bum rides back and forth to Hobby.
One year, before he had his own car to take, we couldn't take the time to drive and move him in. It was cheaper to fly him one-way with all the luggage he was allowed to carry and ship his stuff by FedEx Air than to drive round trip.
Book early for Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>Also, Southwest is really generous with the amount of luggage you can take on a flight. They allow for three checked in items, each weighing 50 pounds each (most airlines only allow for two at 50)</p>
<p>We also fly my daughter in from Baltimore. Usually Southwest is the better deal both in fares and convenience. But if you are going for orientation and renting a car it doesn't make much difference. We used Continental ( I think it was Continental) once for parents weekend and to bring her home Thanksgiving freshman year because all of the lower priced fares on SW were closed out. It worked out fine for us but added time on to a short trip for her (even though we didn't have to drive to BWI). Other than those two occasions we have been very lucky getting low fares from Southwest without having to book far in advance - with self scheduled exams it becomes a little difficult to determine the logical best day to go home for breaks. By the way I am really hoping that the Dulles hub opens soon with good fares/schedule to Hobby.</p>
<p>Southwest into Hobby is the best way to go. Southwest anywhere is the way to go if you possibly can.</p>
<p>Taxi fare to Rice/Med Center is $30 from Hobby and $50 from IAH. I fly in an out of Hobby and take the bus/metro to get to rice and back.</p>
<p>This doesn't seem to apply to you, but I it might help someone else. From Hobby you can take bus 73 to the Fannin South Station (or the TMC transit center, but it's quicker to get off when it reaches Fannin) where you can board the light rail to the Houston Zoo or Rice University Station depending where you're headed on campus. (Houston Zoo for south colleges, Rice U station for north) Total cost without a U-pass is less than $2. It takes an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. (Public transit to IAH takes over two hours)</p>