POE Houston - Terminal D or E?

[WorldTravelers 5]

My mom is arriving as a new immigrant this Saturday to Bush Intercontinental airport (IAH). That will be her POE and final flight, but neither of us is familiar with that airport. Since she speaks very little English to ask her way around, and doesn't have a cell phone, we wanted to make sure we know exactly where to expect each other.

I checked the same flight as hers this week, and it has been arriving to Terminal D. I already explained to her the layout of that terminal D, and we have a backup plan on where to wait on that terminal main level if we miss each other.

Now I am finding out that immigration and baggage claim would actually be on terminal E?!

Have any of you been through this POE recently and can confirm where the exit is, terminal D or E?

Is there more than one glass sliding door where one can exit after customs?

[dwheels76 5,469]

My mom is arriving as a new immigrant this Saturday to Bush Intercontinental airport (IAH). That will be her POE and final flight, but neither of us is familiar with that airport. Since she speaks very little English to ask her way around, and doesn't have a cell phone, we wanted to make sure we know exactly where to expect each other.

I checked the same flight as hers this week, and it has been arriving to Terminal D. I already explained to her the layout of that terminal D, and we have a backup plan on where to wait on that terminal main level if we miss each other.

Now I am finding out that immigration and baggage claim would actually be on terminal E?!

Have any of you been through this POE recently and can confirm where the exit is, terminal D or E?

Is there more than one glass sliding door where one can exit after customs?

International immigration only come out one way. If they are coming in from an international flight and are clearing customs and immigration, then they will exit into the Terminal E lobby.

When she picks up baggage (all done behide the gate) they will be directed where to go. No issues nothing you can do until she comes out unless you call airport and ask for special pass to go back there and help her (It is wild in there.)

Edited December 11, 2013 by dwheels76

[JRF 117]

In my experience IAH while busy is less dysfunctional than LAX.

Looking on the bright side.

[TBoneTX 46,137]

The time that you'll wait in the International Arrivals area in Terminal E depends strongly on how many international flights are arriving at the same time, and how grumpy the CBP agents are (a rather frequent condition). Have your mom befriend someone on the plane (or walking from the plane into the terminal) to coach her on where to go and what happens.

You yourself should note precisely where you've parked and how to get back there.

[WorldTravelers 5]

Thank you all for the responses!

I called CBP at IAH and was told that for Saturday afternoon I can expect 1.5-2 hours from the time the plane lands to the time she exits. They also confirmed it would be at Terminal E.

I found here pretty good map of Terminal E that shows flow of traffic and has visual indication of "Passenger Greeting Area". That's what we were looking for!

I booked a wheelchair for my mom, and they usually take her through the passport control all the way to the baggage claim. So she would just need to clear the customs and walk through that glass sliding door....

[Owen_London 65]

I have travelled through the international line at Houston probably twenty times. It can be a long way from the gate to passport control, but the longer wait is usually the very slow inspection process. A few times I've arrived and queues have been short, and I've been at the exit within 30 or 40 minutes, but it can easily be an hour to hour and a half. Two hours would be unusual, in my experience, but it's easily possible that waiting times have got significantly worse in the last six months. They were certainly heading that way.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

I have travelled through the international line at Houston probably twenty times. It can be a long way from the gate to passport control, but the longer wait is usually the very slow inspection process. A few times I've arrived and queues have been short, and I've been at the exit within 30 or 40 minutes, but it can easily be an hour to hour and a half. Two hours would be unusual, in my experience, but it's easily possible that waiting times have got significantly worse in the last six months. They were certainly heading that way.

A lot depends on how many flights arrive at same time. I've seen hundreds of people, and at times, the citizen line is 4-5 times as long as the non-immigrant! Especially when they first installed the self check terminals....it was pathetic so say the least. In a recent flight -2 weeks ago- it took me 20 minutes to clear passpoert control and customs all the way to the terminal (and picking luggage)

[TBoneTX 46,137]

This is a year-old thread, but worth the "bump" of above.

One might add that arriving passengers should visit the restroom, even if they don't think that they really have to, before getting into line.

Edited December 15, 2014 by TBoneTX