New York Houston
Southwest into Hobby and United into Bush Intercontinental serve two different Houstons. Hobby puts you downtown or at the Medical Center in 15 minutes. Bush adds 30-45 minutes of highway. For a four-hour flight, that gap reshapes your day.
If your destination is central or south Houston, fly Southwest from LaGuardia into Hobby. It runs throughout the day, takes about four hours, and you skip the ride from Bush.
If you're connecting onward or headed north, fly into Bush. United runs the most service from LaGuardia and Newark. Delta and American also fly LaGuardia to Bush. Departures leave every hour between them.
United puts a 777 on the Newark to Bush route. Domestic first class on a widebody is a different product than the usual single-aisle seat, and on four hours you notice.
Spirit flies LaGuardia and Newark to Bush if you want the lowest fare. Four hours in a tight seat is fine for this distance.
Skip Kennedy to Bush. American runs it a few times a week. LaGuardia has far more service.
If you're going anywhere inside the 610 Loop, price out both airports with ground transport before you book. The fare into Bush might look cheaper, but the cab adds time and money that can close the gap.
Have a specific need? Use the decision guide below to filter by your airline, where you live, lounges, or where you're staying in Houston.
Pick What Matters to You
Best pair by where you're coming from
Best pair by where you're staying in Houston
Which pair your airline flies nonstop
| Airline | LGA–IAH | EWR–IAH | JFK–IAH | LGA–HOU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Delta Air Lines | ✓ | — | ✓ | — |
| Spirit Airlines | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Turkish Airlines | — | — | ✓ | — |
| American Airlines | ✓ | — | ✓ | — |
| Southwest Airlines | — | — | — | ✓ |
| United Airlines | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
Ranked by on-time performance
Lounge access by airport and terminal
Ranked by flights per week
Getting to the airport
Red-eye vs daytime departures
Premium cabin options
Connecting through New York from a domestic flight
Nonstop service from New York to Houston runs all day across multiple airport pairings and carriers. Adding a connection through a third city turns a four-hour flight into six hours or longer. Connections only make sense if you are starting in a smaller city and routing through New York or Houston to reach somewhere else.
New York & Houston Airport Profiles
Each airport has a personality. Terminal quality, transit access, lounge scene, and crowd levels vary dramatically — sometimes more than the flight itself.
New York Metro
LaGuardia is the New York airport that does not pretend to be anything more than a domestic terminal. No international flights, no customs hall, no transatlantic gates competing for security lane capacity. The result is a faster, simpler airport experience than JFK or Newark for any flight that stays in the country. Eight miles from midtown Manhattan, it is also the closest major airport to the city center.
The rebuilt Terminal B replaced what was widely considered the worst major terminal in the country. The new building is bright and open, with real restaurants instead of the food court that used to define LaGuardia dining. Gates connect via an elevated pedestrian bridge with a clear sightline to the Manhattan skyline. Terminal C is equally compact. Neither terminal is large, and gate-to-gate walks stay under ten minutes.
Newark Liberty has three terminals, and Terminal A opened as a full rebuild in 2023. The old Terminal A was demolished and replaced, and the difference is dramatic. Terminal C is United's hub, massive and busy, with most international flights departing from here. Terminal B handles most other carriers.
The AirTrain connects all three terminals and the NJ Transit / Amtrak rail station. Unlike JFK, the terminals are closer together and the AirTrain loop is faster. Security at Terminal C can back up during afternoon and evening international departures.
The airport sits in New Jersey, around 10 miles from Manhattan. That proximity is deceptive because the drive crosses the Hudson via the Newark Bay or Lincoln Tunnel, and both can be brutal during peak hours. NJ Transit from Penn Station is the more reliable option.
JFK spreads across four active passenger terminals connected by the AirTrain, and walking between them is not an option. Terminal 1 is the old international building. Terminal 4 is the largest, handling most international carriers. Terminal 5 is the former TWA terminal, now JetBlue's home, with the mid-century curves still intact. Terminal 8 belongs to American and British Airways.
The terminal you depart from depends entirely on your airline. Security wait times vary between them. Terminal 4 tends to be the slowest during evening international departures. Terminal 8 has improved since the co-location of its two main carriers. The TWA Hotel sits adjacent to Terminal 5 if you need to sleep before an early departure or after a late arrival.
JFK feels enormous because it is. Budget extra time for the AirTrain if you are connecting between terminals or arriving by subway. The AirTrain loop takes 10 to 15 minutes end to end.
Houston Metro
Intercontinental spreads across five terminals connected by the Skyway automated train. Terminals A, B, and C handle domestic flights, with Terminal C the largest and busiest. Terminals D and E serve international departures and arrivals. Walking between Terminal A and Terminal E without the Skyway takes 20 minutes or more. Security lines at Terminal C are longest during early morning when departures stack up.
The airport sits 25 miles north of downtown Houston off Interstate 45. Food and retail options are concentrated in Terminal C, with a central marketplace near the security checkpoint offering the widest selection. Terminals A and B are older and have fewer choices but shorter walks.
Hobby is a compact airport 7 miles south of downtown Houston. The main terminal handles domestic flights, with a separate international concourse on the west side. The walk from security to the farthest gate takes about 10 minutes. Lower passenger volume means shorter security lines and less time between curb and gate.
Food options include fast food and a handful of local Houston restaurants inside the terminal. The layout is straightforward: check in, clear security, and you are at your gate. No people movers, no terminal transfers, no long walks between concourses.
Which Airlines Fly Which Pairs
United Airlines serve both LGA and EWR to IAH — airport flexibility on the New York side.
Not all planes are the same size. The aircraft type below each checkmark tells you whether you are getting a widebody (777, 787, A350) with wider seats and a quieter ride, or a narrowbody (737, A321) with a single aisle. On flights over five hours, the difference is significant.
A220-300
A220-300
A220-100
737-800, 737 MAX 8
737-900, 737 MAX 9
737-800, 737 MAX 8
A321neo
A321neo