Airline guide for Hobby Airport (HOU): carriers, terminal, and check-in

Which airlines fly out of Hobby Airport?

Five major carriers operate scheduled service at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU): Southwest, Delta, Spirit, Frontier, and JetBlue. Southwest is the dominant carrier with roughly 85% of the airport's traffic; the other four operate a smaller schedule but cover most domestic markets and several international routes.

• Southwest -- domestic focus, most routes nationwide, several Mexico and Caribbean routes.
• Delta -- domestic east-coast and west-coast routes plus Atlanta hub connections.
• Spirit -- ultra-low-cost domestic service, mostly to Florida, Las Vegas, Mexico.
• Frontier -- ultra-low-cost domestic service to Denver, Las Vegas, Florida.
• JetBlue -- domestic service plus Caribbean and Latin American leisure routes.

If you are looking for United or American, those carriers do not operate at Hobby -- they fly out of George Bush Intercontinental (IAH). See our Hobby vs Bush comparison if you are deciding between the two.

What is the terminal layout at Hobby Airport?

Hobby has a single terminal with two concourses (Central and West) connected by a short walkway past the food court. After clearing TSA you can reach any gate within ~10 minutes on foot. There is no train or shuttle inside the terminal -- it is small enough to walk.

Gate assignments rotate; the carrier-to-concourse mapping is more stable than the specific gate number, so use it as a sanity check rather than a guarantee.

Where do I check in at Hobby Airport?

All check-in counters are on the upper level of the terminal (Departures), the same level the shuttle drops you at. Southwest counters dominate the central section of the upper level; Delta, JetBlue, Spirit, and Frontier each have a dedicated counter to the right as you walk in.

• Mobile boarding passes are accepted by every carrier at HOU -- skip the kiosk if you are carry-on only.
• Bag drop is separate from full check-in for Southwest and Delta during peak hours; look for the shorter line marked 'Bag Drop'.
• Spirit and Frontier charge for both carry-on and checked bags -- pay online before you arrive to save 30-50%.
• JetBlue's Mosaic loyalty members get priority bag drop and the priority TSA lane.

How does TSA work at Hobby Airport?

There is one TSA checkpoint at Hobby, located between the check-in counters and the concourse. Three lanes are usually open: a standard lane, a TSA PreCheck lane, and a CLEAR + PreCheck lane. During peaks (5-7 AM) all three run at full capacity; off-peak, one of the three may be closed.

Standard wait times average 10-15 minutes off-peak and 25-40 minutes during peak. PreCheck typically clears in under 5 minutes regardless of time. See our arrival timing guide for the full math.

What is inside Hobby Airport once I am through TSA?

• Food court near the central concourse junction -- mix of fast casual (Pappadeaux Express, Tex-Mex, Starbucks) and grab-and-go.
• Local Houston-themed restaurants in the West concourse including 3rd Bar Cafe.
• Two USO lounges for active military and dependents.
• Hobby Airport's Mom's room and family restrooms in both concourses.
• Free public Wi-Fi (network: HoustonAirports) -- no signup required.
• ATMs and a few news/gift shops in the central area.

Hobby does not have a paid lounge of its own. Southwest does not operate clubs at any airport. If you want lounge access, you would need to fly out of Bush.

How do I get from parking to the terminal?

If you park on-airport, the parking garage is connected to the terminal by a covered walkway. If you park off-airport (including with us), every off-airport lot runs a free shuttle to the terminal upper level. Our shuttle runs every 5 minutes during normal hours and every 15 minutes during low-volume hours -- the ride is 3 minutes.

Ready to lock in your parking?

When you are ready, lock in a rate for your dates -- the price you see online is the price at the gate.