Northwest Airlines Flights from Oakland (OAK) to Houston (IAH)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Northwest Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Oakland (OAK) to Houston (IAH) regularly scheduled to depart at 6:05am and arrive at 11:48am, and one additional non-stop flight regularly scheduled to depart at 12:35am and arrive at 6:07am, everyday except Wednesday and Thursday. Usually a Boeing 737-800 or Boeing 737-900 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Oakland, CA to Houston, TX is 3 hours and 37 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
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During your Houston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument & Museum
On the San Jacinto Battleground in 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico with a crushing surprise attack by the Texan forces, whose battle cry was "Remember the Alamo!" To commemorate that victory, civic leaders in 1936 built a towering obelisk as tall as the Washington Monument but topped with a Texas Lone Star. In the base of the monument is a small museum of Texas history with some interesting exhibits, such as one about the relatively unsung Texas hero, "Deaf" Smith, and a collection of watercolors of the Mexican War painted by Sam Chamberlain. There is also a small auditorium where you can watch a 35-minute documentary of the battle. If you would like to view some of the Port of Houston as well as the rest of the land for miles around, you can take the elevator up to the observation room in the top floor of the tower, which is more than 500 feet above the ground.Across from the monument, in roughly the same place from where the Texans began their advance, is the USS Texas. Built in 1914, before improvements in warplane technology made these large dreadnought battleships vulnerable, she is the last of her kind. Between the wars the navy modernized the ship with antiaircraft and torpedo defenses, but it's still surprising that it survived World War II, having fought in both the Atlantic and the Pacific theaters. When you visit you can clamber up to its small-caliber guns or onto the navigation bridge, inspect the crew's quarters and check out the engine room. Life on board was no picnic -- the quarters were cramped and facilities were minimal -- so it is interesting to learn that this ship was considered a lucky assignment. Plan on at least an hour to see the Texas, and as much again for the monument.
Kemah Boardwalk
Many visitors to Space Center Houston (see review below) will afterward go out for seafood at nearby Kemah, which is as touristy as the Houston area gets. It used to be a rustic shrimping port on Galveston Bay where you could buy some shrimp and a beer and sit by the dock on an afternoon to watch the shrimp boats come in. Most of the pier was washed away in 1984 by a hurricane, and in the 1990s it was bought by a developer who built the boardwalk, several restaurants, a hotel, and some touristy stores and attractions. The restaurants overlook the water; if you stroll down the boardwalk you'll pass every one. Pick the one that most appeals to you. Among the attractions is a 50,000-gallon, floor-to-ceiling aquarium housing more than 100 species of tropical fish in the Aquarium Restaurant.
Menil Collection
Here, on display in an unremarkable neighborhood near the University of St. Thomas, is one of the world's great private collections. Jean and Dominique de Menil arrived in Houston in the 1940s, fleeing the war in Europe. For more than 4 decades, they purchased and commissioned works of art; brought artists, architects, and academics to the city; organized groundbreaking exhibitions; and did much for Houston's art museums and for the art departments of Rice University and St. Thomas University. Their collection, especially the modern art, is vast, so much so that only a fifth of it can be exhibited in the museum at one time. The structure housing the collection was designed by Renzo Piano, who worked closely with Mrs. de Menil. It is graceful and personable and doesn't seek to impress the visitor or impose itself on the collection. In these qualities it is the physical embodiment of Mrs. de Menil's ideas about experiencing art. When you walk into the museum there is nothing between you and the art -- no grand lobby with marble stairway, no large banners or gift shop vying for attention, no tickets to buy, no tape-recorded tours. Viewing the art becomes a direct and personal experience.The Menil Collection is concentrated in four areas: antiquity, Byzantine and medieval, tribal art, and 20th century. This may seem an incongruous mix, but, strangely enough, it holds together. The collectors never intended to gather up the most representative of a period; they simply followed their own tastes, which were modern. And one interesting consequence of this fact (intended or not) is that, in walking through these galleries one right after another, the viewer gradually discerns a universality in some modern art that connects it all the way back to antiquity and across the boundaries of Western culture to the tribal peoples of other continents.In addition to the main museum, four satellite buildings form a museum campus. One of these satellite buildings is the much-talked-about Rothko Chapel, with its 14 brooding paintings by Mark Rothko, created specifically for this installation and the last works before the artist's death. In front of the chapel stands Barnett Newman's Broken Obelisk. A block south of the Rothko Chapel is the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum, which is worth seeing as much for the building that houses them (designed by François de Menil, son of Jean and Dominique) as for the frescoes themselves, which were ransomed from international art thieves. Across the street from the main museum, in a building also designed by Renzo Piano, is a permanent exhibition of the works of Cy Twombly, which, though perhaps difficult to approach, are easy to view because of the gallery's exquisite light. It lends a luminous quality to the large artworks, and somehow just being in the place livens one's spirits. Finally, Richmond Hall, 2 blocks south of the campus, holds an installation by neon light artist Don Flavin.
Grant Palm Court Inn
This is the best lodgings bargain in Houston: quiet, clean rooms with a number of little extras for a good low rate. This is one of those time-capsule places where nothing seems to change -- all rooms are furnished in '50s fashion. The higher rate is for rooms with two double beds that can accommodate up to four people at no extra charge. The rooms encircle well-tended grounds that hold a pool, a Jacuzzi, a wading pool, and a swing set. There is also a kennel for canine guests. The hotel is close to the Medical Center, Reliant Stadium, and AstroWorld. And the icing on the cake: Would you believe that Elvis actually once stayed here?
Best Western Downtown Inn and Suites
Located in the shadow of downtown's skyline, this hotel offers convenient location and extra large rooms with one king-size or two queen-size beds. On the down side, style takes a back seat to comfort and convenience, and there's no restaurant or room service. The greatest savings are had during the week; for a weekend, I would pay a bit extra to stay at one of the fancy hotels.
Wingate Inn
As far as airport hotels go, this one has the most extras for the buck. Rooms are large, comfortable, and well equipped, including two phone lines (including a cordless phone) with free local calls, microwave, and in-room safe. Most come with two full beds. Services include free airport shuttle and continental breakfast (even though there's no restaurant).
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights to Houston (IAH) on Northwest Airlines