6 Most Beautiful U.S. Airport Terminals

United/Continental's Terminal E, Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport

In Houston, Continental reopened the final phase of 23-gate Terminal E (above), which handles international flights, in 2004. It reopened Terminal C, primarily for domestic flights, in May 2010. The renovations cost $300 million and $65 million, respectively. Houston is the largest hub for the new United, with more than 45,000 passengers boarding each day, or 16.4 million each year.

Like many modern terminals, including T5 at JFK, Houston's Terminal C (not pictured) does not include the traditional row of ticket counters positioned against a single wall, with travelers waiting in line for service. Rather, the terminal includes 115 check-in locations at check-in islands, including both kiosks and counters. Terminal C had not been upgraded since it opened in 1981.

-- Written by Ted Reed in Charlotte, N.C.

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