Narrative:

Scheduled leg from ZZZ to dfw. Massive thunderstorm moved over dfw as we approached glove intersection. Spent 40 mins in holding pattern at glove then proceeded toward dfw in moderate turbulence while dodging thunderstorms. 20 mi out of dfw the approachs were shut down for windshear and tornados in the area. We diverted to iah per our flight plan. The ATIS winds at iah were somewhere in the range of 160 degrees at 20 KTS gusting to 29 KTS and they were landing on runway 8. Landing on runway 8 would put me right at the maximum crosswind component. Also; I did not have any fuel left for a go around and second attempt if the approach did not go well. I decided the smartest thing to do was to request runway 15 for landing. We requested runway 15 upon contact with approach. We were told they were landing on runway 8. We said we couldn't use runway 8 because of the crosswind component. The controller then said we would have to go somewhere else. We said we would declare an emergency if we had to; but that we were not going to another airport and we were going to land on runway 15. After several mins of the controller coordinating with someone he said we could use runway 15 but would have to vector us around in a box pattern for a while. Even though we were low on fuel; I accepted this. We landed uneventfully. Once inside the terminal I had the opportunity to talk to two other capts who also diverted to iah. They said they received the same reluctance to be allowed to land on a runway aligned with the wind. They also were on the verge of declaring an emergency before the controller approved the runway 15 approach. I don't appreciate having to battle ATC after a long flight through bad WX while running out of fuel. Whatever procedure iah approach has set up to deny pilot requests needs to be eliminated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DIVERTING FROM DFW TO IAH WAS INITIALLY REFUSED WIND ALIGNED RWY REQUEST BUT AFTER POSSIBLE EMER DECLARATION; RWY REQUEST WAS GRANTED.

Narrative: SCHEDULED LEG FROM ZZZ TO DFW. MASSIVE TSTM MOVED OVER DFW AS WE APCHED GLOVE INTXN. SPENT 40 MINS IN HOLDING PATTERN AT GLOVE THEN PROCEEDED TOWARD DFW IN MODERATE TURB WHILE DODGING TSTMS. 20 MI OUT OF DFW THE APCHS WERE SHUT DOWN FOR WINDSHEAR AND TORNADOS IN THE AREA. WE DIVERTED TO IAH PER OUR FLT PLAN. THE ATIS WINDS AT IAH WERE SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF 160 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 29 KTS AND THEY WERE LNDG ON RWY 8. LNDG ON RWY 8 WOULD PUT ME RIGHT AT THE MAX XWIND COMPONENT. ALSO; I DID NOT HAVE ANY FUEL LEFT FOR A GAR AND SECOND ATTEMPT IF THE APCH DID NOT GO WELL. I DECIDED THE SMARTEST THING TO DO WAS TO REQUEST RWY 15 FOR LNDG. WE REQUESTED RWY 15 UPON CONTACT WITH APCH. WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE LNDG ON RWY 8. WE SAID WE COULDN'T USE RWY 8 BECAUSE OF THE XWIND COMPONENT. THE CTLR THEN SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. WE SAID WE WOULD DECLARE AN EMER IF WE HAD TO; BUT THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO ANOTHER ARPT AND WE WERE GOING TO LAND ON RWY 15. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF THE CTLR COORDINATING WITH SOMEONE HE SAID WE COULD USE RWY 15 BUT WOULD HAVE TO VECTOR US AROUND IN A BOX PATTERN FOR A WHILE. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE LOW ON FUEL; I ACCEPTED THIS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. ONCE INSIDE THE TERMINAL I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO TWO OTHER CAPTS WHO ALSO DIVERTED TO IAH. THEY SAID THEY RECEIVED THE SAME RELUCTANCE TO BE ALLOWED TO LAND ON A RWY ALIGNED WITH THE WIND. THEY ALSO WERE ON THE VERGE OF DECLARING AN EMER BEFORE THE CTLR APPROVED THE RWY 15 APCH. I DON'T APPRECIATE HAVING TO BATTLE ATC AFTER A LONG FLT THROUGH BAD WX WHILE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. WHATEVER PROC IAH APCH HAS SET UP TO DENY PLT REQUESTS NEEDS TO BE ELIMINATED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.