CORP JET FLT CREW COMPLAINT REFERENCE LATE TRANSFER OF ATC JURISDICTION FROM ZHU TO LRD TWR. CORP ACFT WELL INTO ATA AND IN POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH TWR PATTERN TRAFFIC. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

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HOU ARTCC VECTORED US; CORP X; OVERHEAD LRD; OUR DEST AT 5000' MSL. WE RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT 2 TIMES AND REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH. HOU CONTINUED TO VECTOR US AROUND REF TO MANY VFR TARGETS. WE WERE TURNED RIGHT DOWNWIND AND CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH FROM 4000' MSL TO RWY 35 (R OR L?). HAVING SPOTTED TFC TO RWY 35L; I DIRECTED THE PF TO APCH RWY 35R. ONLY AFTER MY INSISTENCE DID HOU HAND US OFF TO LRD TWR. THIS OCCURRED APPROX 1 1/2 MI ON FINAL. IN THE MEANTIME; LRD TWR HAD SPUN OUT THE RWY 35L TFC; NOT KNOWING FOR SURE WHAT RWY WE INTENDED TO LAND ON. THE LATE HDOF CAUSED AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN ON THE TWR OPERATOR'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE AN ORDERLY ARR SEQUENCE. THIS RPT WAS PROMPTED BY MY BEING QUESTIONED VIA TELEPHONE BY THE TWR OPERATOR 2 HRS LATER. THE THRUST OF HIS INQUIRY WAS AS TO WHEN HOU CENTER GAVE US THE HDOF TO TWR. HE INDICATED TO ME THAT THIS WAS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE. IT IS OUR COMPANY POLICY TO NOT CANCEL AN IFR FLT PLAN WHEN THE DEST HAS AN OPERATING CTL TWR; THEREFORE FOLLOWING THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE SOP FOR US. HOWEVER; THE ARR TO LRD WAS TOO HIGH; TOO UNCOORDINATED (ARTCC CTLR/TWR) AND A MUCH TOO LATE HDOF TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE SAFE; ORDERLY SEQUENCING OF ARRIVING ACFT.