(I know this may irk some FT people, but just testing the waters to see if someone likes it)

...of all the WAS airports, IAD has the largest planes coming and going. And because UA has its hub there (UA rocks!). But other than that little else to be happy about. Maybe once all the renovation is complete and maybe when/if Metro reaches it.

I am almost never required to use it.

This would be hard to say it is my favorite for anything. I hate that place

I suppose it's better than BWI, but that's certainly faint praise...

As the handle hints at, DCA all the way

I suppose it's better than BWI, but that's certainly faint praise...


In what way??

... I enjoy battling lounge dragons. :rolleyes:

... I love the 3rd-world look of the UA terminals. :rolleyes:
(Taking a LH flight to FRA out of the other terminal was a revelation!)

... the moon buggies are a highly efficient method for transferring between terminals. :rolleyes:

Moved to Washington DC forum

cblaisd
Moderator, United

VS has a flight to LHR and a Clubhouse there.

there's only a few things nice about IAD.

nonstop flights to the west coast on 3-cabin aircraft
flights to europe
dominion brewpubs!!!! ^

aside from that IAD is a third world airport compared to its other hubs

... I enjoy battling lounge dragons.

Maybe it is just me but I don't see why everyone hates the people working the RCC's at IAD. I have been through there many, many times over the years and have always been greeted warmly with my questions and requests answered and handled in a polite friendly manner. And I have been to all 3 lounges. I always approach them with a smile and a good morning/afternoon/evening. And I always get a smile in return. Was just there yesterday and was the same as I have always seen. polite and friendly in both C18 and D8 lounges.

Landing there means I'm on my way home.

... the exhaust from the moon buggies reminds me of childhood
... doesn't matter where you are in the DC area, it still takes 1.5 hours to get there
... you can lose 5 pounds of water weight getting of the moon buggy at D, and walking to your gate at at C3

... I enjoy battling lounge dragons. :rolleyes:

:

Somebody must be a big dungeons and dragons fan.

it reminds me how pleasant the rest of my life is! :p

Because nothing starts a trip like standing in a security line for an hour at Oh Dark Thirty waiting to get probed by TSA.

.... the moment I saw the thread title I had to burst out laughing. :D

.... I realize that Dulles and Delhi share some things in common. :D

.... I can fly out of DCA and connect somewhere else. :D

The long-term parking shuttle runs every 20 minutes if your lucky - especially after getting off a red-eye.

The only good thing is that the Exxon has cheaper gas prices then the gas stations near my house in Bethesda.

.... the moment I saw the thread title I had to burst out laughing. :D

.... I realize that Dulles and Delhi share some things in common. :D

.... I can fly out of DCA and connect somewhere else. :D

isn't that the truth! another thing i like about IAD is that when you get to the C/D concourse, the departure monitors are either
a) blue
b) green
c) yellow
d) blank
e) all of the above

always a treat!!!!! i also love the GA's manually putting up the flight information at the gate. it's like "back to the future" before computers existed

I suppose it's better than BWI, but that's certainly faint praise...

How????

How????

BWI is kind of out dated, and unless you live in MD, it's kind of a waste to go out there.

This would be hard to say it is my favorite for anything. I hate that place

I do not hate IAD but I am certain IAD hates me. I have the worst luck there over ANY UA hub, bar none.

It is closest airport to my house.

I can park for free.

I can usually fly nonstop.

Big planes are fun to look at.

BWI is weak.

- If you're in downtown DC it's even further out in the hinterlands than IAD
- Every time I've ever been there the security line is packed w/ non-business pax. Give me the elite security line at DCA any day.

About all it has going for it is that you can take the train there

... because of the widebody aircraft that fly there. (only in comparison to BWI and DCA)

I'd rather hang myself than fly through IAD. When flying NYC-LHR, if I can't make the nonstop, I will fly LGA-ORD-LHR to avoid IAD. That's how bad it is.

...because it now has an elite security line (she says with hope in her voice)?

BWI is weak.

- If you're in downtown DC it's even further out in the hinterlands than IAD
- Every time I've ever been there the security line is packed w/ non-business pax. Give me the elite security line at DCA any day.

About all it has going for it is that you can take the train there

There is an elite security line at BWI at concourse C ... not sure about elswhere. The only thing I don't like about it right now is all the construction. At least there are plenty of parking options. :)

It's certainly not my favorite airport. But there are some redeeming qualities:

1) You can pay for parking while you're inside the terminal. :rolleyes:
2) I once helped a cute British chick with her luggage. :)
3) I have found that traffic on the Dulles access road is practically non-existent.
4) Washington Flyer bus connects it to the DC Metro.
5) There are places to sit down while waiting in baggage claim.
6) Provides alternative airline (i.e. Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue) and airfare options to BWI and DCA.

5) There are places to sit down while waiting in baggage claim.


This is because they know it takes over an hour to get your checked luggage. Longer, if you're in a hurry.

... because the same DHS nit-wit can stamp over my Brazilian visa each and every time my passport is subject to his stamp at IAD.

It's certainly not my favorite airport. But there are some redeeming qualities:

3) I have found that traffic on the Dulles access road is practically non-existent.
4) Washington Flyer bus connects it to the DC Metro.

Welcome to FT, robert_paulson! Good call on #3, a benefit that has served all of us well at some point. #4 is good most of the time too, but I have experienced exceptions :eek:

I actually do like certain aspects of IAD. The Saarinen architecture can be spectacularly beautiful on a late winter afternoon with the sunset shining through it. However, the most notable aspect is that I can almost always get from touchdown to curb on international flights within 30 to 40 minutes. A lot of people don't like the mobile lounges, and I certainly don't like them as a way to get from terminal to terminal, generally. But when arriving on international flights, they save the incredibly long walk that you have from plane to immigration in so many other airports.

I find that I can normally position myself in the mobile lounge so that I will be one of the first in the immigration line. Except on the rare occasions that my flight is off-schedule, I normally find that I can walk directly to an immigration agent, get stamped, and be walking up to the customs agent within 2 - 3 minutes.

I do sympathize with my non-American friends who must suffer with the much longer lines and hassles that they must endure.

...because it now has an elite security line (she says with hope in her voice)?

Is this true? I use DCA far more than IAD, so I don't know too much about it. But in 2 weeks my wife & I will fly from IAD to JNB on SAA business class. Will we have to wait in the normal security line? Or will we get to use a shorter line for business & first & elite passengers? I know at ATL, SAA business class passengers get to use the elite security line.

But back to the topic at hand! I have limited IAD experience, but in a 6 or so trips from there, I like it because....
1) as robert_paulson pointed out, once you get off the Beltway and onto the Access Road, NO TRAFFIC! :) (getting from Bethesda to the Access Road...not so fun)
2) Main Terminal architecture. The UA terminals are crap, but who doesn't get a thrill seeing the Main Terminal in the distance (especially at night) when driving in from the Access Road?

...because it now has an elite security line (she says with hope in her voice)?
Is this true? I use DCA far more than IAD, so I don't know too much about it. But in 2 weeks my wife & I will fly from IAD to JNB on SAA business class. Will we have to wait in the normal security line? Or will we get to use a shorter line for business & first & elite passengers? I know at ATL, SAA business class passengers get to use the elite security line.


Yes, apparently it's true. As per the folks on the United board it opened yesterday. It's still not entirely clear what constitutes an "elite," but I'm guessing as business-class pax you and Mrs. Umhlanga would qualify.

Why do I like IAD?

- They invented the only airport that it is impossible to hurry through
- They had the first TSA FSD busted for DUI while on the job -- and then got a good lawyer and almost beat the rap on a technicality

and, most important:

- My wife and I are making gobs of money on a tax-free municipal bond we bought several years ago, the sale of which is paying for all that construction at IAD that makes it so pleasant! :D

Because now, if you're stuck at IAD for any length of time (or want to kill a couple of hours before your flight), you can take a shuttle (http://www.vatransit.org/bus_route_schedules.cfm?route_name=Air%20and%20Spa ce%20Museum%20SHUTTLE%20-%20EASTBOUND) from the airport to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/) for just 50 cents each way

I think that this is pretty new because I remember reading a couple of weeks ago on the NASM website that you had to take a taxi from IAD to get to the center (which seemed pretty silly considering how close the museum is to the airport, and what the focus of the museum actually is)

Pardon me for being the nay-sayer here... well, in a "double-negative" sort of way. But I love IAD! Of the D.C. airports, it's by far my favorite.

Part of my preference is based upon living in MD... from my home, thanks to the ALWAYS TRAFFIC-FREE airport road, I can get to IAD in at least the same time (usually faster) than I can fighting my way through D.C. or along the GWP to DCA. Plus, DCA is a ZOO... even when IAD's lines at security are long, I somehow never wait for more than 5-10 minutes.

The trick is, don't fly UA. If you fly UA, IAD is the least of your problems. If you fly B6, CO, or one of the other airlines from the BEAUTIFUL B concourse, it's a breeze! And, on the way back, I've never once waited for my luggage... while at DCA, I don't recall ever NOT waiting a good half-hour at the carousel.

I'll use this as my first post on the board: For those of us living in Bethesda, IAD is by far the most convenient choice. There is nothing worse than going around the Beltway and up to BWI. The garages at DCA are frequently filled to capacity (including short term and economy). This is in contrast to Valet parking at IAD which makes getting in and out very easy.

I'll use this as my first post on the board: For those of us living in Bethesda, IAD is by far the most convenient choice. There is nothing worse than going around the Beltway and up to BWI. The garages at DCA are frequently filled to capacity (including short term and economy). This is in contrast to Valet parking at IAD which makes getting in and out very easy.
Welcome to FT! Be sure to check out the CommunityBuzz forum for occasional happy hours and other dinners in the area.

btw - worse than going around the beltway and up to BWI is having to start that trip west of the beltway off 66 :eek: it's just that much worse!

I don't have to use it because DCA is so close. IAD gives me nightmares.

.....................................

...because it now has an elite security line (she says with hope in her voice)?

OK, I've seen this pop up in a few threads, but can't seem to confirm it's *ACTUAL* existence. Can anyone confirm?

OK, I've seen this pop up in a few threads, but can't seem to confirm it's *ACTUAL* existence. Can anyone confirm?I haven't been there myself yet, but I've seen enough posting about it in the UA forum that I know it exists and runs quite smoothly. It supposedly opened on July 18th. And, they let elites from other airlines, not just UA, use it.

Well, that or there's some grand conspiracy in the UA forum to convince people that it does exist when it actually doesn't.

In a city that takes ineffeciency to the platinum level (government bureaucracy) - IAD is the crown jewel.

OK, I've seen this pop up in a few threads, but can't seem to confirm it's *ACTUAL* existence. Can anyone confirm?
It is the only (but a major) positive at IAD these days, changed a 15 minute wait to less than 5 for me yesterday.

I haven't been there myself yet, but I've seen enough posting about it in the UA forum that I know it exists and runs quite smoothly. It supposedly opened on July 18th. And, they let elites from other airlines, not just UA, use it.

Well, that or there's some grand conspiracy in the UA forum to convince people that it does exist when it actually doesn't.


It exists all right. The Washington Post just ran an editorial on August 11, complaining that security lines for elites wasn't fair.

I used the elite line at 5:30 last Tuesday morning. There was not a single person in front of me! NOTE: the line is marked "premium passengers".

Of course the guys in the UA forum want to keep it a secret! MY god, there'll be WNers at IAD soon! How much more must we bear!

It exists all right. The Washington Post just ran an editorial on August 11, complaining that security lines for elites wasn't fair.

I didn't know the post ran an article like this as well. USA today ran the same thing about a week ago I believe....