Washington D.C. (including Baltimore) - Overnight @ IAD....

I searched, read a few threads a few years old. My brother & his wife will be doing ORD-IAD on a monday night (arrival @ 1215 AM), and taking a tuesday morning (818 AM) flight to SJU. These would be on two different Itineraries.

Doesn't seem worth getting a hotel.

Questions:
1) Any good suggestions on which gate/terminal have good sleeping options?

2) If a bag is checked ORD-IAD, can you retrieve it, re-check it, and then re-enter security to get to the gates or not at that hour? She'd like to pack an air mattress to use that night at IAD, but not sure how this would work. If they exit the terminals, is there TSA security to let them back into the gate area?

3) Any areas that the floor allows for enough space for a queen size air mattress?

Much thanks!!

You need to get a hotel. There's a Marriott just off the airport property. And quite a few nearby. Check Priceline if you want to save $.
You most certainly won't get back through security at that hour if you only check your bag through to IAD.
Even if you could get through security, IAD doesn't allow people to sleep over.

From older threads, and the sleepinginairports.com site, seems like you CAN sleep overnight in IAD. Do you have experience or policy change to support?

You may be able to get away with it in the main terminal outside security, but they sweep the midfield concourses at night.

There is no problem sleeping anywhere at IAD, either pre- or post-TSA security. There is no "sweep" of the concourses at night (at least not to remove anyone who is trying to overnight there).

Why can't you check the bags through? Even if on separate itins, if you are on the same airline (sounds like UA) I believe you can do it. Otherwise, you will not be able to re-check your bags in the Main Terminal in the middle of the night because there won't be any airline staffing at the hour. If you must retrieve checked bags after the first flight, go upstairs and to the rear of the ticket counter area - there are huge open spaces where you shouldn't have any problem "crashing" for a few hours.

As for food and drink... All of the vendors in the concourses are closed by 10pm. There are several 24-hour food and drink vendors in the baggage claim area (Starbucks, Guava-and-Java, Dulles Gourmet Market).

Hope this helps.

There is no problem sleeping anywhere at IAD, either pre- or post-TSA security. There is no "sweep" of the concourses at night (at least not to remove anyone who is trying to overnight there).

Why can't you check the bags through? Even if on separate itins, if you are on the same airline (sounds like UA) I believe you can do it. Otherwise, you will not be able to re-check your bags in the Main Terminal in the middle of the night because there won't be any airline staffing at the hour. If you must retrieve checked bags after the first flight, go upstairs and to the rear of the ticket counter area - there are huge open spaces where you shouldn't have any problem "crashing" for a few hours.

As for food and drink... All of the vendors in the concourses are closed by 10pm. There are several 24-hour food and drink vendors in the baggage claim area (Starbucks, Guava-and-Java, Dulles Gourmet Market).

Hope this helps.

Helps Very much so. They can check their bags through -- but she was hoping to retrieve an air mattress from the checked luggage for the night. But she'll obviously have to re-arrange.

Thanks, again.

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago my inbound flight was delayed and got in too late to make my connection.

I had a security guard(not TSA) ask me if i was waiting on a flight, I said yes and he pointed ot a nice little cubby hole to laydown for a few hours. He didn't ask to see any proof of onward travel.

However I got the impression that a queen sized air mattress would be frowned upon even if she were able to get it.

After reading this story (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_denver_airport_rape), perhaps sleeping overnight in a quiet airport concourse is NOT something you'd want to do by yourself!

After reading this story (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_denver_airport_rape), perhaps sleeping overnight in a quiet airport concourse is NOT something you'd want to do by yourself!
:rolleyes: Definitely need to be careful just as you would be anywhere, but that is - I would hope - a one-off and not indicative of the threat level of being in any airport late at night.

IAD will be an absolute ghost town by 11.30 or so, with some later arrivals and fewer departures. Personally, I'd go the hotel/priceline option. There are a plethora of options in the area (although they are cheaper at weekends, than weeknights) I would still price one out before opting for the floor/chairs. 8:30 is not a first flight out type of deal and it's nice to have a real shower available (for you and your fellow passengers ;) ) YMMV

If you do choose to stay over, I would think that the mid D gates (which I'm not even sure get fully used these days) may be the quieter area to hang out. The B terminal, while nice, is much brighter/cavernous, which could effect the sleep.

I'd still look for a hotel :)

As far as checking through your luggage, if that is seen as a cxn, they may check it thru but they also may deem since you are overnighting, they can only check it to IAD and then you'd have to recheck it to SJU the next morning. If that were the case, then I don't believe they would be permitted back through security that night, so a hotel or sleeping in the (yuck/gross) main terminal becomes your only option.

The Marriott can be expensive but would likely be the most practical. There lots of hotels in the area, but I'm not sure that all of those listed as being Dulles area hotels on Priceline or Hotiwre offer airport shuttles (Hotwire a bit better in showing whether your choice does, with their icons), and some shuttles may stop running that late anyway, so a taxi may be required. I don't like IAD in general and would not want to spend the night there (and my wife would kill me if I suggested it for the two of us), but I've never faced the situation your relatives are facing. I assume it's too late to change their choices of flights.

Re accessing their luggage: I'd phone the airline involved (preferably their number at IAD).