jmr50

Now that the merger is over and growth is back on the table, it's time to address some of the glaring issues in the system that need work. One of the biggest problems is IAD: United is in "temporary" Concourse C/D which are a miserable experience for customers, insufficient for United's needs, and have a life expectancy that's short.

Here are a few facts:

- Concourse C/D opened in 1985 as an "interim airline gate facility" and renovated in 2006 to extend its life for 8-10 more years until a permanent facility can be built.
- This "temporary" facility houses gates C1-C30 and D1-D32, a midfield customs facility, operations activities, and three Red Carpet Clubs plus a modest amount of retail.
- In addition to United/UX, Air Canada Jazz and Ethiopian operate from C/D (although they collectively have 3-5 flights a day).

So, given that there's very limited additional capacity for expansion at EWR (and the existing spillover from C to A in EWR is inconvenient at best), IAD is going to be a focus of operations for the new United. MWAA (owner of Dulles) has planned to construct a 44-gate facility to replace the C/D concourse and United would likely be the airline to occupy it. Here are a few thoughts:

- Currently *Alliance partners (except for AC) are in Concourse B: ANA, Austrian, Lufthansa, SAS, South African (Avianca & Copa as potential future members): they represent a dozen departures a day which could be a better feed for United's domestic operation if they were "under one roof".

- ANA and Lufthansa each operate lounges (ANA jointly with AF) and United operates 3 RCCs and an IFL. A joint lounge such as in London, LAX, or CDG would make quite a bit of sense. Given present RCC crowding issues, multiple lounges of a significant size would be sensible.

- The intention is to build Concourse C/D like B: larger gate areas, plenty of open glass and light, more dining and retail, significantly more power stations. United would do well to find something to match the awesome power of the Concourse B Chipotle.

- I'm thinking all United and Star international service, and all United mainline domestic service should move to the new concourse. While the A to C transfer is a bit awkward, I see many of the UX flights which have moved to D moving back to accommodate both Star and expanded United flying. Something should be done to ease this transfer, which is presently unnecessarily hard for unfamiliar flyers and a bit too slow.

- A three-level facility as proposed would provide space for a new mid-field customs facility as well as some better crew, operations, and baggage handling spaces. Here's hoping these all translate into better/faster/friendlier service.

What other considerations make sense? How quickly could something like this be built?

weero

Close the eyesore, use DCA for all domestic flights, divert everything international via ORD .

I can keep dreaming ....

jhayes_1780

IMhO: At best, a facility of that magnitude would take no less then 4-6 years (and that is if everything goes smooth).

MKE-MR

Based on the AirTrain: 15 years

I like the idea of moving UA to B (if it would fit) and giving all the other airlines the longer journey out to a new D.

JetAway

Great idea but costs too much. Isn't going to happen for a long, long time.

Jgish

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Given that we're still waiting for metro, and measuring how long it took to get the air train, 2050

magiciansampras

Using what money?

I'd rather have a crappy terminal and cheaper fares, personally.

jwbbx

I had a 5 hour layover at IAD on Saturday going TPA-IAD-GRU. I spent most of that on the A/B concourse using the LH lounge and checking out the shopping etc. If I had not done that I think I would have dissolved to a puddle somewhere about hour 3. The RCC at C7 is hot, dreary, and crowded, and the two others remind me of bad basement remodels.

It is just amazing that the C/D facility still exists, and that getting that *$&@! train was more important that providing a decent terminal building. 1.4 billion that thing cost, for very little in service improvement in my mind.

The new North Terminal at DTW took about 2 years to build, but only has 26 gates because the gates are only on one side of the building. Had they not required road access and check in/baggage claim etc, then they could have put gates on both sides. I would imagine that just a midfield type building without the ticketing/check in side might take less time.

The new terminal to replace the 'temporary' C/D has been put on hold - they are out of money.

323power

It always happens that my outbounds to the west coast are through ORD, but my returns always seem to dump me at IAD If I have time, as I'm usually heading to the lower A gates anyway, I stop at Vino Vollo in B to make me a little "happier" that I'm at IAD.

nevansm

It's a total [dump]. I hate having it as my home airport and go out of my way to use DCA: paying higher fares and a connection in ORD. The LH club is nice, but a pain to get to if you have a C/d departure. They're out of money, the government won't help, only hope is UA footing part of the bill or a huge corporate sponsorship (which I'd be all for). "welcome to the Citi terminal". Anything for more RCC's, bigger gates and better food.

UA_Flyer

IAD is one of my hometown airports.

Yes, I agree and like all the stuff mentioned in OP....but I have given up long ago....and LH also gave up on UA's "plan" to renovate IAD in the process.

At the end of the day....the old United never had the $ to foot the bills for the planned new C/D Concourse. MWAA is not going to be able to pay for it, and the old United has not never committed to the financing for it.

If the new United is going to do it, it will have to wait until after the two airlines receive one operating license. After that, the new United will continue to focus on integrating the two airlines. I'd say it will be at least five years from today until the new United will start considering what to do with IAD.

We can all keep on dreaming and speculating..... and don't forget that we are talking about Washington DC....probably the worst place to get anythind done or decided.

Akulashark

They have a signature facility at IAD, just head to A1-6 and check out the facility. It is like a metaphor for how United would prefer to treat their customers.

allga

While you're dreaming, dream up a way for runway 1-19 to handle "all domestic flights." Not to mention the terminal.

FriendlySkies

+1

In some ways, it's too bad UA can't move some of the international departures over to Concourse B. That would allow UA premium pax the ability to access the LH lounge, and spend time in a much nicer building, while waiting for an international flight. As others have mentioned, I wish they would have spend the money for the train on fixing up the place. Some of those gates really needs a facelift!

jwbbx

There is a limit to what a facelift can do {reference Joan Rivers}.

The only kind of facelift that would work is done with a wrecking ball.