IAD - Z gates to D gates?
 

Is getting into IAD at the Z gates on US and then connecting to an international UA flight in the D gates fairly straightforward?

From what I can gather on the terminal map for Dulles, I can walk to A and get a people mover to D or I can take a train from Z to C and walk to D. Which would be more predictable in terms of time? The itin I have on hold right now has a 2-hr layover. Not sure if carry-ons will need to be gate (valet) checked but if so will have to wait for that too.

Moving this over to the Washington, DC forum here on Flyertalk...where it seems there's already several threads which discuss getting around IAD.

Thanks!



aztimm

In order of preference:
1. People mover to D
2. Train to C, walk to D (this is a haul because the C train stops where C will be in 15 years, not where it is now).

#1 will take you a max of 10 minutes (presuming you just miss a people mover and it's a 5-minute wait for the next one).

Thanks, good to know this up front.

Just to clarify - you don't need to walk over to the A terminal to catch a people mover to the D gates. Once you leave the Z gates (which are connected to the main terminal) you can catch a people mover over to D right outside.

To be honest, you're probably looking at about equal times - I can't imagine one taking more than 5 min or so longer than the other depending on how lucky you get with your timing of catching the next shuttle or train..

Z gates are pretty much the only reason why I bother with IAD - literally at the main terminal

+1 for this answer.

After you enter the building at any Z gate, turn left in the corridor. At the end of the corridor you will come to a Dunkin Donuts. Turn left at the Dunkin Donuts and go up a short escalator/stairs to the Mobile Lounge dock, and take the next one to the D gates - they typically leave about 5 minutes apart (at very quiet times during the day it can be as much as 8 minutes).