I'm looking forward to redeeming 4500 BA Avios for some of US's DCA shorthauls -- almost as much as I'm looking forward to maybe getting bikeshare at DCA.
DOJ seems really keen on getting "new entrants" into DCA -- each proposal for slot divestiture over the years (UA+US+"DCAir" backed by AA, DL+US+B6, DL+US + B6+WS) has involved giving slots to new carriers rather than legacies. Now that everyone from WN to WS is there, though, I'm not sure whether that strategy will still work. DL sure seems to get a lot of throughput from its slots and might bid to get some back.
Originally Posted by
kokonutz
Really? It seems to me that the only folks who will be taking the metro to/from IAD will be tourists and airport employees.
Well, and people from Tysons & Reston.
Projected travel time to Tysons will be 22 minutes, Metro Center in 52 minutes -- so about comparable to ORD-Loop. Yes, the station will be 1000' further than the current 5A bus stop, but Metro won't get stuck in I-66 traffic and it will load much faster. (I've been stuck for 20 minutes waiting for scores of TATL pax, and the attendant hundreds of giant suitcases, to board the 5A.) Fares are unknown, but it won't be cheap.
The irony of the IAD station location decision is that IAD was built from the get-go for some kind of rail transit, but TPTB dilly-dallied for decades. At least it seems to be actually happening.
Originally Posted by
Jade_BR
let's not forget the lack of decent shops and restaurants [at IAD]. Yes, I know DCA is poor in that regard too, but at least I don't need to budget extra 20 minutes just to get to the gate.
DCA's landside dining options are okay, but more importantly you spend much less time inside DCA than inside IAD.
Originally Posted by
Jade_BR
We should have an Arlington FTers get-together.
The
local FT happy hours stop by Arlington once in a while.