BD from IAD, experience ?
 

I am on BD702 to MAN in C in a couple of weeks, which looks very quiet up front at the moment. Flight leaves at 18.00 and I am currently due to arrive at 15.43 on UA5679 from LGA.

Does anyone who has been on this flight think I may be running a bit of a risk here time wise ?. I've read that IAD seems to have the usual nightmare queues that come as standard when flying in the US these days. Also what are the lounge options ?.

Appreciate any advice/comments.

I wouldn't be worried about delays arriving at IAD, but rather delays in leaving LGA. That could potentially be worse. I don't think you have much to worry since you seem to have given yourself enough cushion time.

In terms of lounge options, there are two RCCs in Concourse C/D. Take your pick... I do believe that the RCC in C concourse is closer to the BD gate, but cannot remember exactly which gate number the BD flight leaves.

Your flight from LGA will arrive in the same building as the BD flight to MAN leaves from (Concourse C). You literally walk off one plane (LGA tends to arrive at Gate C22 or Gate C26), down the corridor to the United Red Carpet Club (yiur only lounge option, though they do have 1 near your arrival gate (next to Gate C15) and another further down (around Gate C7/C8).

No queues to worry about, as you will have already cleared security at LGA. Just get United to tag your luggage all the way to MAN when you check in at LGA (if booked on separate tickets, just show them the BMI tickets or a printout of your itinerary). When you get to IAD, just check in at the Red Carpet Club (show them your baggage tag receipts from LGA so they can match your BMI reservation to the baggage tag numbers).

As YOWKid says, the UA flights from New York (all airports) are a bit all over the place at the moment, and LGA is a bit like Heathrow at the best of times. You may well arrive up to an hour late, but are allowing plenty of time for the connection, so this shouldn't be a problem (you only realistically need to be there an hour or so before - the warnings about queues and arriving early apply to those checking in (and clearing security) at IAD.

Some further notes...

While LGA can be a bit rough and ready, I've always found the UA staff on the premium check-in desks to be excellent. Faced with a LGA-IAD delay of more than one hour, they once paid for a cab to take me across to JFK where there was an on-time flight available in order to give me a better chance of making my IAD-LHR connection. I've also found the RCC staff at LGA quite helpful.

IAD is a different matter ;) But the connection in your case is straightfoward. I've done it in under 5 minutes.

I agree. The folks in the LGA RCC are great and the agents at the First Class / *G check-in desks are quite good as well.

You're lucky.

Wait until you have to make transfers to/from T-Gates. Ugh. Brings back very bad memories... Those f**king tanks... :mad: :mad: :mad:

Thanks !
 

Thank you all for the replies and advice.

Now, just to clarify the above. Once I have boarded at LGA, I will simply be geting off at IAD, walking to the RCC (if I so wish) and then walking 'unhindered'(ish) to the gate for the MAN flight ?. No 1hr+ queue through international security a la the MAN flight from ORD ??.

Sorry if I seem to be questioning anything above, but I find it amazing that leaving the US on an international flight can be so straightforward at the moment. Is IAD unique in any way for this ?.

At IAD (as with all US airports IIRC) arriving and departing pax can mix freely, with the exception of international arriving pax who need to be checked out by INS (and possibly security screened if they're connecting onto another flight or have to go airside to get landside)

When you land at IAD, you'll walk off the plane and end up airside, clear of security etc. You then just need to walk to your gate. Think if you were doing a domestic to domestic connection at LHR T1 (I know, you just wouldn't do it) - it's exactly the same as that.

At IAD (as with all US airports IIRC) arriving and departing pax can mix freely*, with the exception of international arriving pax who need to be checked out by INS (and possibly security screened if they're connecting onto another flight or have to go airside to get landside)

When you land at IAD, you'll walk off the plane and end up airside, clear of security etc. You then just need to walk to your gate. Think if you were doing a domestic to domestic connection at LHR T1 (I know, you just wouldn't do it) - it's exactly the same as that.

* Just realised - the bmi flight goes from T5(?) at Chicago, which is why you'll have to specifically clear security. If you connect onto UA to LHR, you just stay airside, because once a UA flight comes in from overseas, the pax get off and then they move the plane, but BD will just stay in the same place

Yup. As it's a domestic-international CNX, you'll already be airside and security cleared. There won't be a 1hr queue à la MAN style, but of course, the normal lineup to board. Mind you, they do have the right to pull you over to do a secondary. So, don't be the first to board. ;)

IAD is not unique. it is the same for all flights leaving the US (and most other airports, I believe). (If you ever end up landside, then you have to reclear security.)

Yup, T1/2-T5 in ORD is a bore. But UA to BD at IAD is relatively simple - one of the few nice points about IAD.

If anyone is doing LGA-IAD-LHR, try the solitary LGA-IAD flight that is operated by a 757. Usually light loads, reasonable service, E-upgrades to F if you've got an MP account, it doesn't seem to be hit by the same ridiculous ATC restrictions and delays that blight the CRJs and it arrives on the stand next to the LHR departure.

The confusion is actually caused by British airports which require security reclearance for flights to UK destinations but are inconsistent about international ones, eg...

ORD-MAN-EDI, I have to reclear security in the domestic terminal
EDI-MAN-ORD, I do not
ORD-MAN-TLS, I have to reclear security
EDI-MAN-TLS, I do not
IAD-LHR-EDI, I have to reclear security at Flight Mis-Connection Centre
EDI-LHR-IAD, I do not
IAD-LHR-AMS, I have to reclear security at Flight Mis-Connection Centre
EDI-LHR-AMS, I do not

I once had a long and boring polite argument with a receptionist at the UA RCC in LHR T3 who couldn't understand why I had arrived airside without having checked in. She was all for calling the terminal police. The fact that I had arrived from EDI via T1 didn't change her mind.

It is possible to travel SYY-EDI-LHR-IAD and arrive in the United States having had only one security check - at Stornoway airport. And to think they worry about metal cutlery...

The only fine point of IAD perhaps? (Can you tell that I absolutely detest IAD? ;))

I was on 847 once and that one time, it was jammed pack (the flight goes on to South America) and it was number 10 in takeoff when it finally left the gate late (I fell asleep for most of the wait and the flight, so no clue what happened, but it seemed to take forever). Boarding was pathetic (as soon as boarding started, everyone just went and they had a difficult time controlling the crowd). It was so late that I thought I was going to miss 924 to LHR... The problem is that 847 leaves at the beginning of prime time, so if it is late, then the wait is long.

But doesn't that mean the UK and the US operate in parallel on this?

If you fly EDI-LHR-JFK, then you're considered to have cleared security to the level required by the CAA at EDI, so no need for a rescreen at LHR, but in the reverse you're only cleared to FAA standards on arrival in LHR, so need to be re-checked.

The SYY example is a good one, but I have similarly flown GTF-MSP-DTW-LGW and only cleared security at GTF. Am sure there's other even smaller airports out there doing the same...

But in the cases of not having to reclear security, you are arriving on a domestic flight connecting to international, ie. EDI-MAN (domestic) - ORD (international), EDI-LHR (domestic) - IAD (international). This is the case with any other airport that I have been to in Canada and the U.S.

In Canada, if you arrive international and connect to domestic, say, LHR-YYZ-YVR, then you have to go through security again at YYZ as you end up landside (and I believe this is what happens at all Canadian airports). But, YOW-YYZ-LHR does not require going through security again as it is domestic - international. Same thing with the U.S,: SFO-IAD (domestic) - international doesn't require you to go through security again while LHR-IAD (international) - SFO (domestic) requires a recheck at IAD. This seems consistent with the British, no? Or have I missed something?

It seems that countries don't trust another country's security enough to allow for through travel. Technically, if you do IAD-LHR-BKK, you need to go through security again at LHR T3, but no one does unless if the gates are located in separate areas of the terminal that requires one to pass by a screening machine and they catch you. At least that's what I always thought.

Yes, it's true that domestic flights exempt pax from having to reclear security. But I don't understand why some people who arrive airside (from iternational destinations) require reclearance while some (domestic) don't. It seems Britain does not regard non-British security clearance as valid, cf eg Germany where I can be accepted EDI-FRA-ORD without reclearance in FRA.

Actually if you fly LAX-SFO-LHR they make you reclear in SFO. But that is down to the physical setup of the terminal. No point arguing with the TSA.