MrAndy1369

Apologies if this question has been asked before, but are DCA and BWI considered co-terminals in terms of changing my flights? I have a BWI flight upcoming Friday (BWI-MSP) because the DCA-MSP flight is $600 more. Would it be possible to SDC to the DCA flight?

mtkeller

DCA, BWI, and IAD are co-terminals, but that might not help here. I believe the official policy is still that SDC does not allow you to switch to a coterminal. (The exception being that sometimes DMs will be able to persuade a phone agent to do it for them.)

Often1

Regardless, you will find that DL (as well as US and UA) are very protective of DCA because of the higher fares. As noted, asking nicely, hanging up and asking nicely again, are the only way to hope for this. Put bluntly, unless you live next to BWI, nobody travelling to/from DC would ever use BWI if there were comparable fares xDCA.

3Cforme

SDC isn't permitted to co-termimals, a documented limitation that is brought up time and again.

The following are not permissible:

No changes between origin, destination, or co-terminals (such as New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports).
No changes to routing for fares that are flight specific or require specific routing.

(Yes, people speak of an undocumented Diamond benefit.)

stevekstevek

While SDC does not allow you to change to a co-terminal, IRROPS rebooking will.

Given that I find I have the chance to do an IRROPS rebooking around 25% of the time these days (usually for minor delays, and often with no better options), If switching to a more preferable co-terminal was something I'd want to do, I would get to do it pretty often.

Unfortunately for me, the co-terminals for me usually mean having to spend $50 bucks on a cab ride, so I only switch when something would get me home much sooner.

MrAndy1369

I always fly from DCA. It just happened that the specific flight I wanted connecting through MSP on Friday was cheaper from BWI by $600. No joke. No choice. If DL won't be willing to SDC me to DCA (and I don't expect them to), I'll have to trek it there using either SuperShuttle or asking a friend for a ride. Alternatively, I'll hope for an IRROP/schedule change. If a schedule change occurs, would DL be willing to put me through DCA?

Often1

Maybe. But, would have to be IRROPS pretty far in advance. Taxi from DC to BWI, now approx. $75 + tip, from BWI to DCA approx. $90 + tip. Worse yet is the traffic. Sure, if you see that your BWI-MSP is delayed while you are still in DC and call DL, maybe they will take care of you. But, expect them to be stingy. They are fighting like crazy to keep the DCA distinction.

To me, it's worth $400 to fly out of DCA and that's my breakpoint in fares.

libuser

taxi?
For $5 take the MARC train, and you are guaranteed to get to union station in 40 minutes. No traffic no waiting. Then get a cab to where you live or metro in.

Often1

Yet another reason to avoid BWI like the plague. If I wanted a cattle car, I'd fly WN in the first place.

bstreeter

Never seen an SDC between BWI and DCA.

For non-business trips another (slower) option is to use the Metro. One takes the Green Line to the terminus at Greenbelt. There you transfer to the B30 bus. This bus departs every 20 minutes for about a 30 - 40 minutes drive to BWI. The fare on the B30 is now at least $6, so a OW trip from downtown DC is less than $10. Figure on about 90 minutes to complete the one way trip. Traffic on the Baltimore Parkway is the great unknown. The B30 runs, I believe, from about 7 Am to 9:40 PM or thereabouts.

For me a $600 differential is a no-brainer. Take public transport, pocket the savings and use it to book a second flight somewhere else. I should also say that a $600 differential to MSP shocks the consciousness.

Often1

For F/A or Y/B typical fare difference on medium haul domestic is in the $500-700 range for UA, US x BWI vs. xDCA. No idea how discount buckets price out and my experience is not statistically sound. Loads out of DCA still jammed. A lot of people more than willing to pay a premium for an airport 10 mins from downtown where a 10 min wait at checkpoint is considered long.

Time is money for me. 10 mins to DCA vs. 60-90 to BWI.

kahuna613

I second taking the MARC train...it's fairly easy (yes a little annoying getting to Union Station/riding the shuttle from the BWI MARC station), but to save hundreds of dollars, there is no question.

Often1

Time is money + convenience. DCA with no luggage and I am home in DC 20 mins after walking off the aircraft. With BWI, even being met by car service, it's still a long walk to pickup, then a 45 min ride presuming no traffic. The commuter route is even worse. Yes, there's a rail station called BWI, but it's a 10-min bus ride from the terminal and the MARC (commuter) doesn't run at night or on weekends. That leaves Amtrak which is significantly more expensive and not only requires reservations but now has conductors checking tix before boarding at BWI because the kiosk printer is locked up after hours.

It's simply not worth the difference and I've never had a client question it.

TropicalTripper

I shudder to think what's going to happen to fares and loads if this US-DL LGA/DCA slot swap goes through.

I flew out of BWI once 2+ years ago and I vowed to never do that again. But yeah, if the fare difference were $600 on a leisure trip, I'd probably make the schlep. I think my breaking point is about $250. Thankfully IAD is a viable option for me since I live in Rosslyn and I can hop on the 5A. This year I've been able to find decent enough fares out of DCA that I haven't had to trek to IAD or BWI thus far.

yngdiego

I actually tried to SDC to a co-terminal (BWI to IAD) as a PM last week, and was turned down. The phone agent did say it was a DM benefit, as she first thought it was good for PMs too.