Rather ironically, eliminating the perimeter restrictions would probably drive people away from the airlines to Amtrak and cars. You can justify flying a short haul to National because its proximity to DC save enough time to make it worthwhile. Once you add in the Dulles to DC transit, for some short hauls, you might as well stick to ground transport. So, while the perimeter inconveniences those who want to fly to Phoenix, it benefits those who are traveling to closer destinations,

The perimeter restrictions are in place for good reasons. Of course we all want a non-stop to wherever it is when we need to go to that place. But, nobody in their right mind schleps to IAD/BWI for short-haul flights.

In fact, more and more people will fly a TCON xDCA with a connection at ORD, IAH, or DFW before adding in the drive to IAD and then the interiminable trip from the curb to the gate at IAD.

That's true only if the perimeter restrictions result in the displacement of short-haul flights for longer haul flights. Not clear to me how much of that would occur.

From what I understand, National does not have capacity for more flights. So, th only way to add a longhaul flight is by cutting a short haul. The expansion in question is to create a better passenger experience for existing flights, not add new flights.

Sure, first visit featured meat that was pretty tough for a Sam and Harry's steak. I ordered it medium rare and while it was the right temp, it was not a good cut of meat (gristle, etc.).

Second visit featured green beans that were substantially undercooked and onion rings that appeared to have come from the bottom of the fryer - some blackened, others charred, others very greasy.

I tend to believe the numbers. I looked at actual flight stats for yesterday and found that Eagle had 120 departures at DCA yesterday on equipment that -could- use 35X - CR2s, CR7s, and Dash-8s. Of those, all of the CR7s (37 of them) used main terminal gates with 37 and 38 being the most popular gates (13 flights out of these two with 4 out of 34).

That leaves 83 flights: 81 CR2s and 2 DH8s. That means 4124 seats departing each day. Multiply that figure by two and you get about 8250 seats.

So, 5000 is an eminently reasonable number.

Thanks for the info. In the meantime, I've experienced it again.

The place is getting inconsistent. I went last week and had a meal
pretty identical to the one that hooked me in the first place - decent
steak, nicely done strings, and spinach that had been cooked enough
(in recent visits it has been just the frozen stuff with some kind of
onion dippy substance stirred in, insufficiently heated). As I no longer
fly out of those gates, I will visit less frequently than before.

More details about DCA expansion
 

The agenda for tomorrow's MWAA board of directors meeting includes a presentation about the plans to build a north concourse for DCA and expand the security checkpoints underneath the arrivals roadway.

From the renderings, the new concourse (estimated to cost $380,898,607 and open in the summer of 2021) looks like it may feel a little cut off from the rest of National. You'll proceed down a long, narrow passageway with moving sidewalks--it reminds me of the passageway between the pier for gates 15-22 and the section with gates 10-14. Fortunately, a separate budget presentation reveals that there will be an Admirals Club in this new space.

The new secure areas, one at each end of the current main terminal, are supposed to be done by fall 2020 at a cost of $237,524,197. Each will feature an open, wavy roof to the west of the roadway, under which people can queue up before security before going through the actual checkpoints in a space built underneath the roadway. So will you get out of a car, enter National at today's doors and then proceed downstairs and under the roadway? Will people arriving from Metro have to double back as well? That's still not clear.

Here's an animation of what the new security checkpoints will look like:


It also helps show the passenger flow. If you're arriving by car, you'll get dropped off at the same spot upstairs, check in, and then head downstairs to the checkpoint via a new set of stairs/escalators.

Arriving via Metro (or walking from the parking garages), you'll walk across the bridge (as you do now) and you'll either need to go upstairs to check a bag (as you do now) or you can proceed directly to the security checkpoint.

I think it should work pretty well.

The big question I have is if they'll keep space on the main level for some carry-on only check-in kiosks.