Dulles Getting Better?
 

Okay, this is not an april fools joke though it sounds like it.

I fly to/from Dulles almost every week. I have always believe that Dulles is the worst major airport in the US.

But, lately, it has been getting better. It's not so much of a zoo, there are TSA agents who are pleasant.

I noticed 4 months ago that they were handing out timestamped cards to time the lines. Since then, I get through security in peak times in 10-15 minutes.

Am I just lucky or there at the proper times?

Thanks,

albatross

Actually you were in the MCO line. Look closely and you will see those are timed reservation tickets for Pirates of the Carribean.

LOL!

I wish IAD was getting better but it's structurally disadvantaged, IMHO. I do agree that security has been quite a breeze in my multiple trips there these past two months.

For UA frequent fliers, IAD is really tough. The mobile lounges to C/D are slow and cumbersome. Sometimes the lines are so long to get on it could be a 20-min wait. And they have to circumnavigate the globe to get to their destinations these days due to construction. Worse is there's no alternative. Yea, the train will make things better but that'll be years from now and the underground walkway isn't even gonna go to C/D coz it's a "temporary" concourse (like 20+ years "temporary"). And for a temporary concourse, C/D is crimes against humanity! It's such a zoo, there's nothing to eat/buy, and the public spaces are, well, what space? The low ceilings lend a claustrophobic look. That combined with the number of pax using IAD as a UA hub makes IAD a total cluster**** for UA fliers. Don't even get me started about the UX/G terminal (G for Greyhound?). Not to mention daily parking used to be 50% cheaper when you could park closer to the terminal. Why did they build those garages so far away? Even without checked bags and travelling during off-peak hours, I have never gotten from C/D/G to my car or vice-versa in less than 20mins. Add 30mins if you have checked bags.

I do want to like IAD, I do. The trans-con/Atlantic non-stops are awesome. Great fares too. But the endless walks, cramped concourses, weird mobile lounges and just sheer hassle of navigating the airport from car-to-gate-to-car makes it hard to like IAD especially when DCA is none of the above. Good thing we have a choice in the DC area! :)

You can't traverse IAD without realizing that MWAAHAHA, the bureaucracy that collects your landing fees and walk-through-the-airport taxes. cares not one whit how far you have to walk, how long you have to wait in the security line, or whether there are any services in the concourses.

To Terminal B... a breeze.
 

I've been flying out of IAD a lot lately, given that the airport road makes it the easiest airport to Montgomery (especially in peak traffice when the GW Parkway is a mess). Mostly, it's to destinations also served non-stop from DCA.

BUT, I fly CO. I've never waited more than 5 min in a security line, and the walk to B isn't short but it isn't that bad either. I can get from curb to B31 for my flights in 20 min tops... with a stop at Starbucks.

The few times I have flown UA... especially out of G... it was like an entirely different airport. Aside from the fact that I've never had a UA flight out of IAD depart or arrive on time, the haul to C/D/G and then the madhouse (especially in G!) makes it worth the breaklights to DCA and the possible connection!!

Picking up or returning rental cars addes to the problems, parking lots in the next county, and the fact that the "mobile lounges" and security wait times can vary in the amount of time you need to wait can really cause problems

The walk from Daily Garage 2 to the main terminal isn't all that bad. I'm giving away my secret here ;) but I've always been able to find a spot on level 4, in the outdoor section (I have an older car so I don't mind the sun or snow beating down) right near the elevator and stairway. From there, it's only a 5-7 minute walk to the ticket counters or security.

On the other hand, I refuse to pay $9 a day to use the economy parking lots when I can park for free a few miles east at the municipal Herndon-Monroe garage (overnight parking there is permitted, unlike Metro lots) and then take the 5A bus or a $10 cab ride to the airport. The cab ride is faster than many of the economy parking bus rides, and for stays of 3 days or more it's cheaper. If I time it right, even the 5A bus from Herndon-Monroe is faster than the airport parking buses. :rolleyes:

But for my business trips, I've found Daily Garage 2 to be pretty convenient. For leisure trips (non-reimbursable) I take the cheapskate route and use Herndon-Monroe.

I don't get it... I moved to the Montgomery County area 5 months ago and have been flying regularly for work at peak travel times. I am yet to wait in line for security at IAD... perhaps 2 or 3 people ahead of me, max.

By contrast, I've never NOT waited in line at least 10 min at DCA (usually much longer) for Terminal B (CO) or C (US Shuttle) security.

Not to mention, traffic on the GWP or stoplights through DC makes the trip from Bethesda to DCA consistantly longer than zipping down the IAD access road (on which I have never experienced traffic).

Perhaps my dumb luck? But... that's a pattern of consistant luck. I wish I could say I was that lucky.

What am I missing?

I've always been under the impression that DG2 is just as far away as DG1 from security, now that it's all the way over on the UA side. Consequently, I've always parked on level 2 of DG1 and hopped on the moving sidewalks as opposed to walking over from DG2 across the length of the terminal. Am I incorrect?

I've only parked in DG1 once. If you're flying UA and need to stop and get a boarding pass at the ticket counter or the Mr. Easy machine, Garage 1 is probably closer. But I usually fly AA out of IAD, whose ticket counter is closer to DG2.

Plus, I don't particularly like walking underground. Better scenery outdoors on the walk from Garage 2. :)

You are not incorrect - I do the same thing. In addition to the walking, the newer garage has much faster in/out access if you use the airport road (by the Marriott) and ignore the posted signs. :)

Indeed! The signs make you loop around WV to get out of IAD. What were they thinking...

A good exercise being the only saving grace, the walk from the Main Terminal to the DGs is still very long. And for $15/day!

On the other end of the extreme: from touchdown at DCA to walking thru' my front door last night - 25 minutes. And I even parked in economy. If I'm lucky, it takes all that to get from C/D to DG1.

For contrast, the last time I flew into DCA, it took me 1.5 hours to get home once I left the airport :o ... I'll use IAD, thanks ;)

66 is quite a b*tch! ;)

Actually it was an accident on I-395 that day, I was in the middle of rush hour so was not allowed on I-66 inside the beltway.