A New Use for IAD's People Movers
 

I experienced my first first in a long time yesterday at IAD on UA 517.

Due to the weather delay, the crew was over time, so the pilot took the plane to a remote area to deplane and to let UA look for another crew. When another crew could not be found, they sent the people movers out to the plane to offload passengers. I was on the phone with the 1K agent, trying to get rebooked on the next flight, and she did not believe me.

Me: My flight has been cancelled.
Agent: Mr. Expatinglasgow, your flight is only delayed due to weather.
Me: No, it has been cancelled. I have just been offloaded and I am sitting on a people mover.
Agent: People movers do not take passengers off of planes. We cannot rebook you just because of a weather delay.

Surreal.

Probably because I am based in the IAD area and frequent the airport regularly but I have been loaded and offloaded directly to/from the mobile lounges at least a dozen times. However, never with UA.

That is the original purpose of the people movers. Direct from the main (and only) terminal to loading the planes.

http://www.metwashairports.com/dulle...al_2/history_2

That's true!

http://www.virtualtravelog.net/entri...-PlaneMate.jpg

http://www.northwestposse.com/blogs/...FAat%20IAD.jpg

Yep, not a "new" use at all -- it's the original use! ;)

Sorry to hear you got such an ignorant 1K agent on the phone. However, the first rule in such a case is, as always, hang up and call again! (Also, with the passage of time, hopefully the flight status displayed to the agent would be updated from "delayed" to "cancelled.")

I deplaned once at IAD via the "moon patrol movers" a couple years ago. It was on a LHR-IAD flight. We landed and our gate was occupied by another bird so we went to a remote spot and they sent the movers. I was in C, and the movers attached to the REAR door, so C & F were the last people off and consequently, the last to reach immigration which was already a mess. :mad:

Good ol'e IAD...:rolleyes:

I remember deplaning LHR flights to "moon buggies". But that was a 20th century experience. ;)

I've said it before... when those bad boys end up on eBay, I am soooo buying one! Transportation to work by day, mobile dance club at night. :D

Well good for you. I can't wait for the day when I don't have to see them anymore.

That said, the people movers are still preferable to the buses that sometimes transport you from some remote place in Europe to the terminals at MUC or FRA.

Twice I've been offloaded out the BACK door when the skybridge was frozen. Once was UA and I'm not 100% sure of the other (either UA or AirTran).

Its one of the times being in the back is good - since one moon buggy is not enough for the entire plane - and the rest must wait for a second one to arrive.

Well, I learned something: Dulles is a modern and innovative airport, at least in terms of 1960s technology.

You'll be waiting a while. Even when they implement the new train system, they are still planning to use the people movers to ferry people from international flights to customs in the main terminal.

yeah, I remember using these things at IAD 30+ years ago to get on and off the plane. I thought it was fun THEN.

Yup ... been offloaded through the back door of the plane about 2 years ago coming in from LHR. Annoying because we were in F and were the last ones off the plane (along with the crew), and ending up waiting forever at customs.

It prompted the pilot to announce: "Welcome to Dulles ... where they reinvent the wheel everyday."

People-movers suck ... unless you're on the one owned by MileageAddict, of course!

There are two different models of mobile lounges. The type where you exit from the opposite end from where you boarded has a wall plaque affixed at one end.

You will see the manufacturer date is 1962. :eek: