Connecting in IAD
 

Im prob. going to be connecting in Dulles soon. I have heard that there are "Mobile Lounges" how does this system work???? I will be arriving from United Express in Concourse D and then leaving International in Concourse C.

Exit the gate are in Terminal A and follow the signs to Concourses C and D. There's a waiting area there where the mobile lounges dock (think of the lounge as a large bus).

There will either be a lounge docked at the terminal (the entrance doors will be open) or the doors will be closed and there will be a countdown clock indicating when the next one will depart. In that case, you hang out in the waiting area until a lounge docks.

Wait for the lounge to Concourse C. While C and D are both part of one long concourse, in general, you are not going to save any time catching a D lounge for a C departure gate.

The lounge will drive you from A to C, it's a neat drive as you have to cross the tarmac and will see many planes at the gates and moving on the tarmac.

When arriving UAX at IAD Concourse A just past the Five Guys Burger stand is a small set of escalators. When exiting the escalators turn left. The boarding docks for the Mobile Lounges to C are at this location. To the right are Mobile Lounges to Main Terminal. It is a short ride over to Concourse C and like FlyingHawaiian said it affords great views of the ramp area.

Enjoy while you can, the new AeroTrain opens late 2009!!!!

It is not a hard connection. Just make sure you have at least 40 min as it can be a walk from the lounge dock to your actual gate in C/D. The view is good as you can see all of the UA planes lined up at the C/D gates as well as some intl planes in the B gates.

I don't believe there are D gate mobile lounges from the A Gates, only over to C gates and to the main terminal. If you have a D gate, just take the C gate mobile lounge and walk to the D gates, that's the quickest way.

Unless it has recently changed there is an A to D (and back) mobile lounge option
IAD Terminal Map

I've taken the A to D moon buggy quite a few times in the past months. It's quite a relief as C to D can be quite a hoof after they removed the moving walkways.

Just flew through IAD last week, there is definitely mobile lounges to both the C and D gates from the A terminal. Lounge to D gates run all day and night, I believe the C gates have limited regular hours, outside of which you'll have to call for a lounge.

I just re-read the OP's post and noticed they think they are coming into Concourse D. The "Terminal A" in the title is my fault, as I misread the post when I added detail that was missing.

If we are talking about a D --> C transfer, than it's just a walk down one long concourse.

However, more UX flights go into A than D, so the above information is helpful.

Sorry again for the confusion.

Interesting since I used to be based there, and I only remember a buggy going from the A to C gates only. I guess it has changed recently.

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I've got what appears to be a tight connection tonight, flying UA 7043 LGA-IAD and connecting to UA 363 IAD-ORD. It seems I'll have to go from the A gates to the C gates. What's the best way to do this? I knew I should have just let them reschedule me on the direct flight tomorrow morning...

The only way is those damn mobile lounges. They run pretty often but it means a hustle. Depending on how far the arriving gate is from the connector. The corridors are long at IAD. If your times are legit, you're supposed to be able to make - there have been times than my arrival time (touch down) is about the time my departure flights starts boarding. And the taxi times in IAD are unpredictable and can be as long as 15 minutes plus. Other times I have been at the gate less than five minutes after touch down.


Good luck!

You lucked out (Flight 363: Schedule change due to Aircraft Servicing). Congrats!

If you need to, try to flag down one of the golf carts. Speaking from experience, they can cut a ten minute walk to under four minutes!

They do look surreal indeed - much like a gulag transport from 'Mad Max'...

Anyway, they alight the opposite side they are boarded from. So in order to save time when riding them walking all the other way to the shuttle helps somewhat.