Hi, not exactly sure where to post this, so please move to the appropriate sub-forum if necessary.

I need to travel from Colombo, Sri Lanka (CMB) to Washington DC (IAD) in August. There are no direct flights and I need to select a connecting airport (London Heathrow, Dubai, Doha, Frankfurt and Paris are all possible options). And I also need to decide on whether to stick to one airline or not for both flights.

Hope some of you can give me some advice on:

1. Should I avoid airports known for long and arduous security checks (London Heathrow, Dubai)?
2. Doha airport is small but has good reviews, is it a good idea to spend a 9 hr transit time there? (As opposed to spending a long transit time in a large airport like Dubai)
3. Is it better to stick to one airline for both flights - because change of airlines could mean an arduous process of checking luggage by security when connecting (this would be a nightmare since I would be taking a lot of luggage)?

Selecting Doha would mean I can use Qatar Airways for both flights whereas any other connecting airport would probably mean a change of airlines.

Of the European airports mentioned I've found Frankfurt the least horrible.

Security in Dubai has never been a hassle for me. I'd opt for Emirates the whole way - probably via JFK, but you could go UA DXB-IAD if you must have direct.

I was going to say the same.

Never any problems or hassle with security at DXB.

You could either go Emirates to JFK then take a domestic flight onwards to IAD, DCA or even BWI (depending where you need to be in the DC area) or pick-up the United flight non-stop to Dulles.

I've never taken a US based carrier ex-Dubai - I would suspect security at the gate will be a bit more strict with the United flight. I don't know if they employ a company like ICTS - I have only dealt with Emirates Security at the gate for flights bound to the US.

You could also look at Singapore Airlines - CMB - SIN - LAX (or EWR) and then hop a domestic flight to IAD. SQ operates a non-stop on SIN-LAX and SIN-EWR, plus there are the SQ services with a stop.

Edit: Any way you can route via AMS? AMS is a great option going through Europe if it is a choice.