Incidentally, one thing I have noticed is that UA really tries to force me to connect in EWR instead of ORD now. Last time I booked a ticket, I had to use multi-city to trick it into showing me every flight out of DCA on a given day--and I ended up paying the same price.

DCA - US Air for UA miles/eqm
 

US Air is the better option at DCA for *A purposes. Pricing, services, convenience in the terminal, etc. Just my opinion. AX Plat now gets me into US Air lounge.

YES. The current UA gates provide quick connections with US.

Especially with the slot swap, US will most likely grow at DCA. There will be more opportunities for connections between UA/CO and US.

Hopefully this will spur the airport authority to implement some sort of post-security walkway or shuttle or something.

That's really odd: I'm having the exact opposite problem. CO keeps trying to force me to connect in ORD. I do know that there's something wrong with the Co.com booking engine - if there is not an F cabin, the engine has started routing my BF inquiries via ORD to EWR since there is an F cabin on those flights. Every once in a while at the very bottom it will give me the mid-afternoon barbie dream jet to EWR, but after like 30 different routings. Prior to the merger, that was always the first choice.

It also keeps trying to force me to drive out to IAD, but for all the reasons set out in this thread, I try like the devil not to go out to that dump.

That's interesting we're each getting pushed to the "new" hub. The other weird thing about it, at least for me, is how I circumvented it. First I just hit United.com, and plugged in my info (ok fine, I'm not logged in, so whatever). Then I remembered to login to my MP account (maybe they unlock more flights for logged in MP members) -- no dice, just a couple more ORD flights than before. Then, after using the multi-city tool to manually build my DCA-ORD-CVG trip, I get all the available flights to choose from (ORD, EWR, and CLE). Go figure. So you might try the multi-city option on your end and see if that will build your trip the right way.

I may have been in DCA one or twice...a week...for the past number of years.

You're right though and I should have been more clear. DCA isn't really a connecting airport for UA, CO, or AC. What US does down at their end of the terminal is their own business since I try very hard not to fly them unless it's the shuttle.

In fact, one of the reasons why moving UA to the CO gate area makes sense is that US is going to need new gate(s) to service the DL slots they're picking up in the US-DL slot swap. They sure as heck don't want the DL gate down near CO because that would give them gates behind all three security check points and, as you said, they actually do run a lot of connections out of DCA. So give them the old UA gates, give UA the old DL gate near CO and everyone wins.

The only things that matter to MWAA are building lavish conference facilities for its senior staff and a horribly expensive and unnecessary underground Metro station at IAD.

Isn't US only getting 44 slots at DCA? 22 new departures? Hardly a huge increase. DL gained many more slots, but DL is also paying US some serious $$$$.

I think connecting IAD to the Metro is a good thing. Is your objection that the station is underground? Given all the growth in the suburbs out the I-66 corridor, I think expansion of the metro is a good idea.

I am guessing the OP is referring to the controversy of building an above ground versus underground metro station at IAD. Metro is on the way to IAD - the decision is choosing the higher priced underground station versus the cheaper above-ground station. MWAA is in favor of the underground. Personally I think it should be done right the first time and whatever option gets the station closest to the terminal should be selected regardless of cost. IAD is already known for the long walks - why make another one from Metro?

AC was moved, or should I say isolated to the old terminal a couple of years ago. It will be good to have UA and CO closer by so we can once more have a moderately convenient lounge nearby.

You would not be able to access the UA/CO lounge if you are departing on AC as the gate areas are behind different security checkpoints and the concourses are not connected airside.

Where are the conference facilities?

I assumed he was referring to that HQ building adjacent to DCA, unless they have another facility.

I haven't seen the exact number lately since US operations at DCA don't mean a lot to me. But, I imagine that 22 new departures still requires at least one additional gate at some point in the day unless they currently have gates that are really underutilized.

If they need a gate then their choices seem to be the current UA gates (which are behind the same security check point as some of their current gates and connected by a shuttle bus to others), the current DL gates (which would put them behind three different security check points), or maybe the current AA gates in some kind of multi-way swap.

Given those options, the simplest solution seems to be UA moving in with CO and US taking over as many of the UA gates as they need while DL (who presumably would need fewer gates now) gives up their gate next to the CO gates.

The more complicated option might see AA sent over to the current CO/one DL gate area and CO taking some of their gates (the ones down at the end of the "pod" perhaps) while US takes the one that is immediately across from the current US gates.

I guess the second option would have some advantages in terms of *A integration, but it also would require bringing a third carrier (AA) into the process and requiring that they move around infrastructure. Swapping gates probably isn't as easy as just moving some signage--I assume it also requires relocating a lot of a carrier's "behind the scenes" infrastructure and I don't see a compelling reason AA would want to do that just to help bring the *A carriers together.