One big difference there is that the DCA Metro station is pretty close to the terminal, as long as you're not flying out of the old terminal building. Also, being the downtown-accessible business airport, there is a high proportion of travellers with just carryons, so there is less of an issue lugging awkward checked baggage to the counter.

Upthread there are pages of people whining about their Bataan like march to the gates from the DCA stop. It's embarrassing how pathetic and weak Americans have become.

I was a fan of it being underground at IAD, if only because it was better suited to how things are built and it could have been closer. I don't care too much about proximity but if you've lived in the area, you've seen more than your fair share of obese tourists trying not to pass out while visiting in the stifling humidity of Julys past.

Sheesh... getting from Metro to the terminal is about the easiest rail to airport connection there is. And it beats the pants off the Metro to terminal connections circa 1993 or so.

I think the comment was not about the distance to metro, but the relative distance of the CO gates vs. the UA gates at DCA. But I do think that the point about how lazy most Americans are is appropriate. Every study I see about transit shows that Americans won't use it if materially increases their walk. I think that's going to be particularly true in NoVa where the entire culture revolves around the car.

While it's all well and good to say "well maybe Americans should get more exercise," if it's too hard to take transit, even if it is only 500 more feet, people are just going to get in their SUVs and drive. In the big scheme of things, 300 million isn't that much. Not sure why there isn't talk of a surcharge on IAD Metro tickets to deal with it.

See ya later Joe
 

Sad news for UA/CO and DCA travellers. The last day for Joe at the DCA Club was Friday. He got a great opportunity and pursued it. Very sad to see him go, but I'm glad for him that he is having a "safe landing" and doing so on his terms. He pulled many a rabbit from the hat for multitudes to make their travel experiences better. One of the few that truly understood the term "Customer Service".
Bon Voyage Joe. ^^

:(

This is sad news indeed. The company and passengers lost a great resource with his departure.

Too bad. On my last trip through DCA, Joe "made it rain" for me when my inbound from IAH took a 3h mx delay. We'll miss him!

i am shuttering at the thuoght i have too many emotions and thuoghts on that subject.

I'd love to see them add wider moving walkways plus reduce the size of the gap between the two in the long stretch. Neither is going to happen, but I'd love to shave another minute or two off my hike from the daily garage to UA's counters.

If the valet guys were quicker when dropping off, I'd use valet parking at IAD much more often. I understand them doing a full visual inspection and identifying existing dents & dings for their own protection, but I have had a couple of times where I've been about to pull my hair out waiting for them to finish when I'm running late for a flight...

the humidity in dc in the summer is pretty awful...given how great MWAA is, the metro probably won't be done until 2020. the only gripe i have at DCA is that the escalators never work, but that's all over the system.

i've done the walk to CO. it's not bad. i look at it as solid excercise! ^

the Metro Extension to IAD is suppose has a completation date in 2015. Tons of money is being poured into this project

Minor correction: 2016.

Given Metro's performance record, I'm not going to give them the benefit of the doubt and will be surprised if the IAD extension is done by 2018. The phase 2 construction (from Reston to IAD) isn't even underway yet--they're still in preliminary engineering.

Brussels muc and ams have
 

trains under the terminal. having to drag your bags from the north parking lot to the terminal will just cause people to drive. Ever try to negotiate WFC from the bus to the train? It will be like that. it is only because it is the cheaper option. The airport board wanted it underground too but the feds/locals balked at paying for it iirc. cheap .......s. dulles is a mess it is jury rigged and gold plated. when you build exepnsive infrastructure that you have to live with for decades you should do it right. I live two blocks from EFC where the silver line spits from the Orange so I will be very happy when the Dulles Metro is in if I live to see it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...arC_story.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_...lles_extension

post is agin it too: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...F4C_story.html

Then they got rolled: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...aPI_story.html

http://www.dullesmetro.com/documents...ostArticle.pdf

Well, technically Metro's performance record has nothing to do with it. Dulles Transit Partners (primarily Bechtel) is in charge of construction, and MWAA is the agency overseeing them; Metro has little role in the project until they start running trains over it.

Now, given MWAA's record...

Bon Voyage to Joe!
 

Adding my best wishes to Joe in his next endeavor. Always great to see him at DCA!