Baze

Not all drinks are free. You can pay for their "premium" stuff.

golfingboy

Decent German Beer @:-) and shower facilities.

roadkit

Dulles is a pit, and I see no near-term solution. If you fly UA, you're relegated to the terminal with 25% of the space it needs for the passengers it services.

As for the United Club? They've been shabby at IAD for quite some time. But I was just in the NRT United Club, and WOW -- shabby, shabby, shabby. I couldn;t find a chair with an armrest that wasn't worn through and looked like the back seat in some 1980's-vintage used car. Yuck.

So when in IAD, use the LH Club and in Narita the ANA Club. Way more betta. :-)

whlinder

LH's plan is probably the status quo... while speculating about a C/D Star Alliance terminal you may as well speculate as to whether there will still be a Star Alliance whenever said hypothetical terminal opens.

Plus I doubt LH wants to give up its dual boarding/board from the lounge gate that it enjoys now in B.

SFO I can see for AA once VX kicks it; however O&D traffic out of IAD has been tough. B6 tried SAN (albeit with a red-eye east bound) and bailed. B6 has come and gone for OAK from IAD a couple of times (now it is back). B6 and WN pulled all IAD-Florida flying. WN is now just MDW and DEN. AA tried ORD with RJs several years ago and quit. US used to have a PHX flight which is gone (this may have been before they got a 3rd DCA slot).

UA used to run 4x IAD-SEA in the summer before AS got a second daily DCA-SEA (and UA started downsizing SEA). I struggle to envision AA adding IAD-SEA and pulling in decent yields unless UA drops to 2x dailies. I'd like to see AA take on UA at IAD similar to how DL does, with frequent flights to the main hub (ATL is roughly every 2 hours), a couple of JFK flights, CVG, DTW, MSP and 2x SLC. AA has LAX and DFW plus 2 horribly timed MIA flights. Bring back ORD and put in some more MIA frequencies.

anc-ord772

That's it! New carpeting. I knew something was different. Security for connecting flights after clearing I&C is awful. It's a massive bottleneck with only a fast lane for GS/GF and few scanners overall, or has that changed?

IAD from 1530-1730 is a madhouse and pretty much bursting at the seams, especially at UNITED check-in and security. You would never know its a mere shadow of what it once was

When I was there in June the tram wasn't working.

halls120

they have started refreshing the UC at C17. CSR says this is part of the club-wide renovation project.

word to the wise - this location will be quickly full in the afternoon, as part of the space is closed off with temporary drywall. I'd opt for D8 or C7 locations after noon.

CO DCA

I don't see MWAA allowing more pre-clear flights in DCA. If you look though their public statements, and some of their board minutes, they manage traffic at DCA to try to maintain IADs international (and some domestic) traffic. They're actually the strongest lobby to keep perimeter restrictions at DCA since it forces long haul flights at IAD.

I can't see United forking out money to build a new hub at IAD. IIRC the IAH renovations were funded largely by the city and the feds. Somehow I can't see the VA government, which can't agree on funding for a rational transportation plan, figuring out how to get money to help United build a shiny new terminal.

rzsionak

Is there any cost feasibility of doing a major rehab on the current C/D terminal vice building a new terminal. I'm sure there's some creative ways you could add retail/food space and then re-skin the exteriors with additional windows.

austin_res

Divesting DCA slots doesn't necessarily mean dropping service to small towns. Divestures could come from routes that both AA and US fly (ie Nashville and Raleigh) as well as high frequency routes that are mostly on regional jets (ie PHL). Reduce frequency on such routes and use larger aircraft on the remaining flights to minimize the capacity loss.

colpuck

Is there a plan to renovate IAD, yes. Will this plan ever be implemented, no.

mh3265a

Don't hate on MWAA and VA that much

JK IAD

I don't usually get to use concourse B at IAD but had to take a trip on Qatar this week. Continued to be struck by the contrast between concourses B and C at IAD. Anyone KNOW anything about plans by United to finally do something about it? Last I heard, UA was dragging its feet because they were investing so much at IAH.

halls120

It's a combination of UA not caring about IAD and MWAA being an incompetent administrator of the airport. In order to build a new C/D concourse, MWAA isn't going to invest the money unless the tenant is willing to chip in their share. Given MWAA's demonstrated past inability to bring projects to completion on schedule and budget, one almost can't blame UA for being reluctant. But it's clear that while UA is willing to spend money at IAH, EWR, SFO and LAX, they are unwilling to spend any at IAD - most likely because they don't face significant competition - so why do anything good for the customer experience at that craphole of a concourse?

Back in August I was greeted by a familiar sight at IAD - trash cans collecting rain from the leaky roof, and temporary A/C units.

Sulley

One of my very good friends here in DC works for MWAA administration next to Reagan. He says that MWAA is God-awful and the entire place is toxic -- not to mention that the entire organization is run like it is still 1975.

drewguy

Indeed, it's a classic Washington DC institution - joint management by a board with appointments from VA, DC, and MD, plus the President, of two airports. And it gets hung up constantly in economic development issues - Dulles constituencies are complaining about not enough passenger growth at IAD, but the solution for that is to hamper improvements at DCA or fight for stricter flight restrictions - that kind of thing. One can imagine DCA supporters don't really relish having IAD improve its passenger amenities lest it draw traffic away from DCA.