LETTERBOY

I'm sure the people who run DCA are worried about that, but I don't know if improvements at IAD would significantly affect traffic at DCA. The prime attraction of DCA is the location and it's proximity to downtown. For people who are in parts of NoVa that are the same distance from both airports, that might be a concern, but I can't see the traffic numbers at DCA changing much if IAD improves.

halls120

People don't realize that the primary function of the MWAA is to provide cushy patronage jobs for family members of the DC power elite so that they can take extravagant worldwide trips at taxpayer expense. Running their airports in a competent manner is an afterthought.

Jade_BR

IAD is consistently awful and a huge embarrassment. It's the nation's capital, people! I've flown into 3rd world airports that have better terminal transportation (come on, people mover? what is this, the 90's?), better shops/restaurants, and don't even get me started on the fact that there is no train or metro connecting it to anywhere close to civilization. I don't see that as a UA issue as much as a WMAA issue. Could UA make it a little better by sprucing up the clubs, maybe pitching in for terminal renovation? Definitely, but it is a little bit like putting lipstick on the pig. Dulles needs serious improvement to bring it to the level of decent international airports.

Ground staff and TSA officers are still nicer than EWR though :-)

You want to go where?

If you are referring to the Mobile Lounges, they date to the '50s not the '90s. They are now only used to segregate International arriving passengers before they have passed through immigration. Frankly, I have spent as much time walking to immigration in some airports as I do on the Mobile Lounges. It just seems longer because you are sitting, waiting for it to move.

If you are referring to the new train system, it seems pretty consistent with modern airport design (other than the problem of it being designed for a terminal that will take 20 more years to build, if ever.

halls120

Not exactly - they still run passengers from the Main terminal to the D Concourse, because the MWAA Brain Trust decided not to extend the train to the site of the future D Concourse. And they also decided it would be too expensive to build the capacity to run trains from the Concourses to Immigration. The good news with this is that there will always be employment for the large number of surly moon buggy drivers who love to yell at passengers for not loading themselves properly.

Jade_BR

Yes, I'm referring to the shipping container on wheels

And they are necessary every time I land in Dulles from domestic flights, to go from whatever-terminal to the main terminal. I do love the train system, just wish it could be used both ways.

You want to go where?

Didn't know about the D concourse as I don't ever use it. Yes, it would be nice if they could have built the segregated system which allows it to be used in this way, but not that many airports have such systems, and they tend to be ones which have fully segregated international areas which no US airport has.

euslaner

I guess that you have never been to either LHR or CDG, which are also in their nations' capitals. Or FRA, which is not in Germany's capital, but if you fly UA you will generally wind up landing at a "remote" location that takes you to terminal B, which requires about a 45 minute walk to get to your connecting flight. And when you get ready to leave, you have to drag your carry-on down a couple of flights of stairs to get to the bus that will take you to another "remote location." Or if you are connecting at EWR, you need to take a bus to your connection. What part of these experiences are preferable to the moon buggies at IAD?

mgcsinc

Huh? The trains run both ways...

Jade_BR

I didn't say IAD was the only embarrassment

I'm with you on CDG. I hate the lines at LHR, but T5 is awesome. And I can't comment on FRA because I've only been there on UA connections, which are Terminal Z at the end of the known world. For all I know the other terminals could be decent.

NRT. SIN. MUC. ICN. AMS. HKG. It's possible to do it well. A girl can dream

Jade_BR

Not from international arrivals.

drewguy

They didn't want to build a second "temporary" station. It's designed to run to the putative E, F, H, and G concourses as well.

mgcsinc

You said "from domestic flights"...

Jade_BR

Oh, and there are also redeeming qualities for LHR, FRA and CDG. LHR has one of the most convenient transportation systems to/from airport with Heathrow Express. FRA has cool activities for long layovers, if you're willing to travel between the terminals. CDG, well... CDG is in France. That's all I care about

Jade_BR

My bad