Any plans to rebuild the UA concourse (C and D gates & UX terminal) at IAD / Dulles?
Aug 19, 2019, 3:02 pm
#451
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Nothing like ORD or EWR which seem to be much more evenly spread throughout the day in terms of passengers lounging about.
Aug 19, 2019, 3:23 pm
#452
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
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Aug 19, 2019, 4:28 pm
#453
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: In between IAD and DCA
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C/D are fairly empty in the mornings and early afternoons at IAD. The megabank goes out at ~5-7pm, which is when the highest number of passengers are around.
Nothing like ORD or EWR which seem to be much more evenly spread throughout the day in terms of passengers lounging about.
Nothing like ORD or EWR which seem to be much more evenly spread throughout the day in terms of passengers lounging about.
8-9am
12-1pm
5-7pm
10-11pm
Outside of these times, C/D is pretty empty. The ORD flight that leaves at 10:30-11am is a good one due to the short lines at TSA and empty concourse. There's a DEN flight at 2:30pm which is similar.
Aug 19, 2019, 4:47 pm
#454
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
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C/D are fairly empty in the mornings and early afternoons at IAD. The megabank goes out at ~5-7pm, which is when the highest number of passengers are around.
Nothing like ORD or EWR which seem to be much more evenly spread throughout the day in terms of passengers lounging about.
Nothing like ORD or EWR which seem to be much more evenly spread throughout the day in terms of passengers lounging about.
Aug 19, 2019, 8:06 pm
#455
Join Date: Sep 2008
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United's near-term business strategy involves routing as much connecting traffic over IAD as possible, leaving seats into and out of EWR primarily for O/D flyers that command higher fares and yields. Outside of a fairly small number of lucrative ex-EWR longhaul markets, United would rather IAD be your "go-to" hub.
Aug 19, 2019, 8:24 pm
#456
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: In between IAD and DCA
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2. The DC area is very wealthy in general.
3. Government contracts requiring US airline travel. With UA and IAD being it for US airline operated flights internationally...
Aug 19, 2019, 8:35 pm
#457
Join Date: Aug 2016
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Aug 20, 2019, 7:22 am
#459
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
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I have not particularly noticed that IAD TATL is more expensive than EWR. When I look for a TATL flight, I usually look at both EWR and IAD, since I can get to either (and am looking for PZ), and normally EWR has less PZ and is more expensive (especially to LHR). I figured it was just a difference in supply and demand causing NY to be more. NOVA is a fairly wealthy business community. I think that means there is a relatively high proportion of people who want to and can afford to buy business class, making it desirable to the airlines to be there - but many will still buy the cheapest quality flight they can. Also, I understand that government workers can get on non-US airlines by buying codeshares with US airlines. At least that was what I was told when I saw some of them were flying AF.
Aug 20, 2019, 7:52 am
#460
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
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Not sure this really contributes . . . the contracting rules allow codeshares, so for example the current IAD-LHR contract is American but on BA metal. For IAD-CDG it's Delta, but on Air France. And most government fares don't really displace non-gov fares. There are some higher priced gov fares that are last seat, but generally you get a lower tier fare bucket that's just as available as they are for non-gov. And no biz travel (or extremely limited).
Aug 20, 2019, 9:54 am
#461
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: Southwest, Alaska, United, American Airlines
Posts: 994
Not sure this really contributes . . . the contracting rules allow codeshares, so for example the current IAD-LHR contract is American but on BA metal. For IAD-CDG it's Delta, but on Air France. And most government fares don't really displace non-gov fares. There are some higher priced gov fares that are last seat, but generally you get a lower tier fare bucket that's just as available as they are for non-gov. And no biz travel (or extremely limited).
Conversely, DC sometimes gets fantastic deals to more off-the-beaten path (for Americans) destinations that don't extend to NYC flyers (since the diasporas in the NYC metro area guarantee some demand to most everywhere year round). I've scored some amazing DC-Serbia, DC-Stockholm, DC-Ukraine, and DC-Kazakhstan tickets on account of this phenomenon.
Aug 20, 2019, 10:03 am
#462
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Not just government contracts, but deep discounted corporate contracts as well. A lot of those people are paying nowhere near what you see quoted for ticket prices.
The fact that a government traveler can book AA and fly BA codeshare does not change the equation for either AA or BA as it is not only a JV, but a revenue share arrangement.
The fact that a government traveler can book AA and fly BA codeshare does not change the equation for either AA or BA as it is not only a JV, but a revenue share arrangement.
Aug 20, 2019, 12:30 pm
#463
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
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Right. My point was that United wasn't the only international option. "Delta" and "AA" offer flights as well from IAD to at least some European destinations non-stop (and of course myriad connections on various airlines).
Aug 20, 2019, 1:22 pm
#464
Join Date: Jul 2011
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That is exactly what I was told. Gee, I wonder why a government employee would rather fly AF TATL in economy (on a DL codeshare) than UA in economy on the same route?
Aug 21, 2019, 7:33 am
#465
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 39
Well, IAD sees a great future when the # of passengers will be north of 30M but I doubt they see that future coming only from United. Or at least not prompted by United.
Maybe they will get more international flights... that will go to A/B. If they are *A, then maybe United will find within their heart to do code shares, then increase the # of domestic flights.
But since C/D is pretty crowded, I assume they won't be able to do this much. So, eventually, either
1- They take over a few gate in A/B
2- They get a much larger terminal
We all know that the go-to East hub is EWR. The problem is that it is EWR. Frankly, I am in Boston and I am trying to avoid EWR as much as possible. Too often, I get rude service, lunching there is pricey and quality did not improve accordingly, and ever since they put retails in the middle of the alleywards I find it as crowded at IAD. And EWR is prone to delays in my experience. Despite the lesser facilities I still opt for IAD when I can.
Maybe they will get more international flights... that will go to A/B. If they are *A, then maybe United will find within their heart to do code shares, then increase the # of domestic flights.
But since C/D is pretty crowded, I assume they won't be able to do this much. So, eventually, either
1- They take over a few gate in A/B
2- They get a much larger terminal
We all know that the go-to East hub is EWR. The problem is that it is EWR. Frankly, I am in Boston and I am trying to avoid EWR as much as possible. Too often, I get rude service, lunching there is pricey and quality did not improve accordingly, and ever since they put retails in the middle of the alleywards I find it as crowded at IAD. And EWR is prone to delays in my experience. Despite the lesser facilities I still opt for IAD when I can.
As others have noted, C/D is only crowded when it's crowded. At other times, all of that capacity is unused (and really, only the 5-7pm bank is completely at capacity). The opportunity for UA is to add more banks, as well as beef up the smaller banks of flights. And United has hinted that they're considering this in the recent past: https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....les-expansion/
All of this makes sense: United doesn't have a business case to replace C/D based on current Dulles traffic. But if Dulles were to grow - and specifically grow with additional banks of flights that make better all-day use of expensive airport assets, then suddenly the business case looks a lot better. You'd be adding costs, but defraying that cost across more passengers. And you'd build new gates, but pay for those gates with 6 departures a day instead of 4...