US AIRWAYS FAN

I remember a few short years ago US did fly BWI DCA.

I was wondering today what might be the shortest mainline and the shortest express flights on the US system.

Just interested to know.

T

kmfdm91

How long ago was this? I never knew a BWI - DCA flight existed! It's kind of funny...but it would be such a long thing to get ready/prep and accomodate boarding/de-planing, for such a short hop.

BWI - PHL still has to be one of the shorter flights...maybe a few others on the Express carreriers.

My boss here once (recently) had an AA flight from IAD to DCA (because the destination was supposed to be DCA, but weather forced it to IAD), but it wasn't scheduled nor did anyone get any miles for it.

-jeremy

US AIRWAYS FAN

Yes the BWI DCA flight did exsist. I think it was a Dash-8. I might be wrong but I do know that they did have that flight. They flight stopped running after 9/11.

Might be interesting to find out what are the shortest routes on the US West side as well.

TWA Guy

Got to be ABE-PHL at 55 miles. Flown 5x daily with a mix of CRJs and DH8s.

sbtinme

Yes -- this flight existed for a LONG TIME. It was originally set up (IIRC) when PI established the BWI hub. Folks need to keep in mind that no one ever purchased a ticket from BWI - DCA (okay, maybe a few FT knuckleheads on a MR, but that's a different story) -- these flights were designed to get pax from the hub at BWI to the focus city at DCA. So, for example, a pax would fly LAX - BWI - DCA since US didn't offer LAX -DCA service.

Interestingly enough, even before 9/11, I'm guessing this route existed for precisely the inverse reason. By then, BWI was totally dehubbed and DCA had become even more prominent. So then, pax were far more likely to be flying into the DCA focus city connecting to a BWI flight.

What's old is new again, right? In any case, it's gone now.

jimcfsus

I, for one, took it occasionally when I wanted to book an extra segment and an extra 500 miles in the late 80s and early 90s. The BWI clubs were often less crowded than the DCA ones... and the BWI terminal was nicer than the interim terminal at DCA before the current Reagan was built (which I still have never been to since I don't have business in DC anymore).

I think the original purpose of the flight was to help reposition express aircraft over to BWI. I think I always flew it on a Dash 8, so that meant it was often a Henson/Piedmont commuter reposition.

I don't ever remember taking it BWI-DCA... always from DCA to BWI.

According to the Great Circle Mapper , DCA-BWI clocks in at 30 miles.

Some other short express flights...

BLF-BKW 34 miles
BFD-JHW 41 miles

sbtinme

just for giggles, I dug out an old US timetable from 13 NOV, 1994. Shows 6 daily flights (2 were x6) BWI - DCA. There were four daily flights DCA - BWI. All service via Henson, of course.

joshua-bwi

Not only did US have a BWI-DCA, UA had a BWI-IAD. These were pre 9/11. My memories come from the UA flight. I used to take it to "commute" to IAD for international flights on UA. It was much better than the drive around the Baltimore and Capital Beltways just to get to IAD (not to mention the "add insult to injury" Dulles Access (toll) Road just to get to the airport. UA used a 9 pax turbo prop... dont remember the model but the door to the cockpit was a collapsable door. The pilot rairly closed it and you could look out the front. I don't think they were able to retrofit a secure cockpit door to this aircraft following the security changes following 9/11.

cedric

There are some pretty short hops in upstate NY... OGS-MSS is 35 miles.

FCYTravis

I've been on the PHL-BWI flight in a 737-300. About 20 minutes from wheels-up to touchdown. Definitely an odd one!

CPRich

I once flew the Plattsburgh-Burlington flight on US, but that's been discontinued. 24 miles, 7 minutes in the air. I could see the Burlington airport lights as we were taxiing in Plattsburgh. I seem to recall there was also one in Virginia that was 24 or 26 miles.

sbtinme

Yep -- I did the PLB - BTV flight once myself. I could've driven it just as fast -- perhaps faster -- were it not for the cursed Lake Champlain!!!

Can't think of which VA airport combo you're thinking of. If we go way back to the PI days, then there were all sorts of wild 737-200 flights (ROA-CHO, ROA-LYH, LYH-CHO, CHO-RIC, RIC-ORF, etc). Can't think of any commuter flights intra VA for a long time that were puddle hopping...........

jimcfsus

Here's a close one... I can remember doing a ROA-LWB-DCA express flight (Dash 8 IIRC) to DCA sometime since I moved to southern WV in '91. ROA-LWB is 41 miles.

I would guess the PI flights might have went ROA-LYH or ROA-RIC. ROA-RIC used to be an express flight in the last 15 years also, as I remember watching it board while waiting for another flight in ROA. It may have also continued onto ORF. IIRC it was on a small express aircraft (either J31 or B1900).

bankingconsultant

Little bit longer than the 30- and 40-mile hops being discussed, but for awhile I was doing (what was then) the shortest route in the system -- CAK-PIT-xxx and back. Anywhere from 12 to 19 minutes depending on the direction and the other traffic around.

Wow, that one was nice for adding extra segments.

PHLGovFlyer

A while back US ran a PHF-ORF flight. IIRC it was more about aircraft repositioning than serious traveling. 23 miles. If traffic is good on the freeway you can drive it in less than 30 min.