Airport: Washington Dulles (IAD)

Airport Name: Washington Dulles International Airport
FAA Sign: IAD
Location: Herndon, Virginia USA
Airport Web Site: http://www.metwashairports.com/Dulles/

Created 2/3/05

(See Rant on Concourse G elsewhere)

The Washington DC area has three major airports convenient to it. DCA, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; BWI, Baltimore Washington International Airport; and IAD, Washington Dulles International Airport.

DCA is the smallest, yet the most amazingly downtown major airport you'll likely use. Right across the river from the national capital federal buildings, the fact that they still use it in a post-9/11 era is amazing.

BWI is really Baltimore's airport, and has grown well past its useful size and its management team's ability to run it. It went through monstrous growth when Southwest moved into town, and is now mostly the airport for the low-budget tourist airlines.

IAD is the largest of the three, both in terms of passengers as well as physical presence as you go through it. Like most airports, it seems like it has gone through major construction since the beginning of time, with no end in sight. Recently there has been a major expansion of the primary terminal building, addition of new concourses for boarding, and the creation of two new parking decks. Still coming are still expanding concourses, the typically expansion in the new era of airport security, and huge disruption from the creation of a new subway system that ties the concourses to the main terminal. So, the airport is different every time you use it. On the plus side, you get to see some of the largest construction equipment ever when you use it.

Dulles was originally conceived in the 60's, and they brilliantly placed it 30 miles outside the city with its own interstate to get there quickly. Brilliant, since no one wants to live near the airport. Of course, since then there a whole giant suburb built right next to the airport, so you can frequently get trapped in DC Metro rush hour trying to catch a plane. You're OK once you're on the access road, as long as you can get over to the left quickly and get in the airport express lanes.

The airport main terminal is a wonderful swooping roof enclosed in glass, reminiscent of the TWA terminal at Kennedy Airport. Probably would be as renowned from an architecture standpoint if the TWA building wasn't built first. However, the cantilevered, cable hung roof is a wonderful combination of engineering and art, and I'm sure architecture students consider it an important work. Outside, its vaguely 60's tacky, yet inspiring and beautiful in a timeless way. The recent expansion extended it on both sides to probably twice its original width, and it ultimately makes it more impressive than the original size. The impact as you drive up to the airport is lessened by the gimoungous parking lot in front of it, the perennial construction signs, and by being surrounded by some of the most hideous support buildings. They're clearly on loan from some now defunct communist military.

The large parking lot out front is "hourly" and "valet". Too expensive to use for anything, especially since you're not really able to drop people off and accompany them in airports anymore. The fact that its always full is a testament to the salaries (or expense accounts) of DC based travelers. Expect about 30 a day in this bad boy.

There are two new "daily" parking structures. Daily 1 is directly across from the terminal and connected through an underground walkway with conveyor belts, as well as a frequent above ground shuttle. The Daily 2 lot is on your right as you approach, and connects with a bridge to the north end of the terminal. Use Daily 1 if you're on United, the other airlines its probably a shorter walk if you use Daily 2. About $15 a day.

Long term parking is above ground and removed from the terminal area, although still on Dulles ground. Generally about $6 a day, with shuttles running through the parking lots constantly. Prior to the construction of the daily lots, the shuttles came through so frequently that it was faster and cheaper than other airports "daily" lots. Since the Daily parking decks were built it seems that the shuttles come through less frequently now. However, your wait is usually less than 15 minutes, and the ride to the terminal is 5 or 10 minutes depending where in the lot you are. Not too bad if you arrive early enough.

The main terminal is a large expansive area, filled with airline agents for checking in. The security screening is behind for getting through. Generally, it is well staffed and well run, and the security wait time is rarely more than 15 minutes. There is little in the way of concession in the main terminal, but there's also little point to it these days when you get dropped off and want to get through security.

One unusual feature of Dulles, and one that's on its way out, are the shuttles that connect you from the main terminal to the concourses. These are specialty vehicles that pull head long and park attached to the terminal, with double doors that open to let passengers in. About 5 minutes after they open up, they close the doors and pull away with the driver now on the other side (a "push me pull you" kind of effect). These vehicles are somewhat a relic of the 60s, when the idea was to replace the outdoor steps with a covered transport to the plane out on the tarmac (you can see some of the older transports which can raise & lower to match the height of the aircraft for international flights). These were quickly replaced with the jetway concept which replaced transports like these everywhere but Dulles.

Most of the concourses have been redone recently, and contain typical food & shopping diversions.

United Red Carpet Club is located near gate D-6.