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[edit] General
Washington/Dulles airport is the international airport for metropolitan Washington DC, although it is located mostly in Loudoun County, VA and partly in Fairfax County, VA. The airport is about 45 minutes west of Washington, DC.
Washington/Dulles Airport is operated by the governmental Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). MWAA was created by an inter-governmental compact between the US Federal Government, the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each of these 4 governments appoint people to the MWAA Board. MWAA also operates the Washington/National airport, which is located in Arlington County, VA. Note that while MWAA operates both of these airports, both airports are actually owned by the US Department of Transportation.
[edit] Airport Security
[edit] Entrances to Screening
The primary entrance to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) government screening is on Departures level of the Main Terminal. However, the screening itself is performed by TSA on a lower Mezzanine level of the Main Terminal. Passengers can use either the East or West entrances to TSA screening, regardless of which airline one is flying that day.
There have been several reports on FlyerTalk that the TSA checkpoints are understaffed in the late afternoon or evening. On 28th January, delays of about 45 minutes were encountered waiting to clear the TSA checkpoints -- to give one example. Smart travellers will allow extra time to clear TSA when flying out of Dulles International AIrport.
[edit] Priority Lines
Passengers travelling in First Class or Business Class, along with airline-designated very-frequent fliers, can access priority lines for the TSA screening process.
Having priority might not help one very much during the early morning and late afternoon busy periods, however, because there is a common set of shared escalators from the Departure Level of the Main Terminal down to the TSA screening area on the Mezzanine Level of the Main Terminal.
[edit] Inter-Terminal Transportation
The Z gates are directly connected to the south side of the Main Terminal, so are walkable.
The new underground inter-terminal subway, 'AeroTrain', opened in mid-January 2010. This replaces most, but not all of the inter-terminal mobile lounges ("Moon Buggies").
The mobile lounges remain in use for (1) Main Terminal to/from Terminal D and (2) International passengers arriving in Washington as their final destination.
There is an underground walkway between the B Terminal and the Main Terminal, as an option for those who do not wish to take the 'AeroTrain'.
[edit] Airline Alliances
All 3 major airline alliances are present at Washington/Dulles, but the airport is dominated by Star Alliance partner United Airlines.
[edit] Star Alliance
Washington/Dulles is a hub city for Star Alliance founding carrier United Airlines. A number of other Star Alliance carriers also fly to/from this airport.
[edit] Check-in
US Airways check-in is located midway along the Main Terminal.
UA check-in is located in on the east end of the Main Terminal. As the airport loop runs west to east, this means UA is in the last departure zone of the IAD Main Terminal building. Most other Star Alliance carriers have check-in desks nearby.
United Easy Check-in machines are available in the Main Terminal departure level. There are also Easy Check-In machines for passengers *without bags to check* on the lower level of the Main Terminal, near the arrivals exit to ground transportation. Beyond security, there are also Easy Check-In machines near gate A4 and near gate C20.
[edit] Flights: Domestic
All 3 US-flag Star Alliance carriers have operations at Washington/Dulles Airport.
[edit] Continental AIrlines
CO flights operate out of Concourse B. There are no Continental international flights with IAD as their gateway city. (No pending terminal changes are listed on the Continental Airlines web site as of 27th October 2009.)
[edit] United Airlines
UA mainline flights at Washington/Dulles (IAD) leave out of Concourse C or Concourse D.
Most United Express flights operate out of Concourse A, with some (typically CR7 or E70 aircraft) operating out of Concourse C or D. The United Express ground staff working in Concourse A are employed by a United Express carrier -- and are not UA employees. Often they are not as well trained as a UA gate agent would be at handling upgrades, standbys, or rebookings. There is no UA Red Carpet Club in Concourse A, but there is a "Customer Service" counter, several restaurants, and a news stand.
[edit] US Airways
US Airways operates out of gates Z6 through Z10, which are attached to the rear (southern) side of the Main Terminal. There are no US Airways international flights with IAD as their gateway city.
[edit] Flights: International
Several Star Alliance carriers have international flights to/from Washington/Dulles International Airport (IAD).
[edit] Air Canada
Star Alliance partner Air Canada (AC) operate out of the United Airlines gates in Concourses C and D. AC offers flights to Halifax, Montreal, and Toronto. Most flights use Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ, CR7) aircraft. Customs & Immigration for these flights occurs at the Canadian airport, not at IAD.
[edit] All Nippon Airlines
Star Alliance partners All Nippon Airlines (NH) operates out of Concourse B, near Gate 41. This gate, and the associated lounge, are both shared with Air France. ANA has a daily mid-day departure non-stop to Tokyo/Narita (NRT), and an early morning arrival from Tokyo/Narita.
[edit] British Midland
Several years ago, British Midland (BD) offered daily non-stop service to/from Manchester, England, UK. However, there is no current BD service to/from IAD.
[edit] Lufthansa
Lufthansa (LH) operates out of Concourse B, near Gate 51. It has daily flights to Frankfurt and Munich.
[edit] Scandanavian Air System
Scandanavian Airline System (SAS) operates out of Concourse B.
[edit] South African Airways
South African Airways operates out of Concourse B, near Gate 32.
[edit] United Airlines
UA mainline services, domestic and international. operate from Concourses C and D.
United has many non-stop flights from IAD to western Europe, including daily flights to Amsterdam (AMS), Brussels (BRU), Frankfurt (FRA), Paris (CDG), and London (LHR). For the Middle East, UA also has daily flights to Kuwait and Dubai from IAD. For Asia, UA has daily non-stop from IAD to Beijing (PEK) and a daily non-stop to Tokyo (NRT), with continuing service to Singapore (SIN). There are also daily non-stop flights from IAD to the Caribbean, Latin America, and to various places in Canada.
[edit] International Connections
Arriving UA passengers from overseas who are connecting at IAD normally undergo US Immigration and US Customs inspections at a special facility in the basement of Concourse C. Exceptionally, passengers flying to/from Canada undergo US Immigration and US Customs at the airport in Canada, and do not undergo those procedures at IAD.
One first must clear US Immigration. Then, after picking up their bags from the baggage belt, and passing US Customs in the basement, those bags can be rechecked with UA. Right after this, one undergoes TSA security screening and finally takes an escalator up to the departure level of Concourse C. The escalator exist is near gate C7 and the adjacent Red Carpet Club.
During 2008, this basement Customs, Immigration, & TSA facility was renovated and now has increased space. This has reduced the time required to get through this area.
[edit] International Arrivals
Arriving passengers who are ending their journey at IAD will board a "mobile lounge" (shuttle bus) from Concourse C to the International Arrivals Building (IAB) attached to the west end of the Main Terminal, and undergo US Immigration and US Customs checks there instead. A newly expanded International Arrivals Building opened in late September 2009. This expansion doubled the number of passengers that can be processed per hour. It is hoped this will reduce arrival delays during peak arrival times.
[edit] Airport Lounges
[edit] ANA Lounge
In the B Concourse, All Nippon Airways (ANA/NH) has a modest lounge with very limited operating hours. It is open only mornings, prior to the ANA mid-day flight departure from IAD to Tokyo/Narita. This is not a Star Alliance Gold lounge, so is only open to passengers on that ANA flight. This lounge is split into separate First Class and Business Class sections. Boarding for First and Business passengers is done directly from the lounge, while Economy passengers board separately from outside the lounge.
[edit] Lufthansa Senator Club
Also in the B Concourse, Lufthansa has a LH Senator Lounge, which is also a Star Alliance Gold lounge, open only in late afternoon and early evening -- before the Lufthansa (LH) departures for Frankfurt. Several positive reports about this lounge have been posted at the FlyerTalk web site.
[edit] UA Red Carpet Club
There are 3 Red Carpet Clubs at IAD Two are located in the C concourse (near C8 and near C16) and one is located in the D concourse near D7. The Club near C16 is larger than the other two, and also seems to be more busy.
As of early December 2009, each of these Red Carpet Club locations had one of the new espresso machines installed and in service. (These espresso machines appear to be in the process of gradual rollout throughout the US domestic RCC locations.)
A special feature of the Red Carpet Clubs at IAD is the offering of Red Carpet Ale on draft. This is a very good British-style ale and is only offered at this airport. (RCC staff won't divulge the brewery that makes this, but it appears to be some local micro-brewery.) This ale is in addition to the standard domestic RCC offering of American lager on draft. Draft beer, either ale or lager, is offered in both regular and also in large glasses at these RCCs.
There used to be a hidden "Star Alliance Gold lounge" in the A concourse, but that was replaced by an Italian-style restaurant in the mid-2000s (when Atlantic Coast Airlines ceased to be a United Express carrier, before ACA went bankrupt and UA regained control of Concourse A).
[edit] UA International FIrst Lounge
There is a separate International First Lounge in the C concourse near C4. This is reportedly quite small. Some passengers prefer to use the Red Carpet Clubs instead.
[edit] One World
One World airlines American Airlines and British Airways operate from the west end of Concourse B.
[edit] Flights: Domestic
American Airlines operates a number of flights at Washington/Dulles, primarily to its hub cities.
[edit] Flights: International
British Airways operates multiple flights between London/Heathrow and Washington/Dulles daily. These typically arrive at Dulles in the early afternoon, and depart for Heathrow late afternoon or evening.
[edit] Airport Lounges
AA has a lounge in Concourse B, above the main departure level of the Concourse, near the AeroTrain station. BA has a lounge in Concourse B, near Gate 50, above the main departure level of the Concourse. These are the only OneWorld lounges at Washington/Dulles Airport.
[edit] Sky Team
SkyTeam airlines AIr France, Delta, KLM, and Korean Air all operate from Concourse B.
[edit] Flights: Domestic
Delta operates a number of daily flights, primarily to its hub airports.
[edit] Flights: International
Air France offers daily flights between Washington/Dulles and Paris/Charles De Gaulle (CDG) airports. KLM offers daily flights between Washington/Dulles and Amsterdam/Schipol airports. Korean Air offers a daily flight each way between Washington/Dulles and Seoul, South Korea.
[edit] Lounges
The former Delta SkyClub at Washington/Dulles has closed. There is no SkyTeam lounge at Washington/Dulles.
Air France has a separate lounge located near gate B-46, only open in the late afternoon (opening in time for the daily AF departures). This AF lounge is shared with All Nippon Airlines, as their flights operate at different times of the day. (ANA uses the lounge in the morning, before their roughly 1230 departure for Tokyo/Narita). This is NOT also a SkyTeam Lounge and instead is only open to Air France passengers.
[edit] Other Airlines
Virgin Airlines has a lounge at Gate A-30.
[edit] Other Amenities
[edit] Smoking
IAD is non-smoking in all public areas. There are two smoking lounges airside in the C/D concourse. One is at the far end of concourse C, just after the IFL, across from Vino Volo. The second is at the far end of concourse D, past the Moe's Grill & Bar. Both rooms are enclosed with glass walls. Chairs are available. Both rooms are often crowded, and the ventilation is poor.
[edit] Restaurants, Coffee, and Such
A variety of restaurants, coffee bars, and bars/pubs are scattered around each of the concourses at Washington/Dulles. MWAA periodically change the mixture of restaurants and coffee bars, so it is difficult to maintain a fully accurate list of which firm is located near which gate.
A Gordon Biersch is located near gate D-12. Near gate C-22, there is a British style pub, the Firkin & Fox with a fox hunting theme and also a separate Wine Bar. Harry's Tap Room is near Gate B-41. Near Gate A-19, there is an Old Dominion Brew Pub. (Old Dominion Brewing Company is a local micro-brewery located about 2 miles directly north of the center north-south runway.)
MWAA's Shop & Dine Guide is online in PDF.
[edit] Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Annex
A shuttle bus runs between the Main Terminal and the Smithsonian Museum's "Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum Annex" during the day when the museum is open. There is no charge to enter the museum, but there is a small fee for the shuttle bus. This might be interesting for someone with a very long layover at Washington/Dulles airport.
[edit] Airport Hotels
There is a Marriott hotel located on the Washington/Dulles Airport property, but it has not been updated recently, so might not be one's first choice for an airport layover. Most major hotel chains have one or several hotels very near to the airport. Free hotel shuttle vans are commonly offered between IAD and most major hotels in the nearby communities of Reston, Herndon, Oak Hill, Chantilly, and Sterling.
[edit] USO Lounge
The United Services Organisation (USO) has a no-cost lounge on the same level as baggage claim in the Main Terminal. This is open to any member of the US Uniformed Services (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, NOAA Corps, Marines, USPHS). As this is outside security, it is mostly useful for uniformed services personnel arriving at IAD.
[edit] Transport within IAD
[edit] Underground Walkway
The Main Terminal is connected to Concourse B via an underground walkway. The walk takes 5-10 minutes. Concourse B and Concourse A are connected, so one could walk from the Main Terminal to Concourse A via Concourse B.
[edit] AeroTrain (Subway/Underground)
During 2009, MWAA built the new AeroTrain, a free underground/subway that connects the Main Terminal with Concourses A, B, and C. This began service on 26th January 2010, and replaces the former Mobile Lounges (informally called Moon Buggies).
The long term plan, after Concourses C & D are replaced (at some unknown year in the future), the AeroTrain system will provide a full loop and connect all 4 mid-field terminal buildings with each other and with the Main Terminal. The replacement C/D buildings will be located slightly south of the current C/D buildings (where the mid-field control tower is already located).
NOTE: This is different from the MetroRail extension to Dulles Airport.
[edit] Mobile Lounges
Concourse D is connected to Concourse A and separately to the Main Terminal by shuttle buses. (sometimes colloquially called "Moon Buggies" because they are unusually high off the ground). These take about 5 minutes each way and run every 10 minutes whenever the airport is open. Very late at night the services might run at less frequent intervals.
When Concourse C & D are replaced (at some unknown year in the future), the replacement Concourse D will be connected to the 'AeroTrain' inter-terminal subway system.
[edit] International Arrivals terminating at IAD
Passengers arriving from an international origin are required to undergo US Customs and Immigration at their first airport arrival in the US. For passengers terminating in Washington DC, or using certain airlines that do not use the mid-field Customs and Immigration facilities, a shuttle bus is used to carry the passengers to the International Arrivals Building attached to the Main Terminal. This service is NOT be replaced by the coming AeroTrain underground/subway system described just above.
[edit] Transport to/from IAD
[edit] Rental Cars
Major rental car firms have shuttle buses that take passengers from the ground transportation "island" at the arrivals level to the firm's site. Many firms have on-airport locations about 5-10 minutes from the Main Terminal. Some firms are off-airport.
There is an Exxon petrol station just before the rental car return area; normally the fuel prices at that Exxon are about the same as nearby off-airport locations. So re-fueling a rental car can be done at the airport just before the car return.
[edit] Taxi Service
Because of issues with having sufficient taxi cabs available (at least historically), the MWAA has setup a franchised Washington Flyer taxi service. Although the taxis have similar branding, nearly all taxis are operated by drivers who are independent contractors. This arrangement has helped ensure good availability of taxi cabs nearly all the time. There are two managed taxi stands (one on the east side, and one on the west side) on the arrivals level of the Main Terminal. All legal cabs will have meters and will NOT be soliciting for passengers.
Note that as of 2009, the District of Columbia (Washington, DC) requires that all taxi cabs have and use meters. This is a change from their historic, and widely disliked, "zone" system. This only affects people who are originating their taxi journey within DC.
[edit] Public Transit
[edit] Shuttle Bus between IAD and MetroRail
There is a Washington Flyer bus service that runs regularly between IAD's main terminal arrivals level and the West Falls Church station of the Washington MetroRail (subway/underground) system. To use this, enquire at the Washington Flyer counter located dead center (along the east-west axis) of the arrivals level of the Main Terminal. There is a fee to take this shuttle.
[edit] Connecting to DCA
Washington/Reagan National Airport also has its own MetroRail station. So one could connect between Washington/Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Washington/Reagan National Airport (DCA) by using MetroRail between DCA and West Falls Church MetroRail station and also the shuttle bus between West Falls Church MetroRail station and IAD.
[edit] Connecting to BWI
Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) has its own Amtrak stop on the line between Washington's Union Station and the Baltimore, MD railway station. BWI also has an Express MetroBus service to/from the Greenbelt MetroRail station. So one can use the combination of the IAD/West Falls Church MetroRail shuttle, the Washington MetroRail system, and either Amtrak or the Express MetroBus to connect to/from BWI.
[edit] Bus
- Metrobus Route 5A runs every 30-60 minutes during the day between Dulles, Herndon, Tysons Corner, Rosslyn MetroRail, and L'Enfant Plaza MetroRail. The trip is 30-40 minutes long, and cash fare is a bit above $3 each way. The Washington Post reported on 21st December 2009 that the 5A bus is often crowded with commuters during the lengthy (3 hours each) morning and evening commuter rush hours and also reported that these buses do not have luggage racks. According to The Washington Post, the 5A bus might not be the best choice for airport travellers because of these issues.
[edit] Railways
- Amtrak's Washington Union Station, its New Carrollton, MD station, and its station at Alexandria, VA all have co-located MetroRail stations.
- Maryland's commuter rail service, MARC, also stops at Washington Union Station and at New Carrollton station, which are served by Metro Rail
- Virginia's commuter rail service, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), terminates at Washington Union Station and serves the Alexandria, VA railway station, in addition to several other stops west to Manassas or south to Fredericksburg. MetroRail serves both Washington Union Station and the Alexandria, VA railway station.
[edit] Future MetroRail Access
The Dulles Corridor Transit Project is extending the Washington MetroRail system west through McLean, Reston, and Herndon, out past Washington/Dulles Airport. This received final US Federal Government approval in March 2009. The 1st phase of this project runs from the existing East Falls Church MetroRail station out to the future Wiehle Avenue MetroRail station in Reston. The 2nd phase of this project starts at Wiehle Avenue, runs through Dulles Airport, and extends northwest of the airport into Loudoun County, VA.
- This project is commonly known as the Silver Line.
- Construction of the 1st phase began in Spring 2009, and is visible in the median strip of the Dulles Airport Access Road.
- In late December 2009, Fairfax County, VA approved a special taxing district to help pay for the 2nd Phase of the Dulles Corridor Transit Project. Formal Federal approval for Phase 2 will be needed eventually, but is not expected to be a problem when the time arrives for that.
- In early 2013, the Washington Flyer Metro Rail bus service is expected to drop in price, increase in frequency, and run between IAD and the (future) Wiehle Avenue in Reston Metro Rail station, instead of continuing to the West Falls Church Metro Rail station.
- A Metro Rail station underneath the Main Terminal at Washington/Dulles is expected to open in the last half of 2015.
