Why Dulles Airport Sucks...

[For Miguel, RJ Carpenter, and other IAD fans :-) ]


http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3cb65d50-4a...00e2511c8.html

_The Financial Times_

Jurek Martin: Letter to America

Published: December 10 2004


"Airports are gateways to countries, especially those serving capital
cities. They can, do or should reflect at least some of the values and
standards that a country likes to think is its public face to the rest of
the world.

London's Heathrow, for example, is messy but it works, a reflection of the
great British virtue of muddling through against all odds. Charles de Gaulle
in Paris is quintessentially French: lots of style but infuriatingly
difficult to negotiate. Moscow's Sheremetyevo had all the charms of Soviet
bureaucracy, offset by vodka and Cuban cigars.

Which brings us to the strange and disturbing case of Dulles Airport outside
Washington, DC. I think there is a conspiracy of silence in the American
media not to report about Dulles and it is time it was broken.

On the plus side, Eero Saarinen's elegant design, even if now extended,
still soars over the flat Virginia countryside, sometimes seeming all the
more beautiful because for years it has been an oasis in a desert of
construction. But that is the sum of the plus side, period. Whether leaving
or arriving, Dulles is without other redeeming virtues.

Two recent personal trips, and anecdotal evidence beyond number, show an
airport in chaos - think Calcutta, Nairobi or any other erstwhile Third
World hell hole, where to get on or off a flight was often an achievement in
itself, and you have Dulles. This is not exactly appropriate for the world's
only superpower.

The slowly shuffling lines to pass through security snake endlessly inside
and sometimes outside the airport itself (I calculated upwards of half a
mile on one recent non-holiday midweek afternoon). Every other person seems
to be on a cell phone to airlines saying they were going to miss flights in
spite of arriving two hours early, to friends and relatives advising of
cataclysmic delays.

Women and children can be seen weeping while businessmen gnash their teeth.
A Scandinavian ambassador of distinctly democratic persuasion says that for
the first time in his long career he has started using diplomatic privileges
to evade the chaos. Meanwhile the airport's public address system is either
silent or incomprehensible, unless warning that smoking is prohibited.

I used my time in line to call The Washington Post to say I thought there
was a story here that a reporter might investigate, but I don't think one
ever appeared. What did make page one, though, was a photo of a just opened
high tech walkway, thus fostering the illusion that everything is up to date
in Dulles, as well as Kansas City. Give me a break.

The collective agony is compounded because to complain publicly is not
allowed any more when the issue is national security, even if its
implementation is far from perfect. It is, for example, patently obvious
that Dulles does not have enough security gates, but to point this out could
mean a one way ticket to Guantánamo.

It would also be unwise to ask if it is always entirely necessary to half
undress before passing through screening, frozen-footed, clutching belt-less
trousers, boarding passes and government-issued identification clenched
between teeth.

Last month I witnessed a security agent ordering a mother to pass a
three-month-old separately through screening (by rolling the child through,
perhaps).

Arriving is no breeze either, especially on flights from overseas.
Passengers are funnelled through a series of narrow, windowless corridors,
often moving no faster than they were on the way out before passing through
security, only to be subject to the not always tender mercies of customs and
immigration, which is another story entirely.

Another Dulles indignity has just been added. Those waiting in the
international arrival hall used to be able to get a glimpse of the huddled
masses inside whenever the swing doors opened to let passengers out. Large
ugly black screens now prevent even this minor facility, installed
presumably to stop terrorists inside passing hand signals to their
accomplices outside (as if they would not be using cell phones anyway).

Finally, there is the question of how to get the 25 miles from Dulles into
the capital of the land of the free. Just about every other country
regardless of the state of development has managed to provide a variety of
transport options at a reasonable cost.

But at Dulles there is no economical downtown bus any longer, unless you
count the under-advertised one connecting to an underground stop some miles
away, practical only if travelling fairly light.

There is no light rail or underground service, though the airport access
highway has plenty of space for one in its central reservation.

This is because not-in-my-backyard suburban communities in Virginia keep
objecting to the cost and because federal and state governments, caring
little about public transportation in any case, will not independently step
into the breach.

Even the taxi service, which costs 50 bucks and up, is a monopoly (and this
in the bastion of capitalism) while the ubiquitous blue van facility, at
about half the cost, can take its time depositing you at your destination.
And, naturally, car parking rates seem to rise every quarter.

Finally it is impossible to say if Dulles is a nice place to eat and shop.
You can do neither while shuffling in line. You are just relieved to get out
of the place on the same day."

/

"Gregory Morrow"

wrote in message
k.net...
[For Miguel, RJ Carpenter, and other IAD fans
:-) ]

Sir,

You have not read my various comments about
Dulles. Yes, I have mentioned some recent
improvements, but it is still a "slow" airport.
Bushels of money have been spent correcting
Saarinen's baggage and passenger traffic flow
errors and more need to be spent. The airport is
owned by the Feds and really still controlled by
Congress, so don't expect Viriginia or Metro to
want to drown in debt building and subsidizing
rapid transit to IAD.

It tends to take me an hour from the time the
plane arrives until I leave the economy parking.

Look at the FAA traffic site and you'll find that
almost anything causes delays at Dulles during
their peak afternoon / evening hours.
http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp
Independence Air and other small-jet services have
overloaded the place. Another E-W runway is
coming, but probably not in my lifetime.

When coming to DC, use National Airport. It's a
"no-walking" airport with only a couple of hundred
yards from your gate to ground transportation,
including Metrorail. This past Tuesday evening I
was in my Rockville, MD, house within 90 minutes
of landing at DCA including collecting baggage,
shuttle to economy lot & buying milk at Potomac.
You can WALK to hotels in Crystal City in about 20
minutes.
http://users.erols.com/rcarpen/Hotel2DCA.htm

bob c.

"Gregory Morrow"

wrote in message
k.net...
[For Miguel, RJ Carpenter, and other IAD fans
:-) ]

Sir,

You have not read my various comments about
Dulles. Yes, I have mentioned some recent
improvements, but it is still a "slow" airport.
Bushels of money have been spent correcting
Saarinen's baggage and passenger traffic flow
errors and more need to be spent. The airport is
owned by the Feds and really still controlled by
Congress, so don't expect Viriginia or Metro to
want to drown in debt building and subsidizing
rapid transit to IAD.

It tends to take me an hour from the time the
plane arrives until I leave the economy parking.

Look at the FAA traffic site and you'll find that
almost anything causes delays at Dulles during
their peak afternoon / evening hours.
http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp
Independence Air and other small-jet services have
overloaded the place. Another E-W runway is
coming, but probably not in my lifetime.

When coming to DC, use National Airport. It's a
"no-walking" airport with only a couple of hundred
yards from your gate to ground transportation,
including Metrorail. This past Tuesday evening I
was in my Rockville, MD, house within 90 minutes
of landing at DCA including collecting baggage,
shuttle to economy lot & buying milk at Potomac.
You can WALK to hotels in Crystal City in about 20
minutes.
http://users.erols.com/rcarpen/Hotel2DCA.htm

bob c.

DCA is great for domestic and flights to and from the eastern half of
Canada. But if you're on your way to Europe or other overseas destinations
then you're pretty much stuck with IAD. IAD used to be a sleepy little
operation that attracted little attention from domestic flyers. I used to
love flying from it, but about 4 or 5 years ago the traffic started to go
crazy with the advent of the discount carriers. Now I avoid it like the
plague and prefer going from DCA. Don't even mention BWI to me as that
place is even worse than IAD.

DP


"R J Carpenter" wrote in message
...

"Gregory Morrow"

wrote in message
k.net...
[For Miguel, RJ Carpenter, and other IAD fans
:-) ]

Sir,

You have not read my various comments about
Dulles. Yes, I have mentioned some recent
improvements, but it is still a "slow" airport.
Bushels of money have been spent correcting
Saarinen's baggage and passenger traffic flow
errors and more need to be spent. The airport is
owned by the Feds and really still controlled by
Congress, so don't expect Viriginia or Metro to
want to drown in debt building and subsidizing
rapid transit to IAD.

It tends to take me an hour from the time the
plane arrives until I leave the economy parking.

Look at the FAA traffic site and you'll find that
almost anything causes delays at Dulles during
their peak afternoon / evening hours.
http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp
Independence Air and other small-jet services have
overloaded the place. Another E-W runway is
coming, but probably not in my lifetime.

When coming to DC, use National Airport. It's a
"no-walking" airport with only a couple of hundred
yards from your gate to ground transportation,
including Metrorail. This past Tuesday evening I
was in my Rockville, MD, house within 90 minutes
of landing at DCA including collecting baggage,
shuttle to economy lot & buying milk at Potomac.
You can WALK to hotels in Crystal City in about 20
minutes.
http://users.erols.com/rcarpen/Hotel2DCA.htm

bob c.

DCA is great for domestic and flights to and from the eastern half of
Canada. But if you're on your way to Europe or other overseas destinations
then you're pretty much stuck with IAD. IAD used to be a sleepy little
operation that attracted little attention from domestic flyers. I used to
love flying from it, but about 4 or 5 years ago the traffic started to go
crazy with the advent of the discount carriers. Now I avoid it like the
plague and prefer going from DCA. Don't even mention BWI to me as that
place is even worse than IAD.

DP


"R J Carpenter" wrote in message
...

"Gregory Morrow"

wrote in message
k.net...
[For Miguel, RJ Carpenter, and other IAD fans
:-) ]

Sir,

You have not read my various comments about
Dulles. Yes, I have mentioned some recent
improvements, but it is still a "slow" airport.
Bushels of money have been spent correcting
Saarinen's baggage and passenger traffic flow
errors and more need to be spent. The airport is
owned by the Feds and really still controlled by
Congress, so don't expect Viriginia or Metro to
want to drown in debt building and subsidizing
rapid transit to IAD.

It tends to take me an hour from the time the
plane arrives until I leave the economy parking.

Look at the FAA traffic site and you'll find that
almost anything causes delays at Dulles during
their peak afternoon / evening hours.
http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp
Independence Air and other small-jet services have
overloaded the place. Another E-W runway is
coming, but probably not in my lifetime.

When coming to DC, use National Airport. It's a
"no-walking" airport with only a couple of hundred
yards from your gate to ground transportation,
including Metrorail. This past Tuesday evening I
was in my Rockville, MD, house within 90 minutes
of landing at DCA including collecting baggage,
shuttle to economy lot & buying milk at Potomac.
You can WALK to hotels in Crystal City in about 20
minutes.
http://users.erols.com/rcarpen/Hotel2DCA.htm

bob c.

Gregory Morrow wrote:

[For Miguel, RJ Carpenter, and other IAD fans :-) ]


http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3cb65d50-4a...00e2511c8.html

_The Financial Times_

Jurek Martin: Letter to America

Published: December 10 2004


"Airports are gateways to countries, especially those serving capital
cities. They can, do or should reflect at least some of the values and
standards that a country likes to think is its public face to the rest of
the world.
snip












One problem with the analysis is that Dulles isn't the major entry point
for the US. For the other capitals that the article mentions the
airport for the capital is the major international entry. Even Berlin
is a more important city locally than Washington.

Perhaps we should consider Canberra & Brazil.

Gregory Morrow wrote:

[For Miguel, RJ Carpenter, and other IAD fans :-) ]


http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3cb65d50-4a...00e2511c8.html

_The Financial Times_

Jurek Martin: Letter to America

Published: December 10 2004


"Airports are gateways to countries, especially those serving capital
cities. They can, do or should reflect at least some of the values and
standards that a country likes to think is its public face to the rest of
the world.
snip












One problem with the analysis is that Dulles isn't the major entry point
for the US. For the other capitals that the article mentions the
airport for the capital is the major international entry. Even Berlin
is a more important city locally than Washington.

Perhaps we should consider Canberra & Brazil.

Gregory Morrow quoted:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3cb65d50-4a...00e2511c8.html
_The Financial Times_
Jurek Martin: Letter to America

Arriving is no breeze either, especially on flights from overseas.
Passengers are funnelled through a series of narrow, windowless corridors,
often moving no faster than they were on the way out before passing through
security, only to be subject to the not always tender mercies of customs and
immigration, which is another story entirely.

He misses the worst part: Arriving passengers are all bunched up, a
plane-full if at all possible, in a single one of those horrible mobile
lounges, for transport to the main terminal (though it could be the gas
chambers for the way you're treated en route). Who wants to get off a
cramped plane only to be stuffed in an even more cramped lurching top-heavy
funny-smelling bus? People who have never been to the USA before get pushed
into that thing and look at each other with pained and confused expressions
that clearly read, "What the hell??"

But at Dulles there is no economical downtown bus any longer, unless you
count the under-advertised one connecting to an underground stop some miles
away, practical only if travelling fairly light.

This isn't correct, though. There is an hourly $2.50 bus operated by DC
Metro that goes all the way to L'Enfant Plaza. However, word has gotten out
about this bus and these days it's often completely packed. So you get to
choose between standing with all your luggage for an hour, or fronting the
$11 to ride the bus mentioned by the article's author and then the Metro.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos from 32 countries on 5 continents: http://travel.u.nu

Gregory Morrow quoted:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3cb65d50-4a...00e2511c8.html
_The Financial Times_
Jurek Martin: Letter to America

Arriving is no breeze either, especially on flights from overseas.
Passengers are funnelled through a series of narrow, windowless corridors,
often moving no faster than they were on the way out before passing through
security, only to be subject to the not always tender mercies of customs and
immigration, which is another story entirely.

He misses the worst part: Arriving passengers are all bunched up, a
plane-full if at all possible, in a single one of those horrible mobile
lounges, for transport to the main terminal (though it could be the gas
chambers for the way you're treated en route). Who wants to get off a
cramped plane only to be stuffed in an even more cramped lurching top-heavy
funny-smelling bus? People who have never been to the USA before get pushed
into that thing and look at each other with pained and confused expressions
that clearly read, "What the hell??"

But at Dulles there is no economical downtown bus any longer, unless you
count the under-advertised one connecting to an underground stop some miles
away, practical only if travelling fairly light.

This isn't correct, though. There is an hourly $2.50 bus operated by DC
Metro that goes all the way to L'Enfant Plaza. However, word has gotten out
about this bus and these days it's often completely packed. So you get to
choose between standing with all your luggage for an hour, or fronting the
$11 to ride the bus mentioned by the article's author and then the Metro.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos from 32 countries on 5 continents: http://travel.u.nu

Gregory Morrow quoted:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3cb65d50-4a...00e2511c8.html
_The Financial Times_
Jurek Martin: Letter to America

Arriving is no breeze either, especially on flights from overseas.
Passengers are funnelled through a series of narrow, windowless corridors,
often moving no faster than they were on the way out before passing through
security, only to be subject to the not always tender mercies of customs and
immigration, which is another story entirely.

He misses the worst part: Arriving passengers are all bunched up, a
plane-full if at all possible, in a single one of those horrible mobile
lounges, for transport to the main terminal (though it could be the gas
chambers for the way you're treated en route). Who wants to get off a
cramped plane only to be stuffed in an even more cramped lurching top-heavy
funny-smelling bus? People who have never been to the USA before get pushed
into that thing and look at each other with pained and confused expressions
that clearly read, "What the hell??"

But at Dulles there is no economical downtown bus any longer, unless you
count the under-advertised one connecting to an underground stop some miles
away, practical only if travelling fairly light.

This isn't correct, though. There is an hourly $2.50 bus operated by DC
Metro that goes all the way to L'Enfant Plaza. However, word has gotten out
about this bus and these days it's often completely packed. So you get to
choose between standing with all your luggage for an hour, or fronting the
$11 to ride the bus mentioned by the article's author and then the Metro.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos from 32 countries on 5 continents: http://travel.u.nu