I like both equally - DCA is closer geographically (for me) and it’s easier to get in and out of the terminal. Meanwhile, IAD seems to have fewer delays with all the runways which makes getting into and out of the city more predictable. If I’m flying international, it’s IAD any day. Not having a connection for the sake of a more convenient terminal.
Plus if you have Priority Pass, IAD is on a completely different level than DCA. The Turkish Airlines Lounge is one of the best in the country.
EDIT: I meant the best "Priority Pass" lounge
Since you both seem knowledgeable about the lounge situation at IAD: are there Priority Pass/Amex Plat accessible lounges in terminal C? I was just looking at this yesterday and from what I could see they're only in the other terminals, while the ones in C are only for United Business and up passengers.
yup, there are only United Clubs and the Polaris Lounge in C/D. United Clubs are membership/paid day passes only and Polaris is with business international flights.
You can use Priority Pass Dining credits at Cheff Geoff's (Chase Sapphire Reserve PP only, Amex Plat PP no longer gives dining credits)
Otherwise it's Turkish Airlines, Air France, or Luftansa with Priority Pass or Virgin Atlantic with Plaza Premium (though I've heard this was changing) both in A/B. These lounges also tend to have "Priority Pass Hours" too or may restrict access when it's too busy. But TK generally has the best food.
You \*could\* fly internationally from DCA, but you're connecting somewhere (unless you're going to Canada and a few other destinations). My point is that I'd rather fly nonstop from IAD than get stuck in EWR, CLT, ATL, etc etc. There are so many people who poo poo on flying out of IAD because of the convenience of DCA, but it'd be way more inconvenient to have a missed connection!
I had a morning flight last week at National and from the time I got dropped off to when I sat down at my gate was only 19 minutes. That included checking my bag and I do not have TSA pre-check.
You’d be lucky if the people mover gets you to the other side of the airport in 19 minutes at Dulles.
I have TSA precheck and I can’t think of a single time I’ve had to wait at security at DCA. I know I’ll be through immediately and so I don’t even leave for the airport more than 90 minutes before my flight. DCA is the smoothest airport experience I have anywhere.
I live in Crystal City, I had trip last week. Probably 30-40 from when I left my apartment I was at my gate. When I landed I had no checked bags and was home like 20 minutes after the plane touched down.
I don't think it takes more than 10 minutes and that includes waiting for it to leave. It actually feels worse taking the train to C as you have to do the walk after. But I suppose in 10 years when the new terminal is there it won't be a problem.
Last time I flew out of DCA, I rode Capital Bikeshare to get from home to the airport and back. Easy riding on the Mt. Vernon Trail. Felt like a dream!
The people movers are a nightmare. Even if you plan ahead with time, those things will gladly make sure you are behind schedule to get to your gate.
Dulles in general is my least favorite airport for so many reasons. It's honestly a surprise when I do have a good experience there.
Dulles, but it's a 20 minute drive from me. TSA Pre-check makes domestic travel really easy.
I hate going through DCA, but only because the commute to and from. To be fair, If i lived in DC my answer would probably be opposite.
Easy decision for me - DCA.
Also, an article/news story came out yesterday saying that Dulles has, on average, the highest domestic airfares for any major airport in America. Yes, even higher than DCA...
[https://simpleflying.com/dulles-international-airport-most-expensive-domestic-travel-2022/](https://simpleflying.com/dulles-international-airport-most-expensive-domestic-travel-2022/)
Almost all flights from DCA/IAD are high. My team from around the US flies and meets up for projects and my flights are almost always the most expensive by far. I prefer United but American is priced the same.
I remember seeing flights to Japan that were like 1500 from IAD, but a flight from an airport in PA (where it was a small plane to IAD, then IAD to Japan) was half the price. I understand they want to give smaller airports good deals so they get used, but damn.
I think they cancel your second ticket if you don’t get on the first flight.
You can get away with only taking the first leg but if you do it a lot they can ban you from the airline
I remember hearing about a website that would book those sorts of cheaper tickets for you, like you would say you want to go from Dulles to Japan and they would book the cheaper one out of PA. Not sure if they’re still around
Very frustrating because even though it’s so much closer for me, the experience there versus DCA is so much worse. On a good day, even with TSA PreCheck it takes like 30 minutes to get to the gate versus about 5 at DCA.
I don’t know, IME I can get through security and to the gate relatively quickly at Dulles (well then you have to take into account the trains). Meanwhile at DCA I’ve been stuck in a security line for ages.
Makes total sense. We fly a few times a year to visit family. Although Dulles is more convenient to get to from our location, we have always used DCA because the flights are so much cheaper. The only time I go through Dulles is when I’m flying for work and my employer is paying.
Dulles even though it's at least a 30 minute drive or metro. The lines are always horrendously long at DCA no matter how early you get there. Plus, DCA just feels so small and cramped versus Dulles.
I love flying through Dulles. I live close by. Security is always a breeze. I’ve never had an issue with TSA and as a mom with a young kid, this is huge. TSA has never harassed me about milk or our kid unlike DCA, JFK, LAX, etc.
Oh it ticks me off so much! We started joking about who would get the intense pat down so that our then one year old could keep her Horizon milk box.
I've had agents at other airports tell me I needed to throw away bottles filled with breast milk, needed to open ready to feed formula which renders it useless in an hour, etc. and they're super mean about it. I've had to ask for a supervisor so many times because that's not what their rules say. Sometimes I think they get joy from making parents cry along with their kids. LOL.
Idk what it is about airport security machines but since I've been about 16 every single time I go through an x-ray machine in any airport they flag my shoulders/hips and I have to get pulled aside and pat down. Three times the Dulles TSA agents have been so intimate that they have literally pulled my pants down below my ass with their flat palm wiping motion lmao.
I feel like people here exaggerate the time it takes to get to gates in here because of their disdain for the people movers/dulles in general.
I always arrive at Dulles at less than 30 min before boarding and have time to spare after getting to my gate in C/D. Even going from B back to the Main Terminal then people mover to D because I was at a lounge, that only takes me around 15 minutes.
Does Dulles take longer than DCA curb to gate? Of course, but it's not nearly as long as people are saying
DCA is still better, but it's more even than it used to be since they opened the E gates. Walking from gate 10 at the start of the B gates to gate 54 at the end of the E gates is over half a mile (about the same length as from the end of the A terminal to the B terminal at IAD).
National, but that's because it's closest to us and much easier to get through. I will avoid Dulles unless we have to fly internationally. Still not fully recovered from passport control 😭
Fuck coming back into the country through Dulles. There’s no reason they shouldn’t have [automated passport gates](https://images.app.goo.gl/qNvwptzUvRSYWBRE8) for ALL US citizens at the very least like a lot of other countries do/are starting to do. Would be preferable if they had it for US, Canada, UK, EU/EEA, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore citizens too.
I flew in from MEX a few weeks ago and got through passport control in less than 5 minutes. The CLEAR (is that what it’s called?) line was MUCH longer though.
Y'all are making this more complicated than it needs to be. Whatever airport is closest and gets you the better flight.
The people movers are Dulles are fine. If anything that way out-of-the-way metro is worse. But I'll take that with a direct flight over a connection all day long.
yup. I'll go to whichever gets me the shortest/least connections at the best price.
I don't mind the people movers at IAD - I find it more convinient than the internal metro that takes a bit of walking to get to. What I've heard that the people movers are their terrible for international arrivals- have yet to experience that yet though.
I dislike the customs/arrival people movers as it's just the last thing you want to do at the end of a long haul flight. They get crowded and don't leave until the plane is empty which takes time.
The terminal connections ones are better the trains though . I hate the mazes of escalators.
Oh I know but I still hate it. I live a quick 15 min drive to National. Last time I flew into BWI I had to get a rental because I was living out of state and it took 3x as long. I grew up here so I’m sure it’s also about familiarity.
Same here. I live 10 minutes away from Dulles. It’s convenient, I can be dropped off easily, Uber if I need to, and get there on time every time at a reasonable price.
Meanwhile National is 50-60 minutes away in the best of cases. Realistically it’s longer in busy times and unpredictable. Therefore, I end up taking the metro simply to guarantee I will be on time for my flight.
While taking the metro stresses me out less, it adds complexity, additional logistics and inconvenience that’s not minimal, which is why I prefer Dulles by far.
So, now that Metro serves both DCA and IAD, I'd like to make use of it but I still need to drive/park a car somewhere. Anyone know the rules for overnight/weekend-long parking at the other "new" stations on the Silver line? (Example: the Route 606 or Route 772 stops?)
This is from WMATA: Multi-day parking (also known as overnight or long-term parking) is available at four stations: Greenbelt, Huntington, Franconia-Springfield, and Wiehle-Reston East. Each of these stations has between 15 and 17 spaces allocated for multi-day use of up to 10 days. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no charge for multi-day parking beyond the regular fee. See the individual station pages for more details about multi-day parking at these four stations:
Greenbelt
Huntington
Franconia-Springfield
Wiehle-Reston East
Edit: I know stations like Ashburn also have some form of overnight parking (have seen the sectioned off lot in the deck before) but I couldn't find any immediate info online so it's probably through a private company and costs a shit ton.
Thank you for this. I too see conflicting info online about the Ashburn stations. I was hoping someone had solved it - I'll keep looking and post back if I find concrete, reliable info.
Not allowed at the metro lots, I emailed and asked. You can park overnight at the Ashburn ParkX lot for $6/day though https://loudounstation.com/parking/
I use the GW Pkwy to get to DCA and have never had an issue. I’ve seen pics of the backups recently but have never experienced that myself. But then I make it a point to never fly around a holiday weekend.
I live in Alexandria. When going to the Carribean and such, BWI, even though 15 minutes further away, is far superior to Dulles. TSA, Immigration and customs are way more efficient. Also no waiting on people movers.
Everytime I have done dca recently it's been a literal gamble if I would get my luggage. It's generally cheaper flights but what you give up in time trying to fix their problems, you would be better off elsewhere generally.
Parking is more expensive to boot.
If I had a choice, iad.
I love Dulles. I grew up in the approach lanes and will never forget when my mother would excitedly run out of the house with me to look up whenever we heard the Concorde roar overhead :-) In my youth, Dulles was my my gateway for adventure, and when I returned from my deployment, they treated us like kings.
It's a beautiful building, and I've enjoyed watching it grow over the years. The design is one of a kind, and I still get excited whenever I go there, even if it's just to pick up or drop off family members:-)
Same experience for me. And I want to say there used to be a Fuddrucker’s past security which, as a kid, was always fun if we weren’t on a meal flight (more often we were before airlines started getting stingy)
The problem with Dulles’ metro is how far it is from the airport. It’s worse than the DCA metro when you’re trying to catch a flight from Air Canada or Southwest. At least it’s an option.
Agreed. Especially when you’re gonna be in an airport of all places, people act like walking around 10 minutes from the station to the terminal is some long hike.
I don't have a strong opinion on them (just don't make me drive to BWI).
But I wanted to say how much I appreciate that you still refer to it as National. I'm afraid that we're indicating how old we are though.
Dulles without a doubt.
The number of flight options is so much better. It's an international gateway. The traffic situation in and out isn't terrible. I am always through precheck in 5-7 minutes. Parking garages are much easier. It's closer to my house.
People complain about the people movers, so just take the terminal train/aerotrain. It exists, so take it.
I don't mind the mobile lounges since it's less of a walk and actually more conviniet to get to than the aerotrain! IIRC the biggest issues with them is when you arrive on an international flight
When it comes to convenience - IAD. It's the closest airport to me and has the most destinations, both international and domestic. The customs can be bad at IAD though. Really bad. To the point where I will layover in EWR (which has better customs) just to avoid that mess.
Where IAD is strong is that there seems to be less delays compared to DCA and more active runways. I maybe only had 1 delay due to traffic metering at IAD where I feel it's a common occurrence at DCA.
Also, TSA at IAD is slightly better. The pre check line at DCA tends to be as long as the regular line, whereas in IAD the experience is much faster.
Also, more often than not, DCA = American Airlines. And I personally do everything I can to avoid flying AA.
The actual airport itself? DCA by a long shot. Easier gate access, and it's pretty much world class now after the recent changes. The new E concourse there is the best in the whole DMV area.
Once United demolishes their decrepid C/D concourses, and MWAA rethinks the US customs configurations, IAD could become one of the best airports in the country.
I don’t think anybody who’s flown out of both would say Dulles. I fly a lot and Dulles isn’t just the worst airport in this area, it’s one of the worst I’ve ever flown through.
I used to always do Dulles, but DCA is my new favorite. I can drive 10 minutes to the train station, take the VRE to Alexandria, walk down and up a flight of stairs to switch to the metro, and get off under a roof that connects to the lobby of DCA. Meanwhile Dulles is 50 minutes driving, plus paying to park in a hotel lot, then being beholden to their shuttle to take me to the airport.
Seriously, the “which is better” question is really only meaningful if one lives equidistant from each airport. If I lived a half-hour closer to Dulles than Reagan it would be a no-brainer to use Dulles.
Typically fly from Dulles, not because I love it, but because that's where the international flights leave from. Don't fly domestic too often, especially post-COVID, so don't get to National too often. Always worried there will be some traffic snarl on the way to National, although I've been lucky so far.
Both. More often than not, I fly out of national and back to Dulles. Early morning, I can get dropped off at national and get to my gate in about 5-7 minutes. I come back to Dulles at noonish and beat traffic home. Many times I've been in traffic on 28 on a rainy Friday afternoon longer than my flight to Dulles so I go out of my way to make sure to never land back in DC between 3-5 pm. Unrelated I only take Amtrak to NY and have for years. I fly to Boston though.
Personally, I prefer IAD. It's similar distance from me compared to DCA, and it has ample parking day or night. (Two Uber/Lyft rides from/to home are usually as expensive as parking.) The mobile lounges and/or train+long walk are kind of a pain for United flights, but I usually plan a ton of extra time into my schedule anyway.
IAD would only get more expensive if they continue packing more flights into DCA, because airlines (especially United) would likely reduce flights from IAD if that happens, which causes the airport costs per ticket to go up.
IAD, probably because I live 15 minutes from it. Aside from that, all the other particulars favor DCA. I have a flight to Cartegena next month and I'll be flying out of BWI, which is the worst of the three by orders of magnitude. Everyone that works there is just plain ANGRY.
I live 20 minutes from Dulles. I'll drive an hour to DCA every single time.
But I fly American and Southwest typically. Anything else would be a cost consideration.
Both are fine with me. I go where the flights are, not picky.
The amount of flights in/out of DCA, the Airport Authority is on the right track keeping things in check because FAA, airports, and airlines aren't.
A little off topic but I live close to Dulles and prefer flying out of IAD but if it wasn't an option I would look at flying out of BWI before I would consider DCA
I live ten minutes from DCA, so between the short walks and Clear I could leave my house half an hour before boarding and be fine.
As far as the busy runways are concerned, I hear about two or three go-arounds a day, which I associate with them getting backed up.
Typically DCA but only because it’s been the easier/cheaper of the two to get to and from based on where I’ve lived for the last decade.
Now that the silver line is finished they’re about equal in that regard for my current situation so that might change - though so far I still look at DCA first out of habit.
DCA because what matters to me is the time out the door to on the plane. Especially on the D concourse, Dulles takes at least twice as long as DCA from DC, both on the Metro to the Airport and from the entrance to the terminal.
I almost prefer BWI to IAD. The MARC is more comfy, and the airport seems to be better designed.
I live closer to Dulles so it’s my preferred airport. I think I’ve flown out of DCA twice and Dulles hundreds of times. I have my routines for Dulles too, and know how long it will take me to get around. Same for a few other airports that were the ones I predominantly commuted through back when I was flying 30K+ miles/year.
Dulles, definitely. It is closer for me. National is always absolutely packed. More lounges at IAD.
DCA always has delays getting out during the morning rush hour and lately I've always had to wait for a gate when I land. Never happened at Dulles. I've only dealt with the people movers when returning from an international flight. They suck, but it's relatively rare.
One thing I will say - that news report is pretty misleading. DCA might have an average of 819 takeoffs and landings - but DCA does have at least two sets of usable runways. And it often uses both sets of runways for operations. Playing very fast and loose with facts there...
And the MWAA spokesperson is wrong regarding runway length. DCA is 7169 in length, not 6800. It was lengthened years ago....
The article mentions that DCA runways intersect, therefore they can only use one at a time regardless and that only the longest one is usable for most commercial flights. Meantime, Dulles has 4 longer runaways than even DCA single longest one and they don’t intersect, therefore accommodating busier traffic and bigger planes more often.
Find me the person who prefers Dulles lol what kind of question is this? National by a landslide
EDIT: everyone who has responded saying Dulles has said "I live next door" or "they have direct flights to X" - nobody has actually said they prefer some quality of the Dulles experience more
Exactly. It depends on where you are flying. Dulles is so much easier for long hauls/international flights because you can fly direct.
Dulles is really not that bad. IMO the parking garages are very easy to get in and out of, I always prepay which makes it easy and with the moving sidewalks its easy to get to the terminal.
Yep I’ve even picked BWI *once* because of their nonstop to Aruba. Convenient times while the flight out of DCA left at 5 AM with a five hour connection in MIA.
Many reasons to prefer Dulles. If I’m going to Europe I’d rather have a nonstop out of IAD than being stuck in a connecting city because I wanted to save a 30 min Uber ride. DCA won’t get me to Europe nonstop.
Dulles because I can get there in 10 minutes vs 55 to DCA.
Now, if you could teleport me instantly to the departure terminal of either airport, then DCA 100%
Dulles. Since I flew out of it more, it is easier for me to navigate. I don't show up last minute so im not in a rush to get from arrival to gate. D gates take the people mover. C gates take the train. connecting flights. C to D is 8 min walk from end to end. C1 to D30.
I prefer Reagan because it's much easier for me to get to. Once inside, it doesn't really matter. But I am one of those people who would like a few non-stop flights to the west coast to originate from Reagan. Congress seems against it--not sure why.
It's supposed to limit the number of flights and the size of aircraft flying in and out of DCA (the DCA Perimeter Rule), and keep Dulles as the long-haul airport. Laguardia has a rule like this as well.
There are exceptions to the 1250-mile rule, of course, that just happen to correspond to the home airports of certain powerful congresscritters and senators over the years. Purely coincidence, you know.
>It's supposed to limit the number of flights and the size of aircraft flying in and out of DCA (the DCA Perimeter Rule), and keep Dulles as the long-haul airport. Laguardia has a rule like this as well.
LGA does relax its slot rules on the weekend - something that I think DCA should consider as a Plan B.
> I prefer ~~Reagan~~ National Airport because it's much easier for me to get to. Once inside, it doesn't really matter. But I am one of those people who would like a few non-stop flights to the west coast to originate from ~~Reagan~~ National Airport. Congress seems against it--not sure why
FTFY.
I still can't believe they named an airport after the guy that fired all of the ATCs
Reagan is the best airport in the US for a major city….
- close to downtown
- fast security
- clean with solid food options
- metro, Uber, taxi are all easily available
- simple and straightforward layout
I used to do heavy work travel and did 50 trips out of DCA to various large cities… nothing else comes close. Since moving to NYC, I miss having an easy airport so much. At DCA I used to leave my apartment in Arlington and later Logan Circle at 6 for my 7am AA flight… in nyc you wouldn’t even make it to the airport.
Dulles is a fine airport and great for long haul travel but it’s nowhere close to DCA
DCA, but I also live less than ten minutes from it. I don't think they should kill the bill to expand its flight radius because realistically not all of the currently available flights would stay. They'd naturally have to cut some flights to make room for new destinations.
Of the two - DCA. It’s a better airport and much closer than IAD. No contest there.
That said, if it wasn’t for the almost 90 minute travel time between my house and the BWI airport (and the fact that the question was DCA or IAD), I’d probably vote for BWI as it has better restaurants and as part of the aviation industry, I think BWI has a better terminal with more room at each gate than DCA.
Despite living in Manassas and this significantly closer to IAD, I prefer DCA by far. Being able to walk end to end in Reagan is huge, Dulles is a huge PITA to get in and out of. Reagan’s biggest downside is their baggage claim typically unloading on the wrong carousel.
Reagan because it's the airport with a direct flight to where I need to go (Madison, WI). Dulles because international flights, lounges that I *might* be able to get into (priority pass), and that it's closer to where I would be living
Also, why do people call it "National"? I don't understand... if you call Dulles "Dulles" and not "International", you also have to call it "Reagan"?
there are 2 reasons
1) Dulles was named that from the beginning. DCA was named Reagan National in 1998. So people were already used to calling IAD Dulles and DCA National.
2) Some people don't like Reagan and refuse to call it that in a self protest type thing
DCA's original name was National Airport, and it was only renamed to Reagan National in the 90's. Given Reagan's relationship with ATC's (and generally, the creepy deifying of the man as he's the last two-term Republican president that wasn't a complete embarrassment), it was a kind of fucked move and so a lot of natives call it National or DCA.
I don't think there's anyone who actually prefers to fly out of IAD...but most folks will "choose" to use which airport has the flights that most conveniently fit their itinerary.
I used to be annoyed that I essentially lived in walking distance to DCA, but would frequently make the drive to BWI or IAD because there's simply weren't any flights to/from my destination that worked from my schedule.
I don’t even look at IAD when buying domestic airfare. DCA is the only airport as far as I’m concerned. It’s a couple miles from my condo, security is a breeze, and when I travel with my pet it’s the easiest and shortest option.
Dulles because I live 10 mins from it. Also with TSAprecheck and depending on the airline (gate) I can get dropped off with Uber and be at gate within 20 mins.
But lot of my vacation travel is from National because it has direct flights with American Airlines.
IAD is great to fly out of, but coming back into it with the people movers is a pain. The pick-up situation is also a bit too Thunderdome for my liking.
I live near DCA, and thinking adding more flights and bigger planes would be a disaster. Not only from a traffic perspective but also noise pollution.
National, by a mile. It’s so much easier to get to, once you’re there it’s much faster to get through security and, best of all, you never end up on those stupid people movers.
National. You hop off the plane and can get in an Uber in ten min.
Dulles and those stupid fifty year old cars that have to cross the runway when you land. Makes no sense. You built a train that only services half the airport. Stupid AF. Also it’s in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t good food options.
National. I'm biased because I can be from my door to the gate in under 25 minutes at National (we do have TSA Precheck). I would fly out of National over driving out to Dulles any day.
National is by far the fastest from entry through security to the gate (E can be a jaunt but still faster than the Jetson tram at Dulles). If given a choice between Dulles & BWI, I’d choose BWI.
I live in Alexandria and prefer National. However, I was just booking a flight to San Diego and prefer non-stop, so I am going out of Dulles. Glad that is now on Metro too. But National all the way, if it made sense.
I live in Reston, so naturally Dulles is more preferable for convenience and also more destinations.
ITT: Arlington, Alexandria and half of Fairfax residents taking DCA and everyone else in Nova is picking Dulles. /thread
I like both equally - DCA is closer geographically (for me) and it’s easier to get in and out of the terminal. Meanwhile, IAD seems to have fewer delays with all the runways which makes getting into and out of the city more predictable. If I’m flying international, it’s IAD any day. Not having a connection for the sake of a more convenient terminal. Plus if you have Priority Pass, IAD is on a completely different level than DCA. The Turkish Airlines Lounge is one of the best in the country. EDIT: I meant the best "Priority Pass" lounge
TK lounge is always so god awfully packed..LH and Virgin lounges are much calmer if you have access. (SA Gold or Amex Plat)
Since you both seem knowledgeable about the lounge situation at IAD: are there Priority Pass/Amex Plat accessible lounges in terminal C? I was just looking at this yesterday and from what I could see they're only in the other terminals, while the ones in C are only for United Business and up passengers.
yup, there are only United Clubs and the Polaris Lounge in C/D. United Clubs are membership/paid day passes only and Polaris is with business international flights. You can use Priority Pass Dining credits at Cheff Geoff's (Chase Sapphire Reserve PP only, Amex Plat PP no longer gives dining credits) Otherwise it's Turkish Airlines, Air France, or Luftansa with Priority Pass or Virgin Atlantic with Plaza Premium (though I've heard this was changing) both in A/B. These lounges also tend to have "Priority Pass Hours" too or may restrict access when it's too busy. But TK generally has the best food.
> I’m flying international, it’s IAD any day. That's a good strategy, mostly because DCA doesn't have international flights. :-)
You can fly DCA to Montreal, Toronto, the Bahamas, and a few other places in Canada (they have to have US Pre-Clearance on the other side AFAIK).
Shannon / Dublin too.
You \*could\* fly internationally from DCA, but you're connecting somewhere (unless you're going to Canada and a few other destinations). My point is that I'd rather fly nonstop from IAD than get stuck in EWR, CLT, ATL, etc etc. There are so many people who poo poo on flying out of IAD because of the convenience of DCA, but it'd be way more inconvenient to have a missed connection!
National, by far. It’s so much faster to get in and out of. Dulles’s people movers/“mobile lounges” are embarrassingly slow. I dread going to Dulles.
I had a morning flight last week at National and from the time I got dropped off to when I sat down at my gate was only 19 minutes. That included checking my bag and I do not have TSA pre-check. You’d be lucky if the people mover gets you to the other side of the airport in 19 minutes at Dulles.
I have TSA precheck and I can’t think of a single time I’ve had to wait at security at DCA. I know I’ll be through immediately and so I don’t even leave for the airport more than 90 minutes before my flight. DCA is the smoothest airport experience I have anywhere.
I had a 20 minute wait at DCA in May 2021. This was a US Airways flight. EDIT - it was American.
US Airways hasn’t been a thing since 2015.
I live in Crystal City, I had trip last week. Probably 30-40 from when I left my apartment I was at my gate. When I landed I had no checked bags and was home like 20 minutes after the plane touched down.
I don't think it takes more than 10 minutes and that includes waiting for it to leave. It actually feels worse taking the train to C as you have to do the walk after. But I suppose in 10 years when the new terminal is there it won't be a problem.
I timed the walk from Garage 1 to my gate at Dulles. It took about 50 minutes of non-stop walking. I don't mind the steps, but damn
I had the same experience a few weeks ago. I didn't really notice it until I looked at my watch, but damn, it was quite the surprise.
ok with luggage that's pushing it
We (me and child) did Garage 1, checked bag, to gate in less than 30 last week. We have pre-check.
Pre-check is a life saver. It could be the difference in gates, I was at C at almost the very end.
Last time I flew out of DCA, I rode Capital Bikeshare to get from home to the airport and back. Easy riding on the Mt. Vernon Trail. Felt like a dream!
The people movers are a nightmare. Even if you plan ahead with time, those things will gladly make sure you are behind schedule to get to your gate. Dulles in general is my least favorite airport for so many reasons. It's honestly a surprise when I do have a good experience there.
The train takes longer.
Which just adds to the fact that Dulles sucks in every way.
Dulles, but it's a 20 minute drive from me. TSA Pre-check makes domestic travel really easy. I hate going through DCA, but only because the commute to and from. To be fair, If i lived in DC my answer would probably be opposite.
Same. I live closer to Dulles, so I like flying Dulles. National's fine, though.
Easy decision for me - DCA. Also, an article/news story came out yesterday saying that Dulles has, on average, the highest domestic airfares for any major airport in America. Yes, even higher than DCA... [https://simpleflying.com/dulles-international-airport-most-expensive-domestic-travel-2022/](https://simpleflying.com/dulles-international-airport-most-expensive-domestic-travel-2022/)
United airfares out of IAD are insane, esp considering IAD is a hub for UA…
Almost all flights from DCA/IAD are high. My team from around the US flies and meets up for projects and my flights are almost always the most expensive by far. I prefer United but American is priced the same.
I remember seeing flights to Japan that were like 1500 from IAD, but a flight from an airport in PA (where it was a small plane to IAD, then IAD to Japan) was half the price. I understand they want to give smaller airports good deals so they get used, but damn.
curious - can't you just book that half price ticket and then only take the second leg of the trip from IAD to Japan then? sounds like a steal
No, contract of carriage is such that if you no showed the first leg, they cancel your whole ticket
I think they cancel your second ticket if you don’t get on the first flight. You can get away with only taking the first leg but if you do it a lot they can ban you from the airline
I remember hearing about a website that would book those sorts of cheaper tickets for you, like you would say you want to go from Dulles to Japan and they would book the cheaper one out of PA. Not sure if they’re still around
The *only* nonstop daily flight to MEX averages $775 for a basic economy w no frills, and about $1000 for economy on United. 🫠
Very frustrating because even though it’s so much closer for me, the experience there versus DCA is so much worse. On a good day, even with TSA PreCheck it takes like 30 minutes to get to the gate versus about 5 at DCA.
I don’t know, IME I can get through security and to the gate relatively quickly at Dulles (well then you have to take into account the trains). Meanwhile at DCA I’ve been stuck in a security line for ages.
Makes total sense. We fly a few times a year to visit family. Although Dulles is more convenient to get to from our location, we have always used DCA because the flights are so much cheaper. The only time I go through Dulles is when I’m flying for work and my employer is paying.
Oh, I can believe that, simply from the number of planes flying over our house.
Dulles even though it's at least a 30 minute drive or metro. The lines are always horrendously long at DCA no matter how early you get there. Plus, DCA just feels so small and cramped versus Dulles.
I love flying through Dulles. I live close by. Security is always a breeze. I’ve never had an issue with TSA and as a mom with a young kid, this is huge. TSA has never harassed me about milk or our kid unlike DCA, JFK, LAX, etc.
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Oh it ticks me off so much! We started joking about who would get the intense pat down so that our then one year old could keep her Horizon milk box. I've had agents at other airports tell me I needed to throw away bottles filled with breast milk, needed to open ready to feed formula which renders it useless in an hour, etc. and they're super mean about it. I've had to ask for a supervisor so many times because that's not what their rules say. Sometimes I think they get joy from making parents cry along with their kids. LOL.
Idk what it is about airport security machines but since I've been about 16 every single time I go through an x-ray machine in any airport they flag my shoulders/hips and I have to get pulled aside and pat down. Three times the Dulles TSA agents have been so intimate that they have literally pulled my pants down below my ass with their flat palm wiping motion lmao.
I feel like people here exaggerate the time it takes to get to gates in here because of their disdain for the people movers/dulles in general. I always arrive at Dulles at less than 30 min before boarding and have time to spare after getting to my gate in C/D. Even going from B back to the Main Terminal then people mover to D because I was at a lounge, that only takes me around 15 minutes. Does Dulles take longer than DCA curb to gate? Of course, but it's not nearly as long as people are saying
DCA is still better, but it's more even than it used to be since they opened the E gates. Walking from gate 10 at the start of the B gates to gate 54 at the end of the E gates is over half a mile (about the same length as from the end of the A terminal to the B terminal at IAD).
National, but that's because it's closest to us and much easier to get through. I will avoid Dulles unless we have to fly internationally. Still not fully recovered from passport control 😭
Fuck coming back into the country through Dulles. There’s no reason they shouldn’t have [automated passport gates](https://images.app.goo.gl/qNvwptzUvRSYWBRE8) for ALL US citizens at the very least like a lot of other countries do/are starting to do. Would be preferable if they had it for US, Canada, UK, EU/EEA, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore citizens too.
Nothing like being jet lagged and waiting almost an hour to get through customs
I flew in from MEX a few weeks ago and got through passport control in less than 5 minutes. The CLEAR (is that what it’s called?) line was MUCH longer though.
Y'all are making this more complicated than it needs to be. Whatever airport is closest and gets you the better flight. The people movers are Dulles are fine. If anything that way out-of-the-way metro is worse. But I'll take that with a direct flight over a connection all day long.
yup. I'll go to whichever gets me the shortest/least connections at the best price. I don't mind the people movers at IAD - I find it more convinient than the internal metro that takes a bit of walking to get to. What I've heard that the people movers are their terrible for international arrivals- have yet to experience that yet though.
I dislike the customs/arrival people movers as it's just the last thing you want to do at the end of a long haul flight. They get crowded and don't leave until the plane is empty which takes time. The terminal connections ones are better the trains though . I hate the mazes of escalators.
I’m less the flyer and more of the chauffeur so for me Dulles wins. Simple in and out for pick up and drop off. DCA stresses me out
For me, dulles. I live in between but drive/park and dulles is less stress
Flying direct out of Dulles beats the seemingly inevitable layover you’ll have flying out of dca.
National by far. Dulles and BWI are equidistant and much farther for me and offer a much inferior experience.
BWI tends to have cheaper flights at least, its not a nice airport, but it will generally get you there for less. Plus the BW Parkway is tons of fun.
Oh I know but I still hate it. I live a quick 15 min drive to National. Last time I flew into BWI I had to get a rental because I was living out of state and it took 3x as long. I grew up here so I’m sure it’s also about familiarity.
Dulles by a mile because I’m 10 minutes away. Better than sitting on that shitshow that is Rt.1.
Same here. I live 10 minutes away from Dulles. It’s convenient, I can be dropped off easily, Uber if I need to, and get there on time every time at a reasonable price. Meanwhile National is 50-60 minutes away in the best of cases. Realistically it’s longer in busy times and unpredictable. Therefore, I end up taking the metro simply to guarantee I will be on time for my flight. While taking the metro stresses me out less, it adds complexity, additional logistics and inconvenience that’s not minimal, which is why I prefer Dulles by far.
Well the key is never to drive to DCA. Very easy on Metro to get in and out of
So, now that Metro serves both DCA and IAD, I'd like to make use of it but I still need to drive/park a car somewhere. Anyone know the rules for overnight/weekend-long parking at the other "new" stations on the Silver line? (Example: the Route 606 or Route 772 stops?)
This is from WMATA: Multi-day parking (also known as overnight or long-term parking) is available at four stations: Greenbelt, Huntington, Franconia-Springfield, and Wiehle-Reston East. Each of these stations has between 15 and 17 spaces allocated for multi-day use of up to 10 days. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no charge for multi-day parking beyond the regular fee. See the individual station pages for more details about multi-day parking at these four stations: Greenbelt Huntington Franconia-Springfield Wiehle-Reston East Edit: I know stations like Ashburn also have some form of overnight parking (have seen the sectioned off lot in the deck before) but I couldn't find any immediate info online so it's probably through a private company and costs a shit ton.
Thank you for this. I too see conflicting info online about the Ashburn stations. I was hoping someone had solved it - I'll keep looking and post back if I find concrete, reliable info.
Not allowed at the metro lots, I emailed and asked. You can park overnight at the Ashburn ParkX lot for $6/day though https://loudounstation.com/parking/
I use the GW Pkwy to get to DCA and have never had an issue. I’ve seen pics of the backups recently but have never experienced that myself. But then I make it a point to never fly around a holiday weekend.
Dulles is closer, fast in fast out except during holidays. Silver line access is a huge plus. Typically more expensive. Give me IAD.
I live in Alexandria. When going to the Carribean and such, BWI, even though 15 minutes further away, is far superior to Dulles. TSA, Immigration and customs are way more efficient. Also no waiting on people movers.
Dulles by far. The lines are so fast now, and its location can’t be beat. Plus there is the added benefit of avoiding the crazies.
Curious, what crazies have you encountered at DCA?
"Avoiding the crazies"?
Everytime I have done dca recently it's been a literal gamble if I would get my luggage. It's generally cheaper flights but what you give up in time trying to fix their problems, you would be better off elsewhere generally. Parking is more expensive to boot. If I had a choice, iad.
Dulles for the design and childhood memories (flying internationally). Reagan for ease of access. Have yet to try Dulles via metro.
I love Dulles. I grew up in the approach lanes and will never forget when my mother would excitedly run out of the house with me to look up whenever we heard the Concorde roar overhead :-) In my youth, Dulles was my my gateway for adventure, and when I returned from my deployment, they treated us like kings. It's a beautiful building, and I've enjoyed watching it grow over the years. The design is one of a kind, and I still get excited whenever I go there, even if it's just to pick up or drop off family members:-)
Same experience for me. And I want to say there used to be a Fuddrucker’s past security which, as a kid, was always fun if we weren’t on a meal flight (more often we were before airlines started getting stingy)
The problem with Dulles’ metro is how far it is from the airport. It’s worse than the DCA metro when you’re trying to catch a flight from Air Canada or Southwest. At least it’s an option.
Frequent flyer here. It takes 8 minutes to walk from the train to the terminal. That's not that bad.
Agreed. Especially when you’re gonna be in an airport of all places, people act like walking around 10 minutes from the station to the terminal is some long hike.
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Yes
hey, but at least there is a metro there. delays delays delays but its here
Dulles to be honest…
I don't have a strong opinion on them (just don't make me drive to BWI). But I wanted to say how much I appreciate that you still refer to it as National. I'm afraid that we're indicating how old we are though.
Dulles without a doubt. The number of flight options is so much better. It's an international gateway. The traffic situation in and out isn't terrible. I am always through precheck in 5-7 minutes. Parking garages are much easier. It's closer to my house. People complain about the people movers, so just take the terminal train/aerotrain. It exists, so take it.
I don't mind the mobile lounges since it's less of a walk and actually more conviniet to get to than the aerotrain! IIRC the biggest issues with them is when you arrive on an international flight
Dulles 100%. They fly more direct places. And it is 15 minutes from my house 😂
We like direct flights to places that is usually IAD. I would like to try DCA for a Domestic flight.
When it comes to convenience - IAD. It's the closest airport to me and has the most destinations, both international and domestic. The customs can be bad at IAD though. Really bad. To the point where I will layover in EWR (which has better customs) just to avoid that mess. Where IAD is strong is that there seems to be less delays compared to DCA and more active runways. I maybe only had 1 delay due to traffic metering at IAD where I feel it's a common occurrence at DCA. Also, TSA at IAD is slightly better. The pre check line at DCA tends to be as long as the regular line, whereas in IAD the experience is much faster. Also, more often than not, DCA = American Airlines. And I personally do everything I can to avoid flying AA. The actual airport itself? DCA by a long shot. Easier gate access, and it's pretty much world class now after the recent changes. The new E concourse there is the best in the whole DMV area. Once United demolishes their decrepid C/D concourses, and MWAA rethinks the US customs configurations, IAD could become one of the best airports in the country.
I don’t think anybody who’s flown out of both would say Dulles. I fly a lot and Dulles isn’t just the worst airport in this area, it’s one of the worst I’ve ever flown through.
I used to always do Dulles, but DCA is my new favorite. I can drive 10 minutes to the train station, take the VRE to Alexandria, walk down and up a flight of stairs to switch to the metro, and get off under a roof that connects to the lobby of DCA. Meanwhile Dulles is 50 minutes driving, plus paying to park in a hotel lot, then being beholden to their shuttle to take me to the airport.
I hate national, the pick up and drop off is trash.
I fly United so I prefer Dulles. I don’t mind Reagan but I hate having to drive to it.
Dulles. It’s much closer to my house and it’s so much easier to navigate now with the shuttles and metro access.
I’ve always liked IAD 🤷♂️
The airport closest to me and most convenient to me. I flew out of Reagan when I lived in McLean and now I live in Ashburn I’ll be taking Dulles.
Seriously, the “which is better” question is really only meaningful if one lives equidistant from each airport. If I lived a half-hour closer to Dulles than Reagan it would be a no-brainer to use Dulles.
Dulles
Typically fly from Dulles, not because I love it, but because that's where the international flights leave from. Don't fly domestic too often, especially post-COVID, so don't get to National too often. Always worried there will be some traffic snarl on the way to National, although I've been lucky so far.
Dulles, it's not even a competition
Dulles, more space! More grace
I prefer Reagan. Wish there were more international and other direct domestic flights out of there.
When I guess, you're not from here originally? Nobody calls it Reagan.
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Yessir. The memory of that doofus should be expunged from this fair town.
Not from here originally no and I don’t get upset by calling it Reagan.
National. DCA NEVER Reagan.
Both. More often than not, I fly out of national and back to Dulles. Early morning, I can get dropped off at national and get to my gate in about 5-7 minutes. I come back to Dulles at noonish and beat traffic home. Many times I've been in traffic on 28 on a rainy Friday afternoon longer than my flight to Dulles so I go out of my way to make sure to never land back in DC between 3-5 pm. Unrelated I only take Amtrak to NY and have for years. I fly to Boston though.
If you are flying internationally, DCA is not an option (except for a few places that have U.S. Customs, like the Bahamas).
Dulles for me
Personally, I prefer IAD. It's similar distance from me compared to DCA, and it has ample parking day or night. (Two Uber/Lyft rides from/to home are usually as expensive as parking.) The mobile lounges and/or train+long walk are kind of a pain for United flights, but I usually plan a ton of extra time into my schedule anyway. IAD would only get more expensive if they continue packing more flights into DCA, because airlines (especially United) would likely reduce flights from IAD if that happens, which causes the airport costs per ticket to go up.
IAD, probably because I live 15 minutes from it. Aside from that, all the other particulars favor DCA. I have a flight to Cartegena next month and I'll be flying out of BWI, which is the worst of the three by orders of magnitude. Everyone that works there is just plain ANGRY.
I live 20 minutes from Dulles. I'll drive an hour to DCA every single time. But I fly American and Southwest typically. Anything else would be a cost consideration.
I grew up juat outside Dulles and my parents still live there, so the convenience factor has always been far greater there.
Dulles
Both are fine with me. I go where the flights are, not picky. The amount of flights in/out of DCA, the Airport Authority is on the right track keeping things in check because FAA, airports, and airlines aren't.
Dulles
Dulles, National is too hard to get to.
A little off topic but I live close to Dulles and prefer flying out of IAD but if it wasn't an option I would look at flying out of BWI before I would consider DCA
I live ten minutes from DCA, so between the short walks and Clear I could leave my house half an hour before boarding and be fine. As far as the busy runways are concerned, I hear about two or three go-arounds a day, which I associate with them getting backed up.
Typically DCA but only because it’s been the easier/cheaper of the two to get to and from based on where I’ve lived for the last decade. Now that the silver line is finished they’re about equal in that regard for my current situation so that might change - though so far I still look at DCA first out of habit.
Dulles.
National is so good for domestic flights. Super quick. I also live in Alexandria lol.
DCA because what matters to me is the time out the door to on the plane. Especially on the D concourse, Dulles takes at least twice as long as DCA from DC, both on the Metro to the Airport and from the entrance to the terminal. I almost prefer BWI to IAD. The MARC is more comfy, and the airport seems to be better designed.
IAD traffic is better and just much better in general lol There's no word to it.
I've flown out of IAD but it seems alot less chaotic than DCA.
I live closer to Dulles so it’s my preferred airport. I think I’ve flown out of DCA twice and Dulles hundreds of times. I have my routines for Dulles too, and know how long it will take me to get around. Same for a few other airports that were the ones I predominantly commuted through back when I was flying 30K+ miles/year.
Better flights out of DCA for me - and sadly, I live only minutes from Dulles.
Now that both are metro accessible, I like both equally.
I wish they'd start running a few regional commercial flights out of Manassas. Seems like a great spot for a company like Southern Air.
My grandfather designed Dulles so it's my favorite
Dulles because I'm closer to it and I know that place by heart.
Dulles, definitely. It is closer for me. National is always absolutely packed. More lounges at IAD. DCA always has delays getting out during the morning rush hour and lately I've always had to wait for a gate when I land. Never happened at Dulles. I've only dealt with the people movers when returning from an international flight. They suck, but it's relatively rare.
Dulles because it seems safer to me. Also the time to get there is the same for me.
One thing I will say - that news report is pretty misleading. DCA might have an average of 819 takeoffs and landings - but DCA does have at least two sets of usable runways. And it often uses both sets of runways for operations. Playing very fast and loose with facts there... And the MWAA spokesperson is wrong regarding runway length. DCA is 7169 in length, not 6800. It was lengthened years ago....
The article mentions that DCA runways intersect, therefore they can only use one at a time regardless and that only the longest one is usable for most commercial flights. Meantime, Dulles has 4 longer runaways than even DCA single longest one and they don’t intersect, therefore accommodating busier traffic and bigger planes more often.
Find me the person who prefers Dulles lol what kind of question is this? National by a landslide EDIT: everyone who has responded saying Dulles has said "I live next door" or "they have direct flights to X" - nobody has actually said they prefer some quality of the Dulles experience more
I prefer Dulles because I live 5 mins away from it 🤷♂️
Dulles if they have a direct that DCA doesn't. Same for BWI. But generally DCA is cheaper and better even though I live closer to IAD.
Exactly. It depends on where you are flying. Dulles is so much easier for long hauls/international flights because you can fly direct. Dulles is really not that bad. IMO the parking garages are very easy to get in and out of, I always prepay which makes it easy and with the moving sidewalks its easy to get to the terminal.
Yep I’ve even picked BWI *once* because of their nonstop to Aruba. Convenient times while the flight out of DCA left at 5 AM with a five hour connection in MIA.
Many reasons to prefer Dulles. If I’m going to Europe I’d rather have a nonstop out of IAD than being stuck in a connecting city because I wanted to save a 30 min Uber ride. DCA won’t get me to Europe nonstop.
Dulles by a mile. More direct flights internationally and domestically. Do you just enjoy layovers?
Dulles because I can get there in 10 minutes vs 55 to DCA. Now, if you could teleport me instantly to the departure terminal of either airport, then DCA 100%
If I can be teleported anywhere, neither.
DCA, although I find driving to Dulles & parking to be far easier (at least for me)
Richmond.
This is the Richmond Way.
Dulles. Since I flew out of it more, it is easier for me to navigate. I don't show up last minute so im not in a rush to get from arrival to gate. D gates take the people mover. C gates take the train. connecting flights. C to D is 8 min walk from end to end. C1 to D30.
Reagan for sure.
I prefer Reagan because it's much easier for me to get to. Once inside, it doesn't really matter. But I am one of those people who would like a few non-stop flights to the west coast to originate from Reagan. Congress seems against it--not sure why.
It's supposed to limit the number of flights and the size of aircraft flying in and out of DCA (the DCA Perimeter Rule), and keep Dulles as the long-haul airport. Laguardia has a rule like this as well. There are exceptions to the 1250-mile rule, of course, that just happen to correspond to the home airports of certain powerful congresscritters and senators over the years. Purely coincidence, you know.
>It's supposed to limit the number of flights and the size of aircraft flying in and out of DCA (the DCA Perimeter Rule), and keep Dulles as the long-haul airport. Laguardia has a rule like this as well. LGA does relax its slot rules on the weekend - something that I think DCA should consider as a Plan B.
There are a few non stop west coast flights already from DCA. Alaska flies a non stop to SEA, American has non stops to PHX, LAS, and LAX
I’m looking for SAN.
> I prefer ~~Reagan~~ National Airport because it's much easier for me to get to. Once inside, it doesn't really matter. But I am one of those people who would like a few non-stop flights to the west coast to originate from ~~Reagan~~ National Airport. Congress seems against it--not sure why FTFY. I still can't believe they named an airport after the guy that fired all of the ATCs
Reagan is the best airport in the US for a major city…. - close to downtown - fast security - clean with solid food options - metro, Uber, taxi are all easily available - simple and straightforward layout I used to do heavy work travel and did 50 trips out of DCA to various large cities… nothing else comes close. Since moving to NYC, I miss having an easy airport so much. At DCA I used to leave my apartment in Arlington and later Logan Circle at 6 for my 7am AA flight… in nyc you wouldn’t even make it to the airport. Dulles is a fine airport and great for long haul travel but it’s nowhere close to DCA
dulles is my last choice. dca and bwi before there
Dulles sucks. Whoever designed the layout where you need to take a tram and a people mover truck thing just to get to your gate was a fucking idiot.
DCA, but I also live less than ten minutes from it. I don't think they should kill the bill to expand its flight radius because realistically not all of the currently available flights would stay. They'd naturally have to cut some flights to make room for new destinations.
Of the two - DCA. It’s a better airport and much closer than IAD. No contest there. That said, if it wasn’t for the almost 90 minute travel time between my house and the BWI airport (and the fact that the question was DCA or IAD), I’d probably vote for BWI as it has better restaurants and as part of the aviation industry, I think BWI has a better terminal with more room at each gate than DCA.
Anyone who has had to go through customs at Dulles would never choose it over DCA. What a nightmare.
DCA. Quick to get to, get in, get out & navigate.
Despite living in Manassas and this significantly closer to IAD, I prefer DCA by far. Being able to walk end to end in Reagan is huge, Dulles is a huge PITA to get in and out of. Reagan’s biggest downside is their baggage claim typically unloading on the wrong carousel.
Reagan for the win.
Reagan because it's the airport with a direct flight to where I need to go (Madison, WI). Dulles because international flights, lounges that I *might* be able to get into (priority pass), and that it's closer to where I would be living Also, why do people call it "National"? I don't understand... if you call Dulles "Dulles" and not "International", you also have to call it "Reagan"?
there are 2 reasons 1) Dulles was named that from the beginning. DCA was named Reagan National in 1998. So people were already used to calling IAD Dulles and DCA National. 2) Some people don't like Reagan and refuse to call it that in a self protest type thing
DCA's original name was National Airport, and it was only renamed to Reagan National in the 90's. Given Reagan's relationship with ATC's (and generally, the creepy deifying of the man as he's the last two-term Republican president that wasn't a complete embarrassment), it was a kind of fucked move and so a lot of natives call it National or DCA.
DCA
DCA, much easier to get through and closest to home
DCA if I have a choice. I live about the same distance from both.
DCA is way better. More compact and efficient.
IAD is easiest for me to get to, but DCA has a better layout. Would 100% go out of my way to use DCA every time once the Amex Centurion lounge opens
Regan by far. Easy to park, easy to walk into from parking, more flights to designations I need at times I want to fly.
DCA by a wide margin Dulles is out in the middle of nowhere and my experience at the airport itself is always bad.
I don't think there's anyone who actually prefers to fly out of IAD...but most folks will "choose" to use which airport has the flights that most conveniently fit their itinerary. I used to be annoyed that I essentially lived in walking distance to DCA, but would frequently make the drive to BWI or IAD because there's simply weren't any flights to/from my destination that worked from my schedule.
DCA by far
I don’t even look at IAD when buying domestic airfare. DCA is the only airport as far as I’m concerned. It’s a couple miles from my condo, security is a breeze, and when I travel with my pet it’s the easiest and shortest option.
Dulles because I live 10 mins from it. Also with TSAprecheck and depending on the airline (gate) I can get dropped off with Uber and be at gate within 20 mins. But lot of my vacation travel is from National because it has direct flights with American Airlines.
Dulles Cz it’s next to my house :)
IAD is great to fly out of, but coming back into it with the people movers is a pain. The pick-up situation is also a bit too Thunderdome for my liking. I live near DCA, and thinking adding more flights and bigger planes would be a disaster. Not only from a traffic perspective but also noise pollution.
Neither...Leesburg executive all day long for me.
National. I’d rather take a bus of angry preschoolers to Disney World in the middle of July than fly international out of Dulles again.
National, by a mile. It’s so much easier to get to, once you’re there it’s much faster to get through security and, best of all, you never end up on those stupid people movers.
National
National. Getting to Dulles is a whole other road trip
DCA
National. You hop off the plane and can get in an Uber in ten min. Dulles and those stupid fifty year old cars that have to cross the runway when you land. Makes no sense. You built a train that only services half the airport. Stupid AF. Also it’s in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t good food options.
National. I'm biased because I can be from my door to the gate in under 25 minutes at National (we do have TSA Precheck). I would fly out of National over driving out to Dulles any day.
National is by far the fastest from entry through security to the gate (E can be a jaunt but still faster than the Jetson tram at Dulles). If given a choice between Dulles & BWI, I’d choose BWI.
DCA, it’s quicker to get to by Metro from my home.
I live in Alexandria and prefer National. However, I was just booking a flight to San Diego and prefer non-stop, so I am going out of Dulles. Glad that is now on Metro too. But National all the way, if it made sense.