Guava & Java

It's the holiday season so all the (united airlines) gates were absolutely covered with decorations. We had to be traveling on one of the busiest days of the year because the terminal was packed! Despite the crowd, we were quickly able to catch a people mover over to the main terminal and our baggage arrived soon after. The (automobile) traffic outside the airport was insane as well. It took our ride much longer than normal to make it around to pick us up, but once we were on our way traffic cleared out pretty quickly.

A Large beautiful Airport with wide open space for walking in and out to the gates. Many airlines flying to this Airport for all over the world to connects to USA. Baggage claim to arrival pick up are only few steps away. From terminal to main terminal for baggage claims are by train which is like every 2 minutes, my today’s experience (landed from Abu Dhabi by Etihad airways on 17th December) from walking out from jet bridge to collect my begs from carousel 11 took about 20 min which is fast to me. Love to fly to and from this Airport but for Philly area travelers it’s bit far about 3 hour drive.

You may not like jamming onto a "mobile lounge" after a 14 hour international flight, or waiting an hour for checked bags to come out at midnight, but these help give Dulles its unique character. Good to be near a solid international hub that generally works well, and has far better traffic than LAX.

In early 1960, I was driven out to Dulles International Airport when it was still under construction. At the time, it was located in a rural area with large farms with pastures and many evergreen trees, and it seemed miles from anywhere. I have since flown out of Dulles on both domestic and international flights, and it remains spacious and modern looking decades later. The airport has lots of multi-level parking garages ($6 per hour up to a maximum of $21 per 24 hours), within a short walk of the main terminal building. There are large, somewhat stuffy elevators, baggage areas, toilets, a Starbucks, Café Americana, fast food and other restaurants, airline lounges, bars, clothing stores, duty free and souvenir shops, newstands and shoeshine stands. There are illuminated signs giving up-to-the-minute arrivals and departure times and boarding gate information, and to see if flights are on time, delayed or cancelled. My most recent flight to Europe required a train ride to get to my boarding gate in Concourse C. I was surprised that Dulles has tripled in size from the original building. I know airports are usually more expensive when buying snacks, bottled waters, sodas and sandwiches, but I was horrified to discover a hot dog that cost a mere $8.50 and sandwiches about $15.00. If you look elsewhere, you may find some places that charge less. In 2023, after decades of waiting and years of construction, a Metro train station on the Silver Line was finally opened at Dulles. It is now much easier and far cheaper to get to and from the airport than having to use a taxi or Uber, and you save money on gas and parking fees. A single Metro ticket to Dulles from Washington, D.C. on the Silver Line costs $6.00. Be prepared to do a lot of walking despite elevators, escalators, and seemingly endless moving walkways, as Dulles International Airport is huge. Dulles International Airport is the only Washington airport with international flights.

Definitely one of my favorite airports in the entire world. Eero Saarinen is one of my favorite architects in the world. Dulles has one of the coolest and most amazing terminal buildings in the world. The front of the building and the interior just as you walk in are huge, wide open and look amazing from any angle. The staff are also friendly and very helpful. Bag check was very quick and easy, and with TSA precheck, security was really quick. But once you get past security, the terminal layout and navigation can be a bit confusing but the staff are there to help and direct you to where you need to go. Those mobile lounges are interesting and a cool mode of transportation between terminals. They are huge and they can offer pretty good views of planes and the runway ramp areas. And if you have priority pass, it's definitely worth getting to the airport several hours early so you can check out all the different lounges that are part of the priority pass network. Overall, Dulles is one of the best airports in the United States.

a large beautiful airport with a very wide list of international lines. easy and quick to get to. it links the United States with several countries around the world. a very busy airport. they use recent technologies especially when boarding such as the biometric pass. There is a chapel on site for Muslim, Christian and Jewish believers. Border police procedures are not harsh and are smooth.

Dulles international airport is definitely a very busy airport that could use a little more thought and planning. I really appreciate the representatives at the United airlines counters, and most of the signs in this airport more easy to read and follow. It was a little confusing trying to get to the United Club, but as you can see in one of my pictures I appreciate that United airlines had staff within the Dulles airport helping people navigate the terminals.

IAD airport offers a convenient travel experience with its well-organized terminals and efficient security processes. The variety of shops and dining options available make layovers enjoyable, while the clear signage helps navigate the large facility. However, occasional delays and limited public transportation options can be a downside. Overall, IAD provides a positive flying experience, but there's still room for improvement.