IAD

I think it’s only appropriate that I begin this blog with a post about Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).  I grew up flying IAD.  So I automatically like it, which may bring in some biases to this assessment.  But I think that’s ok.  IAD is comforting to me.  It elicits memories of my family, including my dad.  He liked airports, too, and especially this one, with its swooping roof on the main terminal (sidenote: Dulles and its infamous swoop was designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, to give “an expression of flight”).  My youngest brother also loves Dulles, and even had a small stint working there behind the scenes. 

The famous Dulles "swoop"

These days Dulles is still a good, reliable airport, and even though I no longer live in DC (technically anyway), I still fly out in and out of Dulles quite a bit.  It’s nostalgic.  And it’s everything an airport should be.  But if I hadn’t grown up flying Dulles would I still like it as much?  I’m trying to look at it with a more critical eye here. 

In actuality, there really isn’t anything special about Dulles.  Dulles is a nice, clean airport and I have to say that everything goes well together from a design perspective.  It’s all the same grey and silver color scheme, with the same industrial, futuristic feeling.  Everything matches – even the bathrooms and the security checkpoint.  The swoop theme continues throughout.  I’ve never had any major travel problems here and they run a good, tight ship.  They know what they are doing, in all sorts of weather.  I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a delay here, even when flying in ice, rain, sleet, or snow.  In my opinion, the food selection is not great (at least in certain terminals), and there is no Starbucks (sidenote: I am a huge supporter of buying local, but when you travel as much as I do, you do find some comfort in “chains” – they are dependable and reliable, and always have the same thing, so you always know what you are going to get.  Plus, Starbucks has good tea, and I am a tea drinker.).  The bathrooms are nice and clean, and since they are fairly new, all of the doors have hooks (that are pretty strong – important for the heavy carry-on bags generally carried by the Magenta Suede Traveler) to hold your bags and prevent germ accumulation from the bathroom floor onto their material.  There is also foamy soap in the bathrooms (a MUST for the Magenta Suede Traveler).  I noticed that at least some of the terminals have charging stations (for phones, laptops, etc. – a fad in the airport world these days is these great charging stations that you will see at gates occasionally.  The only problem is that they are always crowded because they are so obviously there, and therefore negate the need for the hunt for a secret plug somewhere behind a seat or underneath a water fountain that you can claim as your own and guard for a few hours as you sit next to it on the floor).  And I must give props to Dulles for providing many recycle bins throughout the terminal (which, to a person who has been known to carry empty plastic and glass bottles across the entire country simply due to lack of access to a proper recycle bin, is important). 

Dulles has been very reliable in getting me out in all sorts of weather.

Dulles checks all of the boxes, but there’s nothing too spectacular about it, except for my own nostalgia for the place.  Under the surface, however, and beyond foamy soap and charging stations, I’m told that Dulles is THE BEST.  According to one of my good friends who specializes in homeland security, Dulles is outfitted with the greatest terrorist-catcher technology in the world.  As you walk down the escalators towards security there are cameras and sensors immediately assigned to your face and eyeballs, noting any strange or stressed eye movements, sweating, or twitching – basically anything that would alarm security personnel of your presence.  I’m told that there are nifty tools like this all over the airport (that water fountain you just drank out of?  Yup – terrorism-catcher.  Haha, jk.).  And you’d never know it!  So Dulles gets my vote for most secure airport.  But going through security is no worse than any other airport, and it’s actually pretty efficient.  They have a lot of lanes to choose from, seem to have the appropriate amount of staff manning the checkpoint, and do a good job of giving you a lot of space to put yourself back together and get dressed again (more about tips for going through security in a future post). 

One thing I do miss about Dulles, though, that they seem to have done away with completely since the renovations in recent years, is the funny looking hydraulic buses (also called “mobile lounges”) that used to take passengers from the main terminal to the gates.  The new trams that have replaced them are similar to other airports, and therefore boring.  They are too modern and not “Dulles.”  Not good ole’ 80s Dulles anyway.  The buses were WAY cooler than the trams, and so authentically Dulles.  I wish they’d bring them back – I’ve had some good memories on those things (or had just had or was about to have very good memories, anyway…).

Dulles "Mobile Lounges."  I miss them.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to post your own feelings/observations about Dulles.  I know many of you out there grew up flying in and out of Dulles as well, and I want to hear your stories.  J

IAD in 3 oz or less:

Airport website: http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/dulles.htm

Wireless access: Yes, free (but you must set up a user name and password)

Airlines served: You name it (http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/831.htm)

Food options: Lots of them, but nothing special in my opinion (http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/728.htm)

Recycling: Yes

Superlative: Most Secure

Overall grade: A- (mostly for the nostalgia; minus because of food selection)

PS- Not all of my posts will be this long.  I just had a lot to say about my dear old home airport.