Dulles-specific tips

After you complete screening.

As a courtesy to your fellow travelers: Please don’t leave your things on the x-ray belt as you repack your belongings after they have been through the x-ray. During busy times, it is not uncommon for the x-ray operator to have to wait for passengers to remove their things from the belt so that he/she can continue screening carryon items. Just like bag checks, this can cause the line to back up. There is nothing worse than an oblivious (or inconsiderate) passenger slowly repacking his/her bag while his/her fellow passengers wait in line to have their carryon bags screened.

People are a bit shy about doing this but, believe it or not, we would actually prefer for you to grab your bins and take them to the tables and seats outside the glass doors. You can have a seat, put everything back together, put your shoes back on, get dressed, etc. Just leave the bins and bowls on the tables when you are done and we will collect them.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

If you have some time to kill between flights consider visiting the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum near Dulles. The Air and Space Museum is split between two locations, a smaller one on the National Mall and a larger one very close to Dulles. The location near Dulles was opened in 2003 and “provides enough space for the Smithsonian to display the thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited on the Nation Mall” (quote taken from the SNASM web site). There is a bus from the airport to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center where the museum is located that costs 50 cents each way. Admission is to the museum is free. Such a deal.

Eating, Sleeping, Shopping

Terminal B is the newest terminal at Dulles. It is very open, airy and, in my opinion, has the best selection of eateries and shops. If you are killing a few hours between flights and you have already been to the National Air and Space Museum, I recommend heading over to the B Terminal.

Heaven forbid that this should happen to you, but as I have told my college-age daughter - you can’t consider yourself a seasoned traveler until you have spent the night in an airport. If you end up having to sleep at Dulles, you may want to consider heading over to Terminal C. Terminal C is older and getting a bit frayed at the edges. But, unlike the seats at the other terminals, which are comfortable to sit in but have arm rests that prevent you from lying down, Terminal C has banks of seats with no armrests so you can completely recline. The TVs are a bit noisy and the cleaning folks are up all night (Dulles never closes) but a least you can lie flat and try to get some sleep.

Need power?

Power outlets tend to be a scarce commodity at many airports. Dulles is trying to alleviate the problem by placing “power kiosks” at many of the boarding gates. They are usually sponsored by private companies. The kiosks work OK, except for the fact that the outlets are crowded together and there isn’t much seating. If you are going to be around a while and want a more comfortable venue, try the waiting area for the shuttle to the H Gates in the main terminal. There used to be a bunch of pay phones (remember those days) there but the airport took them out and put power outlets in their place. The outlets are right next to or behind seats and are nicely distributed around the area. It is a great place to charge your cell phone or work on your laptop using the free Wi-Fi.

You will probably see a few TSA folks because some of us hang out there on coffee and meal breaks. If you see me, be sure to say hello.

Line backed up at the main checkpoints?

Here is a tip that folks in the know are going to hate me for telling you. They would like to keep it to themselves. But I figure that if you have had the patience to read this far, you deserve a reward. If you encounter a huge line at the main checkpoints for passenger screening, there is an alternative that is usually much faster. Go upstairs to where the baggage claim carousels are located. Next to baggage claim #10, you will see the Dulles Checkpoint. It is not big and there are not a lot of lanes like the main checkpoints but most passengers don’t know about this one so it is usually not as busy. I think some passengers are put off because it looks like it might be for a special purpose, like the Employee Checkpoint nearby, but anyone can use the Dulles Checkpoint.

Update 1/2/2012 - This isn't as good a strategy as it used to be. The managers are now sending passengers down from the main checkpoints to the Dulles Checkpoint when lines get long. It is still worth checking and it is frequently faster than the main checkpoints but it is not the slam dunk that it once was.

Previous Table of Contents

Disclaimer: This material was written by a private citizen hoping to be helpful, not as a representative of the federal government, the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority or of the Transportation Security Administration. Any opinions expressed as well as any inaccuracies are solely the author’s.