World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Washington, DC  - Air
Air

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Tel: (703) 572 2700.
Website: www.metwashairports.com/dulles

The airport is located 42km (26 miles) west of the city and operates both domestic and international flights. Currently 34 airlines use the airport serving 81 US cities and 32 international destinations. Nearly 20 million passengers used the airport in 1999, which was a 26% increase on the previous year. This supports the fact that Dulles is the fastest growing of the world's 50 largest airports.

Major airlines:
United Airlines (tel: (800) 241 6522, toll free USA and Canada only; website: www.unitedairlines.com) use Dulles as their hub. Other airlines serving the airport include Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines, TWA and Virgin Atlantic.

Airport facilities:
These include bureaux de change, ATMs, visitor information, car hire (Avis, Dollar and Hertz), duty free, shops, restaurants and bars.

Business facilities:
Business service centres are located at the east end (tel: (703) 572 2963) and west end (tel: (703) 572 2969) of the upper level of the main terminal. They provide bureau de change facilities, insurance, fax, photocopying, internet, notary and other services.

Transport to the city:
The Washington Flyer Airport Express Bus (tel: (888) 927 4359, toll free USA and Canada only) operates a service linking Dulles with downtown every 30 minutes 0520-2220 (only hourly before 1120 at weekends) (journey time - 45-60 minutes). Washington Flyer Taxi Cabs (tel: (703) 661 6655) depart from the lower level of the main terminal and the fare downtown is around US$45 (journey time - 30-45 minutes depending on the traffic). SuperShuttle buses (tel: (703) 416 7884 or (800) 258 3826, toll free, USA and Canada only) operate a 24-hour service downtown costing US$22 (journey time - 50 minutes).

Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
Tel: (301) 261 1000.
Website: www.bwiairport.com

The airport is located 51km (32 miles) northeast of the city and operates both domestic and international flights. Passenger use of the airport has been steadily increasing during recent years and, in 1999, 17.4 million people passed through BWI, an increase of 16.2% from 1998.

Major airlines:
Southwest Airlines (tel: (800) 435 9792, toll free USA and Canada only; website: www.southweest.com) use Baltimore/Washington as their hub. Other airlines serving the airport include American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Pacific, Continental Airlines, Delta, Icelandair, Northwest Airlines, TWA, United Airlines and US Airways.

Airport facilities:
These include bureaux de change, ATMs, visitor information, car hire (Alamo, Avis and Hertz), duty free, shops, restaurants and bars.

Business facilities:
There is a business services centre (tel: (410) 859 5997); with a conference room, fax and photocopying facilities, and workstations.

Transport to the city:
SuperShuttle buses (tel: (410) 859 0800) operate a half-hourly service downtown 0530-2300 (journey time - one hour). MTA/MARC trains (tel: (410) 539 5000) connect the airport with Union Station Monday-Friday 0500-2400 (journey time - 40 minutes). Amtrak trains (tel: (202) 906 4971 or (800) 872 7245, toll free USA and Canada only) run an hourly service from the airport to Union Station. The taxi fare downtown costs approximately US$45.

Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA)
Tel: (703) 417 8000.
Website: www.metwashairports.com/national

The airport is located five kilometres (three miles) south of the city along the Potomac River. The services from the airport's three terminals are short-haul domestic only, including 171 flights per week to five Canadian cities. In total, 17 airlines and around 15 million passengers use the airport each year.

Major airlines:
US Airways (tel: (800) 245 4882, toll free USA and Canada only; website: www.usairways.com) use National as their hub. Other airlines serving the airport include Air Canada, American Airlines, American Eagle, Continental Airlines, Continental Express, Delta Airlines, Midway Airlines, Northwest Airlines, TWA and United Airlines.

Airport facilities:
These include visitor information, car hire (Avis, Dollar and Hertz), shops, restaurants, bars and cafés.

Business facilities:
Fax, photocopying, notary and other services are provided by the customer service centres (tel: (703) 417 3200 or 3201) in Terminals B and C.

Transport to the city:
Metrorail (tel: (202) 637 7000) lines link National Airport to downtown. SuperShuttle buses (tel: (703) 416 7884) operate a 24-hour service downtown costing US$8 (journey time - 30 minutes). Taxis downtown cost around US$12-15.

Approximate flight times to Washington, DC:
From London is 7 hours 15 minutes: from New York is 1 hour 20 minutes; from Los Angeles is 5 hours 25 minutes; from Toronto is 1 hour 25 minutes and from Sydney is 22 hours 5 minutes.

Arrival/departure tax:
Included in ticket price.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
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