Flying out of Dulles - WWYD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From Kent Island, the issue is the Wilson Bridge which is often just a parking lot for rush hour.

Yeah, but have two other possible paths, Waze will figure out the best route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From Kent Island, the issue is the Wilson Bridge which is often just a parking lot for rush hour.

Yeah, but have two other possible paths, Waze will figure out the best route.

+1 I’d think it shouldn’t be more than 75 minutes from where you hit the beltway

[Anonymous]

I’m a person who thinks of contingency plans like this.

Don’t bother. It is always more stressful. Just stay home and go straight to the airport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What airline are you on? United tends to have longer lines for bag drop, although you can use curbside (for a fee) which can be quicker.

Pre-check is open until 9 at Dulles (if you have that for the family).

I travel a lot internationally and aim to arrive 2-2 1/4 hours before the flight. I always have plenty of time before boarding starts, even on the big planes where boarding can start an hour before departure.

I would plan to arrive for dinner because that gives you a cushion if you hit unexpected traffic. Not sure I would do Udvar-Hazy as that makes for a long day.

Pretty sure this is British Airways, they have a very consistent 10:45 PM daily departure to London, have been on it a couple of times. Agreed they don't need this much time.

There's a lot of fligihts leaving around that time:
10:15 United to London
10:20 Virgin to London
10:30 United to Sao Paulo
10:30 TAP to Lisbon
10:40 United to Tel Aviv

British Airways flight 292 leaves at 9:45pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What airline are you on? United tends to have longer lines for bag drop, although you can use curbside (for a fee) which can be quicker.

Pre-check is open until 9 at Dulles (if you have that for the family).

I travel a lot internationally and aim to arrive 2-2 1/4 hours before the flight. I always have plenty of time before boarding starts, even on the big planes where boarding can start an hour before departure.

I would plan to arrive for dinner because that gives you a cushion if you hit unexpected traffic. Not sure I would do Udvar-Hazy as that makes for a long day.

Pretty sure this is British Airways, they have a very consistent 10:45 PM daily departure to London, have been on it a couple of times. Agreed they don't need this much time.

There's a lot of fligihts leaving around that time:
10:15 United to London
10:20 Virgin to London
10:30 United to Sao Paulo
10:30 TAP to Lisbon
10:40 United to Tel Aviv

British Airways flight 292 leaves at 9:45pm.

Huh, right you are! I have seen that flight listed at 10:45 for so long. I guess it varies more than I thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What airline are you on? United tends to have longer lines for bag drop, although you can use curbside (for a fee) which can be quicker.

Pre-check is open until 9 at Dulles (if you have that for the family).

I travel a lot internationally and aim to arrive 2-2 1/4 hours before the flight. I always have plenty of time before boarding starts, even on the big planes where boarding can start an hour before departure.

I would plan to arrive for dinner because that gives you a cushion if you hit unexpected traffic. Not sure I would do Udvar-Hazy as that makes for a long day.

Pretty sure this is British Airways, they have a very consistent 10:45 PM daily departure to London, have been on it a couple of times. Agreed they don't need this much time.

There's a lot of fligihts leaving around that time:
10:15 United to London
10:20 Virgin to London
10:30 United to Sao Paulo
10:30 TAP to Lisbon
10:40 United to Tel Aviv

British Airways flight 292 leaves at 9:45pm.

Huh, right you are! I have seen that flight listed at 10:45 for so long. I guess it varies more than I thought.

It's also winter and travel is down to the US from abroad. Normally there would be departures around that time to Frankfurt, Istanbul, Doha, and sometimes Paris in the middle of summer. I've been on way too many of these flights due to work travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What airline are you on? United tends to have longer lines for bag drop, although you can use curbside (for a fee) which can be quicker.

Pre-check is open until 9 at Dulles (if you have that for the family).

I travel a lot internationally and aim to arrive 2-2 1/4 hours before the flight. I always have plenty of time before boarding starts, even on the big planes where boarding can start an hour before departure.

I would plan to arrive for dinner because that gives you a cushion if you hit unexpected traffic. Not sure I would do Udvar-Hazy as that makes for a long day.

Pretty sure this is British Airways, they have a very consistent 10:45 PM daily departure to London, have been on it a couple of times. Agreed they don't need this much time.

There's a lot of fligihts leaving around that time:
10:15 United to London
10:20 Virgin to London
10:30 United to Sao Paulo
10:30 TAP to Lisbon
10:40 United to Tel Aviv

British Airways flight 292 leaves at 9:45pm.

Huh, right you are! I have seen that flight listed at 10:45 for so long. I guess it varies more than I thought.

It's also winter and travel is down to the US from abroad. Normally there would be departures around that time to Frankfurt, Istanbul, Doha, and sometimes Paris in the middle of summer. I've been on way too many of these flights due to work travel.

Yes and there is a 10:30-ish spring/summer Lufthansa flight to Munich also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s 3 hours before an international flight

7:45 is latest to get to tge airport

It took us over an hour and a half two weejs ago just to get through security fir a 10 pm united flight up London

Better not have checked bags carry on only

Terrible nonsense. I fly internationally all the time and 2 1/4 hours is plenty, even with checked lugggage. 2 1/2 if you want to be super careful. 3 hours is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

We aren’t coming as far (Bethesda), but for nighttime international flights we typically just get to check-in at Dulles a little before it opens (3.5 hr before our flight) and then get a relaxed dinner close to our gate (cava or sit down). If something happens and we hit a snag (long security line or other issue), we have a buffer. But usually Dulles is pretty quiet at that hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We aren’t coming as far (Bethesda), but for nighttime international flights we typically just get to check-in at Dulles a little before it opens (3.5 hr before our flight) and then get a relaxed dinner close to our gate (cava or sit down). If something happens and we hit a snag (long security line or other issue), we have a buffer. But usually Dulles is pretty quiet at that hour.

Yes was going to say that arrival time really depends on where they want to eat dinner. Personally I don't like eating in the airport unless it's at a really good lounge like the Capital One. Feel like I am paying through the nose for usually poor quality. That's one thing I like about the late night departures, you can eat at home (not really an option when coming from as far away as OP) or stop on the way if you want.

I'd stop in say Reston personally and eat there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a premier pass? There are lounges.

If you are referring to Priority Pass, the lounges at IAD in PP are run by airlines, and they have blackout hours for their own flyers. That time of evening is when they all are busy/blacked out since they run their own flights to Europe then.

Etihad switched its departure to 230pm so the Chase lounge is now more available to those evening flyers. Fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Eat at Pieros or someplace like thar

[Anonymous]

Does the Marriott hotel have nice restaurant options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From Kent Island, the issue is the Wilson Bridge which is often just a parking lot for rush hour.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s 3 hours before an international flight

7:45 is latest to get to tge airport

It took us over an hour and a half two weejs ago just to get through security fir a 10 pm united flight up London

Better not have checked bags carry on only

I've been flying international out of Dulles for 15 years. You are insane. I've never waited more than 30 minutes for security. It's usually no more than 10 minutes. I never walk through the doors at Dulles more than 100 minutes before departure.