Train replaces some of Dulles' mobile lounges

By Joe Brancatelli

One of my least favorite “amenities” at any airport are those so-called “mobile lounges” at Washington/Dulles airport. The lumbering buses connect the beautiful, but dated, Eero Saarinen terminal with the airport’s departure and arrival gates.

After nearly a decade of construction work and $1.5 billion in expense, the Dulles AeroTrain has finally opened to replace some of the “lounges.” The four-mile system connects Dulles’ main terminal and its A, B and C gates. The AeroTrain opened late in January and then promptly broke down on its second day of operation. It does seem to be operating normally now, however. But the bad news is that the buses aren’t completely gone. You still need them to get from the main terminal to Dulles’ D and H gates and for the trip between your international flight and the Customs and Immigration facility.