Airport Guide to Reagan National (DCA)

Airport Overview

Terminal Transfer | Getting into Town | Car Parking | Information Desks | Airport Facilities

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is 4.3km (3 miles) from the city centre of the capital Washington, D.C. It served 18.5 million passengers in 2010.

It is a focus airport for US Airways, the largest carrier. Flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport come in from across the US, with busiest services from Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Miami, New York, Orlando, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale and Houston, in that order. International flights here can only land with US customs pre-clearance, and include flights from the Bahamas and Bermuda, as well as a few Canadian cities. To keep traffic down, international flights mostly go through Dulles Airport further away.

Although cramped and congested at peak times, the airport is so conveniently close to the city and well connected via the public Metrorail system that travellers are unlikely to stop using Reagan Airport anytime soon.

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Terminal Transfer

Terminal A is the original terminal building, while Terminals B and C are newer and connected to each other via a central concourse. A shuttle bus operates between them 24 hours a day, although it’s possible to walk between all three terminals if you have the energy and it’s not too crowded.

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Getting into Town

Train: The Washington, DC Metrorail system has a station at the concourse between Terminals B and C. You can buy tickets from the machines at the entrances – fares vary but it shouldn’t cost you more than $3 to get downtown. If coming from Terminal A, catch the airport shuttle to the parking garages B and C (bus shelters No. 3 and No. 5) and enter the station from there.

Bus: There is no public bus system from the airport, although Greyhound operates from behind the Union Station, a four-block walk away.

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Car Parking

The multi-storey parking garages A, B and C are directly in front of the terminals and have about 9,000 bays between them. Depending on your needs, you can choose from hourly, daily or economy parking options. Hourly car parks cost $2 every 30 minutes for the first two hours, $4 an hour for three to eight hours and $36 for 24 hours. The daily car parks are $5 an hour up to a daily maximum of $20. The economy lot is further away from the airport (connected via a free shuttle service) and costs $3 an hour, or $12 a day. There’s also a free cell-phone waiting area.

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Information Desks

There are information centres in the Terminal B/C concourse as well as in Terminal A.

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Airport Facilities

Money and communications: Banks, ATMs and currency exchange.

Luggage: Smarte Carte provides baggage trolleys throughout the terminals and the metro station. There are no left-luggage facilities at Reagan Airport, although there is a lost-and-found office. For items lost on the plane, contact the airline involved. Skycap baggage assistance is available throughout the terminals.

Conference and business: There is no general airport lounge, although several carriers have lounges at DCA, including US Airways and United Airlines Red Carpet Club in Concourse C, Northwest World Club (Concourse A), and the Delta Crown Room Club, Continental Presidents Club and American Airlines Admirals Club in Concourse B. Most offer meeting rooms, fax and Internet facilities, cash bars, complimentary snacks, hot drinks and newspapers, etc.

Other facilities: Chapel, charging stations, shoe-shine stands (post-security), observation areas and US Mail post boxes throughout the terminals.

Wi-Fi: There is free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal.

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