Mobile Lounges at IAD

[honey lamb]

The search function has refused to yield up any replies so can you please tell me I am correct in believing that the mobile lounges are no more as far as VS is concerned and that there is a new walkway connecting the gate to the terminal?

[mitchja]

honey lamb

When I was at IAD in March, I used them on arrival at IAD from LHR to get to the main terminal. Coming home though I used the new walkway and not the mobile lounges.

Regards

[mcmbenjamin]

There is no Immagration(sp?) or customs facilities at the B gates so you get bused to the IAB (international arrivals building).

On departure, you can walk or talk the bus (every 15 minutes because there is a walkway, sorta like the walkways between T3 and T1 at LHR). The moving walkways have been working and there have not been leaks in the tunnel (but it has not rained either).

B32 is the gate used by VS.

B32 use by airline and dest. (if I remember correctly)

An 8AM DH to LAS
An 1:30 Korean to Soeul
LH between Korean and VS but uses the gate to bus people to the hard-stand
VS to LHR
DH to LAS

CH usage (the CH is across from the gate, about 150 feet)

SAA to Accura (then JoBurg) *note below
Korean
and VS

A lot of the VS (well the old VS, now Swissport) work for SAS who service the SAA flight. And some VS satff also work for SAA. And SAA checkin is done at the VS counter. SO - SAA is realy serviced by VS staff.

Sidenote: I booked my Dad UCS (sometimes IAD gets the 600, mitchja and I were luck) Aug 16 to LHR. He used the CH and they allowed my mom in too as she was going to SFO at 9PM. Nice. Also a family (wife, husband, nanny, and 3 kids) were flying UCS to LHR. They asked for the onboard menu and did not like it so at about ETD-15 the CH staff made steak and cheese sandwichs for the kids. &!@#$!@#, a senior VS staff member (also a lover of the V:Book, btw) helped the nanny and mom with there things.

Also most everyone knows about V-flyer at IAD.

Benjamin

Originally posted by mcmbenjamin
On departure, you can walk or talk the bus (every 15 minutes because there is a walkway, sorta like the walkways between T3 and T1 at LHR). The moving walkways have been working and there have not been leaks in the tunnel (but it has not rained either).

Ah, you remember my rant about it being annoying that the tunnel was springing leaks, thus immobilising the walkways, when I was there - granted you had just had a couple of days of torrential rain!

I didn't know the mobile lounges were still running from the main terminal to the B gates, otherwise, I'd have hung around. I kind of like them... because of that 1960s touch!

A lot of the VS (well the old VS, now Swissport) work for SAS who service the SAA flight. And some VS satff also work for SAA. And SAA checkin is done at the VS counter. SO - SAA is realy serviced by VS staff.

But, I wonder if that will last once SAA become *A members? Will they move to being handled by United, like BD and LH seem to be? Premier pax being moved to a UA RCC instead of the VS CH, wow, that's a downgrade and a half!

Having now used the IAD CH, I've got to say, it's a worthy competitor to SFO. Roomy, nice design, a view of the planes (really important!), decent food, excellent staff, etc.

Cheers!
Mike

[mcmbenjamin]

Mike:

The passenger handling is done by SAS, but by people who work for VS also. I know the MX check is done by UA and UA parks equipment at the gate. B38 is also used by SAS and LH in the afternoon. I do not know who does the baggage handling or other ramp services for SA.

Swissport does the ramp work for VS but the MX checks are done by UA or BA (i forget).

Also you could ride the mobile lounges from the Main terminal to the C /D terminal and back. There is no passport control or any other barrier to prevent this (unlike European and other airports which is highly confusing for me)



Benjamin

[mcmbenjamin]

And I forgot the latest and greatest from Dulles!!

Fuddrucker openned so you can buy hamburgers that cost more than I make an hour (but that is not hard to do)

Fuddruckers is in the B terminal

Benjamin

No mobile lounges?

They was always the highlight of my trips to D.C.!

Apart from the CH, obviously:D

Cheers,
VS045

Originally posted by VS045
No mobile lounges?

They was always the highlight of my trips to D.C.!

Apart from the CH, obviously:D

Cheers,
VS045

You still get them on arrival to take you to immigration, and still get them on some of the internal flights (and BA). I've spent way too much time at IAD recently as my last trip left me with 8 hours connection and check-in only opening 4 hours before departure so couldn't get to the CH [:(]

Hope is not lost then, Kryten!:D

Cheers,
VS045

[ChuckC]

Hi, Honey Lamb:

According to the airport's official site, the walkways remain the accessway to the VS flights.

Best regards,
Chuck-

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by ChuckC
Hi, Honey Lamb:

According to the airport's official site, the walkways remain the accessway to the VS flights.

Best regards,
Chuck-

Yes, I had seen that but thanks, any way, Chuck. However I had heard somewhere that the mobile lounges are still used on arrival and the replies seem to confirm that

[mcmbenjamin]

The older Mobile lounges are used on arrival to transport people to the IAB (International Arrivals Building) at IAD. The older one move up and down. Once this type took you to your aircraft. Well they still do if you fly some on the LH, DH (arrival only), AF, Saudi, and other carriers that I can not remember but not VS as B32 can take anything from a A319 to a B744 (and A343 and A346).

Also the older Mobile lounges are red inside and passenager enter and exit via the same end. The new ones that are used to transport people from the Main Terminal to concorse A, B, C, D, G and whatever other stuff MWAA decides to confuse me and pax with; pax enter on one end and exit on the other at arrival at the other terminal.

Benjamin