WASHINGTON — The get-out-of-town holiday rush begins this time next week at area airports.
“Friday, and then the following Tuesday and Wednesday, are our traditional busy travel days at the airports before Thanksgiving,” says Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority spokesman Rob Yingling.
Infrequent flyers will see a lot that’s new at area airports, including more ports for power and USB connections, along with new shopping and food outlets.
Well-kept parking secrets include a $20 a day parking lot right next to the Dulles International Terminal that opened four months ago, and reserved parking for garages and economy parking at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
“Reserved gets you in the lot at times when it might be closed to others,” Yingling says.
Uber and Lyft services are now approved for Dulles and Reagan National. There’s now $5 a ride Metro Silver Line Express Bus service between the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station and Dulles.
Getting to Thurgood Marshall BWI Airport transit options include the MTA Commuter Bus that originates at the Gaithersburg Park and Ride and stops at the Shady Grove Metro Station.
All area airports have added new shopping and dining options over the past year.
BWI Marshall is the best airport in the nation for healthful meal options, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Reagan National’s Terminal A has an iPad food ordering system.
“You punch in what you want. It comes to you,” Yingling says. “You can pay for it right there. And in the meantime, it lets you for-free surf other apps and websites to your heart’s content.”
