19 Responses to “Dulles Airport - the worlds best terminal”

1. Tom Anderson Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

   It is the world’s worst terminal. It was one of the best until they ruined it by building terminal building which you get to by bus. Also look at the commuter area in the bottom floor middle.

2. abraham315 Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 3:29 pm

   Have any of you been here! This is the worse airport ever! Poor design!

3. DJohnson Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 3:32 pm

   I agree that the terminal is not the best for sure. What is promising, is the railway system they are building to shuttle people to and from the terminals. No more buses!

4. tom Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 3:57 pm

   Who the heck put Dulles on this list?? I agree with abraham, This airport is by far the worst airport ever. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw it on the list of best airports. To get to the airport, you have to navigate one of the worst roads ever conceived by mankind. Further, the federal funding to bring rail access to Dulles fell through. I am usually happy to pick someone up from the airport; but when Dulles is mentioned, I start searching for an excuse. It is a fact, not an opinion, that this airport sucks; and with two other reasonably accessible airports in the area, it is also useless.

   … there, I feel better

5. gretchen Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 4:28 pm

   Speaking in terms of architecture and engineering - trains, recent additions, and access roads aside - this is one of the most beautiful, creative and daring concrete constructions in the world. This is one of Saarinen’s finest buildings! http://www.dullescargo.com/about_history.html

6. karen Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 4:33 pm

   Dulles does NOT belong on this list. i dislike Dulles very much and avoid it at all costs. I’ll give it that the exterior is unique and recognizable but the shuttle system is straight out of the 1970s and very inconvenient. the interior is very 70s-esq as well and is not pleasing to be around.

7. ElectroBoy Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 5:43 pm

   I live near this airport and have travelled through it countless times. It is one of the worst airport terminals ever. Perhaps it was a good design when it was built, but it’s terrible to travel through these days. Very poorly designed by modern standards.

8. George Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 8:57 pm

   At first I thought they listed Dallas, which forced me to look again in disgust….then I saw that it was Dulles, which only made me laugh. I have travelled through that airport several times for international flights and am always frustrated that you can’t rush to the immigration area ahead of others because you have to wait for everyone to board the shuttle bus. As a kid growing up in the area I always wanted to fly through Dulles because of the unique, beautiful front facade…..but now that I have spent time there, it had been a big dissappointment. I agree that Incheon is incredible…..and clean.

9. Brian Says:
   March 11th, 2008 at 9:46 pm

   WTF? How the hell did Dulles get on this list? I almost spit my drink at the screen when I saw Dulles listed. This is one of the worst airports in the world that I have traveled through. I try at all costs to avoid this poorly designed airport. The interior ticketing area is also an absolute nightmare to deal with because there isn’t enough room for lines so you are always having to cut across lines to get to your airline ticketing.

10. Frank Says:
    March 13th, 2008 at 12:22 pm

    I had a month where I made six separate trips to this hell hole. Sure it looks nice, but when you’ve been there a half dozen times and still can’t figure out where you are supposed to park something is wrong.

11. Ubik Says:
    March 17th, 2008 at 1:25 pm

    Dulles? DULLES? This airport is one of the worst in the world. Although the main terminal might look kind of cool to some people with the swept curve and everything, the rest of us just see it as a mistake of retro-futuristic design. The interior is ugly as hell, and the entire airport is a nightmare to navigate, not to mention it’s easy to get delayed by the impossible stupidity of the people-movers. Even the buildings SURROUNDING the airport (the Picasso-wannabe CIT cube, anyone?) are awful.

12. Chris Says:
    March 24th, 2008 at 5:59 pm

    I like the people movers, especially at night. It’s like being on a moonbase, traveling from one dome to another in an airlocked moon buggy. Imagination aside, though, it does suck if you’re cutting it close on a flight.

13. Matt Says:
    May 5th, 2008 at 4:40 pm

    The parking there sucks. $6/hour and the airport is in the middle of the sticks.

14. C Says:
    May 23rd, 2008 at 10:49 am

    The list of for most beatiful airports… has nothing to do with how much you like getting in and out of the airport…

15. Brian Says:
    June 11th, 2008 at 5:07 pm

    For those of you who obviously can’t read. The title is most beautiful not most useful. I don’t think anyone would disagree with you about it being hell to get into and around. But as a pilot the actual architecture is one of a kind. It truly stands out compared to the hundreds that I have been to.

16. Bacopa Says:
    September 29th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    Dulles is the winner for most stupidly located airport ever. Fly to National if you can or Baltimore as a second choice. Dulles is just too far away and has no transit.

17. Валерий Дасаев Says:
    July 5th, 2009 at 1:50 am

    Вопрос к автору блога, а вот у вас время у каждой статьи и в комментах пишется… Это какое? Московское? Заранее спасибо за ответ.

18. Overhand Says:
    July 5th, 2009 at 10:41 pm

    I agree with Валерий Дасаев.

19. Derek Bolander Says:
    April 24th, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    While many of the comments here are valid, this airport is simply stunning to look at from an architectural stand point. It was also innovative with a concept that originally had people movers that would dock directly with airplanes. In the ensuing years pragmatism and cost cutting have harmed the original functionality and aesthetic. The original landscape architecture was equally handsome. Glad this polarizing airport made the list!

Have you an opinion, used or been to this object or place? Tell us what you like don't like about it, or post any specs/info about it: