Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – DCA

Have flown in and out of Reagan many times and never had a problem so far. Beautiful airport, big and spacious. American Airlines has a separate area way down the corridor for their First Class patrons which was extremely nice. Reagan is easy for us was we travel towards southern Virginia and National points you in the right direction! Definitely be stopping here again next vacation.

I’ve flown into the DC area via Dulles (IAD), Baltimore (BWI) and Reagan (DCA), and Reagan is definitely the best and closest airport if you’re staying in DC. It’s a small airport, so you won’t need to take a tram or walk too far to get to your gate. The Metro (Yellow Line) is also just across the airport and is accessible via a short indoor walkway.
There are several restaurants that you can hang out at outside the security gates and seats from which you can view planes getting in and out of their gates.
There was a hardly a line at the Delta security gates when I went in today. But then again it’s a Tuesday afternoon around 3 pm.
There are also a number of recharging stations for smartphones and tablets at each gate. If you’re an AT&T customer, you can connect to «attwifi» if you have problems connecting to Reagan National Wifi.“
Shop around for flights to DCA! It’ll save you a lot of time and trouble flying here instead of BWI and IAD!

I have been to DCA twice now and I find it to be a very pleasant airport. It is well-​lit and has a great design with the National Hall making up the bulk of building. It has a good selection of restaurants (check out Ben’s Chili Bowl!) and shops. Perhaps the best aspect of DCA is the incredibly easy access to the Metro. This is its biggest benefit: you can be off your plane and into the city in under 20 minutes. If you want easy access into DC, fly into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

I’ve gotta say that the TSA agents here were incredibly friendly! I was expecting to be whisked through in an overly-​serious way but was instead greeted and talked to like a person. On of the middle schoolers in our group forgot to empty their water bottle and I was contacted to empty it and take ti through with me. No drama, just a request. The agent who asked was very friendly and even joked with me about it. The employees at Dunkin’ Donuts were sweet, they could obviously tell that my colleague and I were exhausted and our trip was nowhere near over. Everyone in the airport was great, no complaints!

Argh. This place. I loath it, but yet, I can’t stop using it.
I’ve flown out of here a handful of times and there has been one common theme– the flight is always delayed. Always.
Terminal A, if you fly out of Southwest is the pits. Like 20 seats for 1,000 people. It looks like a disaster recovery area.
Don’t get me started on how rude the TSA are here.
The food options are meh at best and those self check out machines are a bigger pain than what they’re worth, but yet I still fly out of here.
I just can’t quit you DCA.

It’s a pretty small airport but man efficient is right. Granted I lucked out with TSA precheck so that would be a disclaimer. The staff here especially Delta staff are great and informative.
You can’t beat the 15 – 20 min ride to get here from DC area– way convenient vs IAD.

I have flown into DCA many times during my travels and I have not had any problems with the airport itself. There is always plenty of places to eat or stores to buy stuff from. My favorite part of departing the airport is when we take off in the direction of the Pentagon and you get a nice aerial view if you just happen to have a window seat. The one downfalls I would say is some areas have multiple gates within throwing distance of each other which can make for a crowded area. I am sure they do their best to stagger departure times but there appears to be enough seating to accommodate each of the terminal gates. Plenty of time killing things to do if you are willing to take a nice walk.

During my undergraduate days (HOYA SAXA!!), I was able to get a one-​way flight to NYC for $ 35 (student discount). Yeah, those days are gone.
Over the years, I have used this airport for work trips and to visit friends and the old alma mater. I had not used it for a number of years until recently stopping through the airport on my way to Ohio.
I’ve always liked the airport, but it looks like it improved since I last was there. The airport was clean, and the shops were nice.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (sorry, but I liked it better when it was just «National Airport.» Yes, part of it comes from my political views, but the current name is way too long) does have easy access to public transportation. OK, some of my fellow Hoyas are probably rolling their eyes at this moment and are eager to point out that Georgetown doesn’t have a Metro station. However, I had no problem walking across the Key Bridge and catching the Metro in Rosslyn, VA.

Ever since Southwest jumped on the bandwagon and started operating out of Ronald Reagan I have become even more impressed with this airport. It is very conveniently located that even if I’m not driving I can almost easily and quickly find transportation either arriving or departing. It is not a huge airport but my needs aren’t many and this satisfies me.
I am on the TSA pre-​approved list (who authorized that??? :))) and I am checked in and thru security in under 30 minutes, sometimes sooner. I won’t knock any stars for the airline agents’ sometimes stinky attitudes — it’s either hit or miss. Sometimes you will meet a friendly agent and at other times you’ll meet a grinch. Hahaha. And on that note those fake airline security personnel that are patrolling the outside are really irritating at times. I was dropping my BFF’s mom off curbside and I swear as soon as I closed the trunk one was lurking, waiting on me to move my vehicle. Whoa, whoa, slow down killa, just give me a second to get inside my car! Geez! What characters!
All in all, it’s an airport, nothing new to see. Of all my travels at this place I’ve had about 85% on time departures and arrivals, sans the weather and other uncontrollable factors. Very decent airport.

No complaints. Efficient, big city feel, let’s out very close to city amongst monuments… get your camera ready w/​in mins. Easy to grab bags and a taxi w/​out getting lost or confused.

Hands down this is my favorite airport!
Ambiance: First it is beautiful inside and outside. The iconic gold arches in the interior always make me smile knowing I’ve made it back to D.C. It is a smaller airport so its not as crowded and the main passengers are political business people who are quick and efficient and focused on getting on to their work. Most of the large families and tourists come through the larger Dulles airport.
Convenience: This is the most convenient city airport I have ever been to. Unlike most city airports located on the outskirts of the city. Reagan is located right at the hub of DC. With metro access, getting home is so easy I wish all airports could be like Reagan. If its too late to take the metro you can catch one of the many waiting cabs all orderly arranged at the entrance. Its about a $ 20 cab fee to Georgetown.
Efficiency: I have never had a delayed or cancelled flight from this airport. The staff is always pleasant and security is a breeze. All benefits of a small, local airport. They also have several restaurants/​fast food that make traveling so much easier. Its nice because several of the restaurants are located before security so you can eat with your friends/​family before leaving.
If you are ever considering Dulles vs Reagan airport I would always choose Reagan even if it costs a little more. Its so close to DC compared to Dulles and you get beautiful views of DC coming in to the airport, especially at night.

First time to DC, so first time at Reagan. I’m used to the big, flashy nonsense that is SeaTac so I was almost shocked at how plain and how dull Reagan was. When you first walk in it looks SUPER cool with all the lights and cool arches until you realize it’s probably been fifty years or so since this place has been updated.
The employees at Reagan are all really kind. Easy to find bathrooms. Fast TSA process. The thing that irked me the most was that after we got to our gate we realized we were stuck. We were stuck in this TINY corridor with literally only 3 restaurant options to choose from, all of which we completely jam packed because everybody else was facing the same issue.
An okay airport, but definitely wish it was a little bigger.

I love this airport — it’s one of my favorites. I fly a lot. And this airport is always really clean, fast to get in and out of and has great food options as well.

So people hate on this airport but I think it is awesome! It is way less crowded than Dulles and Baltimore and I can hop on the metro straight home every time! Which also means I can take the metro there during rush hour and peak traffic avoiding a head ache of a commute and trying to figure out where to leave my car.

I love Reagan in that it’s much smaller and easier to get to than Dulles, but it could use a few updates.
First of all, I hate that there are virtually no tables to sit and eat at after you pass security. We got Fuddruckers before our flight, and ended up just having to find an empty gate and balancing our burgers and drinks on our luggage because the two tables near Fuddruckers and four tables in Dunkin Donuts were full.
Second, the bathrooms are a mess and could use more maintenance. At least three stalls I tried in the ladies room had no locks on them at all. All of the paper towel holders were empty. Three sinks isn’t enough for the amount of stalls they have considering it’s an airport in our nation’s capital.
But, I love their nonstop flight options, quick luggage turnaround time, and close proximity to the Metro. These little hiccups won’t stop me from using Reagan as my first choice!

Just three miles south of downtown D.C. is the most convenient airport option in use of DC metro. Food selection and shops are beyond decent. Easy accessible gates and facilities are maintained and well kept. Free Wi-​Fi remained stable for the time being. Security lines are quick and smooth for the massive sized center for transportation.

With just a few visits to this airport I can say the experience was better than most domestic US airports I’ve been to. While the airport is showing some age in regards to restrooms, seating areas, and open spaces, there are good points like plenty of electronic charging spaces and a strange but efficient sundries and food service system.
Knowing this is an older airport with very limited space to expand or update, I took this in to consideration while judging layout, flow, and services.
The food options were all bunched together. Each was just counter service. There was a pizza counter, a made-​to-​order sandwich counter, and a Dunkin Donuts. We ordered a Stromboli and a Boar’s Head turkey sandwich. Service was both friendly and fast. Both sides of the wide hallway had all types of merchandise. Everything you choose from food to cologne is purchased at four registers at the far end of the hall. It seems to me that the amount of theft would be pretty high but it must work well enough to keep it going.
There is one bar at the center of the round terminal. Service looked great but I believe they could have used more seats.
TSA moved pretty quick and these agents were surely friendlier than most other airports.
The only thing here that I truly had an issue with was the wait in baggage claim. It was very tight and no seating was available for people who needed it.
Overall I look forward to returning to Washington, D.C. And to Reagan airport.

This is a nice enough airport, it’s smaller than most, but it does it job and gets me where I need to go. The TSA lines seem to move fairly quickly, but of course then all depends on the time and day you are here, like at any airport. Taxi’s are abundant and easy to get, as are shuttles if you need them.
The cool factor about this airport is when arriving or departing you can see some very cool monuments out the windows of the place. Great place to get some high in the sky shots on your phone before you land. Unless the Captain has said not to turn on any electronic devices that is, haha.

This airport is laid out in the funkiest shape! I had to take connecting flight so they let us out the back door and led us to a bus. I jump on the bus, drive a few hundred feet and they said: Ok GTFO?!
I looked at the building, it would of been a long walk but going outside was a quick method. If I had a double stroller back in the day as well as luggage, it would have been a PIA up and down the stairs.
Still, very clean with lots of stores and shopping for your perusal.
I remember back in the day taking the Trump Shuttle to DC. And now he’s running for POTUS?
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Ronald Reagan was an actor, Governor and finally POTUS. If Trump wins, I know I’m going work in Trump Penn Station.

Description: The American Airlines Lounge in DCA Terminal C will satisfy your need for the basic lounge experience. If you frequent the AA lounges throughout the United States, this is more than adequate. Though there is nothing outstanding about this lounge, it will allow for a nice break from the commotion of the airport.
Location: This lounge is right after you pass through Terminal C security. As you leave TSA security walk toward the gates and you will see the entrance immediately to the left of the hallway (mezzanine level).
Interior: The lounge is quite large for being a small airport. This allows for plenty of seating options. I found that I could easily locate a place to set up my computer and charge my phone, which is not always the case in other lounges.
Seating: The seating is more comfortable than a lot of the lounges that I have been in. There are several chairs that are over-​sized with light gray leather that were very comfortable. Some of the chairs also included a sliding table on the armrest, that you could use to eat or place your computer on to do some work.
Interior Décor: The rooms colors are done in light grays and dark browns. There are some modern updates, such as a large screen TV and new carpeting. The cabinetry all seem to be updated with nice woods and touches of framed art throughout the lounge. The floor to ceiling windows adds interest to the rooms with one side having views of the terminal and on the other side offers views of the tarmac (in the bar area).
Work space: There was a dedicated area in the lounge for a more secluded work space with small desks and chairs that had dividers for more privacy. There is also a conference room available that seats 8.
Technology: WiFi is protected but the password is given when checking in. There are printers/​copiers available if needed. The plugs for charging electronics are scattered throughout the seating area, however they are not at every seat. There is a flight information monitor near the bar area.
Food Selections: A good selection of appetizers in the evening such as veggies, dip, cheese, crackers, nuts. All were kept well stocked for the duration of my visit.
Bar Area: The bar area was a nice size and there was plenty of seating. It offered the standard fare of beverages. There was a house wine, well brand liquor, and beer that is included in your access to the lounge all other drinks are considered premium and there is a cost associated with those. I am very hopeful that American Airlines will someday offer a prosecco/​sparkling wine/​cava/​champagne as an included choice as well. As of now, that is usually an additional $ 11-​$ 15 charge depending on the airport. They did not offer me a free voucher for a premium drink for flying first class, as some lounges do. I was a bit disappointed, hopefully they will see that there is a lot of us who would enjoy a glass of sparkling wine before a flight. Cheers!
Bathrooms: The bathroom was clean and quite standard. As you walked into the Woman’s Restroom, to the left there was a small room that had a cushioned bench in it. I am not sure what that is used for — sleeping, changing clothes, or just hiding from your travel companion (a mystery)?
Staff: The check-​in staff was quite good. I felt a friendliness and a welcoming attitude from both staff members. The bar and lounge staff seemed to all be pleasant.
Final Thoughts: American Airlines is currently undergoing a lot of wonderful changes in their lounges. This Lounge seemed to have been updated recently. It was clean, and though it is not luxurious, it is definitely good enough. I particularly appreciated the cleanliness, the comfort of the chairs, the quietness, and the food offerings being well stocked. It worked for me, sans the champagne. I would recommend this lounge as a satisfying experience.

I like it! Clean and not too packed.
Location: Great. Close to downtown.
Parking lot: Enough. Not too pricy.
Restaurants: Good enough.
Lounges and USO: Good enough. USO is too far from the main area.

For an airport, this place is average. My flight was delayed twice but it’s not really the airports fault. When comparing it to JFK, the food is over priced but not as bad as JFK. The lines were horrendous. They need to expand or something. Not enough workers. The only plus that came out of this entire disaster is that my girlfriend and I were upgraded to business class for 39 $ each. That made up for all the delays and over priced food. Thank you Aaron!

My flight was significantly delayed and all I wanted was to obtain a refund for the remainder of my trip and get in a rental car and drive myself home safely. The frustrating issue is that I tried to reroute my flight on my first leg but the airport told me that the flight was only slightly delayed and the maintenance issue had been resolved. When I landed, the flight which was delayed 30 minutes was delayed 4 hours. When we landed in DCA, I proceeded to the customer service desk where I met the unhelpful agent. It was like a scene out of the movie Madea Christmas, except this was real.
Customer Service Desk: (Near Food Court)
The first customer service desk agent was unwilling to help me cancel my flight, so I could rent a car and drive home safely. In fact she wanted me out of her line and was sending me to another desk or she would exercise her power to have me escorted out of the airport. What a joke! This power play is exercised to easily and is completely wrong!
Interaction:
I was polite, but I wanted my flight cancelled and a refund for the remainder of my trip. When I can drive home much faster than the airplane can get me to my destination, then I should have that right!!! The DCA airport is nice, but the airlines delivering passengers, more specifically Air Wisconsin, a sub contractor to American Airlines in my opinion and experience is unreliable. The tickets prices are too high to receive this type of customer experience or service.
Customer Service at Gate Desk:
The next customer service desk, the person was nice and although they didn’t appear happy to cancel my remaining flight, they did cancel it and provide a report that I will use for a refund. Unfortunately, the process to get the refund is plagued with many hurdles, even with the report. You must wait 48 hours, then go into the AA system to request and who knows, probably wont receive the refund for 6 months.
American Airlines Sub Contract Airlines called Air Wisconsin:
I will avoid American Airlines connections through this airport with a sub contractor called Air Wisconsin. This isn’t my first bad experience, but it’s the one that will finalize my travel decision moving forward. It’s frustrating enough flying these days, service levels are terrible, employees unhappy, connection times too long, airplanes too small, adding bad customer service or threats just finishes off the experience.
Our Government Representatives:
Congress should’ve never allowed the consolidations of the airlines. Since the consolidations, the service levels across the airline industry have diminished significantly, prices escalated much higher, profits soaring for the airlines and customer service at a very low point. We all know this but I must point out that our elected officials are just not doing what’s in our best interest.
As consumers, we have choices and voices, although these days the choices are somewhat limited. Social media is a good way to share our experiences with the hope we can reduce the frustration for others. Take the time to share your positive or negative experience.

It’s called National, not Reagan. That’s often how you can tell a tourist from a local. The newer terminal (not the old terminal) ain’t a bad place to fly in and out of. There’s an ok enough selection of restaurants and bars to pass your time. Tip: The best restaurants are outside of security. The security lines can get long, so be sure to arrive early to allow yourself enough time. It’s clean and modern-​ish. And it’s easy to navigate. The cab lines move quickly. Luggages seems to make its way to baggage claim quickly. And it’s easily metro accessible. Of the three area DMV airports, National is hands down the best.

For a small airport this one kind of sucks. I chose Reagan to avoid Dullas but I’m not sure DC can offer a good experience to travelers, which is pretty crummy. I flew out of the American Airlines terminal and hated every last second of it. The set up is to check yourself and your bag in at terminals, where an employee who is clearly overwhelmed by the volume shouts and points at you. As I have hearing issues and can’t hear a dang thing with ambient noise I just shrugged my shoulders and kept getting cattle prodded along. Horrible, I’ll never fly American again.
No wifi and incredibly uncomfortable seating makes waiting for your flight really awful. On top of that there are no places to eat open for early morning travelers except Dunkin Doughnuts which had a line that was unbearably long. Bathrooms were clean as were common areas, but of course I was there frightfully early. I can’t say they stay clean.
I gave a second star because there are charging stations in the waiting areas so you can charge while you wait, but you may have to find another gate as they crowd up fast.
I’ll tell you what since there is no reason to fuel charge me any more, lets divert those funds to staffing. People need service at airports, please, lets hire some folks, get some jobs going, and make the airport, if not the flight bearable.

In my opinion, if you’re flying into or out of DC then Reagan National is your go-​to airport. The airport is on the Metro and easily accessible from DC by Über or Taxi — it’s generally about a 20 minute ride to anywhere in DC, unless you’re going during rush hour. While Dulles has more flight time (especially later flights), you can’t beat Reagan for convenience. As a DC resident, I fly into and out of Reagan if at all possible.
Security is normally a breeze and all the terminals (3 total) have good food options… Cava Meze, Five Guys, etc.

This is a convenient airport for DC. It is inconvenient from a TSA process point. I travel a LOT. This place has the worst security hassle of all of the airports I use. I suppose this is due to its location. For example, if you have luggage (not advisable, BTW), you must check in at the airline kiosk, get your luggage weighed and snickered, go back from where you walked in and deposit your luggage with some random looking guys who MAY get around to tossing your bags through some sort of screening machine and hopefully toward the plane. I stood to watch them and make sure they put my luggage in the chute, but they broke their conversation about women to ask me to move on…
Once you get inside security, you have to put up with the fact that Dunkin Donuts is the only coffee stand past security. Ouch. Stale donuts and average coffee.
Anyways, the whole process reminded me once again about how the politicos live differently than we taxpayers. Folks like Pelosi don’t see an issue because they just take a government jet.
If you think you have to fly out of Reagan, find out if you can take a train instead …

This is by far the worst airport I have ever visited and I never wish to see this place again. They are like a third world country, being shuttled from gate to gate. We arrived for our flight, which supposedly it was downstairs but we couldn’t go downstairs until our flight number was called. So here we go, flight number called and we are heading downstairs, to my surprise we are boarding a bus to take us to our plane near the runway. Mind you through all this I’m dragging my luggage with me, up, down and all around, but hold on, now I need to tag my own luggage with their sticker, why not just have me load everyone’s luggage into the plane, heck want me to fly the plane too?! Can’t believe that this airport is one of the busiest and they function like this. I will never book a flight through this airport and I will definitely spread the word of how dysfunctional they are!!!

(better late than never?)
So I picked the Ronald Regan Washington Airport for my 2014 trip to DC because you can access the Metro from there — both Blue and Yellow. Yeah, that’s it.
To prepare for my flight for which I paid $ 182 (it would have taken around $ 200 to take Amtrak) in December to fly from Logan in Boston to Reagan in DC on USAirways in early April, I decided to do some reconnaissance online.
So first off, Reagan’s rather small, with 3 terminals located in the same building structure. Hey, in Boston, you have to take the shuttle to get from one terminal to another. In fact, I didn’t realize you could consider one building as more than a single terminal… till now.
Anywho, A, B, and C.
Level 3 is the Ticketing and Check in area for Terminal B and C. For Terminal A check in, drive to an entirely different parking area one level down (Down? Does the airport dig down instead of climb up here?) to Level 2 Terminal A for the whole shabang from ticketing, flying in/​out, and baggage claim. For B and C, baggage claim is down on Level 3. The Metro, by the way is accessible from Level 2, so I can easily see how Leo G. got confused on how he was to check in before going through security.
Confused much yet?
Terminal A:
Air Canada
AirTran
Frontier
JetBlue
Southwest
Sun Country
Terminal B:
Alaska
American
Delta
United
Terminal C:
US Airways
Virgin America
So, I started this whole thing because I was wondering what the dining options were, since I’ll probably have to pick up something for dinner for the flight back. I conveniently found a dining map on their website (
) in addition to the Terminal map (
). Each terminal seems isolated from the other once you’ve gone through security, however it looks like my lazyman’s options are not too skimpy, with Cibo Bistro, Cinnabon, Cosi, Dunkin Donuts, Matsutake Sushi, Mayorga Coffee, Qdoba Mexican Grill, and Sam & Harry’s as the options in the Pre-​Security National Hall area, and in my very own Terminal C — Auntie Anne’s, California Tortilla, Cibo Express, Cinnabon, DD, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Gordon Biersch (is that a food spot?), Primo Cappacchino, and Ranch 1.
However, with all the Unilocaling about the lack of dining options, still I’m not feeling too hopeful pre-​trip. Speaking of Unilocal,after reviewing a bunch, I’m starting to wonder if the shuttle some Unilocalers mentioned are meant to be a convenience to move folks from a plane from one terminal to another without having to go through security again. Although there is also mention of a shuttling system from 35A.
Okay, pre-​review done.
Reality — It turned out to be not as confusing as all that. Easy trip out by Metro, so it was a great idea to fly into Reagan! Food reconnaissance deemed unnecessary, as we ended up picking up take-​out on the way to the airport.

Specifically the Southwest terminal, is easy to get in and out of. When we arrived on Tuesday, it was in and out in a matter of moments as the baggage claim is right there.
On Thursday, as we were leaving, the check in is curb side, you can get your boarding pass right there or at the ticketing booth right inside the doors. Security is pretty much a breeze. They are exceedingly efficient at their jobs and pleasant.
The 9 gates are all located at the end of one round cul-​de-​sac and there aren’t any shops per-​se but rather anything you want lines the main walk way to the gates.

I know a lot of people hate on this airport but I actually enjoy coming here.
The parking/​driving scenario around the airport is a bit of a nightmare but you really can’t beat being able to get off the plane and hop right onto the subway (yellow line) outside.
The security staff is polite although they’re slow — the security line is definitely not large enough for the foot traffic in the airport. Need to expand for sure.
The one thing i REALLY hate about this — but can’t fault them for because of construction — is the 35X gate… having to take a bus to another terminal just to get on a bus that takes us onto the tarmac and into a tiny plane was the WORST. But hopefully that won’t become commonplace.
The food and shopping options are plentiful — before and after security which I really appreciate. Overall, one of the nicer airports I frequent :)

After my last experience at this airport, I’m dropping it down three stars from my last review. In my last three visits to this airport I:
1. Watched a TSA agent scream out «supervisor» when he needed assistance with something. The TSA agent screamed out supervisor four times within a period of 10 minutes and no one came to him.
2. Was screened in line #3 only to be told by the TSA agent (standing in line #3 in front of me) that I had to move to line #1 or line #2. No explanation was given to me as to why I had to move to another line (such as, sorry ma’am this line is now closed).
3. As I moved from line #3 to line #1, I was yelled at by the TSA agent in line #1. I advised the lady that the other TSA agent in line #3 told me to move lines. The TSA agent kept yelling at me and asking me who checked me as if I knew every TSA agent’s name and could identify them. Finally I just showed her my ticket (which was all marked up with the TSA agent’s initials) to show who had checked me in. All I got from her was «oh». No apology.
4. Watched TSA pre-​check customers go through their line only to be told to wait for an agent to inspect their liquids (for people who need to bring special food or baby food). They waited for 20 minutes for an agent to show up. Basically these people paid $ 89 for expedited service only to NOT receive it.
5. Heard a TSA agent tell a customer that they are slow because there are staffing problems and not because they are short staffed. After my experience here, I completely understand the comment of «staffing problems». Too bad in the government no one ever gets fired so I don’t anticipate things changing for the better.
In addition Terminal A has:
1. Two baggage claim conveyor belts but only ONE works so imagine ALL southwest flight passengers standing around one conveyor belt. Its a HOT MESS.
2. Kiosks that do not work to print out the boarding pass and check in luggage.
3. 25 seats available per gate. If a full flight on Southwest holds 143 passengers, then most of the 25 seats will be taken and the other 118 passengers will be standing around the airport. The gate area is already very small so standing room is also limited.
4. Dunkin donuts only sells donuts and coffee. Don’t expect any sandwiches or wraps of any kind with any meat products.
5. Very limited food choices and at exorbitant prices.
6. Workers here did not seem very friendly and were mostly apathetic.

Home sweet home
Convenient location!!!
Usually shorter lines
Good wifi
Not the prettiest and DEFINITELY falls short in availability of shopping and dining
Restrooms look old but they’re usually clean
Mediocre

This airport had a few highs and lows for me. Overall, it was just ok.
The pros:
— Easy to get into and out of — not tons of walking
— Clean
— Pumping/​nursing room for mommies, clean and with a diaper changing station, rocking chairs, sanitizer etc. I REALLY appreciated this!
The cons:
— The luggage belt kept breaking and it took us forever to get our luggage since only one was working fr our airline.
— Almost no food choices in the Southwest terminal. Just a place where you order food on iPads and it’s delivered. One menu, not great prices. Not friendly.

Well maintained runway, clean terminals and restrooms. Easy to follow signage. Lots of seating.

Getting here is NOT half the fun. (disclaimer — metro service is outstanding right into the airport). IF you are driving, it is a confusing, snarled mess to get here. Lots of traffic, and even with GPS you have to be on your toes.
Cell phone lot is tiny but close. Long term parking is expensive and far away.
Inside the airport, it is in need of renovation and crowded. On a scale of one to 10, with one being LAX and 10 being, well, someplace that isn’t an airport, I’d give it about a 4

My opinion has been that airports are a pain in the _​_​_​_​_​.
DCA has changed my opinion. We flew non-​stop from MCI on AA which doesn’t have a very good rating with me and was blown away by how easy, convenient and friendly the whole process can be.
From airport staff to TSA to airline staff, everyone was cheerful helpful and supportive.
Washington National (Reagan) is attractive, well laid-​out and in my opinion user friendly.
Don’t be apprehensive about air travel, ask for help and be pleasantly surprised how helpful people can be if given the opportunity to serve.

Landed at Gate C45.
Connecting flight at Gate C43.
That sort of airport convenience (when my gate’s are literally next to each other at big airports) doesn’t usually happen to me, so I’ll take it! American Airlines isn’t my favorite, but happy that my 55 minute layover didn’t force me to run an impromptu 5K since my connecting gate wasn’t halfway across the airport. Really love the views flying into this airport, too — I mean, how can you not? Washington Monument, White House? Gorgeous. But I think that’s where my love ends: the sights and the convenience of gate to gate when you’re taking the same airline.
Terminal C (Gates 35 to 45) itself was FILTHY. Every free seat had trash on it/​around it/​near it. Wrappers, empty bottles, not empty cups of drink, chunks of leftover food… it was disgusting. I actually spent ten minutes cleaning up a row of seats so that I and others could sit. Do they have custodial services here? I totally get that this is at the fault of the passengers themselves (shame on ALL OF YOU for not picking up after yourselves, is it really that hard to put your trash in one of the bins you HAVE to pass to get wherever it is you’re going?), but still.
The other thing that was kind of odd was how ANGRY other flyers seemed to be. There was a customer service desk right in the middle of the terminal and the line of people in it were throwing daggers at every other passenger that walked by them. Yikes! Be nice, we’ve all got somewhere to be!

The Delta terminal didn’t have much space, but it operated efficiently. There is minimal food selection; however the grab and go style vendors had better options than most.
The airport itself is convenient and and close to the city.

Ronald Reagan Internationa Airport is the closest of the three major airports serving Washington DC. Bordering the west shore of the Potomac River, it is only three miles from downtown Washington.
What is interesting about this airport is that it is a short-​haul airport with a perimeter rule where with some exceptions long distant flights are prohibited to prevent congestion at the airport and encourage more traffic at the further Dulles International Airport. With some exceptions, the maximum distance is 1,250 miles. Understandably we had to transfer between Las Vegas and Washington DC. What is also interesting is that pilots flying into Ronald Reagan International Airport have to contend with the very limited airspace over Washington. One of the approaches is flying over the Potomac River then turning into the runaway. What is not interesting is having to wait in Terminal A.
Ronald Reagan International Airport was built in 1941 as Washington International Airport. I get the impression that a few things have changed since then. Especially the food options. I have been flying out of airports for 25 years and from my experience, Terminal A is up there for worst dining choices. The few places in Terminal A were Meridian Deli (no tables or chairs), another business, and in the center of the Southwest gates was Page. As my last review stated Page was nothing special. I bestowed it with three stars because without it, I’d go crazy from boredom here. There isn’t even a Washington DC souvenir shop.
Another problem with Terminal A is that the security check point is too close to the Southwest gates. This creates a cramped space with a small hallway to walk around in. There are no pictures or art celebrating Washington DC. Being stuck here for hours beyond the security check point would be like being in jail.
I disagree that Ronald Reagan International Airport solely needs a perimeter rule to encourage more people to use Dulles International Airport. I believe that the painfully boring environment with lousy food choices in Terminal A will encourage additional people to use Dulles International Airport.
Two stars is what I give Ronald Reagan International Airport. Although I was bored waiting around Terminal A, the convenience to downtown Washington DC made up for it. That convenience is money and time saved in a taxi. In conclusion, based on my experience in Terminal A, America’s Capital deserves a better airport