Dulles and Reagan are latest airports to add mobile food ordering

Airports in our nation’s capital region are the latest to add mobile food ordering options for travelers.

Travelers are now able to place food and drink orders online or through an app for pickup at vendors inside Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

The move is the latest example of major airports turning to mobile ordering — a trend that both airlines and airports have moved toward in recent years. It also comes as travelers have faced long lines at airport restaurants and other retailers during the pandemic, while certain locations have battled staffing shortages and temporary closures as travel rebounded.

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Travelers can’t yet have food and drinks actually delivered to their gates at Dulles and Reagan airports like they can in New York and some other airports around the country. However, D.C. airport officials say that service is coming in the near future.

The immediate change at Dulles and Reagan allows customers to place a food or drink order through an app or a browser and then bypass the line to pick up their order when it’s ready.

You can order at IADordernow.com or DCAordernow.com. It’s likely many travelers will make use of the on-the-go ordering option through the DC Airports app, though.

It’s easy enough to use. Within seconds of downloading the free app, I was able to select “Shops,” and then “Dine” at the top of the page. There were several businesses from which to choose.

I clicked on &Pizza, which is a concessionaire available in multiple terminals at Dulles and at Reagan, too. The menu and prices pop up quickly, and you’ll be able to input your entire order this way. Once you submit it, the staff will begin preparing your meal and you can pick it up once it’s ready.

Related: Your firsthand look at robot mobile ordering and gate delivery

Speaking from experience, online ordering is a great way to bypass the line when you’re at the airport concourse. Particularly in those morning hours when lines at coffee shops can really back up, I’ve used the Starbucks app to quickly pick up my coffee without having to stand in line at all — using the time instead to get work done until the order is ready.

There are a whole bunch of restaurant locations available as part of this mobile ordering service. They range from fast-casual locations and coffee shops to sit-down restaurants and upscale bars, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Dulles and Reagan.

Based on the list of mobile ordering-equipped vendors MWAA shared, there are options available on all concourses at Dulles and all but the A gates at Reagan.

Keep in mind that after recent, major changes at Reagan that include a change in the location of the TSA checkpoints, you’re now able to roam the National Hall and the concourses of what is now known as Terminal 2.