United's aging Washington Dulles digs poised for an upgrade — complete with a huge United Club
If you fly out of Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) these days, you’ll see your fair share of cranes and heavy construction equipment.
Beyond the airport’s farthest-flung terminal, crews are hard at work on a half-billion-dollar terminal that’s expected to house 14 brand-new United Airlines gates by late 2026.
Renderings TPG first shared last winter reveal an airy, natural-lit concourse — one that will someday house a 40,000 square-foot United Club, the Chicago-based carrier revealed this month. Once open, it will be one of the biggest lounges in United's network.
Read more: United Club Infinite Card review: United Club lounge access and elite airline benefits
This construction is central to United’s hopes to grow at a breakneck pace at its biggest mid-Atlantic hub, where, in 2024, it flew with 8% more total seats than it did in 2023, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
By April, United hopes to up its daily Dulles departures by 12% from its 2024 peak — and by far more, long-term, CEO Scott Kirby said while speaking to reporters Dec. 3.
“This terminal, really, is about being able to double our international service here at Dulles,” Kirby explained, standing on the second level of Dulles’ partially constructed Concourse E.
Plenty to be excited about in Concourse E
Indeed, there’s plenty to be excited about in United's new 435,000-square-foot terminal.
Along with an overall brighter vibe and modern amenities, transportation to the new E terminal will be far more convenient than what most United flyers currently endure at Dulles.
Today, if you're headed to United's Dulles D gates, the airport’s notorious people movers remain the most direct (albeit unorthodox) route.
Meanwhile, passengers flying out of United’s C gates typically take the AeroTrain but face a long walk to their gate after hopping off. The current AeroTrain station that serves the C gates is actually located beneath the new terminal under construction. While that's inconvenient today, it bodes well for the future.
There's an additional perk in this new terminal, too: The capacity it promises should allow United to eventually bid farewell to its ground-level, less-than-stellar regional A gates at the airport — gates that are all too familiar to passengers flying in from the likes of Charlottesville, Virginia; Dayton, Ohio; or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, aboard United Express jets.
At the same time, there remains something of a proverbial elephant in the room: 14 new gates are hardly enough to sunset the aging terminal currently housing the core of United’s Dulles hub operation — itself well past its prime.
But plans are forming.
Years to go for United's aging Dulles concourse
Last week, the airport’s governing body told TPG that there still are no construction contracts formalized for a replacement of Dulles’ C and D terminals — that long, carpeted, basementlike facility from which the vast majority of United’s Dulles flights depart.
For years, replacing this facility has been a long-term goal of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees Dulles and nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
Yet, this decades-old terminal — and frequent scenes like the one below — remain the reality for customers of Dulles' top airline.
But there are signs of growing momentum.
This month, United acknowledged that the current construction of its new Dulles Terminal E is just the start of “multiple phases to come” for its future development at the airport.
Under a new agreement with MWAA this year, the carrier — along with its Dulles competitors — committed to billions of dollars in investment at the airport over the coming years. Those investments go well beyond United's 14 new gates that are set to open by late 2026.
Speaking to TPG on Dec. 3, MWAA CEO Jack Potter said the airport hopes to build a sizable extension of the terminal that's currently being built for United.
In fact, Potter said, passengers could conceivably see a second phase of the terminal open as soon as 2030. A third phase could perhaps open a few years after that in the early 2030s, he added.
“We’re super excited about the opportunity to replace these C/D gates," Potter said. "That’s long overdue." (A spokesperson for MWAA later noted there are still no official timeline and formalized plans in place for the construction, though.)
Larger plans for Dulles
Beyond United's plans at the northern Virginia airport, farther-out plans at Dulles call for the demolition of those ground-level regional A gates in favor of an extension of the airport's far more modern A/B concourse, where a slew of international airlines today depart to destinations all around the globe.
The airport also plans to eventually build a connector from that terminal to its iconic Eero Saarinen-designed headhouse, Potter said.
Unlike many of the nation’s largest airports that have set one passenger traffic record after another over the past decade, Dulles’ passenger traffic peaked nearly two decades ago in 2005.
All the while, nearby DCA has steadily grown its footprint, owing to an ever-increasing number of transcontinental flights allowed to depart from the smaller-footprint airport that is located just across the Potomac River from D.C.
But Dulles' annual passenger record should fall by the time 2024 is over, Potter said this month.
And it's clear, major growth is still on the horizon.
“We want to serve everybody," Potter said this week. "And we are counting on our partner, United, to lead the way."
Related reading:
- United Airlines MileagePlus: Guide to earning and redeeming miles, elite status and more
- Best United Airlines credit cards
- United premier status: How to earn it — and is it worth it?
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- United basic economy: What you need to know about bags, seats, boarding and more
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.