Observations From A Quick Mileage Run

In December, the Flight Deal post a great deal from DCA to BOS (nonstop) for only $98. I was just about to go to bed when I saw the post, but decided to jump on it. At the time, I was 1200 miles short for Aegean Gold Status.  I quickly booked a weekend trip for Martlin Luther King Weekend and decided to book another quick mileage run.

Yesterday, I went on the mileage run. A quick four hour trip. My goal was to be back in DC for brunch with a friend. As I do with every trip, here are my thoughts:

   National Airport (DCA) is a great airport for two reasons:

      1) The Metro Goes Directly To The Airport
         

          The Metro entrance is through those doors and down that hallway is security.

      2) Great Views of the Monuments from the ground and air:

         The Capital in the far background:

        The Pentagon from the air:

      3) US Airways Won My Heart With Biscoff Cookies

           

           On both my US Airways the new American, they gave Biscoff Cookies. I am addicted
           to these things. My first introduction was during US Airways GrandSlam. I ordered
           these from Biscoff get a "hit."

     4) 40,000 Miles US Airway Barclays Credit Card Offer

          On both flights, the flight attendants were hawking the new 40,000 Mile Barclays' Credit
          Card offer. If you applied in air, you got a bonus 500 miles, regardless of approval.
          The attendants didn't mention an annual fee; therefore, I assume its the $89 offer.

     5) Eating Healthy In An Airport is Difficult

         One of my 2014 goals is to eat healthier. One of the unhealthiest activities in my life is
         travel. Especially, during mileage runs. I tend to eat whatever is available and airport
         food is not always healthy.

         In Boston, I was looking for a quick breakfast and decided on this egg white avocado
         on a skinny bagel and a banana:

       

     
          Overall, this sandwich was a fail. It had a lemon aioli, which over-powered the
          entire sandwich. However, the sandwich was only 400 calories, so a win!

       6) Who is Pen Air?

            This airline had a plane here. It peaked by interested, so I did some research.

            Pen Air is an Alaskan based airline that has a East Coast hub at Boston Logan. From
            Logan, Pen Air flies to Bar Harbor (BHB), Long Island Islip (ISP), Plattsburg (PBG)
            and Presque Island (PQI).

           More research will be needed to find out why they are on the East Coast.

        7) Exit From The Back of The Plane

             On my way back from Boston, the flight attendants announced that we will be
             deplaning from both the front and back of the plane. Since I sit in the last row,
             I was one of the first people off the plane. This was a double first for me.

                   1) Deplaning from the back of the plane at DCA

                   2) Being the first off the plane.

             Have you every deplanning from the back at DCA?

The most important question you might be wondering. Yes, I made our brunch reservation at 1:30 pm at
Matchbox....

Overall, a great Sunday!          
     
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Insiders Guide to the National Cherry Blossom Festival

The Yoshino cherry trees, which were first given to the United States in 1912 by the mayor of Tokyo as a gift to Washington, D.C. are well on their way to peek bloom levels and that only means one thing....the tourists are coming....oh sorry sorry sorry I put on my DC hat there for a second. No, it means that one of the most beautiful times of the year to be in Washington, D.C. is on it's way: The National Cherry Blossom Festival which runs from March 20 to April 14, 2013 in and around the Tidal Basin area of the city.

If you want the insiders guide to the Cherry Blossom Festival, we've got you covered. This year it looks like there is some disagreement as to when the trees will hit their "Peak Bloom" when over 70% of the blooms are open. The National Parks Service, which maintains the Tidal Basin and the Yoshino cherry trees, estimates that the Peak Bloom will occur between March 26-30. The weather forecasters over at the Washington Post say that the bloom might actually occur closer to April 5 due to a colder winter. But the first signs of the blossoms should be coming in the next few weeks so even if you aren't in town for the peak bloom days you will still get a good view of all of these beautiful trees.

 The bad part about the Cherry Blossom Festival is that it is one of the busiest times in Washington, D.C. for tourists. It's right around spring break time for lots of schools and that means families and 8th grad3 Washington trips as far as the eye can see. As a visitor to the city this may not phase you that much, but you will notice it at the Tidal Basin if you try and go in the middle of the day or on the weekends. If you go during those times be prepared to squeeze your way through everyone and having a difficult time getting a good shot of the trees without someone in the background.

If you want to live DC like a local and see the Cherry Blossoms without too much hassle you have to plan on going down on a weekday morning before everyone else has a chance to make it down and while Washingtonians are busy working.

The easiest way to get to the Tidal Basin is to take the Metro system to Smithsonian station. You will want  to go early, but on a weekday just wait until after 9:00 and you will be much happier because commuters will not be blowing by you or rushing you onto a train. But, make sure you follow the basic rules of the DC Metro system. On all escalators you stand on the right and walk on the left side. Safest bet is for everyone to just stand in a single file on the right side and you won't get grief from anyone trying to run for the train. Second rule is that once you reach the bottom of that escalator, keep walking! If you stop at the bottom that means everyone behind you will keep moving and run into you...you don't want this. Third rule is that the easiest way to figure out our Metro system is to look where you are going and find the color of the line that you need to take and the end station on the end of that line. All trains have their line color and the end station (with a few exceptions during rush hour) on them so you know you are on the right train. If you are going to use the Metro system for your whole visit, which I would recommend, consider getting a SmartTrip Card  which will cost you $10 per card, but it will get you $5 in Metro fare and you can reload it at any time and it will save you $1 per use over a paper card.

 When you arrive at the Smithsonian station you will exit on the Independence Avenue side and you will want to cross Independence Avenue and walk on the south side of the street until you cross 15th Street SW and you will take a left and walk down 15th St until you hit Maine Ave SW and you will see the Tidal Basin across the street. The cherry blossoms are all around the Tidal Basin but most people crowd around the area right by Maine Ave so make sure you walk around until you get rid of the main mess of crowds  and you will have a spectacular view!

There is one parking lot that has very very limited parking so unless you have someone with you that has trouble walking or has a disability I would suggest you save yourself the headaches and stress and just let Metro do the driving and work. In the end you be much more excited to enjoy this view as long as you want.

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Getting to Baltimore-Washington International Airport

Baltimore-Washington International Airport is located about 40 miles to the north of Washington, D.C. and about 12 miles to the south of Baltimore. The distance to the airport can be huge and makes it a bit hard to get to even with a car, but often the fares are so much cheaper than flying out of National or Dulles that it could be worth it. But, I try to avoid going to BWI if I can.

If you have to get to BWI there are a few different options that you can use:

Driving 

Depending on the day this can be the best or worst option there is to get to BWI. I have seen it take 40 minutes to over two hours to get to BWI because of traffic. On the weekend, it usually isn't too bad and can take about 40 minutes from downtown DC or northern Virginia.

If you are driving you will need to take I-95 N out of Washington, D.C. and drive 20 miles until you get to I-195 which is the direct highway route to BWI.


Super Shuttle 

As with Dulles there is always the option to take a Super Shuttle from BWI, but this method is often hit or miss. You can get the price down to $15-20 one-way in a shared ride van, but they never seem to group people in a van that are going to the same place. I once ended up going to three different part of DC before my address which meant I arrived home past midnight after landing at BWI at 8:45.

I've heard similar stories when you are going to the airport, so if you choose this method make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get picked up and allow for a few other pick ups before going to the airport.

B30 Metro Bus 

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) which operates the Metro system inWashington, D.C. operates a bus route to BWI from their Greenbelt Station, which is the end of the "Green" line on the Metro system. If you are in downtown DC you will want to board the Metro system and get on the green line and take it all the way to Greenbelt.

When you get to Greenbelt you will want to exit the station and look for the bus shelter that has a sign for the B30 bus (there will usually be fellow travelers waiting so look for the suitcases).

The bus leaves generally every 40 minutes and takes 30-40 minutes depending on traffic. The cost is $6.00 one-way.

The Marc Train 

If you are traveling to BWI on a weekday the best option you have is to take the MARC train which is a commuter train system that ferries commuters from suburban Maryland into Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

The Penn Line, which leaves from Union Station in Washington, D.C. has a stop at the BWI Train Station which will get you to the airport. To take the train you will need to take the Metro system from downtown DC to Union Station on the Red Line. From there you will want to enter Union Station and look for signs to the MARC trains. To buy a ticket you will want to find an AMTRAK Self-Ticket Machine and say you want to buy a new ticket. Now this is where you have to be really really really careful. The machine will gladly sell you an AMTRAK ticket for an AMTRAK train that stops at the BWI Train Station, but that ticket can run $20 or more. When using the Self-Ticket machine look for an option to purchase a MARC ticket and then punch in your destination as BWI Station. The ticket should cost you $6.00 and will allow you to board ANY MARC train on the Penn line, so you can then find the next train that stops at BWI Train Station and board. The ride will take about 20-30 minutes depending on how many other stops there are.

When you exit the train at the BWI Train Station you will need to go straight toward a parking garage and stop once you have crossed the bus/taxi lane into the station. There will be a bus stop at this point to the main terminal at BWI which comes every 5-10 minutes.

NOTE: The MARC train DOES NOT run on the weekend, so don't try this on a Saturday or Sunday unless you want to shell out the money for an AMTRAK train.

Hope this helps you the next time you are weighing your options on which DC airport to fly into.

Getting to Dulles International Airport

Living in Washington, DC, we are blessed with three world class airports: Reagan National, BWI International and Dulles International. By having three different airports, the options to travel to almost anywhere in the world is endless.

For my trip to Tokyo, I am leaving from Dulles, which is located in Virginia. My normal way of getting to Dulles is beg for a ride from Cash Back Boy or Chris. However, both of them are going to be gone before I need to leave. Therefore, I needed to research various options of getting to Dulles:

Super Shuttle   

The cost of the Super Shuttle is dependent on the distance from the airport. From Northern Arlington and Northwest Washington, DC, the cost for a single passenger to Dulles is $29.00 for a van and $89 for an executive car. The problem with the Super Shuttle is that you don't have control of when the shuttle will pick you up. On a recent trip to Dulles, I was picked up 4 hours before my flight and arrived at the airport 3 1/2 hours before my departure time.

Taxi

The cost of a taxi to Dulles is exorbitant  Taxis going to the airport can not pick up arriving passengers to bring them back to the city. Similarly, taxis bring passengers from Dulles can not pick up passengers from Washington, DC. The result is a lot of empty cabs going to and from the airport. I called a bunch of Arlington cab companies resulted in me learning a taxi from Northern Arlington to Dulles will cost between $50 and $75. 

Metro Bus 5A

Metro runs a single bus line from Washington, DC to Dulles Airport. It is the 5A. The bus schedule is located here. The cost of the bus is $6. (Have exact change, as the bus driver or the machine will make change.) The bus can be picked up at L'Enfant Plaza Station (located on the Green, Yellow, Blue and Orange Metro Line) and Rosslyn Station (located on the Blue and Orange Line). 

I have never picked up the 5A from L'Enfant Plaza, but I wanted to give you some advice of where to pick the bus up from at Rosslyn. 

After getting through the fare gates, one should see this sign:

Do as the sign says, go out to street and take a left:

As of December 2012, one will need to walk under a wooden construction walkway to get to the bus stop.

The bus stop always has people with suitcases, but if you don't see anyone with a suitcase. The bus stop is across the street from a McDonald's. 

The 5A bus is always crowded. There was once that I did not get on the bus, because it was full with people. Rosslyn is the second stop; therefore, people will be on the bus before it arrives at this stop. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport if you choice this method.

The 5A will drop you off at the main terminal of Dulles.

Washington Flyer Coach

The method I will be taking is the Washington Flyer. Their website is here. The schedule is here. The cost is $10 one-way or $18 round-trip. Tickets can be purchased at the bus using credit card only. If you wish to use cash, you will purchase your tickets upon arrival at the airport. The ticket counter for the Flyer Coach is located on the Arrival Level by Door #4.

To pick up the Washington Flyer, one need to travel to West Falls Church (located on the Orange line).

After exiting the fare gates, one wants to take a left and go down escalators. There is a sign above the escalators indicating this is the direction for the Washington Flyer and metro buses.

After exiting the station, one wants to go toward the buses on the left (like this women in the picture):

The bus stop for the Washington Flyer is the first one on the left:

The bus comes every 30 minutes and looks like this:

I hope this helps you get to Dulles International, a little easier!