Are We Ready To Say Goodbye To The Dulles People Movers? Let’s Discuss.

Are we ready to say RIP to the people movers? Should we have bidden farewell ages ago? (Like after the crash in 2025 that sent a bunch of people to the hospital?) How are we feeling about the reported exit of these little guys?

I feel … guilty. I’ve complained about them every single time I’ve boarded one.

But I also feel a sort of maternal instinct toward them. They always reminded me of the Pixar “WALL-E” robot character — futuristic and innocent. Now we’re culling them.

I just rode one, and after all these years, I still can’t make heads or tails of it. Am I supposed to sit in the far back for a quick exit or close to the entrance, which is also the exit? It’s like a centipede with two heads. I usually just plop down in the middle but then end up moving as soon as a passenger with more luggage or children needs a seat.

I won’t miss that confusion when I am severely jet-lagged.

It’s a top-tier confusing system that I never figured out either. Which is ironic, given that they were designed by an architecture legend. So chic (at least on the outside) yet so dysfunctional.

From my current perch at a place that is not IAD, the word that keeps coming to mind for the shuttles is “cute.” But I almost never fly through Dulles, and when I did a couple of years ago for work, I had completely forgotten they existed. When I got there, I felt like I was in some weird Star Wars universe. But I think futuristic is what [architect] Eero Saarinen had in mind — which is funny now that we all feel like they’re a total throwback.

Saarinen designed them as mobile waiting rooms with cocktails. If they served drinks, maybe more people would enjoy the ride. I might have even booked more flights departing from Concourse D.

100 percent.

But also, the real issue is no one wants to get on a secondary form of transportation — within an airport — after you get off a flight. Having to get on a bus on a tarmac to change terminals is absolutely gutting. Getting on a sky train isn’t much better. The mobile lounge experience falls into that genre of inconvenience.

The mobile lounge also feels so disconnected. It’s a weird detour that ruins the flow of the airport. The journey is so short. Sometimes the line to board is longer than the drive, and they always pack half the plane on them, and no one is smelling like rosewater.

What do we expect to replace it? What do we WANT to replace it?

I want a more straightforward and seamless inter-airport system, like the one in Minneapolis. All of the terminals should be connected by one mode of transportation, such as a train, with the option to walk, even if it takes 30 minutes.

Agree. The option to walk — particularly during a long layover — is very appreciated. Surely the renovation’s $22 billion price tag will cover a decent solution.

I’m a huge fan of the San Francisco airport, particularly the availability of some beautifully landscaped terraces next to a few gates where you can get some fresh air. In a dream scenario, you could walk on some garden path between terminals, or take a speedy train if you were in a hurry.

I love that, Natalie. I award you the redesign contract.

I think “seamless” is a great word, and exactly what the airport needs.

When we ran a bunch of data to determine America’s favorite airports last year, readers overwhelmingly told us they appreciated easy access to terminals, short walks, systems that made sense. Reagan National Airport gets high marks for all of that, and it was No. 3 on the list.

To your points, Andrea, Minneapolis was also a favorite. Dulles … well, people love the design of the main building. (It was No. 17.)

Dulles is striking, but I want function over form. Airports should be very intuitive. Travelers shouldn’t have to use a map to find their gate.

Details of the new plans aren’t officially out as of this discussion, but one design element that caught my eye was gold accents, specifically “high, gold-mirrored ceilings.” Is this the airport aesthetic passengers are craving?

After a full day of traveling with no access to a shower or change of clothing, I definitely do not need to see my reflection overhead!

That seems on-brand for the current administration aesthetic (motions to Oval Office gilt), but not on trend for new airports. Most are going for huge windows to allow for the most natural light possible and local art.

As long as it’s intuitive and pleasant to get through with plenty of seats and outlets and bathrooms, I don’t care what it looks like! My other ask: Make it more clear how to get to the Metro after you get off a flight.

As for the retired people movers, I loved this idea from local reporter Martin Austermuhle (which touches on your sentiment, too, Andrea): turn them into an airport bar! Could be very TWA Hotel.

I’ve also been thinking about how Dulles could repurpose them. Pop-up boutique. Dog park. Children’s play area. Napping station.

Or they could display them for future generations of travelers to see how their ancestors used to move around the airport.