By Air in Washington, D.C.

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By Air

The major gateways to D.C. are Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia, 4 mi south of downtown Washington; Dulles International Airport, 26 mi west of Washington, D.C.; and Baltimore/Washington International-Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, about 30 mi to the northeast.

Carriers

Most major national airlines fly into all three of the region's airports, Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), and Dulles International (IAD). Southwest flies only to BWI.

Of the regional airlines, AirTran flies to BWI and IAD, and Midwest and America West fly to BWI and DCA. Alaska Airlines and Frontier fly to DCA and IAD. JetBlue flies to IAD. Hooters Air touches down at BWI. Spirit's base is DCA.

The only international flights departing from DCA are with Air Canada, which also serves BWI and IAD. BWI is a gateway for numerous international airlines, including Aer Lingus, Air Jamaica, British Airways, and Iceland Air. IAD is served by Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, BMI, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Grupo Taca, KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa, SAS, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Virgin.

International Airlines

Aer Lingus (800/474-7424. www.aerlingus.com). Aeroflot (888/340-6400. www.aeroflot.com). Air Canada (888/422-7533. www.aircanada.ca). Air France (800/321-4538. www.airfrance.com). Air Jamaica (800/532-5585. www.airjamaica.com). Alitalia (800/223-5730. www.alitaliausa.com). ANA (800/235-9262. www.fly-ana.com). Austrian Airlines (800/843-0002. www.austrianair.com). BMI (800/788-0555. www.flybmi.com). British Airways (800/247-9297. www.british-airways.com). Ethiopian Airlines (800/445-2733. www.flyethiopian.com). Grupo Taca (800/535-8780. www.grupotaca.com). Icelandair (800/757-7242. www.icelandair.com). KLM (800/225-2525. www.klm.com). Korean Air (800/438-5000. www.koreanair.com). Lufthansa (800/654-3880. www.lufthansa.com). Mexicana (800/531-7921. www.mexicana.com). SAS (800/221-2350. www.scandinavian.net). Saudi Arabian Airlines (800/472-8342. www.saudiairlines.com). South African Airways (800/722-9675. www.flysaa.com). Virgin Atlantic (800/862-8621. www.virgin-atlantic.com).

National Airlines

America West (800/235-9292. www.americawest.com). American (800/433-7300. www.aa.com). Continental (800/525-0280. www.continental.com). Delta (800/221-1212. www.delta.com). Frontier (800/432-1359. www.frontierairlines.com). Northwest (800/225-2525. www.nwa.com). Southwest (800/435-9792. www.southwest.com). United (800/241-6522. www.united.com). US Airways (800/428-4322. www.usairways.com).

Regional Airlines

American Eagle (800/433-7300. www.aa.com). ATA (800/435-92827300. www.ata.com). AirTran (800/825-8538. www.airtran.com). Alaska Airlines (800/252-7522. www.alaskaair.com). Frontier (800/432-1359. www.frontierairlines.com). JetBlue (800/538-2583. www.jetblue.com). Midwest (800/452-2022. www.midwestairlines.com). Spirit (800/772-7117. www.spiritair.com).

Flying Times

A flight to D.C. from New York takes a little less than an hour. It's about 1 1/2 hours from Chicago, 3 hours from Denver or Dallas, and 5 hours from San Francisco. Those flying from London should expect a trip of about 6 hours. From Sydney it's an 18-hour flight.

Airport Information

Baltimore/Washington International-Thurgood Marshall Airport (410/859-7100. www.bwiairport.com). Dulles International Airport (703/572-2700. www.metwashairports.com/Dulles). Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (703/417-8000. www.metwashairports.com/National).

Airport Transfers

If you're coming into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, have light luggage, and are staying near a subway stop, it makes sense to take the Metro. The subway station is within easy walking distance of Terminals B and C, and a free airport bus shuttles between the station and Terminal A (home to AirTran, ATA, Midwest, Northwest, and Spirit airlines). The Metro ride downtown takes about 20 minutes and costs about $1.85, depending on the time of day and your final destination.

By bus: Washington Flyer links Dulles International Airport and the West Falls Church Metro station. The 20-minute ride is $8 for adults, free for children under six. Buses run every half hour from 5:45 AM to 10:30 PM. All coaches are accessible to those in wheelchairs. Fares may be paid with cash or credit card.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) operates express bus service between Dulles and several stops in downtown D.C., including the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station. Bus 5A, which costs $3, runs every hour between 5:30 AM and 11:30 PM. Make sure to have the exact fare, as drivers cannot make change.

WMATA also operates express bus service between BWI and the Greenbelt Metro station. Buses run between 6 AM and 10 PM. The fare is $3.

National, Dulles, and BWI airports are served by SuperShuttle, a fleet of bright blue vans that can take you to any hotel or residence in the city. The length of the ride varies, depending on traffic and the number of stops. The approximately 20-minute ride from Reagan National to downtown averages $10; the roughly 45-minute ride from Dulles runs $22; the ride from BWI, which takes about 60 minutes, averages $31. Each additional person traveling with a full-fare passenger is $10.

By taxi: Expect to pay $9-$15 to get from National to downtown, $44-$50 from Dulles, and $55-$65 from BWI. A $1.50 airport surcharge is added to the total at all airports. A $1 surcharge is added to the total for travel during the peak periods of 7-9:30 AM and 4-6:30 PM. (Be aware that unscrupulous cabbies prey on out-of-towners. If the fare seems astronomical, get the driver's name and cab number and threaten to call the D.C. Taxicab Commission.)

By train: Free shuttle buses carry passengers between airline terminals and the train station at BWI. Amtrak and Maryland Rail Commuter Service (MARC) trains run between BWI and Washington, D.C.'s Union Station from around 6 AM to 10 PM. The cost of the 30-minute ride is $13-$36 on Amtrak and $6 on MARC, which runs only on weekdays.

Taxis & Shuttles

Amtrak (800/872-7245. www.amtrak.com). D.C. Taxicab Commission (202/645-6018. www.dctaxi.dc.gov). Maryland Rail Commuter Service (410/767-3999; 410/539-3497 TDD; 800/325-7245. www.mtamaryland.com). SuperShuttle (800/258-3826 or 202/296-6662. www.supershuttle.com). Washington Flyer (888/927-4359. www.washfly.com). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (202/637-7000; 202/638-3780 TDD. www.wmata.com).