I remember riding this lounge once when I was like 8, and it still is such a cool experience. It’s definitely not used today the way it was intended by this video, but nevertheless is still a cool operation to see take place
The mobile lounge concept definitely failed... Which is a shame, because I think there's something to it. It needs to be rethought for the age of 300+ passenger jumbo jets, security screening, priority boarding, and full carry-on bins.
The biggest problem with the mobile lounge concept is that it didn't make Dulles a really friendly place to transit through if you were having to make a connection there. And the lounges were very inadequate once larger planes like the Boeing 747 became widespread.
I don't think this design should die. In Europe, there are a lot of planes that park in the middle of the taxiway, and a bus takes you to the terminal. What if god forbid it rains and nobody wants to step outside in the rain. I wouldn't want to be welcomed to the airport that way. I'd rather just hop on one of those, and just get to the terminal, instead of being in a long line crammed into a little bus. The telescoping gangway is another way we could enter the airport, but there are a few problems, like time and money. The mobile lounges are good because it saves fuel for the planes, so there could be less of those pushback machines. Time and money could also be a problem for those, but nobody is optimistic about them. They are also commonly misused. They are called *Plane Mates* , and they're meant to dock directly with the planes, not take you from terminal to terminal. That's why there are the "AirTrains" or "SkyTrains". Those are what are supposed to take you from terminal to terminal, not the Plane Mates. In fact, Dulles recently installed them to replace the Plane Mates, and I don't think the design should die.
yes, with a modular design, an electric drive train and regen brakes, regen elevators, and remote or autonomous driving, this could be the most comfortable and economical, and environmentally friendly method of transporting passengers. and the most interesting!
The mobile Lounge could have been used at Oslo-Gardamoen, Warsaw-Chopin, Berlin-Brandenburg, Athens-Spata, Istanbul-Ataturk, Larnaca Cyprus, Delhi -Indera Ghandhi Keflevik Iceland, and Madrid -Barajas. The terminals in all cases would have been more compact.
I feel the failure of this concept could have been predicted even back then. A mobile, custom vehicle that is larger than usual, with plenty of moving parts to adjust to different plane shapes, heights and sizes is more prone to failure than a tunnel or even just a regular bus that is produced in much larger numbers. It is also more expensive to build custom vehicles. It also seems much less flexible than a tunnel which can accommodate late-comers and can split its capacity between an arbitrary number of people going to different flights at different times just going roughly in the same direction.
It's the end of the era of Mobile Lounges Dulles airport, he was replaced by Aerotrain Dulles, a small underground train to each terminal parking airplanes or departure lounge of Dulles airport. Old, Mobile lounge Budd Co., continues to operate in Dulles, but not conenctan aircraft, again just going from the main terminal to another terminal, they removed the access bridges the mobile lounge, which connect the plane. The Mobile Lounges were better going to the plane, rolling instead of walking in the gate.
+Raul Matias Casas Zavala The main use of mobile lounges and planemates today at IAD is to connect the main terminal with terminal D that terminal is the only one without an Aerotrain station. Also they are to take passengers from inbound international flights without preclearance to the CBP building which is attached to the main terminal. As these pax must not be allowed into the general area until they complete CBP processing, they cannot use the Aerotrain as result. Thought out some C/D terminal (United) transfers pax are processed in that terminal. The last use is for "H" gates which are gates into the main terminal which transfer pax to aircraft on hardstands rarely use now of days.
@@IAD_Flyer Yeah, I feel Dulles is a lot easier to fly into as an international passenger if one is on United, since international passengers all deplane at Concourse C via jetbridge, then can either take a mobile lounge to the international arrivals building if you're terminating here, or clear customs and reclear security in the concourse's basement, then take escalators back up to the gate level and walk to the gate for your next flight.
At the time it was created, it was a smart idea, however as we progressed in building underground transit systems, we soon realized we could move away from mobile lounges like so, and simply just create long corridors. Still, at the time, it was a smart idea.
We literally had underground transit systems in the early 1900s what's all this bull crap about technology evolving, It was already there and ready to use.
It was rather a novel experience being shuttled from main terminal to boarding hub or between hubs by a real person. Single pilot planes are next, then 💫💨 we'll be up there totally automated. Gee, I can't wait...😜
I am scared. Once that happens, then that's a sign that robots are going to take over the world. I don't want everything to be autonomous. I want it all controlled by humans, not robots.
