Quick Tips and Thoughts on DART Orange Line to D/FW Airport

With the nation’s longest light rail network and a new Orange Line extension, D/FW travelers have a new great option for getting to and from D/FW Airport. With a location far outside the city center, D/FW has long has the disadvantage of being less convenient than Love Field for central city dwellers and visitors in Dallas. While the Orange Line extensions hasn’t physically relocated D/FW closer to Downtown Dallas, new rail access directly to Terminal A has sure made it a lot easier. Love Field also has a rail station along the Orange and Green Line but unfortunately, the line was routed around the airport to save money and there is no direct terminal access. Rail riders must take the 524 DART bus from Love Field Station to the terminal and the bus frequency is about on average about every 15 minutes.

I’ve had a chance to ride the Orange Line to D/FW a few times now and it’s a breeze, even if you’re not used to riding the rail. Here are a couple of observations I’ve made and a few tips to make your trip to D/FW a tad bit stressful.

Check the route of your train depending on the time and day of the week. The Orange Line runs during peak hours from D/FW Airport to Downtown and then follows the same path as the Red Line all the way to Parker Road station. During non-peak hours, the trains terminate at LBJ/Central station.

Give yourself an extra 30 minutes to an hour for travel. The journey from Downtown Dallas to D/FW airport is about 50 minutes. I usually try and target a train that puts me at D/FW Airport station a minimum of 1.5 hours before my departure time. That way, if I miss a bus or train connection or the Skylink is delayed, I have some cushion time.

D/FW Station is directly adjacent to Terminal A. Take the Skylink post-security to reach your terminal/gate. Sometimes I luck out and my flight (American) departs from Terminal A and I’m already where I need to be. But even if you aren’t flying American, you can still clear TSA in Terminal A and then take the Skylink to the other terminals. It’s much quicker than the inter-terminal bus which is delayed much more frequently the Skylink and you still have to clear TSA when you reach your terminal.

For TSA PreCheck flyers, keep in mind that there is rarely a dedicated PreCheck line in Terminal A. There is still TSA PreCheck option, but unfortunately, there is almost never a dedicated line, even during peak hours. They will hand you a PreCheck card so you can keep your shoes on and your bag intact. Terminal C has more a efficient PreCheck system with a dedicated entry.

I’m thrilled to have a new transit option at D/FW. I think it’s incredibly convenient to air travelers but also a boost for the D/FW economy. Express service from Downtown Dallas to the airport isn’t available yet but there are rumors that it’s a possibility in the near future.

Add Global Impact to your Next Vacation with Boomerang Communities

We all love to travel and many of often get caught up in the “game” of points and miles that sometimes forget there are ways that our hobby can help others. You could stick to the vanilla route and donate some airlines miles.  Or you can take your travel passion around the globe and have a direct impact helping others by joining organizations like Boomerang Communities.

A new Indiegogo campaign launched this week for Boomerang Communities, an organization that combines a passion for travel and helping communities around the globe. Boomerang Communities is to build local groups of members in cities to foster ideas and travel together on Vision Trips with 8-10 members. Vision Trips seek volunteers with skill sets that are well-suited for the tasks and projects of the volunteers projects. The trips are a few weeks in length so even as a busy working professional, the opportunity is palatable for your schedule.

Below is a description of the first Boomerang Communities first Vision trip of 2015.

VISION TRIP: YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO

When: Saturday, February 21, 2015 – Wednesday, March 4, 2015

What: Support Hammock Boutique, a recently certified B-corp, and its non-profit arm, Cielo Foundation in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. Both organizations are working to improve socio-economic development for Mayan families, who are mostly illiterate, and living in poor conditions. 

The Indiegogo campaign went live on Monday, November 16th and continues through December 13th. Considering checking the campaign out and see how you can participate. We all have busy lives and the short nature of the Vision Trips make it easy for anyone with a busy schedule to make time for such an incredible experience.

Thanksgiving Deal to NYC from DFW – American Airlines – $274 R/T #FlightDeal

Not a stellar deal for a non-holiday BUT this is quite deal for a Big Apple getaway to NYC over Thanksgiving. In case you haven’t made plans already, this is a nice 2-night getaway. Outbound operated by US Airways, return operated by American/American Eagle.

Sample Departure Date: Thur, Nov 27, 2014

Sample Return Date: Sat, Nov 29, 2014

Base Mileage Earned: 2,918 Miles

R/T Fare: $274

Routing: DFW-CLT-LGA-STL-DFW