"Connecting" through Dulles, two separate tickets

Are both flights on United? If so they would most likely leave from the same set of gates/terminal. However United is going to want to see your passport prior to giving you a boarding pass. I would count on going all the way out and then all the way back in. J

I doubt you would be able to print a boarding pass online for the 2nd leg of your trip. Someone needs to physically check your passport. If you have lounge access I would go there. I’ve found the agents in airline lounges to be very good, and they may be able to check you in and give you a boarding pass (assuming you have carry on bags only). The worst that can happen is they send you back to the desk.

Not sure about IAD however I have done that at JFK flying DL and then on Emirates to Milan with carry-on. Emirates did require those of us who did this to get another BP at the gate.

1) If you are flying United, you might see if the agent in Richmond can check you in and issue your boarding pass even though you are on separate tickets.

2) I am pretty sure (haven’t flown out of Dulles since pre-covid) that there is a check-in kiosk in the C gate area near the lounge. I would think you could scan your passport at the kiosk to check in and print your boarding pass, but have no personal experience doing this as Dulles is my home airport.

3) Check to see what terminal your flight is coming into. Many of the United Expres flights (if that is what you are flying) come into the A gates rather than the C/D terminal so you’d have to change terminals.

So, I don’t know enough about Dullus to know whether you will have to go through security because I don’t really know where the gates are. but if you are not able to print your boarding pass before you get on the first plane because they want to see your documents, you do not have to go back out to the main check in to do this. just go to your gate and they can do it there. Or sometimes there are service counters in the airport and they can do it

They generally won’t do it for you if they’re working in another flight. so if they’re boarding in the flight to Paris and you want your boarding pass for London they will tell you they’re busy go away

I guess it's too late to ask this, but why aren't you driving and parking at Dulles? Seems like that would be faster. I used to live in Richmond many years ago, and I think it's a two hour drive to IAD?
In any case, safe travels!

With all of the flight cancellations these days, I would not trust your puddle jumper to get you there since you are on separate tickets. I used to live in Charlottesville, and I always drove to IAD, parked in LT parking. Another way to do it is to Uber, or I am sure there are ground transport companies running frequent vans that can get you up there (they had those from C'ville, I just never used one).

Not so sure you will be able to print your international flight boarding pass from home. It has been a while since I have flown abroad, but it seems like you have to get that at the airport check-in these days.

Thank you, everybody, for your replies! It sounds like the consensus is, "yes, doable, maybe," which is fine with me. Worst case scenario, I go through security again. Mainly I'd just like to skip the second round because, well, that would be one less annoyance. Extra thanks for the heads up about the United kiosk in Terminal C (I agree, I think I've see it too) and about checking with an agent in the United lounge. I only have the lounge pass as part of my credit card program and haven't used one in years, so I would never have thought of that!

Caroline