USA POWER TRIP...
A LOW-COST FLYING VISIT TO THE VIBRANT CAPITAL CITY OF AMERICA IS NOW POSSIBLE, AS EMMA MUNBODH DISCOVERS
WASHINGTON DC – it’s not your typical holiday destination, but with all eyes on global politics, there’s a curiosity gap to fill.
And now you can do it for £195 one-way. That’s through the new budget airline Play, founded by the creators of now defunct Wow Air.
“We want to make air travel fun and affordable,” CEO Birgir Jonsson tells me. “We’ve learned big lessons from Wow and now we’re on a bigger mission to make international flights available to everyone.”
Washington, so the stereotype goes, is a town of institutions, longheld ideals and power brokers.
The home of the White House is everything you’d expect it to be: stretches of corporate government offices, world-famous museums – with world-famous art – studio galleries and poignant monuments.
Interestingly, its 700,000 residents aren’t mixing with the crowds, during daylight hours, at least.
Streets are full of tourists while public servants are holed up in their offices, and though you might expect a Starbucks on every street, you won’t find one for miles.
According to Forbes magazine, DC is America’s second coolest city – rich in history with a vibrant nightlife.
It’s the site of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 and home of the government-run Smithsonian museums – the ones that attract most tourists’ attention.
The majority of the iconic sights are within walking distance of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
You’ll have seen this from the movies – a long rectangular basin located on the National Mall, with the Washington Monument to the east.
Just ahead is the Second World War memorial, and to the left, the Capitol. All of these can be explored by foot or by bicycle, which you can rent for a few dollars a day in the city centre.
My favourite museum is just a few steps off the Mall, behind the Vietnam Wall. The National Portrait Gallery is the official residence of every American President’s official portrait to date.
It’s also where you’ll find an exhibition on Watergate, the scandal that triggered the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
It’s even more fascinating, walking through this in the city where it happened. The sprawling Hillwood Museum and Gardens is the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, one of the wealthiest women in America in the 20th century.
There’s also a National Natural History Museum for an educational day out with the kids.
Like any city, each neighbourhood in DC has a unique feel and nightlife scene. Georgetown is about 15 minutes in a taxi, or 20 minutes on the Circular bus route out of the main DC centre.
This bohemian district is known for its two universities. The glamorous student town is also home to some of the best bars and biggest properties in the state, as well as the official residence of sitting Vice President Kamala Harris.
The main road, Main Street, is a culture hub. The area is famed for its shopping outlets, with a colourful mix of malls, tarot readers, bagel bars, French patisseries and Michelin-approved restaurants.
Strolling along the waterfront, we got delightfully lost before stumbling on to Book Hill Park, located at Reservoir Road and Wisconsin Avenue, and were rewarded with panoramic views of Georgetown, the Potomac River and Virginia.
You’ll also find an adorably quaint bookshop called Bridge Street Books, with a whole floor dedicated to poetry.
It’s also home to the start of the historic 184-mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from back when Georgetown was a tobacco port.
Deck chairs are lined up for afternoons by the water – grab a coffee and enjoy the cherry blossom if you visit in season.
If you want more nature, there’s Dumbarton Oaks, a park often described by locals as Georgetown’s Secret Garden.
For daytime activities, you can go kayaking along the waterfront or enjoy fine dining overlooking the bridge – tourists rave about the seafood restaurants here.
I visited Ris in the trendy K district neighbourhood. It’s run by local chef Ris Lacoste and the food is a combination of local farmers’ market favourites and fresh fish.
Just another reason why DC is more than OK.
New budget carrier Play was born during the pandemic and I was aboard its inaugural Airbus A320neo/A321neo flights from Stansted to Baltimore/Washington airport via Iceland – along with American flags and a White House
cake, plus water cannons as we hit the Tarmac.
The airline says it’s the future of transatlantic travel, and with oneway tickets to DC from £195, tickets to Iceland for £39, and Orlando,
Boston and New York routes to follow, it’s easy to see the appeal.
For a low-cost flight, there’s surprisingly ample legroom and a nice headrest. Staff tell me they are happy too – they get to travel wearing trainers. It’s a refreshing, longoverdue sight.
Play launched in early 2021 and was founded by some of the names behind Wow Air, the last known low-cost transatlantic airline – and sadly a prepandemic casualty.
“We raised £100m to take it off the ground and Play was born,” CEO Birgir tells me.
“We’re not inventing something new and it’s nothing extravagant.
“We’re going into a proven and tested model and we’ve learned a great deal from Wow Air. Now we want to put these lessons into practice.”
Birgir says Play’s core value is “play more, pay less”, and that the airline has had an “exceptional response” so far and things are only just taking off.
It currently has six aircraft and aims to have 15 in action by 2025.
“Our staff numbers have doubled from 150 last year to more than 300 now. It’s a slow and steady operation.”
The cost of the airline’s latest addition – the flight to DC from Stansted – will inevitably rise with demand and, potentially, the fuel crisis. But if you’re in it for a cheap no-frills trip and can book fast, the pleasure is all theirs.