I had a crashpad in DCA and I'd say half the time I sat around and watched Netflix on the 80" flatscreen in the living room or walked around DC, and half the time I was on a multiple day trip. I only had two day trips in the four months I was at DCA. That's not something I would bet the farm on though. You'll need a pad for reserve plain and simple. Just a matter of for how long. Some people fly a ton and never need it. Others sit. Your mileage may vary, but at least you won't be sitting airport standby like you might at some other places. FWIW my pad cost me $240 a month. I had over a million HHonors points and played the hotel game for a bit but the pad ended up being more convenient.