They say that throwing money at a problem is never the complete answer. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is hoping to prove the exception. Despite a convenient location for the capital city's downtown area there is no denying that its past reputation for being crowded, claustrophobic and downright awkward was richly deserved. Now a USD$450 million investment has restored its lost credit.

That was the cost of a new terminal bulding opened in 1997 to praise so lavish from the Washington newspapers it - unfairly - encourages you to look for blemishes. It is not, as gushing scribes would have it, a new national monument. It is, however, a much improved, functional airport terminal which has made life easier and more efficient for long-suffering travelers.

There is an impressive view across the Potomac to Washington landmarks and plenty of art to gaze at inside the new terminal building but frequent flyers are more likely to be impressed by practical considerations. The convenience of local transportation, with the Metro station only a few minutes walk from the terminal, the shopping mall and choice of bars and restaurants come high on the Airwise list.

The new building, with its 54-domed roof, houses Terminal B and Terminal C. The old facility, now renamed Terminal A, is still operating but scheduled for a massive facelift under National's USD$1 billion dollar renovation plans.

The airport that was always long on convenience but short on everything else can breathe a sigh of relief.