Alaska Airlines To Start Nonstop Flights Between San Diego and Washington Reagan

Updated: June 6, 2026, 2:56am CDT

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New Alaska Airlines Route Between SAN and DCA
Final Thoughts

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San Diego is the busiest U.S. airport without a direct flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). That’s set to change, however, as the Department of Transportation (DOT) approved nonstop flights between the 2 airports. The lucky carrier: Alaska Airlines.

Alaska Airlines’ bid to fly directly between Washington-Reagan and San Diego comes on the heels of other major improvements at San Diego’s airport, like newly announced airport lounges and a federal grant to rebuild Terminal 1. It’s also an important time for Alaska Airlines as it recently acquired Hawaiian Airlines and announced plans for major international expansion.

Here’s what travelers should know about the new route.

New Alaska Airlines Route Between SAN and DCA

In a press release, Alaska Airlines confirmed that its application to start nonstop service between San Diego (SAN) and Washington-Reagan (DCA) airports was approved by the DOT.

A timeline for when these new flights will start hasn’t been announced. However, the airline hopes to start flying the new route soon. Its original application proposed an estimated departure from SAN at 8:30 a.m. and a departure from DCA at 5:30 p.m. The flight should last about 5 hours.

Alaska Airlines Planes — Alaska Airlines will soon add a fifth route to Wasington-Reagan. Image Credit: Christine Krzyszton

At present, San Diego’s airport ranks as the busiest U.S. airport (by passenger load) without a direct flight to DCA. Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines presently fly nonstop between San Diego and D.C.’s other airport, Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Choosing Alaska Airlines for the route makes sense, given that it offers the most nonstop flights out of San Diego. The carrier also has plans for a new lounge in San Diego, which is a key market for Alaska Airlines.

This isn’t the only news affecting SAN and DCA in recent months, either. DCA historically limited flights to those under 1,250 miles, and any flights beyond that required DOT approval. Tentative approvals for flights to the West Coast were announced in October, and now Alaska’s route to San Diego is confirmed.

On the San Diego side, a new Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club recently opened at the airport.

Hot Tip:

Once bookings open for this route, you should be able to book them with miles through Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program.

Final Thoughts

Alaska Airlines has been approved to start nonstop flights between San Diego and Washington Reagan. This continues the expansion of flights beyond the DCA perimeter and furthers Alaska Airlines’ growth in SAN.