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Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) will see five new flights added that will each span over 1,250 miles. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a bill that will allow five beyond-perimeter slots to be added. Each accommodate a flight that breaches the past limitation of the airport and I’ve written a good amount about the airlines that are already clamoring for these slots. United Airlines is the latest to enter the fray and it wants to add a second connection to this DC airport to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (it already flies once daily).
If United is approved, this new route will provide more one-stop connections from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to around 24 domestic markets within the Western United States as well as seven international destinations. At least nine of these destinations are without United connection options to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) via San Francisco today based on its current schedule.
It’s interesting to see United make this play to grow at DCA as it has a hub at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). DCA is far more convenient for going into and out of Washington DC due to its proximity to the city versus its hub, which is located in Loudoun County, VA.
Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United Airlines, said:
With our hub in San Francisco, United is well positioned to serve the strong customer demand for air travel between Washington National and the Bay Area. If awarded by the DOT, this new service will give customers a unique morning departure from Washington National and a unique afternoon departure from San Francisco, as well as more connectivity for both domestic and international travelers via SFO.”
United’s proposed flight would avoid the most congested travel times and offer a morning departure westbound an afternoon departure heading east. United will employ a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which has 16 First Class, 54 Economy Plus, and 96 Economy Class seats.
If this route is not granted, United has also applied for its first-ever Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) flight. Three other airlines already fly this route (Alaska, American, and Delta offer this service). The proposed flight would also be operated by a Boeing MAX 8 aircraft.
Anthony’s Take: The beyond-perimeter slots will be decided soon. United is considered an incumbent and I would not be surprised to see it get its second San Francisco flight approved.
(Image Credits: United Airlines and Joonyeop Baek.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
