United Airlines today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for a new daily roundtrip flight between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

If approved, the new route will give customers more nonstop options between DCA and SFO and provide connections from SFO to about two dozen domestic markets within the Western U.S. – as well as seven international destinations. At least nine of these destinations are without United connection options to DCA via San Francisco today. Furthermore, United’s proposed route seeks to avoid the busiest travel times at DCA, which is already one of the most congested airports in the country.

United’s proposed flight would avoid the most congested travel times at DCA and provide additional scheduling options to customers by offering for the first time a morning departure from DCA to SFO and an afternoon departure from SFO to DCA. United plans to use the Boeing MAX 8 aircraft, with 150 economy cabin seats and 166 total seats.

As an alternate proposal to United’s additional DCA-SFO flight, United has applied for its first-ever DCA-Los Angeles (LAX) flight. The proposed LAX flight would help foster healthy competition, as three other airlines currently fly the route. The proposed flight, which would also be operated on the Boeing MAX 8 aircraft, would also provide greater flexibility and schedule choice for customers with the earliest arrival in LAX of all airlines and the latest morning departure to DCA.

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