Compare 5 loyalty programs for Washington, D.C. to San Francisco award flights, with economy seats from 10,000 points.
Washington, D.C. to San Francisco is a transcontinental domestic route, and nonstop award space shows up on United Airlines. Across the five programs pricing it, the cheapest economy award is 10,000 points via American AAdvantage. Where you book matters as much as what you fly: the same seat can carry very different prices from one program to the next. The tables below compare IAD–SFO pricing across all five programs.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 American AirlinesAA | 10,000Lowest | Not available | 60,000Lowest | 25,000Lowest |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 12,500pts | Not available | Not available | 25,000Lowest |
 United AirlinesUA | 15,000pts | 100,000pts | 77,600pts | 80,000pts |
 DeltaDL | 18,800pts | 85,000Lowest | Not available | 60,700pts |
When award seats between Washington, D.C. and San Francisco price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 10,000 |
| Dec 2026 | 10,000 |
| Jan 2027 | 23,300 |
| Feb 2027 | 25,000 |
| Mar 2027 | 25,000 |
| Apr 2027 | 25,000 |
| May 2027 | 25,000 |
| Jun 2027 | No award data |
| Jul 2027 | No award data |
| Aug 2027 | No award data |
| Sep 2027 | No award data |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
4 airlines with award seats between Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAAAlaska AirlinesASDeltaDLUnited AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking Washington, D.C. to San Francisco with points.
~2,410 miles; ~5h20 nonstop (approximate). San Francisco is 3 hours behind Washington, D.C.. Award data window: November 2026–November 2027, with calendar prices for seven months. Across well-covered months, November and December 2026 are the cheapest (10,000 points), ahead of January 2027 (23,300).
Washington, D.C. to San Francisco is served by American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta and 1 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 5 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 10,000 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Flying Washington, D.C. to San Francisco covers about 2,410 miles, linking Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) with San Francisco International Airport (SFO); a nonstop takes roughly 5h20, with winds moving it either way. United Airlines carries all of the nonstop award space in the data. Nonstops make up only about 10% of the award options in the data; the rest connect.
On a domestic run like Washington, D.C.–San Francisco, award prices go head to head with cash fares. The cheapest economy seat connects twice; skipping the connection means an economy nonstop on United Airlines at a higher price. Look closely at layover lengths before committing. Taxes and fees on the economy floor run about $11, in line with the route's typical economy taxes. If the cash price is modest, buying the ticket is often the better trade.
American AAdvantage takes economy at 10,000 points and first class at 25,000. Etihad Guest is cheapest in business class at 60,000 points. For a cross-check, United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles, and Alaska Atmos Rewards price the route too. No program wins more than two cabins here, so pick the seat first, then the currency.
United Airlines alone shows nonstop award space on Washington, D.C.–San Francisco in the data. It's a Star Alliance carrier, so partner programs across the alliance can price it, not just United MileagePlus. Off the nonstop, the cheaper connecting awards in the data route through Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, and San Diego. The business-class floor is a partner award: Etihad Guest sells American Airlines seats. Only four airlines show award space here, but five programs sell their seats, so the program matters more than the carrier.
For Washington, D.C. departures, Washington (DCA) matches the route's 10,000-point economy floor; Baltimore (BWI) prices from 17,500. Arriving in the San Francisco area, San Jose (SJC) prices higher at 15,000 points in economy versus that floor, so keep it for dates when SFO is sold out. Washington also logs nonstop flights to San Francisco in the data.
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Common questions travelers ask about the Washington, D.C. to San Francisco route.
