Compare 6 loyalty programs for San Francisco to Washington, D.C. award flights, with economy seats from 8,087 points.
San Francisco to Washington, D.C. is a transcontinental domestic route, and nonstop award space shows up on United Airlines. It's priced by six programs, and economy starts at 8,087 points on a United Airlines nonstop. The lowest price comes through Lufthansa Miles & More, not United Airlines' own program, so it pays to look past the obvious choice before transferring anything. Every SFO–IAD award below is re-priced daily, program by program.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United AirlinesUA | 8,087Lowest | 100,000Lowest | 100,000pts | 74,200pts |
 American AirlinesAA | 10,000pts | Not available | 60,000Lowest | 25,000Lowest |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 12,500pts | Not available | 64,600pts | 25,000Lowest |
 DeltaDL | 18,200pts | 103,600pts | Not available | 59,300pts |
 JetBlueB6 | 60,000pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
When award seats between San Francisco and Washington, D.C. price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 8,087 |
| Dec 2026 | 8,087 |
| Jan 2027 | No award data |
| Feb 2027 | No award data |
| Mar 2027 | 8,087 |
| Apr 2027 | 23,300 |
| May 2027 | No award data |
| 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 |
5 airlines with award seats between San Francisco and Washington, D.C., nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAAAlaska AirlinesASJetBlueB6DeltaDLUnited AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking San Francisco to Washington, D.C. with points.
~2,410 miles; ~5h20 nonstop (approximate). Washington, D.C. is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco. Award data window: November 2026–November 2027, with calendar prices for four months. Counting well-covered months only, November and December 2026 are the cheapest (8,087 points), ahead of April 2027 (23,300).
San Francisco to Washington, D.C. is served by American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and 2 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 6 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 8,087 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Flying San Francisco to Washington, D.C. covers about 2,410 miles, linking San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD); a nonstop takes roughly 5h20, with winds moving it either way. Nonstop award space in the data comes from a single airline: United Airlines. The Boeing 737 appears on those nonstop award segments. Only about 7% of the award options in the data are nonstop, so most results connect.
San Francisco–Washington, D.C. is domestic, so price it in cash before you price it in points. The cheapest economy seat is a partner award on a United Airlines nonstop, so the lowest price is also the quickest trip. Its $319 in taxes and fees is the catch, well above the route's typical economy taxes; more points and less cash can come out ahead. If the cash price is modest, buying the ticket is often the better trade.
Lufthansa Miles & More takes economy at 8,087 points on a United Airlines nonstop. Etihad Guest is cheapest in business class at 60,000 points. American AAdvantage wins first class at 25,000 points. United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles, and Qantas Frequent Flyer also price the route and are worth a cross-check before transferring. Business class also prices as a partner award, with the long leg on American Airlines.
United Airlines is the only airline with nonstop award space on San Francisco–Washington, D.C. in the data, and its Star Alliance membership opens that nonstop to partner programs beyond United MileagePlus. Connecting awards near the price floor run through Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Newark; they're the fallback when the nonstop is full. The economy floor is a Star Alliance partner award: Lufthansa Miles & More prices the United Airlines nonstop.
From the San Francisco side, San Jose (SJC) starts at 15,000 points in economy, above the route's 8,087-point economy floor, and works as a backup when SFO space is gone. At the Washington, D.C. end, Washington (DCA) comes in only slightly higher at 10,000 points in economy against that floor, making it a sensible check when Washington Dulles awards dry up; Baltimore (BWI) prices from 15,000. Baltimore also logs nonstop flights from San Francisco in the data.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside San Francisco to Washington, D.C..
From 4,000 ptsBusiness 18,500 pts
From 4,900 ptsBusiness 21,000 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 19,300 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 23,000 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 15,000 pts
From 8,087 pts
Common questions travelers ask about the San Francisco to Washington, D.C. route.
