U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr. Tom Gable 

CEO 

Gablepr 

591 Camino DeLe Reinta, Suite 730 

San Diego, CA 92108 

Dear Mr. Gable: 

April 12, 20~~2 \' '11 1- ,.<,. ,., 

OL\ 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application 

of Alaska Airlines, Inc., for two beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

Washington National Airport (DCA) to serve San Diego International Airport with one round 

trip per day from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that I respond to your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the 

U.S. Department of Transportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

carriers a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

We received Alaska's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Portland, Oregon, 

on March 12. Other timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round 

trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and 

beyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines, one round trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one round 

trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun 

Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San 

Francisco. 

As the matter is still pending, I cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However, I can assure you that all applications the Department received will be given full and 

fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 
Page 2, Gable 

The Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT-2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
From: 

To: 

Subject: 

Date: 

Attachments: 

Tom Gable 

LaHood. Ray COS!) 

Support for Alaska Airlines' application for SAN-DCA, Docket No. DOT-OST-2012-0029 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 10:53:54 AM 

ltr.chamber20120314alaskaajrGablePR.doc.pdf 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

On behalf of our public relations firm and the defense, biotech, pharmaceutical and high-tech 

companies we work with, many with offices in Washington, DC, we fully support the application 

of Alaska Airlines for air service between San Diego and Washington Reagan National Airport 

(DCA). The service would provide an immediate and major benefit to the frequent travelers who 

now must go through Dulles, or Baltimore if they are trying to watch their budgets. 

San Diego to Dulles average airfares are the highest of west coast cities. To make matters worse, 

there is the cost of taxi service from Dulles to downtown Washington ($60 each way) and the 

wasted time. Beyond the private sector, San Diego has the most active-duty military personnel of 

any region in our country. San Diego's significant Defense Department presence needs the quick 

access to the Pentagon that nonstop air service can provide. 

Alaska Airlines service would add a needed nonstop option to a primary gateway to Washington, 

DC. Gable PRjoins with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the San Diego 

Regional Economic Development Corporation, the World Trade Center San Diego, and the San 

Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce in support of Alaska Airlines' application for San DiegoDCA slots. 

Sincerely, 

Tom Gable 

CEO 

P.S. I've attached a PDF of this letter as well. 

591 Camino de Ia Reina, Suite 730 1 San Diego, CA 92108 

Office: 619-284-17141 Toll Free: 877-251-38881 Cell: 619-251-3881 

Website: www gablepr com 

Blog: hUp"ljwww authentjcprcounsel com 

Wine blog: http:f/sdwjneguru.posterous.com/ 

Twitter: http·Uwww.twitter com/tomgable 

Linkedln: http·Uwww linkedjn.comlin/tomgable 
Ma:rch.l4, 2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Re: AlaskaAirlines' application for SAN· DCA, Docket No. DOT-OST.,2012-0029. 

Dear S~cretary LaHood: 

• 

·on behalf ofour public relations n1,1n and the defense, biotech, pharmaceutical and high-tech 

companies we work with, many with offices in Washington, DC, we fully support the application 

of Alaska AirUnes for air service between San Diego and Washington Reagan National Airport 

(DCA). The service would provide an immediate and major bertefitto the frequent travelers who 

now· must go through Dulles, or Baltimore if they are trying to watch their budgets. 

San Diego to Dulles average airfares are the highest of west coast cities. To make matters worse, 

there is the cost of taxi service from Dulles to downtown Washington($60 each way) and the 

wasted time. Beyond the private sector, San Diego has the most active-duty military personnel of 

any region in our country. San Diego's significant Defense Department presence needs the q:uick 

access to the Pentagon that nonstop air service can provide. 

Alaska Airlines service would add a needed nonstop option to a primary gateway to Washington~ 

DC. Gable PR joins with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the San Diego 

Regional Economic Development Corporation; the World Trade Center San Diego, and the San 

Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce in support of Alaska Al.tlines' application for San Diego 

-DCA slots. 

Sincerely, 

To~e~ CEO