U.S.Departnumt of 

Transportation 

Office ot the secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr. Joseph D. Terzi 

President/CEO 

San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau 

750 B Street, Suite 1500 

San Diego, CA 92101 

Dear Mr. Terzi; 

April 11, 2012 

Thank you for your letter to Secre.tary ofTmnsportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application 

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

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

trip per &l.y from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that I respond to your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modemi!ation and Reform Act of20 12, 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 Airllnes, one r()und 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, 1no:., two round trips to San 

Fmnciseo. 

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

However, 1 can assure you that all applications the Department rec•ived will be given full and 

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

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 oopy of your letter and this respOnse in docket number DOT-2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

usan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
From: 

To: 

Subject: 

Date: 

Ktm..SQtQ. on behalf of~ 

LaHood. Ray COSD 

Letter in support of Alaska's SAN-DCA proposed service; docket no. DOT-OST-2012-0029 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012 7:40:28 PM 

Dear Secretary LaHood, 

On behalf of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau, we fully support Alaska Airlines' 

application for air service to connect the Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) arid the San 

Diego International Airport (SAN). 

Currently, San Diego is one of the largest areas without announced direct service connecting the 

Reagan National Airport to San Diego. When traveling to and from our respective areas, travelers 

tend to fly in and out of the Dulles Airport, as they offer direct flights. This can add up to an 

additional $400 in transportation costs per individual when traveling from Washington's city center 

to San Diego, as it is necessary to factor in taxi fares and shuttle costs to the Dulles Airport. 

As one of the most popular destinations in the United States, San Diego offers a unique and varied 

Southern California experience with our spectacular coastline, world-class attractions, hotels, 

dining and activities. By adding nonstop service from the Reagan National Airport to San Diego, this 

will help to make our destination more competitive and attractive for both leisure and group 

travel. Likewise, there is a huge demand for travelers from our area who require quick access to 

the Reagan National Airport. Alaska Airlines would be providing a much needed nonstop option to 

a primary gateway to Washington, DC. 

We thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing about the favorable review of the 

direct Alaska Airlines San Diego to Reagan National flight route. If there is anything I can personally 

assist you with, please don't hesitate to let me know. 

Best regards, 

Joe Terzi 

Joseph D. Terzi 

President & CEO 

San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau 

750 8 Street Suite 1500, San Diego 92101 

Phone: 619-557-2831 

Fax: 619-696-9371 

jterzj@sdcyb org 
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