THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 

The Honorable Brian Bilbray 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congressman Bilbray: 

A,pril16, 2012 

Thank you for your letter. cosigned by Congressman Bob Filner, supporting the application of 

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

National Airport (DCA). If awarded these exemptions, Alaska would serve San Diego 

International Airport with one round trip per day from DCA. 

Under authority granted,·in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. the 

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

carriers a total of eight slot exemptious 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. 

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

allows all interested parties the opportunity ent Following our normal practice. I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this docket number DOT-201 9. 

A similar response has been sent to C 
. -

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 

Aprill6, 2012 

The Honorable Bob Filner 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congressman Filner: 

Thank you for your letter, c.osigned by Congressman Brian Bilbray, supporting the application of 

Alaska Airlines, lt1c., for two beyond·perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington 

National Airport {DCA). If awarded these exemptions, Alaska would serve San Diego 

Intemational Airport with one round trip per day from DCA. 

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

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

carriers a total Of eight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support foot daily round tri;ps. 

W~ rec~ived Alask;:fs application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Portland, Oregon, 

on March 12. Other timely applications were .received from Air Canada, proposing one J:ound 

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, o11e round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun 

Counuy Airline.s, 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 ofthe paints 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, 

The D~artment' s action on this matter is being a 

allows all interested parties the opportunity to 

placing a copy of your letter and this respan 

A similar response has been sent to 

matter. 

inistered through a public docket, which 

ent. Following our normal practice, I am 

ocket number DOT •20 12 .. 0029. 
BRIAN P. BILBRAV 

.~ 0151'1!111t. C"'olFl!RNIA 

COMM1'1'1'EEON 

ENERGY ANO COMMERCE 

SusCOMMITTIII! ON 

ENeRGY AND PowaR 

.. 2410.RAYSUAH HOUSE 0PPICE BUILDING 

WASioiiNGTON, DC 20615 

" (202) 2'!16-0608 

FAX(202)22~2558 <trnngrtss nf tift lnittr. ~tntts 

Jlnuae nf lepreaeutatiuea 

1111hts~ingtnn,l<!! 20515-0550 

SuBCOMMITTEE ON 

DISTRICT OFFICE: 

380$TI!IV~NSAVI!., 11212 

SOLANA BEACH, CA 92075 

(858) 350-1150 

FAX(858)350-0760 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department ofTransportation 

1200 New Jersey A venue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

March 27,2012 

COMMUNICATION AND TI!CHNOI..OGV 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATION 

House REPUBLICAN 

POLICY COMMITTEE 

IMMIGRATION REFORM 

CAUCUS, CHAIRMAN 

Thank you for the opportunity to write in strong support of Alaska Airlines' application 

for nonstop service between San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Washington 

Reagan National Airport (DCA). 

San Diego, with 352,000 annual passengers to Washington DC, is the largest beyondperimeter market without nonstop service to the nation's capital. Alaska Airlines is the 

only airline to have applied for a nonstop SAN-DCA flight in the Department of 

Transportation's DCA slot application proceeding. Other carriers have applied for 

through-plane connecting service necessitating a stopover in the middle of the country. 

We support Alaska Airlines' application for new nonstop SAN-DCA service. Alaska 

Airlines' network continues to grow in San Diego with destinations in the continental 

United States, Hawaii and Mexico. We believe Alaska Airlines' strong financial position 

(the only major air carrier not to have declared bankruptcy), award-winning customer 

service, and consistent operational reliability make Alaska well positioned to provide new 

nonstop SAN-DCA service. Additionally, we would be remiss if we did not mention that 

Alaska Airlines was the only network airline that passed the tax savings to its customers 

during the partial shut down of the FAA last summer. 

Thank you once again for the opportunity to write in support of the application. It is our 

hope that full and fair consideration will be given to Alaska Airlines' request. 

Sincerely, 

Brian Bilbray 

, MemberofCon 

s 10-'1203:27 -04:2 PRINTED ON RECYClED PAPER