Cheap Flights from DCA to LAX: When to Fly from Washington to Los Angeles

 

The cheapest times to fly from DCA to LAX are

• January 1st to March 11th
• April 16th to May 6th
• August 20th to November 18th (except the week of October 8th)

based on data collected exclusively by Champion Traveler across tens of millions of flights. Among all the dates above, the very cheapest time to fly from DCA to LAX is early December. Prices can be as high as $990 for Sunday flights during early August, or as low as $279 for Tuesday flights around early December.

 

When to Fly to Los Angeles

Flying from Washington, DC (DCA) to Los Angeles, CA (LAX) will usually cost between $294 to $503 per person if booking more than four weeks in advance. On average the very cheapest time to fly is early December with an average ticket price of $297. Due to high demand the most expensive time to fly is early August, with an average price of $512. Planning your trip to low-cost times can easily save you $215 on economy flights and even more on first-class flights. Generally, any price below $324 can be considered a good price for a round-trip DCA to LAX flight.

See below for a graph of average weekly prices for the DCA to LAX route. All prices are for round-trip tickets in USD.

Compared to other flights, the DCA to LAX flight is much cheaper than the average and costs much less than the average flight leaving from Washington. The average price per mile (for a direct flight) is $0.09, which is far below average.

 

Flight Prices by Day of the Week

Tuesday is usually the cheapest day to depart and return on this flight. Sundays are the most expensive days to fly out or take a return trip. Selecting flights on the least expensive days could save you up to $109 (26%) on this flight.

Departing prices are for round-trip flights returning on the day of departure. For example, a flight departing on Tuesday and returning a week later will cost an average of $309. Return trip prices are from the LAX to DCA flight, and often highlight the quality of our data in showing the same trend.

 

Nonstop Flights and Layovers

Travelers looking to fly from DCA to LAX can generally find a 0-layover flight. Because there is a direct flight option the real-world direct flight time of 5 hour 8 minutes may be realistic.

 

Flight Questions Answered

Still have questions about flying from DCA to LAX? We’ve got answers.

Which airlines fly this route?

You can find 12 major airlines flying this route most often: Alaska, American, China Eastern, Delta, Emirates, Frontier, Hawaiian, Iberia, JetBlue, Qatar Airways, Southwest, United, and potentially more during busy seasons.

How far away is it from Los Angeles International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport?

The distance between the two airports is roughly 2305 miles or 3710 kilometers.

How long does it take to fly from DCA to LAX?

The real-world flight time for a nonstop DCA to LAX flight is about 5 hour 8 minutes.

How many flights go between Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA?

It depends on the day of the week and the date, but a typical day might have around 84 available flights from DCA to LAX.

 

Airport Location Info

 

 

Late and Early Flight Data

Flights from DCA to LAX tend to depart late far less frequently than the average flight. According to our recently updated data, 19% of flights departed 5 or more minutes late, and 32% of flights left 5 or more minutes early. On average you can expect to leave LAX heading for DCA about 6 minutes late. This does not significantly impact arrival time, as the average landing time in Los Angeles, CA is about 11 minutes early. The numbers below show a recent average of take-off times versus the scheduled departure flight:

• Delta: 7 minutes late
• American: 10 minutes late
• Alaska: 3 minutes early
• Some airlines not reporting

 

Please note that while we’ve worked hard to analyzed tens of millions of flights to get you this data, we do not calculate current live prices or guarantee pricing. Please see our partners using the links above for current offers.