$146 Find Cheap Flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto departing on 11/27. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Cheap Flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto (WAS-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

Thu, Nov 13 - Mon, Nov 17
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:13 am - 9:11 pmBWI-SFO
14h 58m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
3:35 pm - 12:55 pmSFO-BWI
18h 20m2 stops
$248Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Nov 13 - Mon, Nov 17
Frontier Logo
9:13 am - 9:11 pmBWI-SFO
14h 58m1 stop
Frontier Logo
1:10 pm - 10:20 amSFO-BWI
18h 10m2 stops
$251Frontier
Find Deal
Sat, Dec 6 - Sat, Dec 13
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 1:34 pmIAD-SFO
10h 34m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
10:15 am - 12:01 amSFO-IAD
10h 46m2 stops
$262American Airlines
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Thu, Feb 26 - Tue, Mar 3
United Airlines Logo
12:47 pm - 6:50 pmDCA-SFO
9h 03m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
8:30 am - 4:43 pmSFO-DCA
5h 13mnonstop
$263United Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 3 - Sat, Dec 6
Alaska Airlines Logo
8:59 am - 2:15 pmDCA-SFO
8h 16m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:51 am - 5:59 pmSFO-DCA
5h 08mnonstop
$267Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Dec 6 - Sat, Dec 13
American Airlines Logo
2:06 pm - 11:25 pmIAD-SFO
12h 19m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
11:15 pm - 1:20 pmSFO-IAD
11h 05m2 stops
$267American Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Nov 27 - Thu, Nov 27
United Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 9:36 amIAD-SFO
6h 06mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
1:25 pm - 9:25 pmSFO-IAD
5h 00mnonstop
$272United Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Jan 15 - Mon, Jan 19
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:56 pm - 10:13 pmDCA-SFO
6h 17mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:40 am - 5:56 pmSFO-DCA
5h 16mnonstop
$274Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Dec 4 - Sat, Dec 6
Delta Logo
11:58 am - 6:04 pmIAD-SFO
9h 06m1 stop
Delta Logo
10:30 pm - 11:35 amSFO-IAD
10h 05m1 stop
$277Delta
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Mon, Nov 24 - Thu, Nov 27
Delta Logo
6:03 am - 11:17 amIAD-SFO
8h 14m1 stop
Delta Logo
1:30 pm - 12:25 amSFO-IAD
7h 55m1 stop
$297Delta
Find Deal

Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$248
Overall average: $503
Multiple Airlines
Thu 11/13Mon 11/17
BWI - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$267
Typical prices: $516-$766
Alaska Airlines
Wed 12/3Tue 12/9
DCA - SFO • Non-stop
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KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Palo Alto!
Useful Info

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$146
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 8% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 15% increase in price.
Flight from Reagan Washington National Airport to San Francisco

When to book flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price

Flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto 
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesDCA-SFOJan 2025
Reserve your plane seat & bring something to eat in the plane.
NoamFlew with Alaska AirlinesIAD-SFOAug 2024
Flying to the Ronald Reagan airport is closer and faster to D.C. than the Dulles airport.
DeniseFlew with Alaska AirlinesIAD-SFOMay 2024
Bring your own device. No screens on the seatbacks.

FAQs for booking flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    When flying out of Washington, D.C. you’ll be using one of these airports: Washington, D.C. Reagan-National or Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl. Palo Alto does not have its own airport so you’ll be flying into nearby San Francisco airport, which is 17.9 mi away.

  • How long does a flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto take?

    Direct flights cover the 2,434 miles separating Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto in about 6h 06m.

  • How many flights are there between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto?

    49 direct flights run between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto on a daily basis. On average, there are about 347 departures each week.

  • What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto?

    Consider leaving on a Thursday and avoid Saturdays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Washington, D.C., you’ll find the best rates on Thursdays and the most expensive ones on Fridays.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Palo Alto from Washington, D.C. is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Palo Alto with an airline and back to Washington, D.C. with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Palo Alto from Washington, D.C. up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    In the last 72 hours, the cheapest one-way ticket between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto found on KAYAK was with Frontier for $146. Frontier offered a round-trip connection from $251 and American Airlines from $262.

Top tips for finding cheap flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

  • There is no airport in Palo Alto. Instead, you’ll be flying into San Francisco Airport when flying between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto.
  • The cheapest flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto was found 74 days before departure, on average.
  • Book at least 3 weeks before departure in order to get a below-average price.
  • High season is considered to be November, December and January. The cheapest month to fly is February.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 11235 reviews
7.1Food
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

Overall the flight was on-time and plane ride very comfortable. The free snacks not so good - only a small bag of pretzels and no milk. I wanted milk. There was not entertainment on the plane unless I wanted to download their APP. But I would consider flying with them again and be more prepared on my part with food and entertainment.

10.0 ExcellentSara, Oct 2025JFK - SFO
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Overall the flight was on-time and plane ride very comfortable. The free snacks not so good - only a small bag of pretzels and no milk. I wanted milk. There was not entertainment on the plane unless I wanted to download their APP. But I would consider flying with them again and be more prepared on my part with food and entertainment.

Waiting 2 hours after landing to arrive at a gate was ridiculous.

Almost 3 hr delay in Settle with very little information available to passengers. They boarded the plane and we waited for a long time inside the plane as well.

I was delayed several times. Missed a very important event. The airline only provided a $12 voucher after being delayed 3 times.

Boarding process was poorly handled by the gate crew and the onboard crew. No effort was made to provide equal treatment to passengers with overhead bin space. Crew seemed disengaged and unfriendly.

Awesome. Great flight. Super nice people and I like the extra space

On time, WiFi worked, reasonable legroom, helpful staff. Unfortunately there was no water for handwashing in the rear lavatory.

My husband unfortunately had a very large lady next to him who did not fit in the seat and had to have the armrest up so she was partially in his seat and she also had horrible BO

The Boeing 737 plane is old with narrow seats and tiny lavatories. The flight was delayed for over 2 hours. The flight attendants were discourteous.

Only offered water, no snacks provided, and it was cold on the plane, everyone was wearing sweatshirt or jacket in June. I asked for blanket, but crew said they didnt have anything and would turn the heat up, that didn't happen, so for 6 hours I remained cold.

I like Hawaiian, it was great that they had good internet connection across the Pacific Ocean, thanks to Star Link satellites. The seating was comfortable, ( I was in economy ). Maybe I missed it, but I only got offered a beverage once. It was a nonstop flight KOA to SMF. I would take it again next time I go that way.

Previously flown Hawaiian Airlines on similar routes, I found Alaska Airlines to be noticeably more comfortable. The seats on Alaska Airlines provided better support and cushioning, which made a significant difference on the long flight to the islands. When you’re spending 5-6 hours in the air, seat comfort really matters, and Alaska Airlines delivered where it counts. After comparing both carriers, I’ve decided to book with Alaska Airlines for all my future Hawaii trips. The superior seat comfort alone makes it worth choosing Alaska over Hawaiian Airlines. If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii and prioritizing comfort, I’d recommend giving Alaska Airlines a try. You won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended for Hawaii travel!

I received several emails about my 3:10 flight. When I showed up to the airport at 12:30 to check my bags I was told the flight was actually at 1 pm. They grudgingly rebooked me for a flight at 5:22 to Vegas to get a connecting to LAX. I did find the gate for my original 3:10 flight but they were booked. I proceeded to receive status updates and gate change information for the 3:10 flight, even though I was apparently never supposed to be on that flight

The crew was EXTREMELY helpful And sweet and the flight was smooth!

The Kayak confirmation number did not work for checking in the day before. I checked in at 8.30 using my ticket number. When I arrived at the airport, I was informed that the flight was overbooked, and since I had checked in late, I did not have a seat. The Next flight was not until ten PM. I called my wife, who had been taking care of our kids all weekend, and she was upset, calling me a liar and telling me to stay in SD. It turned my weekend getaway into a nightmare! I blame the Kayak website and will not book flights using your app in the future.

One hour waiting time after boarding, but arrived in time. I am satisfied

Flying with Hawaiian Airlines is a treat! They have the best crew, food and drinks! I’ve always enjoyed flying with Hawaiian Airlines and will continue to use them!

Amazing all female crew, including the pilot. Great flight attendants and smooth trip. Food was good. Boarding the plane from back to front would have made things significantly smoother. Took forever to wait for people to clear the alley. A little extra leg room would be nice also. Please thank your flight crew!

We decided to take our mom on vacation but we were worried how well she will do on the flight, she's a senior and required special accommodations such as transport chair since she can't stand for long periods. To our surprise my whole family was given priority boarding, my mom was given chair, we were not standing in line and were given seats in good area next to our mom. A+ experience!

I understand that both Hawaiian and Alaskan are in the process of merging but I could not get real-time flight info or access my boarding pass on either app

7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.

Short flight but an "eager to help" crew made the journey more enjoyable!

During booking, I kept trying submitting my payment from the Mexican website and it didn't work. After I had the idea to change it to the Canadian website, it worked but I had to be charged the equivalent of 50 CAD more. I received the clear instruction that I would only be able to check-in at the airport and that it was impossible to select a seat 24 hours before departure, that I had to pay 144 CAD to do so, although not only was I able to check-in 24 hours before departure, but I could have selected my seats for free then. All in all, I almost threw $200 out the window due to misleading information. Besides, the app kept crashing, the information to get to the gate on the app was inaccurate, my gate was switched and I was only informed once in the air (luckily I had noticed the departure pannel), I was not addressed in my language beforehand and even if I tried I was immediately answered in English (which meant the crew understood but didn't want to answer accordingly), there was only one snack & beverage service on my medium haul flight and no beverage service on my short haul flight. To be fair, the planes were comfortable, the crew apart from the language issue was helpful, dynamic and engaging, the plane was clean and the directions were clear and direct. United has a lot of potential to be one of my favourite airlines, but the devil is in the details and a lot of them missed the target.

Better WiFi. I cannot understand that in 2025, United is so behind on a technology that is now a necessity and still painfully unreliable, slow and keeps disconnecting.

Great service on board. Boarding a bit slow due to process. Food was pretty average.

Very small cramped plane for an international flight. Everything else was good, but it was maybe the smallest comfort-wise I've ever been on for longer than 3-4 hours and the trip was 7.5

Flight was delayed 3 hours. No food and drink vouchers was provided. They offered a mini pretzel bag and water .

Staff was rude. Didn’t give water for 2 hours. Worst service

Was on time until within 1 hour of flight-how does that happen? Staff very friendly.

I liked the choice of lemon ginger tea. I think stewardesses can be more considerate of older people needs.

Flight delay was communicated before leaving for airport which caused it to be a non-event. Great flight and crew!

Wish some foods provided rather than just biscuit/cookie for flight more than 2 hours

The flight attendant, a black woman with curly hair who sat near Row 21, was wonderful and kind.

We are too tired and frustrated to comment politely at this point

The flight crew was rude. We were in first class and no one even offered water until an hour after we were in the air. Horrible experience

Great. Quick and quiet and east. The breakfast choices were a welcome surprise!

The stewardess hit me with the food kart twice on the head and didn't say I'm sorry once. The same stewardess gave me a warm Apple Juice with No ice. The Flight was delayed for Departure 6 times, starting from 2:36pm, finally taking off 7:50pm. I was late picking up my child from the sitter by 3 hours.

It took way too long to diagnose and solve the problem of a broken crew member cabin seat. Though compensation for the volunteer who left the flight was very kind.

We fly American Airlines quite a bit. And we always fly business class when traveling internationally. We were a bit disappointed with the comfort of this particular plane as well as the entertainment options.

Did not get the seat I selected and paid for.

Terrible. Flight cancelled with no reasoning and no flights to rebook. Employees were useless and did nothing to help. Did not even know where to retrieve luggage from the cancelled flight. Flyers beware.

No fault of Frontier staff: plane was very late, reached Orlando at 1 am, took a while to get luggage. Weather, gov financial shutdown impact on TSA, air controllers seemed to have multiple flights backed up. Frontier staff seemed to cope as gracefully as possible. It did reassure me that I and my new hip could adapt to travel challenges. Food/entertainment were irrelevant to my trip.

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

Boarding was on time and plane departed as scheduled. There are obviously no amenities (food, drink, entertainment) on Frontier, but there also didn't seem to be any issues with luggage space either.

Inbound plane was on time and flight departed on time with no issues while boarding.

I knew going into this that Frontier, being a low cost carrier, would be pretty bare bones and charge for most extras but this was made up for by the fact that the airplane was a reasonably new Airbus, every employee was great and best of all, Everett Washington is an amazing airport - thanks Frontier for flying there!!!

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

It was well done. It was my first time flying with them and I was nervous b/c I have heard of many cancelled and/or delray flights. Everything went smoothly.

Just know that everything, and I mean everything is “ala cart”. 60$ just to put something in the overhead bin. I will never fly Frontier again nor do I recommend them to anyone else.

The single worst check in experience I could imagine. I’ll never do any business with Frontier or any affiliated company

Everything you need to know for your flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

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