--- title: "Washington to Des Moines flights: who flies DCA-DSM" description: "American Airlines flies nonstop from DCA to DSM, about 16 flights a week. See confirmed upgrade and award space by date on 2LNR, the next 14 days free." canonical: "https://2lnr.com/routes/dca-dsm" url: "https://2lnr.com/routes/dca-dsm.md" date_modified: "2026-10-18T05:10:47Z" --- # Washington to Des Moines (DCA-DSM): nonstop upgrade & award space American Airlines flies nonstop between Washington (DCA) and Des Moines (DSM), roughly 16 times a week. In the timetable below it flies as AA 4435, AA 5296, and AA 5432, scheduled at 2h 40m to 2h 54m for the 895 miles. 2LNR checks confirmed upgrade and award space on American Airlines flights on this route, so you can see which departures have space before you book. Schedule last confirmed October 18, 2026. Departure times come from 2LNR's schedule data; confirm with the airline before you book. Updated October 22, 2026. See DCA to DSM on the interactive map [Get started free](https://2lnr.com/login) 16 Flights a week, 4-week average 2h 40m to 2h 54m Scheduled flight time 895 mi Nonstop distance Free To get started ## Washington to Des Moines flight schedule Scheduled nonstop departures for DCA to DSM starting October 21, 2026, last checked against our schedule feed on October 18, 2026. Airlines retime and cancel flights, so confirm with the airline before you book. Scheduled nonstop departures from Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM) | Date | Flight | Airline | Departs DCA | Arrives DSM | Duration | Aircraft | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Wed, Oct 21 | AA 5296 | American Airlines | 11:59 | 13:50 | 2h 51m | [Bombardier CRJ-700](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/aa/crj-700.md) | | Wed, Oct 21 | AA 4435 | American Airlines | 13:44 | 15:24 | 2h 40m | [Embraer E175](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/aa/e175.md) | | Wed, Oct 21 | AA 5432 | American Airlines | 21:11 | 23:04 | 2h 53m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Thu, Oct 22 | AA 5296 | American Airlines | 11:59 | 13:50 | 2h 51m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Thu, Oct 22 | AA 4435 | American Airlines | 13:44 | 15:24 | 2h 40m | Embraer E175 | | Thu, Oct 22 | AA 5432 | American Airlines | 21:11 | 23:04 | 2h 53m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Fri, Oct 23 | AA 5296 | American Airlines | 11:59 | 13:50 | 2h 51m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Fri, Oct 23 | AA 4435 | American Airlines | 20:26 | 22:20 | 2h 54m | Embraer E175 | | Sat, Oct 24 | AA 5296 | American Airlines | 12:40 | 14:31 | 2h 51m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Sat, Oct 24 | AA 4435 | American Airlines | 13:44 | 15:24 | 2h 40m | Embraer E175 | | Sun, Oct 25 | AA 5296 | American Airlines | 11:59 | 13:50 | 2h 51m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Sun, Oct 25 | AA 4435 | American Airlines | 13:44 | 15:24 | 2h 40m | Embraer E175 | | Sun, Oct 25 | AA 5432 | American Airlines | 20:52 | 22:45 | 2h 53m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Mon, Oct 26 | AA 5296 | American Airlines | 11:59 | 13:50 | 2h 51m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Mon, Oct 26 | AA 4435 | American Airlines | 13:44 | 15:24 | 2h 40m | Embraer E175 | | Mon, Oct 26 | AA 5432 | American Airlines | 20:52 | 22:45 | 2h 53m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Tue, Oct 27 | AA 5296 | American Airlines | 11:59 | 13:50 | 2h 51m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | | Tue, Oct 27 | AA 4435 | American Airlines | 13:44 | 15:24 | 2h 40m | Embraer E175 | | Tue, Oct 27 | AA 5432 | American Airlines | 20:52 | 22:45 | 2h 53m | Bombardier CRJ-700 | Showing all 19 scheduled DCA to DSM departures across 7 days with service, starting October 21, 2026. Later dates are on the interactive map. Departure and arrival times are local at their own airport, so an arrival can fall on a different local date than the departure; the duration column is the true elapsed flying time. A dash means the airline hasn't filed that value in the schedule data we hold. Aircraft are the equipment the airline filed, named where the code pins down one type and shown as the family or the bare code where it doesn't. Swaps can happen up to departure. See every DCA to DSM date on the interactive map ## Aircraft on the Washington to Des Moines nonstop American Airlines flies the departures in the schedule table on this page with the [Bombardier CRJ-700](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/aa/crj-700.md) and the [Embraer E175](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/aa/e175.md). Each linked aircraft page shows where that airline schedules it. Airlines can swap aircraft up to departure. ## Confirmed upgrade & award space on DCA to DSM departures 2LNR tracks confirmed upgrade and award space on American Airlines, segment by segment and date by date. Open the calendar for Washington to Des Moines to see which departures have space, the next 14 days free on every product and the full horizon on Pro. American Airlines award space was open on 8 of the 14 Washington to Des Moines departure dates from October 19 to November 1 that 2LNR checked in the 7 days to October 19, 2026. ### See real availability Confirmed upgrade or award seats by date on the DCA to DSM departures 2LNR tracks, checked against live inventory so you know what's open before you book. ### Set an alert Premium inventory turns over fast. Watch this route on Pro and 2LNR notifies you when space appears on a date you're tracking. ### Plan on the map See DCA to DSM on the interactive route map, with schedules, connections, and route statistics. ## Airlines flying Washington to Des Moines nonstop Carriers operating DCA to DSM nonstop in the current schedule. Where 2LNR tracks the carrier, its departures show confirmed upgrade or award space by date. - [American Airlines (AA) route map](https://2lnr.com/routes/airlines/aa.md)\ [The aircraft AA flies](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/aa.md) See DCA to DSM on the interactive map → ## Frequently asked questions about DCA to DSM **How long is the flight from Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM)?** Scheduled flight times from Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM) run from 2h 40m to 2h 54m across the departures in the schedule table on this page. The nonstop covers about 895 miles, and airlines adjust scheduled times by season, so confirm with the airline before you book. **Which airlines fly nonstop from DCA to DSM?** American Airlines is currently the only airline flying DCA to DSM nonstop. 2LNR tracks confirmed upgrade and award space on American Airlines. **How many flights a week are there from DCA to DSM?** About 16 nonstop flights a week run between Washington (DCA) and Des Moines (DSM) in the current schedule, operated by American Airlines. Frequency shifts by season, and the schedule table on this page shows what is scheduled next. **What time do flights from DCA to DSM depart?** Scheduled DCA to DSM nonstops in the next 7 days with service leave between 11:59 and 21:11, local time at Washington. The schedule table on this page lists every departure by date, with its arrival time and aircraft. **Which flights operate DCA to DSM nonstop?** In the schedule table on this page, DCA to DSM nonstops fly as AA 4435, AA 5296, and AA 5432 on American Airlines. The table lists each departure by date with its times and aircraft. **How do I check upgrade or award availability on DCA to DSM?** Open the DCA to DSM route on the interactive map or the matrix to see confirmed upgrade and award space by date on American Airlines, the next 14 days free and the full horizon on Pro. On Pro you can also set an alert on the route and 2LNR notifies you when space opens. Flying the other way? See [DSM to DCA upgrade and award space](https://2lnr.com/routes/dsm-dca.md). Award seats rather than schedules? See [American Airlines award availability](https://2lnr.com/awards/aa.md). Looking beyond this route? See [every route from Washington (DCA)](https://2lnr.com/routes/dca.md), or [every route from Des Moines (DSM)](https://2lnr.com/routes/dsm.md). Nonstops to Des Moines (DSM) from other airports within 150 miles of Washington (DCA): - [Philadelphia (PHL) to Des Moines (DSM)](https://2lnr.com/routes/phl-dsm.md), 120 miles from DCA Nonstops from Washington (DCA) to other airports within 150 miles of Des Moines (DSM): - [Washington (DCA) to Cedar Rapids (CID)](https://2lnr.com/routes/dca-cid.md), 104 miles from DSM - [Washington (DCA) to Omaha (OMA)](https://2lnr.com/routes/dca-oma.md), 117 miles from DSM Distances are great-circle between the airports, not driving distance. - [How American upgrades clear](https://2lnr.com/about/aa/upgrades.md) - [How to read award availability by date](https://2lnr.com/guides/award-availability.md) ## Never miss DCA to DSM upgrade or award space See what's open by date on this route, the next 14 days free on every product and the full horizon on Pro. 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