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SBA - SAN

$183 Find cheap flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego departing on 9/9. 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
0 bags
Thu 7/11
Thu 7/18

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These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Santa Barbara to San Diego, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Santa Barbara to San Diego, as well as popular online travel agencies
In the last 7 days travelers have searched 42,898,604 times on KAYAK, and here is why:

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Cheap flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Diego (SBA-SAN)

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego 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 and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
6:35 am - 10:11 amSBA-SAN
3h 36m1 stop
6:35 am - 10:16 amSAN-SBA
3h 41m1 stop
$286United Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Jul 12 - Sun, Jul 14
1:47 pm - 6:20 pmSBA-SAN
4h 33m1 stop
6:15 am - 12:10 pmSAN-SBA
5h 55m1 stop
$326United Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Jul 24 - Wed, Jul 31
6:30 am - 10:27 amSBA-SAN
3h 57m1 stop
6:35 am - 10:16 amSAN-SBA
3h 41m1 stop
$346United Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Jul 16 - Wed, Jul 17
6:24 pm - 11:55 pmSBA-SAN
5h 31m1 stop
8:39 pm - 10:02 amSAN-SBA
13h 23m2 stops
$370United Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Jul 16 - Wed, Jul 17
5:15 am - 2:59 pmSBA-SAN
9h 44m2 stops
6:15 am - 12:08 pmSAN-SBA
5h 53m1 stop
$371United Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Sep 25 - Sun, Sep 29
6:28 am - 10:11 pmSBA-SAN
15h 43m3 stops
6:15 am - 11:36 amSAN-SBA
5h 21m1 stop
$376United Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Sep 25 - Sun, Sep 29
6:24 pm - 11:55 pmSBA-SAN
5h 31m1 stop
8:39 pm - 10:02 amSAN-SBA
13h 23m2 stops
$390United Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Jul 24 - Wed, Jul 31
6:15 am - 12:15 pmSBA-SAN
6h 00m1 stop
6:16 am - 12:10 pmSAN-SBA
5h 54m1 stop
$406United Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Jun 30 - Tue, Jul 2
12:39 pm - 9:34 pmSBA-SAN
8h 55m2 stops
8:55 pm - 11:59 amSAN-SBA
15h 04m2 stops
$673Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Sep 21 - Tue, Sep 24
2:01 pm - 10:41 amSBA-SAN
20h 40m2 stops
8:55 pm - 1:21 pmSAN-SBA
16h 26m2 stops
$689Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Jul 26 - Sat, Jul 27

Flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego - Travel Insights & Trends

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

The average price of all flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
When flying from Santa Barbara to San Diego, you should consider leaving on a Saturday and avoid Fridays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Santa Barbara, you’ll find the best rates on Wednesdays and the most expensive ones on Fridays.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.
The cheapest month for flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego is August, where tickets cost $174 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are May and November, where the average cost of tickets is $238 and $238 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price on the flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 62 days before departure.

Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

The cheapest price for the route for each airline clicked by KAYAK users in the last 72 hours.
In the past 3 days, the cheapest one-way tickets to San Diego from Santa Barbara were found on United Airlines ($183) and Alaska Airlines ($247), and the lowest round-trip tickets were found on United Airlines ($286) and Alaska Airlines ($673).

Good to know

Low season

February

High season

November

Cheapest flight

$183
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 0% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 11% lower on average.
Flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego

When to book flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Santa Barbara to San Diego based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego

  • Can I reserve a long-term parking spot at SBA?

    No, SBA Parking does not accept reservations. The Long-Term Parking Lot is located across the street from the terminal, but it tends to have limited space. If this lot is full, use the Economy Lot on Lopez Road, where you can catch a shuttle to the Santa Barbara Airport terminals about every 15 minutes.

  • Does SBA have private facilities for nursing moms?

    Yes, if you are a traveling mom who would like to breastfeed in private or who needs to pump before your flight to San Diego, you can use the Mamava lactation suite located airside at Gate 2 of the SBA terminal. This freestanding unit features seating, a table, a USB port, an electrical outlet, a coat hook, and a mirror.

  • Can I rent a car at the San Diego Airport?

    Yes. You will find all rental car agencies are housed outside the airport in the Rental Car Center, in a separate building. When you exit baggage claim at the Arrivals curb, you can get a free shuttle to your car agency. Some agencies at SAN are Enterprise, Budget, Hertz, Avis, Alamo, Firefly, and others.

  • Where is the USO at the San Diego Airport?

    The USO at the San Diego Airport is located landside in Terminal 2. This military lounge offers its services and facilities free of charge to active duty members of the US military and their families. Some amenities of this lounge are refreshments, comfortable seating, TV, showers, unlimited domestic telephone calls, and more.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego was $183 for a one-way ticket and $286 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Santa Barbara and San Diego?

    No, a passport isn't needed to fly from Santa Barbara to San Diego. However, local authorities might ask for an official ID.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    Star Alliance, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between Santa Barbara and San Diego, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    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 Santa Barbara to San Diego.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Diego from Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    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 San Diego with an airline and back to Santa Barbara with another airline. Booking your flights between Santa Barbara and SAN can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    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 San Diego from Santa Barbara up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego

  • Located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is located in the city of Goleta, California, just north of Santa Barbara. The San Diego International Airport (SAN) is also located on the Pacific coast, but further south in California, just a few miles north of the US-Mexican border. (SAN) serves as a hub for Alaska Airlines, Southwest, and others.
  • Flying from SBA to SAN, it's unlikely that you will find a non-stop flight. However, you can find several flights with one stop. For instance, an American Airlines flight stops in Phoenix, United flights often stop in San Francisco, and Alaska Airlines flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego often stop in Seattle.
  • If you want to stay overnight near the Santa Barbara Airport before your flight to San Diego, consider booking into the Super 8 by Wyndham Santa Barbara / Goleta or the Residence Inn by Marriott Santa Barbara / Goleta. Under 5min from SBA, these hotels feature free breakfast, a restaurant, wheelchair accessibility, a business center, gym, and pool.
  • If you want to relax and unwind before you head out into San Diego, you can visit one of the Be Relax Spas at SAN. You can find these spas at Gate 26 and 36 in Terminal 2. these retail spa outlets are open daily from 7 am to 8 pm.
  • The volunteer organization Traveler’s Aid is available at SAN every day from 8 am to 11 pm in baggage claim. Travelers Aid can assist passengers who unexpectedly need someplace to stay, need transportation, have had money lost or stolen, or other calamities.
See more tips

Top airline flying from Santa Barbara to San Diego

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Santa Barbara to San Diego? 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.
7.4
United AirlinesOverall score based on 10647 reviews
6.7Food
8.1Crew
7.7Boarding
7.1Entertainment
7.2Comfort
Airline reviews

Connecting flights were poor,especially in Naples.our Lufthansa air bus was a joke.way too small for that long of a flight.no room at all.couldn’t even get out of the seats to move around or go to the bathrooms.we thought we were getting an actual air bus,double decker.i will never fly that long in a plane like that again.kind of misleading to call it an air bus.we actually had more room on our buses that we used.

2.0 MediocreAnonymous, Jun 2024MUC - SAN
Read more about United Airlines reviews

Connecting flights were poor,especially in Naples.our Lufthansa air bus was a joke.way too small for that long of a flight.no room at all.couldn’t even get out of the seats to move around or go to the bathrooms.we thought we were getting an actual air bus,double decker.i will never fly that long in a plane like that again.kind of misleading to call it an air bus.we actually had more room on our buses that we used.

Crew was very cooperative and professional. Passenger's first checked in bag should be free.

Flight was delayed due to the late arrival of the catering truck, which is quite unacceptable. There was a beverage service, but no pretzel, or cookie, or nuts were served in coach.

Flighty delayed on boarding - then group 1 had to check their carry on bags but groups 3 and beyond could carry bags on - very inconvenient for weekend business trip with no checked baggage. Then delayed on the runway - before take off. No communication from pilot on why or how long. Wifi/Entertainment didn't work for 4+ flight. Upon arrival, attendants announced wrong carousel for baggage claim - everyone was waiting at the wrong place for their checked bags. This was a mess united!

Dinner was okay but the breakfast was not eatable on the flight San Francisco to Zurich.

Check in etc was very good. As for on the plane, it was like flying in a freezer. It was so cold, i have flown for years and never been so cold on a plane. Staff on board said its always cold when flying which is a load of rubbish. They wouldnt put any heating on and now i have the flu because of this .

I’ve had a couple flights this week on United that were delayed by an hour or more

Should have video screens Plane audio was poor and without wired connection hard to understand crew. Should serve more than just cups of water and pretzels on six hour flight. Did not see crew rest of flight. Fix charging sockets to retain charging blocks.

I paid $380 for my one-way ticket from California to Minnesota. The fair did not include online check-in. I received instructions from their app to check in at a kiosk. At the kiosk, the boarding pass would not print until an actual person came to verify that I had a personal item and not a carry-on item, On the plane, the person next to me was drunk and allowed to continue to order alcohol. United is garbage I’d rather fly spirit.

Generally good but there wasn’t any staff available when my luggage didn’t appear at baggage claim in Fresno. It took about half an hour to locate a staff member to open up the locked room where it was being kept.

Book cheap flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best one-way flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Diego found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
9/9Mon
3 stopsUnited Airlines
15h 43mSBA-SAN
$183
7/11Thu
1 stopUnited Airlines
3h 36mSBA-SAN
$185
9/8Sun
1 stopAlaska Airlines
10h 31mSBA-SAN
$247
9/9Mon
2 stopsUnited Airlines
9h 44mSBA-SAN
$248
7/11Thu
2 stopsUnited Airlines
20h 24mSBA-SAN
$270
7/6Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
5h 31mSBA-SAN
$303
7/6Sat
2 stopsUnited Airlines
12h 52mSBA-SAN
$332
7/6Sat
2 stopsAlaska Airlines
20h 49mSBA-SAN
$420
9/8Sun
2 stopsUnited Airlines
17h 31mSBA-SAN
$523

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Last minute flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego that are departing in the next 10 days.
6/15Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
3h 00mSBA-SAN
6/22Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
4h 39mSAN-SBA
$536
6/12Wed
multi-stopUnited Airlines
4h 31mSBA-SAN
6/14Fri
multi-stopUnited Airlines
2h 56mSAN-SBA
$606
6/15Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
3h 00mSBA-SAN
6/22Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
15h 31mSAN-SBA
$638
6/12Wed
multi-stopUnited Airlines
10h 48mSBA-SAN
6/14Fri
multi-stopUnited Airlines
2h 56mSAN-SBA
$737
6/15Sat
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
7h 52mSBA-SAN
6/22Sat
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
16h 26mSAN-SBA
$1,705
6/12Wed
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
20h 56mSBA-SAN
6/14Fri
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
7h 01mSAN-SBA
$1,892

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Santa Barbara - San Diego Flights

Departure:

Santa Barbara (SBA)United States

Destination:

San Diego (SAN)United States

Return flight deals:

San Diego - Santa Barbara

Cabin classes:

Compare transportation modes for Santa Barbara to San Diego

Average priceAverage duration
Flights3h 00m
Trains$880h 00m