$234 Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Central America - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Des Moines to Central America departing on 9/1. 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.
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Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Central America

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
San Salvador
San Salvador1 stop$575
San José
San José1 stop$510
Guatemala City
Guatemala City2 stops$601
Panama City
Panama City2 stops$665
Liberia
Liberia2 stops$734
Managua
Managua1 stop$629
San Salvador
San Salvador1 stop$575
San José
San José1 stop$510
Guatemala City
Guatemala City2 stops$601
Panama City
Panama City2 stops$665
Liberia
Liberia2 stops$734
Managua
Managua1 stop$629

Book Cheap Des Moines to Central America Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Des Moines to Central America 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 Des Moines to Central America

Mon, Nov 2 - Tue, Feb 2
American Airlines Logo
7:37 pm - 1:46 pm
DSM
-
SJO
18h 09m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
6:38 am - 5:06 pm
SJO
-
DSM
10h 28m
1 stop
$510American Airlines
Mon, Nov 2 - Tue, Feb 2
American Airlines Logo
7:37 pm - 2:49 pm
DSM
-
SJO
19h 12m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
6:38 am - 5:06 pm
SJO
-
DSM
10h 28m
1 stop
$515American Airlines
Fri, Oct 30 - Tue, Nov 24
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:59 am - 7:55 am
DSM
-
SJO
23h 56m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:55 am - 9:47 pm
SJO
-
DSM
11h 52m
1 stop
$519Multiple Airlines
Tue, Dec 8 - Thu, Dec 17
American Airlines Logo
2:08 pm - 2:02 pm
DSM
-
SJO
23h 54m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
3:16 pm - 11:33 pm
SJO
-
DSM
8h 17m
1 stop
$520American Airlines
Fri, Oct 30 - Tue, Nov 24
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:59 am - 7:55 am
DSM
-
SJO
23h 56m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:55 am - 9:47 pm
SJO
-
DSM
11h 52m
1 stop
$528Multiple Airlines
Fri, Oct 30 - Tue, Nov 24
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:59 am - 7:55 am
DSM
-
SJO
23h 56m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:55 am - 9:47 pm
SJO
-
DSM
11h 52m
1 stop
$551Multiple Airlines
Mon, Oct 5 - Mon, Oct 12
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 12:06 pm
DSM
-
MGA
7h 06m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 10:15 pm
MGA
-
DSM
7h 55m
1 stop
$629United Airlines
Thu, Oct 15 - Thu, Oct 22
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 12:06 pm
DSM
-
MGA
7h 06m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 10:31 am
MGA
-
DSM
20h 11m
2 stops
$634United Airlines
Thu, Nov 26 - Mon, Dec 7
Delta Logo
5:45 am - 2:05 pm
DSM
-
PTY
7h 20m
1 stop
Delta Logo
3:30 pm - 10:29 pm
PTY
-
DSM
7h 59m
1 stop
$693Delta
Wed, Nov 25 - Tue, Dec 8
Delta Logo
6:30 pm - 2:05 pm
DSM
-
PTY
18h 35m
1 stop
Delta Logo
3:30 pm - 10:29 pm
PTY
-
DSM
7h 59m
1 stop
$704Delta
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Des Moines to Central America flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Des Moines to Central America to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Des Moines to Central America?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Des Moines to Central America, 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 Des Moines to Central America is February, when tickets cost $544 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $932 and $809 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Des Moines to Central America?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Des Moines to Central America, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Des Moines to Central America, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 17 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low season

September

Cheapest flight

$234
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 21% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 19% increase in price.
Flight from Des Moines to San José

FAQs - booking Central America flights

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Des Moines to Central America?

    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 Des Moines to Central America.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Des Moines to Central America?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Des Moines to Central America 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 Des Moines to Central America?

    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 from Des Moines to Central America with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Des Moines to Central America?

    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 from Des Moines to Central America up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Reviews of the top 3 airlines serving from Des Moines to Central America

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Des Moines to Central America? 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.
7.8
DeltaOverall score based on 8477 reviews
8.5Crew
7.2Food
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.8Entertainment
Airline reviews

We were skipped when the snack cart passed and then the attendant said we weren’t . I am disabled and was in a row toward the back of the plane which was very difficult for me to navigate. Disabled people should not be forced to walk the plank.

6.0 GoodLaura, Jul 2026
JFK - MCO
Read more Delta reviews

We were skipped when the snack cart passed and then the attendant said we weren’t . I am disabled and was in a row toward the back of the plane which was very difficult for me to navigate. Disabled people should not be forced to walk the plank.

My flight was delayed and I got back around 3.5 hours later than expected. I had to get a new connecting flight

Seat was too small for someone as tall as I am. I was behind an exit row making my leg room even less. There flights were delayed by multiple hours. Some weather related and others staff related. The plane was hot. Horrible experience.

The Atlanta airport had thunderstorms, which caused our flight to be delayed by multiple hours. Once we were able to board.the gate agent was rude and was trying to rush us onto the plane because the team in the plane was about to run out of hours once we were all aboard the plane they ran into an issue where the catering truck was filling up the back of the plane and they left and had to come back because they didn’t fill it up all the way, causing even more of a delay. My seat was very tight. I didn’t have a lot of legroom overall this was a miserable experience.

Flight delayed due to ground hold. Republic airways did a great job.

I missed the flight because the Minneapolis flight was 49 minutes LATE, and the Boise flight LEFT 24 minutes EARLY!

Our flight was delayed multiple times and then canceled at almost 1 in the morning. We are a family of 7, traveling with 5 young children. When the flight we were supposed to fly on finally arrived after waiting all day after an international flight into JFK we were informed our flight was in need of a copilot and once they located one we would take off. Then our flight was cancelled because the copilot was over his hours and they couldn't locate another. They knew before taking off from the previous location that the copilot would be unable to fly. They could have communicated the cancellation of the flight hours in advance. Once they cancelled and the pilot and copilot got off the flight, they joked about it. While there are understandably limits on flight time for pilots, they can still handle the situation in a professional manner. The late cancellation resulted in angry passengers that required police intervention in the airport. It also occurred so late and included other delta flights that after trying 15 different hotels, we were unable to secure a hotel room, they were all booked. No rental cars were available in the area either. We ended up staying in the airport with the 5 children. We made it home after 54 hours of travel with maybe 2 hours of sleep. Our luggage was lost and had to be claimed at the airport at our final destination. This was the worst trip I have ever taken and the worst airport I have ever spent time in. I met two individuals in the airport that were kind and helpful; Tonya Maingot Williams from the can we hel desk that worked to help get us rebooked and home, as well as provide us with care bags for our extended stay in the airport. The other individual was Danielle from Buffalo Wild Wings that was so very kind when we found a place to take our family we were traveling with to eat, all 11 of us and we were able to sit down together to enjoy a meal during such a stressful time.

My flight home from Knoxville, TN, included a layover in Atlanta. I boarded the aircraft in Zone 5 and although there was limited overhead space, I was able to put my 'backpack' style roller-bag above my seat. Unfortunately, due to continued bad weather, we had to deplane. There were many people who would have missed their connection, so they rebooked. When we were re-boarding, the gate agent welcomed zone 5 and then made an announcement: All roller-bags for zone 5 passengers and higher will need to be gate checked. I promptly pushed the telescoping handle in and held my bag like a backpack. I was able to bring it on board, which was a relief. Upon entering the aircraft it became apparent that there was easily 40% open overhead space. There were audible signs of angry passengers who felt duped into checking their bags when in fact there were noticeably LESS passengers on the aircraft and TONS of overhead space. I'm not sure what kinds of parameters are used to determine when to cut off roller-bags from being brought on board, but it seemed deceptive and underhanded to have so many people get stuck checking their bags when clearly there was ample room for at least one more zone.

Flight was delayed and then "they did not have time to load food". No snack or drink at all for 1.5 how flight. Somebody wasn't prepared.

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the poor service and unprofessional staff we encountered when traveling with an infant. Our flight was delayed, and the gate staff failed to manage the boarding process appropriately. Due to incorrect, unavailable, or missing 'pink tag' stroller and car seat check-in procedures at the gate, we were forced to board last. Furthermore, the gate staff was rude and dismissive, causing significant distress to our infant. To make matters worse, one of our checked items—an infant sleeper/lounger—was returned to us broken. Given the unsafe handling of essential equipment and unprofessional treatment, I expect a prompt resolution regarding compensation for the damaged items.

Baggage claim signs were not updated with my flight information, so I had to guess. The app wasn't updated either.

I almost missed my connection in Chicago due to having to wait on a gate to be open I am assuming. Having to run from E terminal to C terminal and I barely made it there before they closed the door. This may not be the actual airline's fault it's crazy how there is so little time between flight especially when they are placed so far apart in the airport.

Unbelievably smooth boarding at IAH and the flight attendants were top notch.

We flew business fares. Was amazing. However, the check in didn't offer business fares preboarding which is less hectic. 8/10 due to this. Staff compared to Canadian carriers go above and beyond. Would gladly fly United again.

It was extremely hot in the cabin the entire flight, vent air was worn

1 flight cancelled Had to fly out of different city Flight at new departure city was delayed 3 hours causing us to miss connecting flights. By the time we did make it to Prague our luggage did not. Had to wait day and a half for luggage to be delivered. Customer service was not good. Agents did not arrive at gate until 5-10 minutes before boarding

It was better than excellent. The staff in Mason City were great. The young woman that pushed my wheelchair did more than could be expected of her. She came from India 17 years ago. I don't remember her name.

Very rough getting into denver. my kid threw up it was so rough.

Liked that we left on time for each flight. Snacks not the best, but we're okay.

I had requested wheelchair assistance prior to flight. The airport staff had no record of it. It was not provided at Cedar Rapids which was a small airport, so I managed on my own. At O'Hare airport the same thing happened. The staff told me they had no record of my request for a wheel chair. But they finally provided it after a delay when I insisted that I needed it.

The WiFi didn’t work entire flight, couldn’t watch a movie. The recline button didn’t work

Boarding and Delays The boarding process for my American Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Philadelphia was a bit tricky. We experienced a gate change that required a long walk to a new area of the airport. Additionally, boarding was not via a jet bridge; we had to take a shuttle bus to the plane and then carry our luggage up the stairs ourselves. Furthermore, the bag drop didn't open until about 12:20 PM, which was only three hours before our scheduled departure. This meant I couldn't drop my bag off early and had to wait outside of security in order to drop off my bag and use the kiosk. The bag drop self-service kiosks also didn't open until about 12:00 PM when an American Airlines employee unlocked them so that we could print out our boarding passes and bag tags, which further created a backlog. The flight was delayed by over an hour because we had to wait for one of the tires on the plane to be changed. Flight Attendant Professionalism On a positive note, the flight attendant was very professional when handling a passenger who was sitting in the wrong seat. Even though the passenger was persistent and reluctant to move, the flight attendant calmly ensured the assigned passenger could take their seat. Kudos to the flight attendant for keeping his calm and composure, not allowing the issue to escalate, and handling it well under pressure while a line of passengers waited in the aisle to board. In-Flight Service The in-flight service was also fast, prompt, and efficient, although service had to be suspended for the last two hours of the flight due to weather and turbulence, which was outside of the crew's control. Limited Flight Options Please note that American Airlines only operates one flight per day in and out of Copenhagen. This means there are limited options available if your flight is delayed or canceled, which is something to take into consideration when booking.

Not one thing to like. Three flights all with “mechanical” delays. Never got to where I was going and spent additional $500 for a hotel room. American Airlines is the worst in the industry!

The plane was experiencing problems with the HVAC system, it was very cold in the front of the plane and very hot in the back.

The boarding process needs to be fixed. The zone don't work, especially when there is hardly anyone in zones 3, 4,and 5, leaving the majority of the passengers backed up in the aisle, especially because passengers seated near the front are blocking passengers who are seated in the rear of the plane. It would also help if the size of carry on bags was more strictly enforced.

In flight connectivity (via T-Mobile) was often not working.

Terrible. Internet/kiosk glitch prevented baggage checkin. Line at ticket co in Ter was under serviced and did not move. Agents did not call for flight but rather allowed time to pass. Then told each person as they reached the front if line that it was too late to check bags so they’d have to rebook flights. At least 15 people missed the flight as a result of this incompetence.

It was exactly what I expected, actually arriving sooner than scheduled.

Terrible, they canceled my flight due to an issue they had, couldn't fly me into the same place within 24 hrs so had to fly in 2.5 hrs away from my destination and spend even more money. The customer service was terrible (except at the airport in Charleston). Had to call to get my checked baggage fees reimbursed 2 wks later in which one customer service agent was very rude, wouldn't listen and then hung up on me. The second lady I spoke with was actually able to help me with that part thankfully. Would not recommend flying AA.

Delayed, missed connecting flight, ground crew double charged for international charges, were super rude and told me to just”deal with it” when I complained. Horrible airline, very frustrating.

Everything you need to know for your flight to Central America

Information on your arrival and departure airports