DSM - SNA

$127 Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana

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 Santa Ana departing on 1/2. 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

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Santa Ana

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Des Moines to Santa Ana, 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 Des Moines to Santa Ana, as well as popular online travel agencies
Travelers love KAYAK
41 299 237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 24% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$168
Overall average: $236
Allegiant Air
Thu 1/22Thu 1/29
DSM - SNA • Non-stop
Cheapest one-way
$127
Typical prices: $139-$274
Allegiant Air
Fri 1/2
DSM - SNA • Non-stop
Top airlines
Allegiant Air
Cheapest • from $172 (round-trip)
Southwest
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to travel
September
Cheapest • 57% price drop
March
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Nonstop flights
5 days a week
There are direct flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana 5 days a week: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun.
Direct flights
Direct flights
Direct flights
Direct flights
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Santa Ana!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana (DSM-SNA)

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

Thu, Jan 22 - Thu, Jan 29
Allegiant Air Logo
7:00 am - 8:47 am
DSM
-
SNA
3h 47mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
9:37 am - 3:03 pm
SNA
-
DSM
3h 26mnonstop
$168Allegiant Air
Thu, Jan 29 - Sun, Feb 1
Allegiant Air Logo
7:00 am - 8:47 am
DSM
-
SNA
3h 47mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
9:37 am - 3:03 pm
SNA
-
DSM
3h 26mnonstop
$172Allegiant Air
Thu, Jan 22 - Thu, Jan 29
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:30 am - 12:25 pm
DSM
-
SNA
5h 55m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:37 am - 3:03 pm
SNA
-
DSM
3h 26mnonstop
$206Multiple Airlines
Mon, Mar 30 - Fri, Apr 3
Allegiant Air Logo
7:00 am - 8:55 am
DSM
-
SNA
3h 55mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
10:41 am - 3:58 pm
SNA
-
DSM
3h 17mnonstop
$222Allegiant Air
Fri, Mar 6 - Wed, Mar 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 8:55 am
DSM
-
SNA
3h 55mnonstop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:45 am - 4:02 pm
SNA
-
DSM
6h 17m1 stop
$245Multiple Airlines
Fri, Mar 6 - Wed, Mar 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:58 pm - 10:47 am
DSM
-
SNA
16h 49m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:45 am - 4:02 pm
SNA
-
DSM
6h 17m1 stop
$249Multiple Airlines
Thu, Jan 22 - Thu, Jan 29
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:30 pm - 2:37 pm
DSM
-
SNA
48h 07m3 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:37 am - 3:03 pm
SNA
-
DSM
3h 26mnonstop
$250Multiple Airlines
Fri, Jan 9 - Sun, Jan 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:14 pm - 8:27 am
DSM
-
SNA
16h 13m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:30 am - 7:22 pm
SNA
-
DSM
30h 52m2 stops
$251Multiple Airlines
Thu, Jan 22 - Thu, Jan 29
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:30 pm - 8:57 pm
DSM
-
SNA
30h 27m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:37 am - 3:03 pm
SNA
-
DSM
3h 26mnonstop
$255Multiple Airlines
Fri, Jan 9 - Sun, Jan 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:14 pm - 8:27 am
DSM
-
SNA
16h 13m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:30 am - 5:24 pm
SNA
-
DSM
28h 54m1 stop
$259Multiple Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Des Moines to Santa Ana flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana 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 Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to John Wayne (Santa Ana) on a Sunday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Tuesday is the most expensive day to fly from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana). For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Friday and avoiding Saturdays for the best deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Des Moines to Santa Ana?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana is September, where tickets cost $131 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and November, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $402 and $397 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Des Moines to Santa Ana?

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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 23 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonAugust
Cheapest flight$127
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 31% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 29% increase in price.
Flight from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)

When to book flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Des Moines to Santa Ana 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 Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)

  • What is the cheapest flight from Des Moines to Santa Ana?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Des Moines to Santa Ana was $127 for a one-way ticket and $168 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Des Moines and John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    No

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    Des Moines and John Wayne (Santa Ana) are both served by 1 main airport. You will leave Des Moines from Des Moines and will be arriving at Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    Only Delta offers inflight Wi-Fi service on the Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana) flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    The Airbus A320-100/200 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana) flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    Star Alliance, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between Des Moines and John Wayne (Santa Ana), with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    You can catch a nonstop flight from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana) on on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana, Southwest or United Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Des Moines to Santa Ana are Southwest and United Airlines. With an average price for the route of $476 and an overall rating of 7.9, Southwest is the most popular choice. United Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $436 and an overall rating of 7.4.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    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 John Wayne (Santa Ana).

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to John Wayne (Santa Ana) from Des Moines 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) with an airline and back to Des Moines with another airline. Booking your flights between Des Moines and SNA 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 Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) from Des Moines up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Des Moines to Santa Ana

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $127 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Des Moines to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Des Moines to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty.
Find which airlines fly direct from Des Moines Airport to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Des Moines to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty

Monday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Tuesday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Thursday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Friday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Sunday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty to Des Moines

Monday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Tuesday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Thursday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Friday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Sunday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving from Des Moines to Santa Ana

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Des Moines to Santa Ana. 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 Des Moines to Santa Ana? 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.
7.9
SouthwestOverall score based on 4252 reviews
8.0Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.6Crew
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

8.0 ExcellentRussell, Dec 2025
SAN - OAK
Read more Southwest reviews

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

Still a fan of open seating. Flight was on schedule and arrived on time. The 737 MAX is very comfortable.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

Delays delays delays. Late taking off, late landing, wait for a gate, etc.

Connecting flight is on time and boarding was a breeze!

Very smooth checking in our luggage with a super pleasant SW agent. I enjoyed a fun entertaining movie.

First time traveling on Southwest since bag fees were implemented. Usual good service. Just more expensive now.

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.

Plane boarded early a quickly, was mostly full. We left close to on time. And landed early.

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

Flight was timely, relatively comfortable, with decent entertainment and food served. Only problem encountered was with the free messaging which I highly appreciate, but it did not work from iphone to non-iphones.

The internet service I paid for didn’t work at all and the flight crew was not very friendly.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

Check in was quick and easy during early hours. Flight was on time, and customer services was a plus.

The flight was comfortable with the exit row and great service

Plane was crowded and even when we hit altitude, the plane was hot, not enough air flow.

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

We were told the flight was delayed 5 times, then it was moved to the next day.

The experience with American Airlines was good, although the Philippines Airlines flight was much better (better seats, better food, better entertainment options, overall better). Again, the MIA to LAX flight was fine, but nothing in comparison to the comfort and accommodations of the Philippines Airlines flight from LAX to MNL.

Loved the crew . Absolutely no complaints. Except for luggage lost

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

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.

Did not get the seat I selected and paid for.

My flight was delayed for several hours. Sitting at gate 16 for several hours, I got a text from Kayak the gate changed to 9 before it was announced. Very bad communication at each gate from American Airlines employees. I received 10 notifications of delay from Kayak. My vacation started off horrible! I will write to American Airlines corporate office also.

Clean, friendly, roomy. But check-in from the phone link was terrible. Repeated attempts wouldn’t save at the final step. Just kept spinning! It was very frustrating. Finally, I used the app (vs website link) to check-in which worked very smoothly on the first attempt.

Check in on the web portal was cumbersome! After several attempts I finally got the boarding pass.

Excellent flight and even arrived 23 min early. No entertainment , or wi fi on board, but I downloaded a couple of movies beforehand which kept me entertained. Really like flying Allegiant airlines.

WE were delayed about an hour and never any communications from the employees working the gate. We also were moved to a total of three gates.

I love how they show love to their customers and care about them too.

I liked how when I got on board how fast we ended up taking off but what I truly disliked was how uncomfortable the seats were. There was truly never a time that I could ever get comfortable during both of my flights. The seats could get away during shorter flights but flights 3 hour plus makes it hard to enjoy.

The crew was great and the flight was very smooth. Can’t really judge food since I did not get any because it costs money. The seat was comfortable for what we bought. Thanks!

Crew was great. No entertainment and food and beverage was for purchase only, even water

It was canceled. The flight wasn’t rescheduled, everyone had to figure out their own new arrangements. They said we would get refunded our original fare and receive an additional $150. We received links for $100 only and they expired before we could activate them.

The plane had originated in Las Vegas at 6:30 in the morning and flew to Moline where we boarded. The flight left around 12:30 PM and there were no boxed snacks available and many of the alcoholic beverages were unavailable. I would find it hard to believe that that many of the passengers coming from Las Vegas at 6:30 in the morning, drank and ate that much of the items. I can only come to the conclusion that someone failed to stock the plane for the round-trip. This is a huge revenue failure for the airline and disappointment for the passengers. The flight crew did not seem happy to be there and did not engage with passengers. Allegiant you can do better.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Des Moines to Santa Ana

Information on your arrival and departure airports