$197 Find Deals on Flights from Des Moines - 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 Worldwide departing on 9/25. 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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Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines

Where can I fly from Des Moines?Prices from DSM, departing Sat 9/12 and returning Sat 9/19
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights from Des Moines

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

Which are the most popular places to fly to from Des Moines?

The domestic destinations KAYAK users have most searched for when searching for flights from Des Moines.

Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular place to fly from Des Moines is New York (9% of total searches). The next most popular destinations are Denver Intl (7%) and Washington, D.C. (6%).

What are the most popular international flights out of Des Moines?

The international destinations KAYAK users have most searched for when searching for flights from Des Moines.

There are many international destinations you can fly to from Des Moines. The most popular international destinations among KAYAK users are Cancún, Cancún and Tokyo.

Which cities can I fly to direct from Des Moines?

There are loads of places you can fly direct to from Des Moines. The most popular destinations for direct flights among KAYAK users are Jacksonville, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Portland. On average, the cheapest of these destinations on KAYAK over the last 2 weeks for a return flight was Jacksonville at $116, while the most expensive was New York, at $432.

What are the cheapest places to fly to from Des Moines?

The cheapest destination for a flight from Des Moines found on KAYAK in the last two weeks was Jacksonville and cost $34. The next cheapest destinations were Nashville at $47 and Las Vegas at $55.

Good to know

Low season

January

Cheapest flight

$37
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 12% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 15% increase in price.
Flight from Des Moines to Denver

FAQs for booking flights out of Des Moines

  • What are my parking options at Des Moines International Airport (DSM)?

    If you will be driving your own car to the airport and will need to leave it there for the duration of your trip, you will be happy to know that there are several parking options available. You can take advantage of any of the four economy lots: green, blue, red, or grey. If you are planning to be gone a bit longer, make use of either the long-term lot or the long-term premium lot. All parking lots and garages offer free shuttles to the terminal once you have parked your vehicle. Check the availability of each of these lots on the DSM website to avoid hiccups upon arrival.

  • Does the Des Moines International Airport offer any services for business travelers?

    Corporate travelers that need to get some work done ahead of their flight out of Des Moines will be glad to know that DSM offers meeting and conference rooms onsite. There are two conference rooms on the Airport Skywalk level, one holding up to 12 people and the other holding up to 80. For smaller meeting rooms, you need to personally contact the airport.

  • How can I get to the Des Moines airport from downtown Des Moines?

    If you need to get to DSM from downtown Des Moines without driving your own car, you have a few options. If you are looking to save money, opt for the public bus. You can either take bus 6 from Platform C or bus 7 from Platform D to reach the airport directly from downtown. These buses will take about 45 minutes and 1 hour to reach the airport, respectively. Or, you can take a taxi or rideshare like Uber or Lyft. These are more expensive but they will take just over 10 minutes to reach the terminal.

  • Does DSM offer assistance to passengers with reduced mobility?

    Yes, passengers flying from DSM with reduced mobility need not worry. Not only are all facilities within the airport accessible to those with disabilities, but there are also wheelchairs for rent, designated accessible ground transportation available, and service animal-friendly facilities. If you need to take advantage of any of these services or you have a specific need, contact your airline at least 2 days before your departure date.  

  • What is Des Moines also known as?

    Des Moines Airport’s airport code is DSM. It can also be referred to as Des Moines, Des Moines Intl.

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

    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.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight 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?

    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 your destination with an airline and back to Des Moines with another airline.

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

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

Top tips for finding a cheap flight out of Des Moines

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Des Moines to the following destinations at these prices or less: Denver $181 one-way - $321 round-trip; Dallas $268 one-way - $456 round-trip; Chicago $246 one-way - $404 round-trip
  • If you're flying out of Des Moines International Airport (DSM), you'll be happy to know that this airport serves direct flights to over 30 destinations throughout the United States, so getting to your destination will be easy and convenient.
  • If you're being dropped off by a loved one before your flight, it is useful to know that the first 20 minutes in the hourly parking lot are free of charge in case your driver needs to help you with your luggage or simply wants to accompany you in to say goodbye.
  • Those traveling with pets or service animals will be delighted to know that there is a designated pet relief area outside the airport near the parking garage north of the skywalk. It is best to have your pet relieve itself here before entering the airport.
  • If you're hungry ahead of your flight out of Des Moines, head to one of the local food spots inside the airport to get a last taste of the city before you leave. The airport collaborates with several local restaurants to bring some flavor from the city and into your travel experience.
  • If you are taking an international flight from Des Moines, you should know that you need to exchange any currency before arriving at the airport, as there is no place to do so inside DSM.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Des Moines to Worldwide

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Des Moines to Worldwide? 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
SouthwestOverall score based on 4217 reviews
8.6Crew
8.0Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

It would have been better if the flight was on time

2.0 MediocreMichael, Aug 2026
Read more Southwest reviews

It would have been better if the flight was on time

Fairly good - the seats seemed more comfortable on this flight. The staff out of Detroit were quite friendly. But they directed us to the wrong carousel for luggage. :(

Just crazy with times being pushed and pushed and pushed and gate crew at Philly super rude and unprofessional with many under stress with delays.

I liked the new boarding process. I thought the buyup options (legroom, early boarding) to be easy to request and reasonably priced. All the Southwest team from gate to in-flight were so nice.

Flight time kept changing and so did the gate. It was very frustrating

Exceptional. The gate crew responded quickly and got me onto this earlier flight as the final passenger, saving me more than four hours of wait time for my reserved flight.

The flight was delayed due to earlier issues at other airports. The crew was excellent & made it a good trip.

Boarding process of asking for volunteers to check bags goes against the system you had before with 2 bags checked free. This process is more of a guilt trip than a caring attitude toward the customer. In addition bag-size scrutiny has increased which also slows down the process of boarding. My wife said she will not fly on your airline again unless there is no other option.

Eveeyrime I fly they are begging for bags due to cabin overhead space. What they should so ia take the bags that are clearly too big to fit wheels first on their side. And those of us who give up the bag should really get their bags first. When boarding, nobody wants stupid jokes about how hot it is on board. Give us some cool air. Im usually sick from the heat by the time we take off.

No wifi, seems to be very common with Southwest currently. Everything else was normal.

Pushing back flight and ultimately cancelling it after multiple changes and hours of delays. Comm were terrible as to what was going on and what options were available.

Even though we arrived early and checked in, for some unexplained reason, our bags were removed from the plane and put on the next flight. It took over 12 hours after arriving to get our bags.

Stewardess was not accommodating when I requested a second drink.

The morning calzone was less than impressive and we ended up with heartburn

Some of the passengers are coming on board with luggage so overstuffed and/or too large that have no business going into the overhead bins.

I am in a wheelchair The gate agent knew exactly how to boarding A wheelchair first also the flight attendant knew exactly what she was doing

There is consistently no communication/updated time slots in the app on when a flight will board when its delayed, which is the most frustrating as a consumer trying to understand if they need to get food now, or if there is actually a chance for them to eat during their layover. This keeps being my experience with delta and a potential reason to change airlines.

Long delays at both DCA and MSP; Crew did not keep us informed (or very little). Airplane was showing signs of heavy use (not up to Delta standards). Food options for Business Class have dropped in quality. After landing we sat on tarmac for maybe 25 minutes with no provided chance to use the bathroom and crew did not tell us what was going on or give an estimated time to expect to be at a gate.

Both of my flights to and from JFK experienced significant delays. Most notably, my first flight was delayed by six hours due to crew members being affected by delays on a previous flight. While I understand that disruptions can occur, Delta’s staffing and operational planning should include sufficient contingency measures to handle situations like this rather than placing the full burden of those delays on customers. Additionally, the $12 meal voucher offered as compensation was inadequate, particularly given the high cost of food and beverages at the airport. Considering the length of the delay and the substantial inconvenience caused, I believe more meaningful compensation would have been appropriate.

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.

This flight has a history of leaving late, however, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not delayed this day. The flight went smooth, except I was in a window seat and the wall and my feet were freezing. I found it difficult to sleep due to being so cold, I also was using 2 provided UAL blankets and could not get my feet warm. This was annoying, but I still made it there on time and safe.

Staff didn't seem confident about the ingredients in my lactose intolerance meal

the seat has a problem. the back had a hole.

The back to back mechanical delays from Denver to San Diego and then on my return flight from Denver to Great Falls it added extra time both ways

Really old place. Not as clean as it should be, tray tables needed better cleaning. The items, trays and some other items need to b6 engineered. Anything task you or crew may do is incredibly load, seriously engineer for quiet smooth, easy. Just opening and closing the tray table is actually dangerous and can easily injure a finger. I'm sure it happens as it happened to me! First time I used United and likely will be the last!

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.

It was poor a four hour delay and no explanation for the delay. What’s a 35 dollars going to do. It also made me miss my car rental,

It was on time. Flight was comfortable. Staff was nice. It was the way a flight should always be.

The price was the only good thing about this flight. It was scary during takeoff when the plane tilted side to side. It made me feel very nervous as I have never had a take-off that unsmooth. There was no on-flight movie or music options and the only complimentary option was water. Other airlines offer trail mix or a caramel cookie and pop options as complimentary. This flight was a 2.5 hour flight. I understand for shorter flights not having options, but a flight 2 hours or longer should offer more complimentary options and in flight entertainment. Also the seats did not recline and for a longer flight reclining seats are a must for comfort.

A very pleasant flight but it would be greatly improved with wifi to help entertain kids

This is a no frills, get it done, efficient airline. The seat is a lawn chair. You better bring your own entertainment. If you want something other than water you need to pay for it. But they will get you to your destination quickly, on time, and then they will turn the flight around and go right back where they came from. Reliably. Couple times a week tops. If it fits into your schedule, you can’t get there cheaper or faster.

A three hour delay to board and then another hour on the tarmac because they couldn't get a tractor? Ugh.

Allegiant canceled the flight. The flight the next day was full. Allegiant did not provide any compensation besides a refund. Last time on Allegiant.

Seats were very uncomfortable and being charged for snacks and water.........

Allegiant actually impressed me, original inbound flight from PBG was so late they gave us a bird inbound from Des Moines and only left 1h late and gained 40 minutes back in the air. Comfortable flight with no frills but no complaints.

Flight was delayed. Crew was good but hot coffee was not available.

Awful! We boarded and then sat on the plane for 50 mins before having to deplane due to a maintenance issue which should have been addressed before boarding. Then we had to change terminals as there was no other plane for us at the current terminal. Then we waited another 2 and a half hours to board again only to wait for 50 mins on the plane again for the snacks to be brought from the broken plane. And once we were on the flight we still only got the complimentary cookie and soda or water. No food vouchers provided even though we had waited over 3 hours for our flight.

There was a 6 hours delay in our departure. And yet, no compensation was offered. A company should be responsible for such a delay.

Little bit of trouble getting my KTN and pre-check status onto the ticket, but otherwise the counter staff were friendly and truly concerned to get it right.

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.

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