DSM

$148 Find Cheap Flights from Houston to Des Moines

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Houston to Des Moines departing on 2/13. 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 Des Moines

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Houston to Des Moines, 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 Houston to Des Moines, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$209
Overall average: $363
United Airlines
Fri 2/6Sun 2/8
IAH - DSM • Non-stop
Cheapest non-stop
$209
Typical prices: $279-$374
United Airlines
Thu 1/8Mon 1/12
IAH - DSM • Non-stop
Our travelers' advice
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
Allegiant's Bonus bundle includes a carry-on and seat selection.
United's Economy Plus offers up to six inches more legroom.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
United Airlines
Cheapest • from $209 (round-trip)
Southwest
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Top routes
HOU-DSM
Cheapest • 25% average savings
IAH-DSM
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
5 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 5 weeks in advance save around 44% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
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We hope you love your trip to Des Moines!
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Houston to Des Moines

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

Fri, Feb 6 - Sun, Feb 8
United Airlines Logo
8:09 pm - 10:30 pm
IAH
-
DSM
2h 21mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
3:04 pm - 5:43 pm
DSM
-
IAH
2h 39mnonstop
$209United Airlines
Thu, Jan 8 - Mon, Jan 12
United Airlines Logo
12:00 pm - 2:22 pm
IAH
-
DSM
2h 22mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 3:45 pm
DSM
-
IAH
7h 45m1 stop
$219United Airlines
Sat, Feb 14 - Tue, Feb 17
United Airlines Logo
7:50 pm - 10:15 pm
IAH
-
DSM
2h 25mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
8:08 am - 10:46 am
DSM
-
IAH
2h 38mnonstop
$222United Airlines
Thu, Jan 8 - Mon, Jan 12
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:05 am - 10:46 pm
IAH
-
DSM
17h 41m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:17 pm - 7:36 pm
DSM
-
IAH
23h 19m1 stop
$226Multiple Airlines
Tue, Jan 6 - Sat, Jan 10
American Airlines Logo
12:47 pm - 5:05 pm
HOU
-
DSM
4h 18m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
4:00 pm - 10:46 pm
DSM
-
HOU
6h 46m1 stop
$229American Airlines
Fri, Jan 9 - Sun, Jan 11
United Airlines Logo
8:23 am - 2:33 pm
IAH
-
DSM
6h 10m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 1:40 pm
DSM
-
IAH
5h 40m1 stop
$229United Airlines
Fri, Feb 6 - Sun, Feb 8
American Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 4:24 pm
IAH
-
DSM
8h 24m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
11:35 am - 4:02 pm
DSM
-
IAH
4h 27m1 stop
$234American Airlines
Tue, Jan 13 - Tue, Jan 20
Delta Logo
5:15 am - 3:41 pm
IAH
-
DSM
10h 26m2 stops
Delta Logo
12:25 pm - 11:56 pm
DSM
-
IAH
11h 31m2 stops
$239Delta
Tue, Jan 6 - Sat, Jan 10
Southwest Logo
12:30 pm - 7:20 pm
HOU
-
DSM
6h 50m2 stops
Southwest Logo
5:45 am - 1:10 pm
DSM
-
HOU
7h 25m1 stop
$265Southwest
Tue, Jan 6 - Sat, Jan 10
Southwest Logo
2:00 pm - 9:10 pm
HOU
-
DSM
7h 10m2 stops
Southwest Logo
5:45 am - 3:05 pm
DSM
-
HOU
9h 20m2 stops
$270Southwest
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Houston to Des Moines flights

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

What is the cheapest Houston to Des Moines flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest return flight from Houston to Des Moines costs $132 on the route between Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) and Des Moines (DSM). Over the past month, this route was, on average, 25% cheaper than other Houston-Des Moines routes. The most popular route is between Houston George Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH) and Des Moines (DSM).

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Houston to Des Moines?

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

For Houston to Des Moines, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Monday is the most expensive. Flying from Des Moines back to Houston, the best deals are generally found on Thursday, with Wednesday being the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Houston to Des Moines?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Houston to Des Moines, 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 Houston to Des Moines is May, where tickets cost $146 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and January, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $414 and $395 respectively.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Houston to Des Moines, 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 Houston to Des Moines, you should book around 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 44% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 20 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Houston to Des Moines

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airlines
United Airlines

United's Economy Plus offers up to six inches more legroom than standard economy seats.


United's Priority Boarding puts you in Zone 2, ensuring overhead bin space for your carry-on.

Allegiant Air

Allegiant's Bonus bundle includes a carry-on, seat selection, and ticket change flexibility.


Allegiant's Legroom+ offers extra space and faster deplaning, ideal for budget-conscious travelers.

Our travel experts
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on United Airlines

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design writer based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her words have appeared in Space.com, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful, among other publications. An expert in aviation and expedition cruising, Stefanie is frequently up in the air or on the sea, likely en route to Antarctica or the Arctic.

Read more
Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler

Expert on Allegiant Air

Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler is a travel writer, podcaster, and producer. Born in Africa, bred in Europe and now living in America he has traveled to 140 countries (and all 50 U.S. states). Plus he has stayed at over 2500 hotels across the globe. His original shows Everywhere and Without Maps (available on Spotify) showcase his beliefs, travel is about humanity and sharing that beauty. And thus it reminds you that you shouldn’t believe everything you think.

Read more

Good to know

Cheapest flight$148
Flight from Houston George Bush Airport to Des Moines

When to book flights from Houston to Des Moines

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Houston to Des Moines 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 Houston to Des Moines

  • What is the cheapest flight from Houston to Des Moines?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Houston to Des Moines was $148 for a one-way ticket and $183 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Houston and Des Moines?

    Yes, you’ll need a passport to travel to Des Moines from Houston.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Houston to Des Moines?

    Houston is served by 2 major airports and there is only 1 main airport in Des Moines. You will leave Houston from one of these airports: Houston Hobby or Houston George Bush Intcntl. You will be arriving at Des Moines.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Houston to Des Moines?

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

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Houston to Des Moines?

    SkyTeam, oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Houston and Des Moines, with SkyTeam being the most commonly used for this route.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Houston to 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 Houston to Des Moines.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Des Moines from Houston 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 Houston to 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 Des Moines with an airline and back to Houston with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Houston to 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 to Des Moines from Houston up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Prefer to fly direct from Houston to Des Moines?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Houston to Des Moines.
Find which airlines fly direct from Houston to Des Moines Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Houston to Des Moines

Monday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Des Moines to Houston

Monday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Houston to Des Moines. 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 Houston to Des Moines? 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 4250 reviews
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
8.6Crew
7.0Food
Airline reviews

They sent a notice that they were boarding an hour early. We had to leave the club and run to the gate. They said sorry, that came from corporate and was a mistake. They did not have enough seating because the flight before it had not taken off on time. They moved our gate and delayed it for an hour.

2.0 MediocreRobert, Dec 2025
LAS - TPA
Read more Southwest reviews

They sent a notice that they were boarding an hour early. We had to leave the club and run to the gate. They said sorry, that came from corporate and was a mistake. They did not have enough seating because the flight before it had not taken off on time. They moved our gate and delayed it for an hour.

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.

Airline travel is always too cramped to really be pleasant, but the cabin crew on this flight did a pretty good job of making up for it by putting on some music during boarding and sprinkling a few funny remarks into the safety briefing and announcements, and just generally being friendly and helpful. It definitely reminded me of why I prefer the in-flight experience on Southwest!

No delays and arrived to destination 30 min early. Staff was super friendly.

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

It was rough. The staff was unprofessional, the choice of on board drinks terrible, it was cramped in space at every airport, they always ran out of overhead bin space so they pressured people to check bags for free or we couldn’t leave on the plane— so I did check my bag to help, and they nearly lost my bag. My bag did not arrive on the luggage belt, another man on my flight and I had to waste our time going to the baggage office to search for our bags. I would only fly southwest again if it was my last choice. Also, my flights were consistently delayed over and over again— at one point they straight up told us we were waiting for the pilot to arrive.

Crew could have been friendlier, maybe I'm spoiled by SW crews. In flight wifi was good. Would be nice to have more food offerings on a 4 plus hour flight

Had to get off plane from prior flight even though I had to reboard same plane to continue to my final destination.

I noticed that the planes seem to be outdated. There was no entertainment per se. Also, the waiting area did not have any working electrical outlets

Original flight was cancelled and when i was rebooked by the airline, they couldn't seat me in the same type of seat as I had originally booked (went from window/aisle to middle/middle and one was a bulkhead seat, and other wasn't in the same class)

Lady Pilot was perfect in every way wheels up to wheels down communication, professionalism, excellent on time departure and on time arrival, excellent communication! Fantastic job with Superb attitude!!

The food is terrible. The staff is wonderful. Comfort is good.

Left on time, a bit delayed due to headwinds most of the trip.

I fly Delta all the time, have Platinum Medallion status. But this route seems to have major problems with delays and seems to never leave on time! Have only taken it twice in the last two weeks, and each time it had delays of more than 1 hour... very disappointed!!!!

Good seats in Main cabin, excellent service and excellent landing

My flight was cancelled with no explanation after I had already cleared security. I was given 4 options to rebook, only one being non-stop like I had paid for. I grabbed it. It was 4 plus hours later and then took off even later. Biggest complaint is that I booked early and had an aisle seat. They gave me a "window" seat in front of the exit row, so the seat did not decline. I weigh all of 103 #s and it was tight for me! For what I paid, I feel I was kind of ripped off. I think they should have given me the empty comfort seat for the inconvenience. There was no apology nor any explanation as to why the flight was cancelled. My guess is it benefitted Delta in some way.

Very smooth, on-time, and pleasantly uneventful flight. The team at the gate and on board were professional and genuinely courteous. The pilot kept us well updated throughout, and both takeoff and landing were steady and enjoyable without any drama. Just a good, solid flight. Thank you! 💗

Staff was exceptional! Everyone was kind, professional and friendly making the trip very pleasant. Thank you!

Seats had less pitch than a regional jet. Food was OK. Have to buy alcohol on US based carriers flying international. Boarding was a mess. Did not have bags but overhead space was gone quick. Would like to see the airlines enforce the one bag over and one bag under policy

Lately I like the planes have been exceptionally filthy. There’s lines of dust and dirt all across the ceiling in the vents, and the cracks in between the seats are literally full of food. It’s definitely not the quality of service that I was used to with United. I’m also very disappointed with the Wi-Fi! All I wanna do is knock out a few work jobs while I’m trapped in my seat And it spools so bad. They did provide me with a refund, but the process of getting that refund is so complicated. It’s unfortunate.

Crew was excellent. This was a relatively long flight though and had very little leg room, and no entertainment.

The newer screen was super cool and had the option to watch many different shows or movies. Crew was polite and helpful. However again, many children screaming bloody murder and kicking my seat, and parents doing nothing about it as usual.

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

Flight was delayed and missed my connection Lufthansa didn’t respond.

the delay for 3 hours was understandable due to weather conditions but the flight should’ve provided some on flight compensations or at least provide more food.

United could have one single once of customer service. No human United employee would help me with the invalid mileage plus number, they said I had to speak with the computer.

Overall it was good. I missed my connection but I was put on another flight.

Although the flight was delayed the crew and the flight itself were very good. Couldn't fault anything and after the disappointment of being abandoned in the US by BA it was a welcome relief to travel with United

Attendants were pleasant and the flight was smooth and relaxed.

It was fine. No drinks nor snacks offered though. I thought that was unusual.

Things were delayed a little. But that didn’t affect my plans. It was fine. I was surprised it was so full thanksgiving day. The crew were friendly and professional.

The flight was delayed multiple times, again no fault of American but again the extra cost, for everything makes it feel like a cheap airline! Especially when flights are outrageously expensive already

we landed at cmh ten minutes early but had to sit on tarmac for twenty minutes because a plane was at our gate despite the fact that 3 other gates were open.

I have a gluten allergy so did have any food

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

Flight was delayed leaving Dallas. Arrived about 2 hours later than scheduled.

The only thing to like was that we eventually got to our destination

Poor seat in rear of aircraft Food at Admiral’s Club Terminal D at DFW inedible

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 Houston to Des Moines

Information on your arrival and departure airports