LAX - DSM

$98 Find Cheap Flights from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to Des Moines departing on 11/12. 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

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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to Des Moines, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines (LAX-DSM)

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

Thu, Aug 7 - Thu, Aug 14
 Logo
6:00 am - 10:36 pmLAX-DSM
14h 36m1 stop
 Logo
7:15 pm - 9:07 amDSM-LAX
15h 52m1 stop
Thu, Jun 26 - Sun, Jun 29
 Logo
6:52 pm - 12:34 pmLAX-DSM
15h 42m1 stop
 Logo
10:00 pm - 9:23 pmDSM-LAX
25h 23m1 stop
Mon, Aug 4 - Mon, Aug 18
American Airlines Logo
4:32 pm - 11:59 pmLAX-DSM
5h 27m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
5:12 am - 10:22 amDSM-LAX
7h 10m1 stop
$237American Airlines
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Mon, Aug 4 - Tue, Aug 12
American Airlines Logo
4:32 pm - 11:59 pmLAX-DSM
5h 27m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
5:12 am - 9:07 amDSM-LAX
5h 55m1 stop
$238American Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Oct 18 - Wed, Oct 22
United Airlines Logo
8:25 am - 5:23 pmLAX-DSM
6h 58m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 9:30 amDSM-LAX
5h 30m1 stop
$239United Airlines
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Sat, Jul 5 - Sat, Jul 12
Southwest Logo
5:15 am - 12:10 pmLAX-DSM
4h 55m1 stop
Southwest Logo
4:05 pm - 7:35 pmDSM-LAX
5h 30m1 stop
$259Southwest
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Fri, Jul 4 - Fri, Jul 11
Frontier Logo
10:55 am - 7:53 pmLAX-DSM
6h 58m1 stop
Frontier Logo
7:33 pm - 12:27 amDSM-LAX
6h 54m1 stop
$270Frontier
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Fri, Aug 22 - Sun, Aug 24
Frontier Logo
6:30 am - 5:35 pmLAX-DSM
9h 05m1 stop
Frontier Logo
3:23 pm - 12:27 amDSM-LAX
11h 04m1 stop
$306Frontier
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Sun, Aug 10 - Sun, Aug 17
United Airlines Logo
12:08 am - 10:29 amLAX-DSM
8h 21m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 9:34 amDSM-LAX
5h 34m1 stop
$328United Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Jul 5 - Sat, Jul 12
Southwest Logo
5:15 am - 12:10 pmLAX-DSM
4h 55m1 stop
Southwest Logo
6:00 am - 11:00 amDSM-LAX
7h 00m2 stops
$357Southwest
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KAYAK's insights & trends for Los Angeles to Des Moines flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines 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 Los Angeles to Des Moines?

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

For Los Angeles to Des Moines, Friday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Saturday is the most expensive. Flying from Des Moines back to Los Angeles, the best deals are generally found on Friday, with Sunday being the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Los Angeles to Des Moines?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to Des Moines is July, where tickets cost $322 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and February, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $516 and $419 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Los Angeles to Des Moines?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $991 on average.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to Des Moines, you should book around 2 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 25 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
High seasonJune
Cheapest flight$98
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 6% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 2% increase in price.
Flight from Los Angeles to Des Moines

When to book flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines

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

  • Will I be able to watch a movie on my flight to DSM?

    Some airlines servicing flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines provide inflight entertainment such as entertainment systems on seat backs or streaming movies and tv shows through onboard WiFi to your personal device. The flight details in your KAYAK.com results should show you this information under the plane type.

  • Are there pet relief areas at LAX and DSM?

    If you are traveling with your pet or service animal, there are relief areas for your four-legged companion at both airports. At LAX, there are two outdoor areas by baggage claims at Terminals 5 and 7 and many inside, including Terminal 1 by Gate 13, Terminal 2 by Gate 21A, and Terminal 6 by Gate 62. At DSM, the pet relief area is just north of the Skywalk, by the parking garage outside the terminal.

  • How do I get to Des Moines city center from the airport?

    From DSM, you can take a short walk out to Fleur Drive and catch DART Bus #8 to downtown for about $1.75 per person. Just outside the baggage claim exit, there is also a taxi stand and a pick-up point for ride-share services, such as Lyft and Uber.

  • Can I rent a car from DSM?

    Many major car rental companies have a counter at DSM airport. You can find their counters in the baggage claim area, and many are open from as early as 7 am to as late as around midnight. Please note that, for most of these companies, you must be at least 21 years old to rent a car.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Los Angeles to Des Moines?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Los Angeles to Des Moines was $98 for a one-way ticket and $204 for a round-trip.

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

    A passport is not required to fly from Los Angeles to Des Moines.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Los Angeles to Des Moines?

    Only American Airlines offers inflight Wi-Fi service on the Los Angeles to Des Moines flight route.

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

    The Airbus A320-100/200 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Los Angeles to Des Moines flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines?

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

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to Des Moines from Los Angeles?

    Denver is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from Los Angeles to Des Moines.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines, Southwest or Delta?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines are Southwest and Delta. With an average price for the route of $441 and an overall rating of 8.0, Southwest is the most popular choice. Delta is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $349 and an overall rating of 8.0.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Des Moines from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles with another airline. Booking your flights between Los Angeles and DSM 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to Des Moines

  • You may be able to save some money off a non-stop fare by stopping one or more times on your trip to Des Moines (DSM). One-stop flights include United stopping in Houston and American stopping in Phoenix, while multi-stop flights could be United stopping in San Francisco and Denver or Spirit to Las Vegas, switching to Allegiant in San Diego.
  • There are long-term parking options available at LAX. The Central Terminal Area (CTA) offers convenient access to passenger terminals. The daily rate is about $50, or around $60 for premium spots, but you can get a discount if you reserve a spot online ahead of time. The Economy lot is located on W 94th, and a shuttle service is available 24/7. The rate for the Economy lot is about $30 a day.
  • There are many Metro bus and rail options from various parts of downtown LA to LAX for fares of around $1.75, which may require a few transfers. The most direct route may be the LAX FlyAway bus from Union Station to the airport, with stops at each terminal. The buses run from around 3 am to about 11:30 pm every day, and the fare is $9.75 per person.
  • On average, flights from Los Angeles to Des Moines emit about 1,615 lbs. per passenger. To reduce that amount, you could fly Spirit Airlines to Las Vegas and self-transfer to Frontier to Des Moines. This would save up to 55%, or 886 lbs. If you prefer not to self-transfer, you can still save 45%, or 731 lbs. with United stopping in Denver.
  • If you have some time before your flight to Des Moines boards at LAX, take a walk and explore the many art installations in Terminals 1, 2/3, and 7. You can see works from local and international artists, and you may even catch a live performance to entertain you while you wait.

Top 5 airlines serving from Los Angeles to Des Moines

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 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.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4287 reviews
7.1Food
8.2Boarding
8.6Crew
7.6Entertainment
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

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

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2025LGB - SMF
Read more Southwest reviews

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

Great flight, 47 passengers on a 180 seat plane. Stewardess was pleasant and cheerful.

I liked the crew member who gave flight instructions on "in case of a problem:. The seats are so small that only a young teenager could sit in middle seat.

Great flight staff. Ease of boarding. Overall, very uneventful and easy trip.

Employees were kind and funny, as always! Flight was late but no announcements were made for people with tight connections to help them transition quickly. No service due to turbulence.

I recently flew Southwest from San Jose to Honolulu. I was very impressed with the flight crew, especially the flight attendant in charge of the front of the plane. She came through the aisle at least five times for drinks and water, and two times for snacks. I have not seen such service since I flew first class. Also, for the first time, they gave us the correct baggage claim number, and the luggage came out quickly. I can't wait for Southwest to have assigned seating! I absolutely hate the Cattle Call boarding procedure and the mad dash to get seats and overhead bins. However, the boarding was efficient.

We had a nice flight. Boarding was easy, our seats were comfortable and the on board service was pleasant.

Service was great, boarding and exiting went smoothly, and the flight was very pleasant.

Was as expected. Crowed planes. Too many carryons delaying takeoff. But the ride only took an hour and saved me a lot of time SFO is a not a great airport.

Was as expected. Crowed planes. Too many carryons delaying takeoff. But the ride only took an hour and saved me a lot of time SFO is a hell hole of an airport. It is the new LaGuardia. Everything Cobbled together. Security gates closed. Terri directional signage

it was so bad. I tried to board my flight from vancouver to saskatoon. And to my surprise they did not board me cause the flight was changed and no email was send to me. and on my boarding pass which i got from seattle says different flight. I did not knew anyone from Vancouver, air canada crew was rude, i asked for today flight but they were rude and i had early morning dental appointment in saskatoon. I was so much in pain and my whole day is wasted today. and i suffered alot. They did provide me hotel but they did not provide me any food. I am really really disappointed first time had so bad experience with air canada. I may think twice to book it again. If i can get any reply or any composition that would be great. Thanks

Very comfortable (upgraded to business class). The audio on my screen didn’t work, but I managed to play the audio through my phone while watching the screen.

The food was the worst I’ve had on any flight I’ve ever been on.

I was supposed to be on business class at first class from Denver back to Miami due to weather changes. I missed my connection and it’s put on a flight to Fort Lauderdale. Instead of honoring my business class/1st class ticket, they put me in coach, but there were two first class seats open. I think it’s absolutely disgusting that I paid for first class $1300 ticket and they put me in economy and they had to open seats available and I have still not been refunded the difference. I ended up having to eat a snack box instead of the meal I was supposed to get and did not get home till 2 AM so I think that’s a little pathetic that I had to live off crackers for dinner And my poor dog ate some cheese and salami. Oh yes, apparently when they switched me to the new flight they forgot to mention I had a service dog

Boarding seemed to be organized bedlam. For what ever reason, preboarding took longer than 20 minutes. Made the plane 20 minutes late taking off. Luckily we arrived on time. Flight crew seemed very friendly. Only slight turbulence.

The personnel were professional and friendly. The Boeing 737 Max 9 is too claustrophobic and was very warm at both airport gates, and still warm in the air.

While the staff was pleasant and helpful, the following observations are for your awareness. There was some delay on the tarmac on take off and landing. The paid lunch/food offerings were limited. Entertainment was only available on WiFi at a cost.

Flight was great. Efficient boarding. Short flight. Early arrival. Friendly flight crew. The entertainment system did not work well. Could not access it until the aircraft reached 10K feet or more. Lots of glitches.

get E+, a must for 5 hours flight if you are tall

The first flight was better in terms of the aircraft.

Tight! Seats are not designed for those of us who wear extra-large clothes.

The non-stop flight from Grand Rapids was excellent. I neither expected or needed a budget flight and Allegiant made the trip easy and for an affordable price, Arriving at the Mesa Airport (AZA) is a delight compared to the international airport. For our return flight, we were able to arrive 75 minutes before the flight, return the rental car, check our bag and make it to the gate in plenty of time. That would never happen at most airports.

Easiest flights I’ve ever taken. Plane was comfortable without overly crowded seating.

Terrible. Still have not received the refund from them. They sent it to some account that I don't even know. Spoke with costumer service and they are unable to help.

I didn’t like it at all. I miss my second flight because of the delay on Allegiant Air now I m stuck in MCO.

Good, but a bit late on take off after loading. Don't like charging for carry ons!

First time flying with them and will definitely fly again in the future. Crew was so nice and friendly, fought was seamless. They are simple planes, no entertainment, but it’s fine for a short flight or if you have personal devices Rates are competitive, and they did so well with keeping the flight on time after a tropical storm, where other airlines had delays and cancellations.

They boarded passengers that sat in the back of the plane first, making boarding very efficient.

I didn't even take this flight. My plans changed and I couldn't get ahold of customer service and the website kept breaking down during the attempt to change the flight. I wound up taking another airline entirely and eating the cost.

The worst flying experience ever 3 delays. No accommodations. Had to deboard the plane after being delayed.

Eventless. It was a good flight and good crew. Can’t complaint.

Very helpful ground crew after an earlier flight delay and being rebooked on a different flight.

The plane was late and then sat on the runway for almost 45 minutes before taking off.

We kept being told that the flight was full and that all overhead compartments were full and therefore had to check in our hand luggage. We were some of the last people to board and noticed that there was still sufficient space in the overhead compartments. We were obliged to check in hand luggage when there was space and so had to wait at luggage retrieval which took a while to then noticed damage to our luggage - not a great experience!

Worst seats I’ve ever had !!! The seats were very narrow and uncomfortable and misaligned with the seats in front of mine leading to bottom of the seat in front of mine pressing on my legs for 15.5 hours !

This was an overnight flight. There was no meal service in first class, just a simple snack basket was offered along with beverages. There should have been some type of continental breakfast prior to arrival in PHL. As an Executive Platinum American Airlines Advantage member, I received no name recognition from the first class flight attendant. When disembarking at PHL, the flight attendants were more interested in their cell phones than saying "thank you" to the passengers as they disembarked.

The flight was quick and to the point. The crew just did their job w/o excessive talking and everything was just perfect.

Awkward carry on process. Forced to check all carry on. No overhead space of worthiness. Left delayed, but made up the time. Crew was amicable.

I blame kayak for my last trip to dca. Kayak cancelled my direct flight and put on a one stop flight and made lost whole day from my vacation and had not even refunded my ticket.

Amazingly comfy flight - I had upgraded for a reasonable price and it was worth it. The food also was good.

Book with frontier airlines with the mentality that they'll cancel your flight, kick you off and lose your luggage. Anything besides that is a win. Compare prices with other airlines (to include luggage) and if frontier is still worth it, book it but know all of their policies.

I liked the turn-style feature at gate 209B at LAX. Very efficient process. The gate staff also made several, clearly directed announcements so I felt very informed.

The seats were awful, hard plastic covered in sheet vinyl. The airline tries to scam you into paying extra to get seat together when the flight wasn’t full. They were going to separate a family with young children but my wife who had a row to herself gave up her seat so the young mom could be with her young boys. I’m never giving this airline my money again.

It was a short flight so no food or entertainment….

Frontier had yet another flight cancellation. Have never made a complete round trip with this airline without at least one leg getting cancelled. Miserable flights - dirty, uncomfortable planes that apparently always have issues since I've had multiple delays and cancellations with them.

Flight was delayed 3 times, would have been nice to have received text message instead of email notifications. Frontier app wasn’t even updated accordingly, no gate number disclosed. No agent at front desk of gate to inform of delay. Very confused and left if the dark

They changed the timing , first delayed by 4 hours then went back to 40 mins late, we had to run back to airport to not miss our flight. This is ridiculous

No frills for sure. No gate announcements about flight delay, not even water to drink on the flight.

I loked walking out on the tarmac to board and no first class. I didn't like that they have no snacks or onboard wifi to bide your time.

It was a redeye flight, so every passenger just wanted to sleep, but through the entire flight, the flight crew made announcements over the loudspeaker at maximum volume every few minutes making sleep impossible. For example: it’s 2am, and the crew decides to give an extremely detailed announcement about snacks and beverages for sale. And 3am is the perfect time to wake up everyone with a lengthy announcement about how to get a coffee refill and how to take advantage of new offer from frontier for a credit card.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Los Angeles to Des Moines

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