PDX - DSM

$92 Find Cheap Flights from Portland 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 Portland to Des Moines departing on 12/7. 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 Portland 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 Portland to Des Moines, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flights from Portland to Des Moines (PDX-DSM)

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

Thu, Oct 2 - Sun, Oct 5
Allegiant Air Logo
9:38 am - 2:53 pmPDX-DSM
3h 15mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
7:00 am - 8:48 amDSM-PDX
3h 48mnonstop
$122Allegiant Air
Find Deal
Thu, Oct 2 - Sun, Oct 5
Allegiant Air Logo
9:38 am - 2:53 pmPDX-DSM
3h 15mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
7:00 am - 8:48 amDSM-PDX
3h 48mnonstop
$150Allegiant Air
Find Deal
Sun, Sep 28 - Thu, Oct 2
Frontier Logo
6:05 am - 1:40 pmPDX-DSM
5h 35m1 stop
Frontier Logo
2:25 pm - 12:12 amDSM-PDX
11h 47m1 stop
$155Frontier
Find Deal
Mon, Sep 29 - Thu, Oct 2
Frontier Logo
6:05 am - 1:40 pmPDX-DSM
5h 35m1 stop
Frontier Logo
2:25 pm - 12:12 amDSM-PDX
11h 47m1 stop
$156Frontier
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 1 - Fri, Oct 3
Frontier Logo
7:15 am - 1:40 pmPDX-DSM
28h 25m1 stop
Frontier Logo
2:25 pm - 12:12 amDSM-PDX
11h 47m1 stop
$158Frontier
Find Deal
Sun, Sep 28 - Thu, Oct 2
Allegiant Air Logo
9:28 am - 2:52 pmPDX-DSM
3h 24mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
7:00 am - 8:48 amDSM-PDX
3h 48mnonstop
$159Allegiant Air
Find Deal
Thu, Oct 2 - Sun, Oct 5
Allegiant Air Logo
9:38 am - 2:53 pmPDX-DSM
3h 15mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
7:00 am - 8:48 amDSM-PDX
3h 48mnonstop
$160Allegiant Air
Find Deal
Thu, Oct 2 - Mon, Oct 6
 Logo
9:38 am - 2:53 pmPDX-DSM
3h 15mnonstop
 Logo
2:25 pm - 11:48 amDSM-PDX
23h 23m1 stop
Wed, Oct 8 - Sun, Oct 12
 Logo
12:43 pm - 1:52 pmPDX-DSM
23h 09m1 stop
 Logo
7:00 am - 8:48 amDSM-PDX
3h 48mnonstop
Tue, Oct 7 - Tue, Oct 14
American Airlines Logo
11:59 pm - 9:00 amPDX-DSM
7h 01m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 9:31 amDSM-PDX
6h 31m1 stop
$239American Airlines
Find Deal

Everything you should know

Top airlines
Allegiant Air
Cheapest • from $122 (round-trip)
Southwest
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
3 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 21% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
September
Cheapest • 52% price drop
June
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Nonstop flights
2 days a week
There are direct flights from Portland to Des Moines 2 days a week: Thu, Sun.
Direct flights
Direct flights
Direct flights
Direct flights
Cheapest round-trip
$122
Overall average: $296
Allegiant Air
Thu 10/2Sun 10/5
PDX - DSM • Non-stop
Cheapest one-way
$92
Typical prices: $168-305
Frontier
Sun 12/7
PDX - DSM • 1 stop
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KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Des Moines!
Booking Insights

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

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

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

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

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Portland 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 Portland to Des Moines is September, where tickets cost $165 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and November, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $511 and $466 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Portland 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 Portland 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 Portland to Des Moines, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 21% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$92
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 28% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 16% lower on average.
Flight from Portland to Des Moines

When to book flights from Portland to Des Moines

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

  • What services does Sun Country Airlines offer economy class passengers on flights from Portland to Des Moines?

    Sun Country Airlines offers several services to Economy Class passengers on its flights from Portland to Des Moines. The airline offers complimentary in-flight entertainment and a Wi-Fi service for a fee, allowing passengers to stay connected and browse the Internet during their flight. Sun Country Airlines also offers complimentary water and snacks to Economy Class passengers.

  • How do I get from Des Moines Airport (DSM) to the city center?

    Taxis are available at DSM and can take you to the city center in about 15-20 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. The estimated fare for a one-way trip is around $25-30. You can use ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft to travel from DSM to the city center. The estimated cost for a one-way trip is around $15-20. A public bus service operated by DART, Des Moines Area Regional Transit, also provides transportation from DSM to the city center. Route 8 runs between the airport and downtown Des Moines, with a one-way fare of about $2 per person. The duration of the ride is around 30-40 minutes.

  • What is the baggage allowance on United Airlines flights from Portland to Des Moines?

    United Airlines allows each passenger one personal item and one standard carry-on bag on flights from Portland to Des Moines. The personal item must fit under the seat in front of you, while the carry-on bag must fit in the overhead compartment and cannot exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches in size. United Airlines allows passengers to check up to two bags, and a fee applies for each piece of checked baggage. The maximum weight allowed per bag is 50 pounds, and the maximum size allowed per bag is 62 linear inches.

  • Which airline offers flights from Portland to Des Moines with less carbon emissions?

    American Airlines offers flights from Portland to Des Moines and has committed to setting science-based targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to efforts to limit global temperature rise. Additionally, American Airlines has invested in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which uses a novel process to make net-zero carbon transportation fuels with a reduced carbon intensity.

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

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Portland to Des Moines was $92 for a one-way ticket and $122 for a round-trip.

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

    No, a passport isn't needed to fly from Portland to Des Moines. However, local authorities might ask for an official ID.

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

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

  • On which days can I fly direct from Portland to Des Moines?

    You can catch a nonstop flight from Portland to Des Moines on on Thursday, and Sunday.

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

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Portland to Des Moines are Southwest and Delta. With an average price for the route of $464 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 $516 and an overall rating of 7.9.

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

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

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

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $84 or less one-way and $135 or less round-trip.
  • Frontier Airlines allows pets to travel in the cabin on their flights from Portland (PDX) to Des Moines (DSM). This includes dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and small household birds. A pet fee each way applies for travel on Frontier Airlines.
  • Portland Airport (PDX) is a hub for Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines operates from both Concourse C and Concourse D at PDX. Passengers are advised to check their airline tickets to confirm the departure terminal for their flights from Portland to Des Moines.
  • Flights from Portland (PDX) to Des Moines (DSM) have layovers in various cities depending on the airline you choose. Some common layovers for the route include Denver (DEN), Minneapolis (MSP), Dallas (DFW), Chicago (ORD), and Las Vegas (LAS).
  • Spirit Airlines offers several services for passengers with reduced mobility on flights from Portland to Des Moines. These services include wheelchair and mobility aid assistance, accompanying someone to their gate, access to accessible lavatory options, and on-board assistance.
  • Des Moines Airport (DSM) serves several nearby cities in the area. These include Urbandale, Johnston, Altoona, Ankeny, Norwalk, and Carlisle.

Prefer to fly direct from Portland to Des Moines?

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

Direct departures

Portland to Des Moines

Thursday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Sunday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Des Moines to Portland

Thursday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Sunday

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

See more direct flights

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Portland 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 Portland 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 4242 reviews
8.6Crew
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
Airline reviews

I wish they had movie screens in the headrests. The seats are much improved, more legroom and recently renovated. Bathroom was clean. Staff was outstanding!!

10.0 ExcellentG, Sep 2025LAS - ATL
Read more Southwest reviews

I wish they had movie screens in the headrests. The seats are much improved, more legroom and recently renovated. Bathroom was clean. Staff was outstanding!!

As always, the entire Southwest experience was wonderful, from online booking to flight to baggage retrieval. Very grateful.

The weather could have been better. There was a 40 minute ATC delay in SFO because of marine fog and a micro cell storm delayed landing and take-off at Nashville. The gate was changed 5 minutes from boarding from gate B3 to gate C23 at Nashville airport.

After being assaulted by a flight attendant I was then brushed off as oh well because he long braids didn’t mean to whip me in the eye. I have filed complaints and will see. But like any other issue I’ve had with kayak involved it’s been trash. Last time I’ll be using your app

AC sub par. WiFi not working correctly. Ac sucked. Seats very narrow.

Near 4 hour flight with only 1 service. Had to use call button to request water. Internet and power not working until into flight. Internet would stop working during flight.

Southwest's seats are the least comfortable I have ever sat in.

The cabin was quiet for the redeye flight. The area was clean. The staff was great. The 787 Max was in good condition. Drawbacks were that the seat widths were tight for some passengers. The seat padding was at best average and for a long flight uncomfortable.

Southwest like most American domestic airlines, is a mediocre airline. But it is among the cheapest. Oh well.

My flight was delayed 50 minutes and we were rushed to board to then sit for 15 minutes until the pilot arrived. Unacceptable since we could have waited to board. Also the delayed flight was updated AFTER we boarded to more than the 10 minutes as originally stated.

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.

Flight was good and crew was super polite. However, there were around 5 kids screaming the WHOLE 2 hours. I understand kids have to come but parents need to do something to control their children. They make the experience terrible, especially after finishing 16 hour shifts at the hospital I needed some sleep, which I did not get.

IAD with the archaic people movers is just a place to be avoided.

All of the United employees I interacted with were professional and courteous. The aircraft was clean, the food on the flight was good. No complaints here.

Armrest controller on my seat 35D and nextbooennseat 35E did not work right. Hard to press buttons to recognize and 35D had constantnpressure either upmost down somit was nearly impossible to make selections. .

I flew with my dog and had already purchased my dog’s ticket. Even that morning I had called costumer service to insure that my husband and I had seats together since the website was giving me an error when choosing our seats and the representative mentioned our dog. I showed up early to the airport and when I got to the gate and we started boarding I was help back and told that I was supposed to have a yellow tag and that I should have checked in at the counter for them to give me that tag. I was not aware of this, the representative on the phone did not say anything. Nor did I see it anywhere in the checking process online, so if you travel with a pet and are not checking in luggage, just know that you still have to go to the check in counter when arriving at the airport unless you want to be the last one to board and not have room for your carry on in the overhead bins. Other than that, I had a great experience.

Once we got in the air the pilot made up some of the time of the delay. So that was really nice.

I understand stuff happens, but plane failures are likely due to lack of maintenance. Additionally, air conditioning wasn't working, no snack/drink service, no WiFi. Fortunately, the crew was communicative and light-hearted. United grabbed another plane and we were able to get to our destination.

There was no food available for this red eye... one little waffle cookie for a 6+ hour flight... thank God I was able to sleep some

It is clear that someone knew, and competent, is in charge of food at United Airlines at least for the international flights. I was flying in coach, but the choices of the dinner were excellent. Tasty, and appropriate size. I had the beef, which was a little bit like a shepherds pie, and it was good. Nothing comparable has been served on a United flight in years. It will not be confused with three star food, but it is very good for airline food. Even better was the breakfast choice between a cinnamon roll and a breakfast sandwich. I chose the breakfast sandwich which was absolutely delicious and which I would happily order again at my local Starbucks or Panera. It is clear that someone knew indifferent is in charge of the food and it’s about time.

Given it’s a red-eye into Charolotte, we didn’t get any food. The survey does not include “N/A” so the rating will be skewed.

Great. Quick and quiet and east. The breakfast choices were a welcome surprise!

American airlines suck they delay the flights all the time made me sleep in an airport because my flight was delayed and I miss my connecting flight

There's nothing I liked about it. For first off I scheduled this trip two weeks in advance then they delayed my flight which messed up my whole trip. So I scheduled it for the following weekend thinking there won't be a delay and guess what as soon as I got to the airport we said in the airplane on the tarmac for an hour and a half. Not only was it delayed I missed my connecting flight meaning I had to stay the night at Dallas-Fort Worth airport sleeping on the floor. I will tell you this I will never fly American airlines ever again I have had nothing but horrible experience with them and I just throw money at them

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.

Having to reschedule flights a day later, they loaded by luggage on the wrong plane from Little rock now I have to HOPE they deliver it to where im staying like they said would. International flight crew was very disgruntled and not very friendly.

We will be writing a long, detailed letter to corporate about our awful experience with American airlines.

It took way too long to diagnose and solve the problem of a broken crew member cabin seat. Though compensation for the volunteer who left the flight was very kind.

The entertainment package was vast and the selections were very current. Keep updating it was great.

The seat was so hard my tailbone was aching The crew was kind of a b**** because I made a joke that I didn't care if they close the door I total c*** when she was trying to f****** act like she was mad at me because I said that The flight was bumpy. Sure you didnt have control over that.

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.

They did not let my husband on the plane with our service animal at the last minute. Do NOT fly this airline with a service animal!

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!

Seats were new and comfortable. Staff was fine. Missed my connection due to weather -which wasn’t their fault- but got no help at all. Gate staff sent me to customer service, which was and stayed unstaffed. Sign with QR code directed me to call or chat. Chat was useless. Call was returned after an hour. No itinerary offered by Frontier could get me home in less than 30 hours. Rebooked with another airline and got a partial refund that came to about 10 percent of what I paid to get home.

Finally a Frontier on time and efficient. I've had problems before with your airline, but this time everything went fine.

The experience was good. No frills but I got there safe and sound and on time.

Great for the price. No wifi or entertainment, but gate agents and crew were fantastic and we boarded quickly and left on time.

sluggish boarding and arrival procedures, fake nice flight attendants, and lots of delays.

Disaster. They lied every step of the way. We ended up being delayed due to crew and then allegedly abandoned the flight because of a curfew at LGA. No rebooking to LGA at any reasonable time. No hotel. No meal vouchers. Had to sleep in the airport and fly to Newark instead. Will never fly Frontier again.

What I expected, nickeled and dined and a frontier flight attendant loudly complained about her job and lack of communication as she headed to the gate on her cell phone. Not professional.

As every law enforcement agency I could imagine surrounded the plane and we didn’t disembark for 2 hours and then had to stick around for another hour to go get our personal belongings after leaving them behind and being bused away from the plane, it was scary and inconvenient. We were given no information as to why this was happening. Lack of communication with passengers was disappointing.

After boarding and un-boarding twice over 6+hours, the flight was canceled.

Severe turbulence. Captain never came on to reassure passengers after things settled down.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Portland to Des Moines

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