$69 Find Cheap Flights from Portland to San Diego - Compare and Save

There are several nonstop flights you can use to fly from Portland to San Diego. Alaska Airlines offers a nonstop flight from Portland International Airport to San Diego International Airport. You can also use a United Airlines flight with one stop at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), but this could take a bit longer. Book through KAYAK if you want information about different flights to pick the most suitable route.

If you’re traveling with your family and have a small baby, the Portland International Airport offers lactation rooms located in B and D concourses. The rooms are equipped with a deep sink, a comfortable chair, electrical outlets, and adjustable lighting. Also, there is a play area for your kids near the concourse D and E security checkpoint, pre-security. Another play area is near gate C17 in Concourse C after security checkpoints.

You can use San Diego International Airport’s free Wi-Fi. The airport offers 2h sessions, so if you need to access something quickly on the internet, enable your Wi-Fi and connect to “#SANfreewifi.” For additional time, you simply log back in for another session.

There are ATMs throughout the airport by Bank of America. Non-Bank of America customers pay about $2.50 per transaction. In Terminal 1, you can find ATMs near Gate 1 past the checkpoint, in the Lobby near the food court, near Gate 5, and near Gate 13. In Terminal 2, there are ATMs at Gates 20-32 near the escalator, near Gate 23 past the checkpoint, and in the Baggage Claim area near Carousel 4.

Yes. There is a shuttle you can catch outside the baggage claim area that will take you to the rental car center, where you will find many rental car companies. Some companies, like Budget, are open for business 24 hours a day - while others have shorter operating hours, such as Sixt, which is open from 7 am to 12 midnight every day.

Yes. The short-term lot, connected to the terminal by skybridges and tunnels, offers daily rates of $30. There are long-term garages that are also connected by tunnels to the terminals but are a bit further away. You can park there for about $24 a day. For around $15 a day, you can park at the economy lot, which is about a 10 minutes shuttle ride to the terminal.

Once you arrive at San Diego, you may have questions about getting around the airport or ground transportation. Not to worry - SAN’s Volunteer Airport Ambassadors man information desks and roam the terminals on courtesy golf carts, offering help to passengers every day of the year. They are well-trained in airport resources and wear blue golf shirts or vests.

Portland International Airport has both an art and music program to offer visitors pleasant distractions. There are rotating exhibits of artworks featuring local and regional artists throughout the airport, and local musicians volunteer to perform various genres, including classical and jazz. You can also watch short films about the Pacific Northwest at the Hollywood Theater in Concourse C.

There are several public transportation options available from SAN. The City Bus route 992 stops at Terminals 1 and 2 on its way to downtown San Diego and runs from 5 am to 12 midnight every day of the week. You can also take Rental Car Shuttles from Terminals 1 and 2 to catch the Green Trolley Line into the city.

It is recommended that you allow at least 2 hours before your departure time for checking in and clearing security. PDX does have TSA PreCheck lanes available, which are open from 4 am to 4 pm every day at all the airport’s security checkpoints. 

Among airlines operating Portland to San Diego flights:

• Alaska Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection
• Southwest: offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

2 airlines operate flights between Portland and San Diego. The airlines offering nonstop flights on this route include:

• Alaska Airlines
• Southwest

Flights from Portland to San Diego usually depart from Portland (PDX) and arrive at San Diego (SAN).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Alaska Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• Southwest: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• JetBlue: a cabin bag in Economy Class class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route and airline, so travelers should check the fare details before booking.

Three cabin classes are available on flights from Portland to San Diego:

• Economy Class
• Business Class
• First Class

On this route, layover flights are cheaper than nonstop options on average. Layover fares average $158 round-trip via Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX), compared to $299 for nonstop.

There is no standard. Checked-bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $45–$100 for the first checked bag in economy. Premium fares and elite-status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

The Boeing 737-800 Passenger/BBJ2 (winglets) family is used most often on this route, operated mainly by Alaska Airlines and Southwest. Other aircraft seen on the route include Boeing 737 MAX 8 variants.

One-stop flights from Portland to San Diego most commonly connect through:

• San Francisco (SFO) - 26% of one-stop connections
• San Jose (SJC) - 17% of one-stop connections
• Denver Intl (DEN) - 13% of one-stop connections
• Seattle/Tacoma Intl (SEA) - 13% of one-stop connections

San Francisco (SFO) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 21% on the Portland to San Diego route. Tuesday is the cheapest departure day at $266 round-trip on average, while Sunday is the most expensive at $335, a difference of $69. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Portland to San Diego route, 15% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 1 hour 32 minutes.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Portland to San Diego flights, with 51% of flights leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 37%, evening flights for 12%, and night flights for 0%.

Some of the most popular sights in San Diego are Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego Convention Center and SeaWorld San Diego. These are among the most viewed places in San Diego on KAYAK.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Portland to San Diego:

• Earliest: departs at 7:09 am and lands at 9:42 am
• Latest: departs at 9:30 pm and lands at 12:03 am.

The flight takes about 2h 33m.

Last-minute fares on this route - booked within 2 weeks of departure - run 74% above the route average of $298. Book 14 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A nonstop flight from Portland to San Diego takes 2h 33m, covering 933 miles.

No, a passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

One-way fares from Portland to San Diego are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $75, which is 61% below the typical average for this route.

Night flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via San Jose (SJC) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 4h 11m, compared with 4h 40m via Salt Lake City (SLC) and 4h 54m via San Francisco (SFO).

San Diego Airport (SAN) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around $14 for economy cars. Top options include:
• Dollar
• Payless
• Europcar
• Thrifty
• Fox

Round-trip flights from Portland to San Diego range from $212 to $404, with an average of $298 over the past 12 months. Anything below $212 counts as a good deal.

Two airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi on Portland to San Diego flights:

• • Alaska Airlines
• • JetBlue