RIC - SAN

$119 Find Cheap Flights from Richmond to San Diego

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Richmond to San Diego departing on 6/4. 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 San Diego

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Richmond to San Diego.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Richmond to San Diego.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$210
Typical prices: $596-$423
Frontier
Wed 7/29Wed 8/5
RIC - SAN • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$119
Typical prices: $213-$299
Frontier
Thu 6/4
RIC - SAN • 1 stop
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $210 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
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Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Nonstop flights
Not available
There are currently no direct flights between Richmond and San Diego. You'll need at least 1 connection.
Insights
Insights
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Insights
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $286 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 7h 21m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 37% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 19% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
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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 San Diego!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Richmond to San Diego (RIC-SAN)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Richmond to San Diego 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 Richmond to San Diego

Wed, Jul 29 - Wed, Aug 5
Frontier Logo
6:47 pm - 11:51 pm
RIC
-
SAN
8h 04m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 5:52 pm
SAN
-
RIC
8h 27m
1 stop
$210Frontier
Thu, Jun 4 - Wed, Jun 10
Frontier Logo
6:25 pm - 11:50 pm
RIC
-
SAN
8h 25m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 5:51 pm
SAN
-
RIC
8h 26m
1 stop
$224Frontier
Fri, Jul 31 - Tue, Aug 4
Frontier Logo
6:47 pm - 11:51 pm
RIC
-
SAN
8h 04m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
10:04 am - 5:52 pm
SAN
-
RIC
28h 48m
1 stop
$240Frontier
Mon, Aug 17 - Fri, Aug 21
Frontier Logo
6:47 pm - 8:42 am
RIC
-
SAN
16h 55m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 6:20 pm
SAN
-
RIC
8h 55m
1 stop
$244Frontier
Wed, Jun 10 - Mon, Jun 15
Frontier Logo
6:46 pm - 11:53 pm
RIC
-
SAN
8h 07m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 5:51 pm
SAN
-
RIC
8h 26m
1 stop
$250Frontier
Fri, Jul 17 - Tue, Jul 21
Frontier Logo
6:47 pm - 9:05 am
RIC
-
SAN
17h 18m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
10:04 am - 5:52 pm
SAN
-
RIC
28h 48m
1 stop
$260Frontier
Mon, Jun 22 - Fri, Jun 26
Frontier Logo
6:46 pm - 9:09 am
RIC
-
SAN
17h 23m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 5:51 pm
SAN
-
RIC
8h 26m
1 stop
$270Frontier
Thu, May 21 - Thu, May 28
Frontier Logo
6:25 pm - 8:42 am
RIC
-
SAN
17h 17m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 5:40 pm
SAN
-
RIC
8h 15m
1 stop
$274Frontier
Sun, Jun 7 - Sun, Jun 14
Frontier Logo
6:25 pm - 8:42 am
RIC
-
SAN
17h 17m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
10:04 am - 5:51 pm
SAN
-
RIC
28h 47m
1 stop
$281Frontier
Thu, May 21 - Sun, May 24
Frontier Logo
6:25 pm - 11:50 pm
RIC
-
SAN
8h 25m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 5:40 pm
SAN
-
RIC
8h 15m
1 stop
$290Frontier
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Richmond to San Diego flights

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

How much is a round-trip flight from Richmond to San Diego?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Richmond to San Diego departing in July.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Richmond to San Diego?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Richmond to San Diego, 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 Richmond to San Diego is October, where tickets cost $396 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and March, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $588 and $538 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Richmond to San Diego?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Richmond to San Diego, 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 Richmond to San Diego, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 37% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 21 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$119
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 5% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 1% lower on average.
Flight from Richmond to San Diego

When to book flights from Richmond to San Diego

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Richmond to San Diego 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 Richmond to San Diego

  • On which airline can I travel without being stuck in the middle seat?

    We recommend avoiding the middle seat when flying solo from RIC to SAN. Breeze Airways flies you in Embraer jet aircraft, with seats laid out in a 2-2 arrangement (two seats on each side of the aisle), so no seats are in the middle.

  • Which is the most family-friendly airline on this route?

    Frontier Airlines allows infants (less than 2 years old) to fly for free on their parent’s lap. They also have a ‘Kids Fly Free’ program for children between 2 and 14 years. Also, save for your family travel with their club membership for nine people on your booking. Various games and collectible trading cards will keep your kids busy on board.

  • Can I fly with a large breed dog?

    Most airlines only accept small pets from 8 weeks old and service animals in the cabin, but American Airlines allows active US military personnel to travel with large dog breeds. As a military service member, you must be on an official order for your large breed dog to be checked as baggage. Your dog should be in a special crate.

  • How can I expedite my security checks at Richmond International Airport (RIC)?

    Airlines like United work with the government to help passengers move through the airport gates faster with programs such as TSA PreCheck, Mobile Passport Control (MPC), and Global Entry. Considering RIC is a busy airport with only two security checkpoints, so we recommend the TSA PreCheck option, which grants you a Known Traveler Number to access a shorter screening lane. You don’t have to remove your belts, shoes, or laptops from briefcases.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Richmond to San Diego?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Richmond to San Diego was $119 for a one-way ticket and $210 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Richmond and San Diego?

    A passport is not required to fly from Richmond to San Diego.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Richmond to San Diego?

    On your way to San Diego, you’ll fly out from Richmond Byrd Intl. You’ll be landing at San Diego.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Richmond to San Diego?

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

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Richmond to San Diego?

    Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between Richmond and San Diego, with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to San Diego from Richmond?

    Charlotte is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from Richmond to San Diego.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Richmond to San Diego, Delta or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Richmond to San Diego are Delta and Southwest. With an average price for the route of $484 and an overall rating of 7.9, Delta is the most popular choice. Southwest is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $515 and an overall rating of 7.9.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Richmond to San Diego?

    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 Richmond to San Diego.

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

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

    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 San Diego with an airline and back to Richmond with another airline. Booking your flights between Richmond and SAN 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 Richmond to San Diego?

    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 San Diego from Richmond 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 Richmond to San Diego

  • Flights from Richmond International Airport (RIC) to San Diego International Airport (SAN) have at least one layover – Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) being the most popular on Spirit Airlines, Breeze Airways, and Frontier. United and American Airlines stop at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Sun Country Air changes planes twice – once at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) and once at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS).
  • The flight upgrade system of Spirit Airlines uses a pay-as-you-go model. To upgrade to a larger seat or Big Front Seat, you must buy extra personalized services before your flight. If you are a frequent flyer with an elite status (Gold or Silver), you are eligible for a free upgrade to the exit row. As a Gold member, select a free exit seat when booking, but as a Silver member, wait until three hours before departure (subject to availability).
  • Take note of Southwest Airlines’ unconventional boarding process: first-come, first-serve. Arrive at the check-in with your group on time to sit together without additional costs. Your boarding slot depends on your check-in time, which you can do online no later than 24 hours before departure. However, A-List members and EarlyBird Check-In subscribers are automatically assigned a seat 36 hours before the flight.
  • When unsure about your flight date and time, we recommend buying a changeable or refundable airfare. JetBlue excels in offering budget-friendly flight options on the route RIC-SAN. Most of their fare tiers (Blue, Blue Plus, Blue Extra, and Mint) allow you to change or cancel flights at no extra fee, except for the Blue Basic.
  • When taking the route RIC-MSP-LAS-SAN on a Sun Country Air, you can relax at the Escape Lounge inside the Lindbergh Terminal 1 of MSP airport (between concourses E and F post-security). Use your Amex Platinum card for free access.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Richmond to San Diego

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Richmond to San Diego. 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 Richmond to San Diego? 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 4298 reviews
7.5Entertainment
8.0Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

Plane was clean and comfortable. Flight attendants and gate staff were professional, friendly and efficient. Boarding and deplaning were orderly and efficient. All in all, the typical excellent Southwest experience.

10.0 ExcellentRobert, May 2026
LAS - SFO
Read more Southwest reviews

Plane was clean and comfortable. Flight attendants and gate staff were professional, friendly and efficient. Boarding and deplaning were orderly and efficient. All in all, the typical excellent Southwest experience.

Not having a five hour delay with little notice! The crew was very kind, though, and just as tired as we passengers were. The flight didn't depart until nearly 1 am...and no reason was ever given.

This leg was much better, but we did have to have a 3 hour lay o er after coming from a very exhausting hiccup with our flight from BNA to Den

The Air hostess were very rude on my flight from Houston to Austin . Their regular communication itself felt a they are shouting at people.

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

No food or entertainment, just a quick 40 minute flight. A little bumpy due to Santa Ana winds but pilot has no control over that. Good flight and landing!

Good but I prefer choose your own seat. With the new assigned seats they should board from the back I see no advantage to this new boarding. Just like every other airline

Mediocre. Boarding is now unpleasant. The employees, once friendly and nice, are now regularly speaking sternly to passengers, badgering them to do things right so they can take off on time and gate check bags because they don't have enough overhead bin space. The pretzel snack was crushed flat and broken into even smaller pieces, which happens frequently lately. Drink service was suspended before they reached my row.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

Everything went smoothly, although the usual gripes about airline travel were still present: the boarding process is inefficient, the snack selection is limited, and so on. Since there was extra space on the flight, the gate agent rearranged many people's seats to put people on the aisles and windows, leaving the middle seats empty, as much as possible, which was pretty great.

While they turned off most cabin lights to allow people to sleep, I was bothered by how bright the side lights still were. It was still quite bright for me in a window seat, when I wish I could have slept!

One of the flight attendants was a little cranky. I appreciated the free wifi and plug to charge my laptop

WiFi didn’t work most of the time. The usb chargers would work only occasionally for 5 mins and wouldn’t charge after that. Had to keep trying repeatedly at each of the seats in the row.

The crew bent over backwards to thank us for flying and make us comfortable. The food service was quick and efficient. The Captain communicated and said goodbye and thank you as we departed. They really stood out!

Generally on time departures and arrivals, clean planes, sky miles membership provides great benefits (complimentary upgrades, etc).

my mom urmila patel needed a wheelchair which was not available on the curbside. she needed to walk almost 50 meters inside (at the risk of falling) and then had to wait in line to get a wheelchair (this is not ok). Once obtained she had to seat in it for 30-45 minutes for someone to take her in thru the checkin process (which was fairly smooth and easy). the lady who helped her with her checkin process was very courteous and helpful

Staff at the check-in counter were friendly, happy and helpful. They tagged our bags and sent us to “bag drop off” but were not very clear about where that was. The airport was busy we headed off in what we thought was the right direction until a gentleman waved us down and actually came after us. He was the baggage handler for Delta and recognized our “deer in the headlights “ look-he brought us to the right area (which was marked as the Southwest Airlines Drop Off) and sent us on our way. Wonderful guy, low key and working with a big smile on his face. Loved it. Loved him.

Arlene was a great flight attendant. I also liked how one of the other flight attendants gave us a heads up about snacks and asked everyone to remove their headphones when it was their turn to order. Good idea.

I haven’t flown economy in over 20 years but it was not bad. Room by my feet for my bag and seat was roomy enough. Surprised in a good way.

Outstanding service, efficient & friendly crew, flight was safe, comfortable & on time

The crew was great. Very friendly and responsive. The plane was old, small and tight. We ran out of overhead space and I had to check. Middle seat was particularly tight.

The flight was delayed from take off because only one runway was operational in San Francisco.

Several missed and almost missed connections. It felt like everything was being patched together last minute without enough resources and it ended up being an extremely stressful experience that basically ruined our weekend on the west coast. What a waste.

Packed in plane small uncomfortable seats elbow to elbow nobody wants to be in that situation for the money they paid

Checking in united could not figure out my star alliance gold. Baggage did not get marked priority and didn't receive boarding passes. When got to SFO lounge personal fixed everything Immediately

Flight left on time, arrived early, pleasant staff provided water, coffee, etc. access to bathrooms was reasonable and were well maintained. blankets were available, lots of entertainment options. LUGGAGE SERVICE WAS GREAT. I got my one checked bag quickly and was able to make a bus connection for a 2 hour bus ride saving me from waiting another 1.5 hours.

Terrible, if possible won't be flying again anytime soon!

Wonderful in-seat entertainment with seatback screens and huge selection of quality movies. The ability to bluetooth connect headphones was amazing.

Horrible service no Wi-Fi connection on both leg of the flight and they are refusing to fix bad service

The space between seat rows seemed to be larger than other airlines. I didn’t check their food or entertainment since I slept most of the way. They do seem to have a lot of options for purchase though.

Kayak sucked. You gave me a confirmation number that was not useable by the jet blue system. Nor did you send any check in emails. I’ll not be using your site again. Nice work.

Given us a free miles or free flight for waiting for 9 hours I didn’t get home till 5am in the morning and I was supposed to be home at 9:30 touch down.

Excellent price. Everything on time. two bad parts. Kayak said I couldn't sign in for the flight online, but I got an email at the same time from Jet Blue and they let me sign in online. Second bad part was that, although I had provided my known traveler number, neither of my boarding passes, for this flight and the previous one, had TSA pre-check showing.

Jet blue was great But the Jayak system Wasa pure nightmare and wasted so much of my time and energy by not giving me a way to access jet blue to check in the flight back I didn’t even get the number confirmation code 24 hours before. Because I didn’t receive the email with the confirmation code I could NoT CHECk IN. I spoke to a kayak third party and they informed me I could not carry a carry on, on the flight which caused me so much extra stress it was just too much. You can be sure I will not be using it recommending your site. Again.

There was a screen but no earphones that could use the older input so I could listen to anything.

My experience with JetBlue was fine BUT I am very upset with Kayak! JetBlue had delayed our scheduled departure by an hour and you NEVER notified me of the change. I did not hear directly from JetBlue because the trip was booked through Kayak, a mistake I will not repeat. Your reminder of the our trip last week still had the WRONG departure time. Our return trip has also changed, and again no notice from you.

Jet blue just had great service overall! Only a little turbulence heading out of Austin, otherwise the jet stream helped the speed of the trip!

Boarding was quick and efficient. The flight crew were friendly. There were limited food options available on the flight. The pocket guide said there would be salad and sandwich sections available on flights over 3.5 hours. The only food available were snack boxes. And those were limited as well. My flight was over 5 hours. The entertainment system worked well. I had both extra legroom seats and regular coach seats. The seats were not very comfortable. The entertainment controls in the armrest made it difficult to rest my arm without changing the channel on my neighbors TV. Overall, my experience was mediocre.

Purchased through 3rd party vendor which made everything difficult. Unable to check in online. Unable to get flight updates easily, tsa precheck information didn’t carry through, longer time to check in in person. Entertainment looked good but had to purchase conventional headphones to view.

American delayed the flight for a crew rest period. The delay occurred late in the evening - the earliest i can find is 10:20 pm. With a 6 am flight anyone on the flight would have already have been asleep (unless you are insane, a vampire or on drugs) and at least for me i was already on the way to the airport at 445 am the next morning when i discovered they delayed the flight until 9 am. Given the incoming flight was in the air at 6 pm the evening before this should have been figured out a lot more timely that was there only crew to use. Just frustrating given there is no consideration for customer experience anymore in flying.

Flight: Started on time. Comfortable flight. Arrived on time. Crew: Very cordial and helpful. Drinks and snack was served with a smile. Overall enjoyed the trip. Regards, Hari Doss Chanchala Doss

To have arrived on time and not 3 hours late after having already spent $100 to change to an earlier flight, only to arrive back home close to the original flight time.

American Airlines is a miserable experience. It is predictably miserable, in the sense that every time I fly American, I brace myself for the certainty that it will be unpleasant and uncomfortable. But it is unpredictable in the sense that I never know if the flight will be on time or delayed nine hours (both happened to me this week). I never know if I will be able to sit in the seat that I selected when I purchased the ticket or if I will be told by Customer Service (!!!) that I must relocate from first class to a seat in the back of the aircraft with no explanation (both happened to me this week). Will the food be frozen and half defrosted, or scalding hot? Will the drinks be warm? Will the flight attendants be surly and mean? Will the toilets be cramped and foul? Will the seats be narrow and uncomfortable? Will there be a real electric outlet at the seat, or just an unreliable USB-2 port? Will there be enough seats in the boarding lounge or just a few? Will the boarding process be smooth and efficient, or will the gate agents mess it up and delay it needlessly for 30 or 40 minutes? Will the catering and cleaning crew be prompt or will they take an extra 30 minutes? Will the brakes on the aircraft work properly, or will the pilot delay takeoff for four hours while the ground crew attends to what can only be described as routine maintenance that should have been done the night before? I've eexperienced every one of these unpleasant things this year, 2026. The only thing I can reliably count on is that American will find a new way to make the experience of flying as miserable as they possibly can.

Wifi was spotty. Tray table was very dirty when I sat down.

The WiFi would not connect enough for me to do my actual work. It permaspooled, disconnected, said it was connected, then wouldn't open an email... it was frustrating. I am not a tall person, 5'4" - and I felt cramped with little room to reach into my bag under the seat in front of me. I feel sorry for anyone taller than me having to fly. the one positive thing I will add, is the overhead bins are roomy enough to manage more bags than other carriers.

Going non stop to lax like I paid for. Not stopping in MCI for gas. Too long of delays

Delayed for mechanical and no updates on what was happening and how long the delay might be.

A first class seat should fit a fat person, and this doesn't. The trays in the armrest are less functional than an ordinary tray in the back of the seat.

The experience at checkin for my American Airlines flight from Sacramento to LAX was very good including the assistance I received in getting my bags checked in and boarding passes printed. Was pleasantly surprised the my bags were checked through all the way to my destination at Clark International Airport in Angeles, Philippines.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Richmond to San Diego

Information on your arrival and departure airports