$58 Find Cheap Flights from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea departing on 11/8. 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.
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1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$73
Typical prices: $110-$230
Frontier
Sat 8/29Sun 9/6
SAN - SFO • Non-stop
Cheapest one-way
$58
Typical prices: $82-$213
Frontier
Sun 11/8
SAN - SFO • Non-stop
Arrival airport
You can't fly directly to Carmel-by-the-Sea. It is served by San Francisco (SFO), located 78 miles from Carmel-by-the-Sea.
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Flight Deals
Useful Info
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea (SAN-SFO)

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

Sat, Aug 29 - Sun, Sep 6
Frontier Logo
10:00 am - 11:52 amSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 52mnonstop
Frontier Logo
1:07 pm - 2:50 pmSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 43mnonstop
$73Frontier
Sat, Sep 5 - Sun, Sep 6
Frontier Logo
10:00 am - 11:52 amSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 52mnonstop
Frontier Logo
1:07 pm - 2:50 pmSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 43mnonstop
$74Frontier
Thu, Sep 3 - Sun, Sep 6
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:00 am - 11:52 amSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 52mnonstop
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:19 pm - 7:03 pmSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 44mnonstop
$78Multiple Airlines
Thu, Sep 10 - Mon, Sep 14
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 2:45 pmSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 45mnonstop
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:31 pm - 6:19 pmSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 48mnonstop
$88Multiple Airlines
Thu, Sep 3 - Sun, Sep 6
Southwest Logo
11:30 am - 1:10 pmSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 40mnonstop
Southwest Logo
6:05 am - 7:40 amSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 35mnonstop
$127Southwest
Sat, Sep 5 - Sat, Sep 12
Southwest Logo
6:05 pm - 7:35 pmSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 30mnonstop
Southwest Logo
6:25 am - 7:55 amSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 30mnonstop
$127Southwest
Fri, Sep 11 - Mon, Sep 14
Alaska Airlines Logo
3:43 pm - 5:22 pmSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 39mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
8:25 am - 10:08 amSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 43mnonstop
$127Alaska Airlines
Sat, Sep 19 - Mon, Sep 21
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:30 pm - 11:12 pmSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 42mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
5:16 pm - 7:00 pmSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 44mnonstop
$128Alaska Airlines
Mon, Oct 19 - Thu, Oct 22
United Airlines Logo
11:19 am - 1:05 pmSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 46mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 8:43 amSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 43mnonstop
$137United Airlines
Mon, Nov 23 - Thu, Nov 26
United Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 9:20 amSAN  San Diego-SFO San Francisco
1h 50mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 8:36 amSFO  San Francisco-SAN San Diego
1h 36mnonstop
$137United Airlines
Useful Info

Good to know

Low season

June

Cheapest flight

$58
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 19% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 3% increase in price.
Flight from San Diego to San Francisco

When to book flights from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price

Flights from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea 
ClaudiaFlew with United Airlines-Jun 2026
Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future
LindseyFlew with SWISS-Dec 2025
Ready for weather delays of wind in SFO, which happens often. Keep that in consideration when planning an additional leg of a trip after it from SFO.
VyomaFlew with Alaska Airlines-Jun 2024
Be sure to read the signs, i have heard it's confusing for connecting flights if you don't follow the directions.

FAQs for booking flights from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    When flying out of San Diego you’ll be using San Diego. Carmel-by-the-Sea does not have its own airport so you’ll be flying into nearby San Francisco airport, which is 78.0 mi away.

  • How long does a flight from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea take?

    Direct flights cover the 446 miles separating San Diego and Carmel-by-the-Sea in about 1h 30m.

  • How many flights are there between San Diego and Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    94 direct flights run between San Diego and Carmel-by-the-Sea on a daily basis. On average, there are about 663 departures each week.

  • What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly between San Diego and Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    Consider leaving on a Thursday and avoid Saturdays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to San Diego, you’ll find the best rates on Tuesdays and the most expensive ones on Saturdays.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    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 San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea.

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

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

    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 Carmel-by-the-Sea with an airline and back to San Diego with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    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 Carmel-by-the-Sea from San Diego up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

    In the last 5 days, the cheapest one-way ticket between San Diego and Carmel-by-the-Sea found on KAYAK was with Frontier for $29. Frontier offered a round-trip connection from $54 and Hawaiian Airlines from $58.

Top tips for finding cheap flights from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea

  • There is no airport in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Instead, you’ll be flying into San Francisco Airport when flying between San Diego and Carmel-by-the-Sea.
  • The cheapest flight from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea was found 59 days before departure, on average.
  • Book at least 2 weeks before departure in order to get a below-average price.
  • High season is considered to be February, March and April. The cheapest month to fly is October.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea? 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 4216 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.5Entertainment
8.0Comfort
7.0Food
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

Red eye from San Diego. Temperature of the cabin was way too warm and the air duct flowed very little air.

6.0 GoodGordon, Jul 2026
Read more Southwest reviews

Red eye from San Diego. Temperature of the cabin was way too warm and the air duct flowed very little air.

Great job Southwest! My family doesn't fly often but we felt safe the whole time.

Comfortable. Easy. No problems. Just wish they had gf options for snacks.

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

The seats are now more narrow. I paid for front row the seats in the front are even more narrow than before.

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.

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

No trays in our seats, we sat in first row, purchased a business class fare. Had to hold our drinks and snack in our hands. No plugs for our cell phones. Had to pay for it a drink cocktail each. Seats so uncomfortable.

No problems with the flight, my issue is with the terminal at SAN airport. I’ve never seen a dirtier, worse equipped terminal. No power plugs worked, but you could of course buy a fuel rod battery from the kiosk (seemingly the only thing that worked).

Everything went well. We even landed earlier than scheduled. Thank you!

We got in the plane late we still got to our destination on time. I wished Airlines would make people that put their luggage above were smaller maybe they would all fit and get them out easier customers like myself pay for her luggage in the back when your in a hurry to go to another destination it’s very frustrating for everyone to take their time to get their luggage down and wait because they don’t want to pay.

The flight was very late departing the gate, for unknown reasons.

delay was longer than the entire flight. I didn’t stop flying with delta for this.

There were 5 delays IN TOTAL there and back. And we got a $12 food voucher, RIDICULOUS. Will never fly Alaska again!

Flight delayed no communication. The gate was changed so many times.

The ticketing counter in SD was a mess. The lady handling the First-Class check-in seemed overwhelmed until a supervisor replaced her. It took almost 20 minutes to get once couple checked in, and then she started walking around the counters while 7 people just stood in line. Once her supervisor arrived, she announced she was going on break, never to engage with customers again.

Good as usual. Just wished my seat was assigned at online check in. Thanks anyways

I bought tickets MONTHS ago for a flight that left SAN at 14:30. That is what it says on our tickets. I was never notified of any time changes. During online check-in. I discovered the flight time had been changed to 15:45. This was unacceptable and had I been notified, I would have changed flights, or airlines. That departure time was unworkable with our plans. We called Alaska and asked for an explanation. They said flight time was changed 11/08/25. No proof of notification could be offered. We asked to be moved to an earlier flight. After much pleading, the rep said she would allow a “one time exception..” While I appreciate being moved, this was YOUR fault Alaska Airlines.

Again, very smooth and all of the Alaska folks were great. They continue to meet all my needs.

The whole experience went smoothly with no hitches along the way.

The Kayak confirmation number did not work for checking in the day before. I checked in at 8.30 using my ticket number. When I arrived at the airport, I was informed that the flight was overbooked, and since I had checked in late, I did not have a seat. The Next flight was not until ten PM. I called my wife, who had been taking care of our kids all weekend, and she was upset, calling me a liar and telling me to stay in SD. It turned my weekend getaway into a nightmare! I blame the Kayak website and will not book flights using your app in the future.

comfortable but the food is horrible. I have flown Hawaiian several times now and no matter what they say the food is its the same squashed bread with melted goop inside. Tastes fake and isnt what they represent, its quite nasty. What happend to real food? And there is NO entertainment!! so not sure why they are asking for a review on that.

3 hour wait on customer service after flight was cancelled. Was bumped to a flight where I wouldnt have gotten to my destination for another 2 days. Had to fully refund flight and book a new one the following morning. Paid twice the amount for the flight than I had originally booked. Very disappointed I was not offered any sort of discount or points for all of the frustration, in fact the airline profited twice as much off of me by cancelling my flight and and changing my entire trip.

I accidentally made this purchase and they wouldn’t refund me even though I called immediately to cancel it.

The flight was delayed and they didn’t have a pilot for the flight. Seemed very unorganized and took way longer than expected.

The worst flight experience I've ever had. Our flight was delayed 14 whole hours because the flight crew never showed up. We had to wait in a two hour line to get our new boarding passes, we were told we had no other option but to fly at 10pm (we didn't depart until 11:45pm). Everyone had to contact their hotels and car rental places, workplaces, etc. since we lost an entire day's worth of travel. The crew showed up at 10:15, which was past the time we were supposed to board. They were laughing and being completely smug when they boarded, and they took another hour to board us onto our flight. The flight crew never came to check in on us, we were quickly given one drink and sandwich and they turned off the lights and were negligent the rest of the trip. My mom asked three attendants for a seat belt extender, they never brought one. I was dehydrated and never received another drink. They were very rude and unfriendly, we had been up since 4am the morning of our flight and didn't land in our destination until 2am the next day (5am local time). This was unacceptable service and treatment, these flights are not cheap and we were inconvenienced out of an entire day of travel. This was 100% avoidable and was the fault of Hawaiian Airlines, and their crews inability to show up to work on time.

I was unable to get a check im and get a boarding pass. I tried at the desk of the flight operator Alaska, was told to go to Hawaiian and almost had to go back to Alaskan. In the end inwas told to go thru security and directly to the gate without checking in. It would have been more helpful to have the details rather than walking all over the terminals trying to check in.

We were delayed at the SD gate for close to an hour before we were allowed to depart for SJ. Reason given was inadequate ground crew to move the plane from the gate.

Your crew shortage delayed departure by an hour resulting in us missing an event we had scheduled for that afternoon outside of Fresno.

The pre-flight check in process was bad. The app didn't allow check-in online and forced me to check in at the airport. Alaska didn't have self-service kiosks for check in (only bag tagging stations), so I had to wait in line with people who were checking bags just to get my boarding pass.

Service was professional and quick. Premium economy seat was comfortable given the class

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly at all times! They went above and beyond to get us into an earlier flight in San Diego to make our connection in SFO possible, because our original flight did actually not make it! I did so much appreciate the UA team and how they made this possible. We also didn’t have seats together on the long flight to Singapore, but they found us seats together last moment with no additional cost! Nobody sat next to us, so that we were able to sleep! Thanks to UA for improving their service and Underpricer for booking this trip! Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future

Over 2.5 hour maintenance delay on first morning flight with no acknowledgement, compensation or even gesture of good will. Aircraft had overnighted at airport so issue should have been addressed prior to boarding. Over 3.5 hours before first slow and deliberate beverage service.

Complimentary light meal would be appreciated. But great flight crew service on all legs

The food was terrible this time. Otherwise pleasant, quiet, on-time.

I was in first class. The outlets at my seat did not work. The plane was shabby and run down. I had prepurchsed a day subscription for internet that was not redeemable. I had to repurchase the internet for my flight and then it didn’t work anyway. Quite disappointed in what was supposed to be the launch of a great vacation.

As usual, United scheduling is completely misleading. A 54-minute layover at O’Hare is too short to make a lot of connections, especially since the flight landed “on time” but had to wait on the taxiway 15 minutes for a gate to open up. Then it takes another 10 minutes to exit the plane before one can run to another concourse to catch a connecting flight.

Flight was ok. Unfortunately it was a Boeing 737, which is a cramped / tight airplane. I prefer the Airbus as they are a more comfortable flight experience.

We were traveling as a family of 5 and they refused to seat us together. There were entire rows open, and my 13 year old daughter had to sit alone. Ridiculous!

Do not like the feeling of being in the basic economy. Everyone should feel good no matter what.

We had an awful experience getting our bags checked in. Frontier’s check in on the app manipulated us into buying the business package because that was the only option available for a checked bag which included two checked bags per person which we did not need. Upon arriving to the airport, we stood in line for what seemed like forever at the baggage check in and there was no one available at the counter. We were first in line and we were afraid we were going to miss our flight due to the baggage attendant being late. After realizing there were a lot of other people waiting at the baggage check in and no one available. I reached out to Frontier and could not get any customer service so I had to call the airport to page the baggage attendant to send someone to the counter to check in our bags before we were able to go through security , I finally spoke to the attendant at the counter and explained to her that we had to pay for two checked bags person a total of six bags when we only had a total of three bags between three people she said to reach out to Frontier and they would issue a refund for the three bags that we paid for and did not need. I reached out to Frontier which I was not able to reach anybody by phone so I had to go through their automated chat feature, which sent me around in circles until I finally reached a representative to assist me. I explained to them what happened and they explained that they were not able to assist me. I continued to push the issue with them as this was very frustrating and they finally put in a customer service ticket where we were issued a flight credit and we were so disappointed because after this experience, we NEVER want to fly Frontier again, and we do not want a credit that we will not use. Frontier charged us almost $500 for us to check three bags which is absolutely absurd! The customer service agents were not able to offer anything else other than a flight credit and I do not feel like my frustrations were truly heard , we will never use Frontier Airlines again ! Truly Theft by Manipulation! They should be ashamed!

Every day about it was very different all the boarding pass where all wrong l miss flight no refund all crazy

The trip was good but the last minute changes I didn’t like because I had already talked to the attendee and they didn’t help me with my ticket I was having trouble checking in and when the time was up they help me but charge me for that and last minute luggage it was a small bag. After I was in the airplane I realized you were charging because the flight was almost empty and you have to get the money some how. Thanks for everything.

Our flight was delayed by four hours without notice, the app for getting my boarding pass is super confusing, and I wasn’t able to check a suitcase without paying for a higher cost package

First the gate was a total nightmare-no chairs anywhere! So over crowded and only one bathroom and nightmare of food service - took forever and NOT one place to sit. No inflight entertainment and had to pay 60.00 for a small carry on. I will never fly Frontier again!

I didn't like anything about the flight It was my first time and definitely my last time boarding a frontier flight. Their counter agents need training and they need to learn to communicate regularly and respectfully

Flight was 3 hours late leaving. Poor communication from the staff about delays. Impossible to get in touch with customer service (by design). And it actually didn't come out to be much cheaper than a non-budget airline! Not worth the headache, I'm never flying Frontier again

I did not enjoy the trip home on Frontier for several reasons: there is too much cost besides the flight, which was more than I would normally pay, then having to pay for luggage, and carry-on, seat (if you want to reserve when booking) then you must pay over $3 for a can of soda, and $4 for a snack. A cup of water is free.

Flight was delay 9hrs and nothing was provided at airport, had to go and get a room to sleep in, paid for Uber back and fort with no offers until we landed back home a 1hr later for a $75 voucher for a future flight.

Terrible. Seats are bad and the baggage policy is inconsistent

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-Sea

Complete your trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea with a hotel stay or car rental