SAN - DSM

$110 Find Cheap Flights from San Diego 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 San Diego to Des Moines departing on 10/3. 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 San Diego 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 San Diego to Des Moines, as well as popular online travel agencies
Travelers love KAYAK
41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 22% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Diego to Des Moines (SAN-DSM)

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

Thu, Oct 2 - Mon, Oct 6
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:15 am - 10:40 pmSAN-DSM
14h 25m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:25 pm - 11:53 pmDSM-SAN
11h 28m1 stop
$194Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Oct 16 - Wed, Oct 22
Frontier Logo
6:41 am - 1:52 pmSAN-DSM
5h 11m1 stop
Frontier Logo
2:37 pm - 11:50 pmDSM-SAN
11h 13m1 stop
$197Frontier
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 30 - Mon, Oct 6
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:35 pm - 2:27 pmSAN-DSM
22h 52m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:25 pm - 11:53 pmDSM-SAN
11h 28m1 stop
$199Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Oct 16 - Wed, Oct 22
Frontier Logo
6:41 am - 1:52 pmSAN-DSM
5h 11m1 stop
Frontier Logo
2:37 pm - 11:50 pmDSM-SAN
11h 13m1 stop
$201Frontier
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 10 - Wed, Dec 17
American Airlines Logo
6:15 am - 2:51 pmSAN-DSM
6h 36m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
3:38 pm - 8:16 pmDSM-SAN
6h 38m1 stop
$297American Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Dec 11 - Tue, Dec 16
Delta Logo
10:00 pm - 9:40 amSAN-DSM
9h 40m1 stop
Delta Logo
6:50 am - 1:08 pmDSM-SAN
8h 18m1 stop
$320Delta
Find Deal
Tue, Feb 24 - Wed, Feb 25
Delta Logo
12:05 pm - 9:27 pmSAN-DSM
7h 22m1 stop
Delta Logo
12:00 pm - 6:03 pmDSM-SAN
8h 03m1 stop
$338Delta
Find Deal
Fri, Oct 24 - Sat, Nov 1
American Airlines Logo
3:14 pm - 11:16 pmSAN-DSM
6h 02m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
3:48 pm - 8:13 pmDSM-SAN
6h 25m1 stop
$341American Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Oct 24 - Sat, Nov 1
United Airlines Logo
11:08 am - 9:50 pmSAN-DSM
8h 42m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
8:02 am - 5:28 pmDSM-SAN
11h 26m2 stops
$351United Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 10 - Wed, Dec 17
United Airlines Logo
11:02 am - 8:48 pmSAN-DSM
7h 46m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
9:00 am - 1:04 pmDSM-SAN
6h 04m1 stop
$382United Airlines
Find Deal

Everything you should know

Top airlines
Frontier
Cheapest • from $197 (round-trip)
Southwest
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
4 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 32% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
May
Cheapest • 23% price drop
December
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Cheapest round-trip
$194
Overall average: $391
Multiple Airlines
Thu 10/2Mon 10/6
SAN - DSM • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$110
Typical prices: $168-350
Multiple Airlines
Fri 10/3
SAN - DSM • 1 stop
Start a new search
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 San Diego to Des Moines flights

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

The average price of all round-trip flights from San Diego 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 Sunday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Wednesday is the most expensive day to fly from San Diego to Des Moines. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Monday and avoiding Sundays for the best deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Diego to Des Moines?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Diego 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 San Diego to Des Moines is May, where tickets cost $312 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are February and March, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $544 and $536 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from San Diego 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.

No, with an average price for the route of $286, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego to Des Moines, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 32% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 12 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonMarch
Cheapest flight$110
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 31% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 19% increase in price.
Flight from San Diego to Des Moines

When to book flights from San Diego to Des Moines

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

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Diego to Des Moines?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Diego to Des Moines was $110 for a one-way ticket and $194 for a round-trip.

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

    A passport is not required to fly from San Diego to Des Moines.

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

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

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San Diego to Des Moines?

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

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

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Diego to Des Moines are Southwest and Delta. With an average price for the route of $445 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 $472 and an overall rating of 7.9.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Des Moines 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 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 San Diego with another airline. Booking your flights between San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San Diego to Des Moines

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

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

10.0 ExcellentRobert, Sep 2025SFO - LAS
Read more Southwest reviews

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.

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.

Delayed flight. Nicest crew member was a SW pilot flying seated next to me who kindly move to seat the final passenger. Flight extra delayed. My cup of refreshment of ginger ale was so packed with ice it was literally 2 sips.

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.

Flight wasn’t even full, but too many carry-ons caused us to run out of bin space. New bag fee has folks who would usually check their bags carrying on. Watching Southwest morph into Spirit/Frontier is so sad to watch

Southwest is Southwest. No frills. If you're luck enough to get a happy crew (we did), then it makes for a nicer flight.

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.

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.

Stuck on tarmac for two hours plus a 5.5 hour flight. Rude flight attendant. And no meals, not even for purchase!

I learned that seating towards the end of plane that a line forms for the restroom and people use your chair as a hand railing, bumping your seat consistently. I was seated in the aisle. I think that next time if I am towards the back row I would want to sit in the middle or window seat.

United sent me a mileage plus number last year but that number is invalid so I can’t use it to check into flights or collect mileage. There is human to speak about the problem, only computers who keep asking me if I am using the correct email. It’s so frustrating and I cannot resolve it.

Not a great experience. We paid for the upgrade for premium economy seats and seated ourselves in very comfortable seats. Someone came along with the same seat on their boarding pass. The aircraft had been changed and as a result we were booted out and sent further back to small uncomfortable seats. After complaining we were moved to emergency row seats, which gave us more leg room but the seats don’t recline. For people in our 70’s we found having to sit upright from California to NJ very uncomfortable. Not sure why they chose to move senior citizens instead of the two people that were allowed to take the more comfortable seats. Not happy.

It was great, I’m very grateful for the pilots and crew flight attendants for everything.

Everything was great. Only thing that could’ve made it better was buy on board options for hot food, but the snacks were decent. The flight attendants were great. I had no complaints. I was able to make it to my destination safely

Boarded plane and then delayed 1.5 hours while on the plane

Horrific. They missed my connecting flight to San Diego. I didn’t get there until Monday at 9am when I had a mandatory court settlement conference scheduled at 6am since we had parties on the east coast. This caused many issues. All because United apparently forgot to hold the doors open until my flight landed that only had a 10 minute delay. This was the last flight to Southern California. So I couldn’t even rent a car to finish the trip. United cannot be trusted when traveling on specific days and times since weather didn’t have anything to do with the delays.

Really good 😊 the woman at the gate entrance was a little rude checking in our carry-on but i dont think she worked for the airline, she worked for the airport at sacramento, other than that amazing.

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.

4 hours late, including over +1 hour waiting in plane to take off. Baggage left behind too.

While waiting to claim my checked luggage, I discovered the airline had lost it. After a long wait and inquiries, I discovered it was on another flight. Fortunately, the airline finally sent my luggage home.

Was not able to watch most shows on the entertainment site. They would not load

Our flight was 1.5 hours delayed. There was no weather for the inbound flight, so I don't understand why. This meant a VERY late arrival and only a quick nap before my morning flight.

Delayed flight, so I switched fights to SFO to Phoenix , Phoenix to DSM. Excellent service through American Airlines

AA re-routed flight from HNL to LAX due to delay. My group of 3 with reserved seats in row 9 was broken up, with one assigned to a middle seat, another in the last row of the plane. Not happy. No explanation to the delay. No apologies. No compensation. Would have been nice to be offered an Admiral Club admission or a voucher for the extra 3 hours of layover in LAX. Could not hear the boarding gate announcements in LAX. Adjacent gate was boarding at the same time. Loud speakers were competing against each other. Barely made my boarding group.

Almost a 6 hour flight and the only food option is a cheese plate… and chips. Also how is it there are no options for texting on American. I’ll be going back to delta and united.

The chair cushions may need an upgrade. I have been noticing they are so worn out, thin so you’d sit in a dip 😄. Other than that, all was an enjoyable trip. Thanks AA!

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.

Cancelled flight after I arrived at airport after 75 min drive and parking. Next flight was 4 days in the future. Had to scramble and buy a much more expensive flight on another carrier.

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….

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Diego to Des Moines

Information on your arrival and departure airports

Not what you’re looking for? Find thousands of other hotels, flights, car rentals and package deals with KAYAK.