SBA - SAN

$89 Find Cheap Flights from Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego departing on 9/16. 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 San Diego

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Santa Barbara to San Diego, 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Flights Deals

Cheap Flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego (SBA-SAN)

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

Mon, Oct 20 - Sun, Oct 26
Southwest Logo
4:55 pm - 11:05 pmSBA-SAN
6h 10m1 stop
Southwest Logo
7:55 pm - 12:05 amSAN-SBA
4h 10m1 stop
$220Southwest
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Tue, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 19
United Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 12:48 pmSBA-SAN
6h 18m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
4:11 pm - 10:14 pmSAN-SBA
6h 03m1 stop
$228United Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 19
United Airlines Logo
2:00 pm - 10:14 pmSBA-SAN
8h 14m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 1:10 pmSAN-SBA
6h 10m1 stop
$242United Airlines
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Wed, Aug 20 - Sat, Aug 23
United Airlines Logo
6:52 pm - 12:15 amSBA-SAN
5h 23m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
10:54 am - 1:53 pmSAN-SBA
2h 59m1 stop
$280United Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Oct 20 - Sun, Oct 26
Southwest Logo
4:55 pm - 9:05 pmSBA-SAN
4h 10m1 stop
Southwest Logo
4:20 pm - 12:05 amSAN-SBA
7h 45m2 stops
$287Southwest
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Sat, Aug 9 - Sun, Aug 10
Southwest Logo
10:50 am - 3:00 pmSBA-SAN
4h 10m1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:10 am - 1:20 pmSAN-SBA
5h 10m1 stop
$293Southwest
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Sat, Aug 9 - Sun, Aug 10
Southwest Logo
10:50 am - 3:00 pmSBA-SAN
4h 10m1 stop
Southwest Logo
7:15 am - 1:20 pmSAN-SBA
6h 05m2 stops
$298Southwest
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Sat, Jul 26 - Sat, Aug 2
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:37 pm - 8:21 amSBA-SAN
13h 44m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
8:20 am - 5:57 pmSAN-SBA
9h 37m2 stops
$526Alaska Airlines
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Mon, Jul 14 - Fri, Jul 18
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:37 pm - 8:21 amSBA-SAN
13h 44m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
10:11 pm - 5:57 pmSAN-SBA
19h 46m2 stops
$844Alaska Airlines
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Sun, Jul 13 - Thu, Jul 17
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:37 pm - 8:21 amSBA-SAN
13h 44m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:39 am - 5:57 pmSAN-SBA
10h 18m2 stops
$846Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Useful Info

KAYAK's insights & trends for Santa Barbara to San Diego flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego?

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to San Diego on a Tuesday and more expensive on a Saturday. On your return trip to Santa Barbara, you should consider flying back on a Thursday, and avoid Fridays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego is September, where tickets cost $263 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are November and May, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $646 and $506 respectively.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
High seasonMay
Cheapest flight$89
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 12% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 29% increase in price.
Flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego

When to book flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego

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

  • Can I reserve a long-term parking spot at SBA?

    No, SBA Parking does not accept reservations. The Long-Term Parking Lot is located across the street from the terminal, but it tends to have limited space. If this lot is full, use the Economy Lot on Lopez Road, where you can catch a shuttle to the Santa Barbara Airport terminals about every 15 minutes.

  • Does SBA have private facilities for nursing moms?

    Yes, if you are a traveling mom who would like to breastfeed in private or who needs to pump before your flight to San Diego, you can use the Mamava lactation suite located airside at Gate 2 of the SBA terminal. This freestanding unit features seating, a table, a USB port, an electrical outlet, a coat hook, and a mirror.

  • Can I rent a car at the San Diego Airport?

    Yes. You will find all rental car agencies are housed outside the airport in the Rental Car Center, in a separate building. When you exit baggage claim at the Arrivals curb, you can get a free shuttle to your car agency. Some agencies at SAN are Enterprise, Budget, Hertz, Avis, Alamo, Firefly, and others.

  • Where is the USO at the San Diego Airport?

    The USO at the San Diego Airport is located landside in Terminal 2. This military lounge offers its services and facilities free of charge to active duty members of the US military and their families. Some amenities of this lounge are refreshments, comfortable seating, TV, showers, unlimited domestic telephone calls, and more.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego was $89 for a one-way ticket and $220 for a round-trip.

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

    No, a passport isn't needed to fly from Santa Barbara to San Diego. However, local authorities might ask for an official ID.

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

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

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

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

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego, Southwest or United Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego are Southwest and United Airlines. With an average price for the route of $446 and an overall rating of 8.0, Southwest is the most popular choice. United Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $366 and an overall rating of 7.4.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Diego from Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara with another airline. Booking your flights between Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego

  • Located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is located in the city of Goleta, California, just north of Santa Barbara. The San Diego International Airport (SAN) is also located on the Pacific coast, but further south in California, just a few miles north of the US-Mexican border. (SAN) serves as a hub for Alaska Airlines, Southwest, and others.
  • Flying from SBA to SAN, it's unlikely that you will find a non-stop flight. However, you can find several flights with one stop. For instance, an American Airlines flight stops in Phoenix, United flights often stop in San Francisco, and Alaska Airlines flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego often stop in Seattle.
  • If you want to stay overnight near the Santa Barbara Airport before your flight to San Diego, consider booking into the Super 8 by Wyndham Santa Barbara / Goleta or the Residence Inn by Marriott Santa Barbara / Goleta. Under 5min from SBA, these hotels feature free breakfast, a restaurant, wheelchair accessibility, a business center, gym, and pool.
  • If you want to relax and unwind before you head out into San Diego, you can visit one of the Be Relax Spas at SAN. You can find these spas at Gate 26 and 36 in Terminal 2. these retail spa outlets are open daily from 7 am to 8 pm.
  • The volunteer organization Traveler’s Aid is available at SAN every day from 8 am to 11 pm in baggage claim. Travelers Aid can assist passengers who unexpectedly need someplace to stay, need transportation, have had money lost or stolen, or other calamities.

Reviews of the top airlines flying from Santa Barbara to San Diego

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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 4278 reviews
8.0Comfort
8.2Boarding
7.6Entertainment
8.6Crew
7.0Food
Airline reviews

First time traveling on Southwest since bag fees were implemented. Usual good service. Just more expensive now.

8.0 ExcellentMichael, Jun 2025PHX - SAN
Read more Southwest reviews

First time traveling on Southwest since bag fees were implemented. Usual good service. Just more expensive now.

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

Boarding process, crew were good. But the seats were so uncomfortable that was all I could focus on. I literally had to sit forward so that all 3 of us could fit in row. I will try to avoid Southwest in the future for any flights over 60 minutes.

Great flight, 47 passengers on a 180 seat plane. Stewardess was pleasant and cheerful.

Great experience flying Southwest. The crew was really kind and helpful, and very friendly with our toddler.

Plane late from DC to Austin 30 minutes. Crew made up much of the time enroute to San Diego.

Fine, but how to board on SW versus othrr airlines, is just lame. Goood staff though and all was solid otherwise.

Was as expected. Crowed planes. Too many carryons delaying takeoff. But the ride only took an hour and saved me a lot of time SFO is a not a great airport.

Was as expected. Crowed planes. Too many carryons delaying takeoff. But the ride only took an hour and saved me a lot of time SFO is a hell hole of an airport. It is the new LaGuardia. Everything Cobbled together. Security gates closed. Terri directional signage

I will be flying again Southwest Airlines. Friendly crew, comfortable and affordable.

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.

My flight was delayed a very short period of time but they did not hold my connecting flight to San Diego, also through United. So they closed the doors before we got off our plane. They would only have to help the door open for another five to ten minutes. So I missed a court deadline for a manditory mediation settlement conference for my client. I had to get an associate to be there in person and be on the phone with him relaying what he needs to do the entire time. The court was very upset with me and so was my client. United cannot be trusted.

We were given vouchers we couldn’t use with a 5.5 hour delay

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.

Boarding was mayhem. Late boarding by 15 minutes because of lack of staff (missing 1 flight attendant. We had to wait for an arrival of another plane before we could board). Flight was a little rough, but cannot blame on airlines.

Great experience…left a bit behind schedule but made up fir that in the air and landed 10 minutes early 😁

United out of SFO is having issues with catering so none of our meals were loaded on the plane and no offer of compensation for our tickets purchased was offered.

A bit rush for transit. Food and entertainment are not available

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

Generally good. The aisles have gotten narrower which can slow down boarding. Flight crew was great! Healthier complimentary snacks would be appreciated. Due to earthquake in San Francisco we had to circle in air space for a bit but then had a smooth landing. I laud the flight crew for their patience ;)

Everything you need to know for your flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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