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Find Cheap Flights from Santa Barbara

Where can I fly from Santa Barbara?Prices from SBA, departing Sun 12/13 and returning Sun 12/20
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights from Santa Barbara

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

Which are the most popular places to fly to from Santa Barbara?

Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular place to fly from Santa Barbara is New York (10% of total searches). The next most popular destinations are Seattle/Tacoma Intl (8%) and San Francisco (6%).

What are the most popular international flights out of Santa Barbara?

There are many international destinations you can fly to from Santa Barbara. The most popular international destinations among KAYAK users are Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City.

Which cities can I fly to direct from Santa Barbara?

There are loads of places you can fly direct to from Santa Barbara. The most popular destinations for direct flights among KAYAK users are San Diego, San Francisco, San Francisco and Las Vegas. On average, the cheapest of these destinations on KAYAK over the last 2 weeks for a return flight was San Diego at $198, while the most expensive was San Francisco, at $322.

What is the longest direct flight from Santa Barbara?

The longest direct flight you can take from Santa Barbara is to Chicago, with a duration of 4h 19m. The next longest is Dallas/Fort Worth Airport at 3h 25m, followed by a flight to Seattle at 2h 33m.

What are the cheapest places to fly to from Santa Barbara?

The cheapest destination for a flight from Santa Barbara found on KAYAK in the last two weeks was San Diego and cost $58. The next cheapest destinations were Oakland at $58 and Salt Lake City at $68.

Good to know

Low season

January

Cheapest flight

$59
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 30% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 7% increase in price.
Flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Flights from Santa Barbara: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew from Santa Barbara to anywhere 
DAVIDFlew with United Airlines-Sep 2026
The SBA airport food options are very limited as the airport is small (6 gates). Cozy country feel to the airport.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines-Jun 2026
Check your flight the night before! My flight was canceled and rebooked but it is a common thing to have flights cancelled. The airport is small so going through TSA is fairly quick.
Odessa DelainaFlew with American Airlines-Dec 2024
Do not arrive more than 1 1/2 hours before departure. There wasn’t anyone to accept baggage and no seating available.

FAQs for booking flights out of Santa Barbara

  • Where are some places I can fly to nonstop from Santa Barbara?

    There are several US cities you can reach via nonstop flights from Santa Barbara, most of these being in the western part of the US. You can fly to Oakland (OAK), Sacramento (SMF), Las Vegas (LAS), Denver (DEN), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Dallas (DFW), Portland (PDX), Phoenix (PHX), or Seattle (SEA).

  • Does Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) have a service animal relief area?

    Yes, SBA does have a relief area for pets and service animals, but it is important to note that the only one is located landside, just past the side entrance of the terminal. This means that once you pass through security, there is no place for your pet or service animal to relieve itself.

  • How can I make my flight from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) more sustainable?

    Those worried about sustainability on their journey should consider using public transport to arrive at the airport and to leave their destination airport. You should also consider booking direct flights to your final destination to cut down on takeoffs and landings during your trip. The most sustainable airlines operating from SBA are Alaska Airlines and American Airlines, so if possible, book your trip with them.

  • Does Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) have services for those with limited mobility?

    Yes, SBA is an ADA-compliant airport. Upon arrival, you will have access to accessible parking, wheelchair assistance, a service animal relief area, and access to the Hidden Disability Sunflower Program if needed. If you need to use these services, you should contact your airline in advance. 

  • What is Santa Barbara also known as?

    Santa Barbara Airport’s airport code is SBA. It can also be referred to as Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Municipal.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Santa Barbara?

    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.

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

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

    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 your destination with an airline and back to Santa Barbara with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Santa Barbara?

    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 from Santa Barbara up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight out of Santa Barbara

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Santa Barbara to the following destinations at these prices or less: Denver $263 one-way - $367 round-trip; Phoenix $219 one-way - $444 round-trip; San Francisco $179 one-way - $256 round-trip
  • Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) serves not only the city of Santa Barbara, California, but also other nearby cities like Naples, Isla Vista, and Conception. This airport is not currently a hub for any major airlines.
  • If you are leaving early in the morning from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), it is a good idea to book a hotel room nearby to skip the stressful morning transfer. There are not any hotels directly at the airport, but there are many nearby that offer free shuttles to the terminal, including Hampton Inn Goleta/Santa Barbara.
  • If you are flying out of Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) and will need to park your car at the airport while you’re gone, you have several options to choose from: long-term parking, short-term parking, and economy parking. Long-term parking and economy parking will be the best and cheapest options for longer trips. It is not possible to reserve a space in advance.
  • If you are trying to reach the east coast of the US, you should be aware that there are currently no direct flights to that area of the country. Depending on the airline you travel with, you will likely have a layover in another west coast city or in Dallas (DFW) before reaching your final destination.
  • There are four airlines that operate from the Santa Barbara Airport (SBA): Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. Southwest serves the widest range of destinations, while both Southwest and United often serve the largest number of daily departures.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Santa Barbara to Worldwide

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Santa Barbara to Worldwide? 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 4222 reviews
8.1Boarding
8.6Crew
7.0Food
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

Terrible, decided to delay our flight since another flight require a flight captain

2.0 MediocreChih Hsuan, Nov 2026
Read more Southwest reviews

Terrible, decided to delay our flight since another flight require a flight captain

staff and crew were great but the flight delays for the last few flights are insane. After a long day of work and you will get a notification of flights delay is not the message we want to see. And for some reason it keeps happening often this year.

They delayed my flight all day but didn't try to reschedule me until all other options were gone. Ended up on a red eye. Not happy. Lesson learned, don't book the last flight from SJC to RDU.

Friendly crew. Snacks were carb-heavy. Flight was quite delaye

the flight was significantly delayed. Not much was done by the airline to compensate passengers

Boarding now takes twice as long since going with assigned seats.

Not exactly Southwest’s problem, but the new Burbank airport is not great. No restaurants open and tons of work still to be completed. Can’t believe they opened the airport in that condition.

Flight boarded 2.5 hours late (my second southwest flight of the day with late departure), the gate agent was grumpy and unhelpful. Said she was "tired so we aren't going to follow normal boarding order". No complaints about the actual flight crew.

I liked how it boarded fast. I do not like how the seats are just too narrow, and I’m not a big person.

Despite paying for an ‘upgraded’ seat in row 1, I had to put my luggage in the middle of the plane. Snacks were bleh and seat was small and uncomfortable and I am not large. Attendants were fine but not super helpful. Plane just seemed outdated.

This was the 3rd time in a row that my flight was late leaving or canceled. Other airlines seemed leave on time.

The experience was great. The flight attendants were friendly and helpful.

The flight was delayed multiple times and then finally it was late by 5 hours. I tried to be patient and then when I finally asked if there was an earlier flight to LA, I had just missed it. I would have appreciated an updated text or something to let me know that was an option earlier. It would have been better for me to get a bus to L.A. with that time!

Excellent service the whole trip! Flight was a little late on showing up for boarding but the flight arrived at our destination only a few minutes behind schedule, great work!

I didn't like the delays on the air plan I had a appointment/ meeting and of the delay I didn't make it

We waited to board while the plane was serviced and I was really annoyed that we sat waiting to board for two hours. Then we waited in line on the tarmac, then when we landed in Redmond we waited AGAIN for a gate to open. We had screaming babies on the flight whose parents did their best to minimize but these babies were exhausted from the waiting everywhere so it’s understandable. The plane crew was very gracious. I can’t wait to get off this plane.

We got updated to first class and it was a wonderful experience. The staff was so friendly and make my son's trip memorable

The original flight was canceled, but thankfully the airline made an effort to rebook to a later departure. However I lost a day and had a layover in LA. My original seat which I purchased was no longer applicable on the new flight and there was some kind of bulkhead that forced my legs to the left. This is more an Airbus thing than anything else. In flight entertainment system was hard to navigate because screen was not calibrated. Pluses: rebooking by the airline Didn't have to claim my luggage for the transfer. Minuses: lost original seat purchase IFE was quirky Did not eat Original flight canceled Weird bulkhead in way of legs

Over all it was great. My original flight was canceled but they quickly rebooked me. I was frustrated because I had to cancel my entire plans for the day but all considered, not bad. The crew tried to keep us calm while we sat in the plane for was felt was an hour or so but they could use a bit of a script. The seats were comfortable and I would give it another try.

If they actually let me fly. I was rerouted to United and there was no Alaska airlines reps at all. Then the lady who worked the delta counter told me to go away and figure things out myself. Horrible experience.

Great overall experience and use of the Delta One lounge was amazing!

I used by Skymiles to upgrade to First so that I could comfortably work using my laptop. But WiFi was intermittent and unavailable for long periods. I feel like I wasted 70,000 miles :(

Chairs don’t recline and the ones that do recline, barely do recline. It was most uncomfortable flight i ever been on.

Everything was pretty good. I would like to have more drinks (water) during four hours of the flight.

Rude staff from baggage check to gate crew. Poor instructions. Inconsistent application of baggage rules.

Requested an aisle seat at the gate and got it. The staff so friendly

Had to deplane 2 x due to problems with plane. Delayed over 6 hours ans was given a $12 food credit which barely oaud for anything and limited to wear incoukd redeem.

more room in seats, larger snacks, more comms with delays

Gate agent and flight attendants were efficient, but more stern than warm.

The only issue is that the plane was HOT. This was not the case on my first flight so not sure why, but thankfully I had a portable fan with me. Everything else was great!

Check in went smoothly. Flight attendant who was assigned my area barely paid any attention to me! She acted as though she was extremely busy and flustered. Maybe she was new?! I told her to change the language on my screen, she said she’d come back to help me but never did so I was able to solve the problem on my own. She came back and said she’d made adjustments on her end. Highly doubt it because I found the setting to change the language! Also, I noticed everyone was eating before we landed so I pushed my help button and she never came so I got up to find her to ask her if I can have breakfast. She said they are not serving breakfast but I can have a sandwich. Yes, that was her response as I saw everyone eating breakfast!!!

Flight delay in lax which delayed our connecting flight to Copenhagen. Was placed on standby the following day and got delayed again at Scandinavian air. Bad bad counter service at ar Canada in Toronto by the name of Camilla who said that she was doing us a courtesy for even finding a earlier flight for us after we the customer are the ones being inconvenient by the cancellation of our flight. Btw, we are going on a tour. Air Canada is the worse

New Max 10, first class seats have been shrunk. End of a 20 hour journey, it was United not Lufthansa, just glad to get home

Seats are uncomfortable and left me in pain in my tailbone area. I got about one hour of sleep.

Santa Barbara is a super small and easy airport. Breezed through rental car return, breezed through Security, ordered a coffee and muffin and to my gate in less than 30 minutes. Maybe because it was a small airport we got the oldest plane. Hardly any overhead space and absolutely zero internet. Its NFL Sunday man! That hurt.

We were delay because so many bags needed to be gate checked and it was disappointing not to have outlets in the seats for such a long flight.

Boarding, time to take off, in flight offerings, and staff were all great. I recommend using UA for this short flight.

I paid $380 for my one-way ticket from California to Minnesota. The fair did not include online check-in. I received instructions from their app to check in at a kiosk. At the kiosk, the boarding pass would not print until an actual person came to verify that I had a personal item and not a carry-on item, On the plane, the person next to me was drunk and allowed to continue to order alcohol. United is garbage I’d rather fly spirit.

Delays!!! Maintain your planes so your customers don’t have to sit on their assess for over an hour on the tarmac!! Also, United app is buggy. Videos did not load. Overall a miserable experience. Flight crew was awesome though.

My fi t er t esed to Denver was cancelled and need to schechedule

Flight was comfortable- just had to endure a 1 hr delay because of some maintenance issue. Happy that American Airlines does these final checks but just wish they would conduct this maintenance before the flights.

All good. Easy check in and boarding. Lovely flight crew

The crew was great! The issue for me is the aircraft. The Airbus A32x is just not comfortable enough and the entertainment delivery via personal devices is problematic.

The crew was dis respectful even in business class. I will not recommend AA to anyone and will also fly only when there is no choice

Overall, it was a good experience, although the boarding process was somewhat disorganized, with no clear signage or designated areas indicating where passengers in different boarding groups should line up. Additionally, the seats felt quite outdated and could benefit from modernization. While the cabin crew provided good service, the experience lacked the personalized attention I would have expected.

This flight left LAX on time and arrived early in HNL. The flight crew was excellent, no issues with service or attentiveness. My issue is with the A321neo ... First class should be renamed business class as the seats are not that comfortable. And, having to use my phone as the entertainment device is just not acceptable ... I'm not going to carry a tablet so I can watch a movie. The music choices are limited, at least IMO.

Totally uninformed of the situation. Not yet sure about compensation. Highly disappointed.

The flight was almost an hour delayed causing me to miss my connecting flight, then the rebooked flight was delayed a couple of hours. They also left my suitcase in the rain for hours ruining some items I had in there. They also just blew off my complaint. It was my absolute worst flight experience of all time:

Terrible planning. And even worse gate agents. Absolutely rude behavior.

The flight was smooth, the pilot kept us informed about delays and we arrived more of less on time

More options for your flight from Santa Barbara

Complete your trip to Worldwide with a hotel stay or car rental