WAS - DSM

$91 Find Cheap Flights from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Des Moines departing on 8/19. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Des Moines, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines (WAS-DSM)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Des Moines

Tue, Jul 15 - Wed, Jul 16
 Logo
5:45 am - 1:31 pmBWI-DSM
8h 46m1 stop
 Logo
11:00 am - 8:44 amDSM-BWI
20h 44m1 stop
Wed, Jul 23 - Wed, Jul 30
 Logo
3:02 pm - 11:53 amBWI-DSM
21h 51m1 stop
 Logo
11:00 am - 8:44 amDSM-BWI
20h 44m1 stop
Mon, Sep 15 - Thu, Sep 18
Delta Logo
5:25 pm - 10:23 pmIAD-DSM
5h 58m1 stop
Delta Logo
6:20 am - 11:53 amDSM-IAD
4h 33m1 stop
$217Delta
Find Deal
Mon, Sep 15 - Thu, Sep 18
Delta Logo
11:00 am - 3:09 pmDCA-DSM
5h 09m1 stop
Delta Logo
5:00 pm - 10:56 pmDSM-DCA
4h 56m1 stop
$217Delta
Find Deal
Mon, Sep 15 - Thu, Sep 18
American Airlines Logo
7:11 pm - 11:07 pmBWI-DSM
4h 56m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
6:11 pm - 12:41 amDSM-BWI
5h 30m1 stop
$271American Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Sep 18 - Sun, Sep 21
American Airlines Logo
6:52 pm - 12:15 amBWI-DSM
6h 23m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 10:54 amDSM-BWI
4h 54m1 stop
$301American Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Jul 15 - Tue, Aug 26
Southwest Logo
8:00 am - 11:00 amDCA-DSM
4h 00m1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:25 am - 4:00 pmDSM-DCA
6h 35m1 stop
$341Southwest
Find Deal
Tue, Jul 22 - Sat, Jul 26
Southwest Logo
8:00 am - 11:00 amDCA-DSM
4h 00m1 stop
Southwest Logo
7:25 am - 4:10 pmDSM-DCA
7h 45m1 stop
$346Southwest
Find Deal
Thu, Jul 31 - Tue, Aug 5
United Airlines Logo
6:15 am - 10:29 amBWI-DSM
5h 14m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:24 am - 1:48 pmDSM-BWI
6h 24m1 stop
$389United Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Aug 7 - Mon, Aug 11
United Airlines Logo
6:35 am - 10:29 amIAD-DSM
4h 54m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 12:30 amDSM-IAD
4h 40m1 stop
$421United Airlines
Find Deal
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KAYAK's insights & trends for Washington, D.C. to Des Moines flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest Washington, D.C. to Des Moines flight route?

The cheapest price for flight routes found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks for round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines.

Our data shows that the cheapest route for a return flight from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines cost $305 and was between Washington, D.C. Reagan-National Airport (DCA) and Des Moines (DSM). On average, the best prices are found if you fly this route. The average price for a return flight for this route is $305.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

For Washington, D.C. to Des Moines, Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Monday is the most expensive. Flying from Des Moines back to Washington, D.C., the best deals are generally found on Saturday, with Monday being the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Des Moines is August, where tickets cost $378 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $573 and $458 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Washington, D.C. 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.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $538 on average.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Des Moines, you should book around 3 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 16 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
High seasonAugust
Cheapest flight$91
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 5% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 12% lower on average.
Flight from Reagan Washington National Airport to Des Moines

When to book flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Des Moines

  • What is the cheapest flight from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines was $91 for a one-way ticket and $191 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Washington, D.C. and Des Moines?

    Even though you are not required to have a passport, keep in mind that an official ID is needed to board the airplane.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

    There are 2 airports in Washington, D.C. (Washington, D.C. Reagan-National and Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl.) and only 1 airport in Des Moines (Des Moines). The cheapest flights are generally found on the Reagan Washington National Airport to Des Moines flight route.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

    American Airlines, and Delta offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Washington, D.C. to Des Moines flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

    The Canadair (Bombardier) Regional Jet 700 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Washington, D.C. to Des Moines flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

    oneworld is the only airline alliance operating flights between Washington, D.C. and Des Moines.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

    There are nonstop flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines, Delta or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines are Delta and Southwest. With an average price for the route of $336 and an overall rating of 8.0, Delta is the most popular choice. Southwest is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $447 and an overall rating of 8.0.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Des Moines.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Des Moines from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Des Moines

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $199 or less one-way and $339 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines?

Find which airlines fly direct from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Washington, D.C. to Des Moines

Monday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Tuesday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Wednesday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Thursday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Friday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Saturday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Sunday

American Airlines

American Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

Monday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Tuesday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Wednesday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Thursday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Friday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Saturday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Sunday

American Airlines

American Airlines

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top 5 airlines serving from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 4287 reviews
7.6Entertainment
8.2Boarding
7.1Food
8.6Crew
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

Southwest is typically delayed, and it gets wearisome. It is no longer a discount airline and you get way less than you pay for when it comes to comfort and Ce.

6.0 GoodDavid, Jun 2025BWI - COS
Read more Southwest reviews

Southwest is typically delayed, and it gets wearisome. It is no longer a discount airline and you get way less than you pay for when it comes to comfort and Ce.

We sat on the plane on the tarmac for 4 hours.

I'm not a fan of Southwest's model. I don't like the herding style of boarding.

Flight crew and cabin crew were great. I had to rearrange flights because my original flight was 3hrs delayed for weather, the rub is the flight I moved to boarded on time then we sat at the gate for 2 hours because scheduling stole our first officer for another flight, TWICE. Then our actual FO was an hour delayed. To make it worse my original flight went from a 3 hour delay to departing 15min EARLY. Just poor scheduling operations all around.

Bring back peanuts Take our drink orders when were all seated, especially after you switch to assigned seating.

Staff was far less than helpful at all times. Departure and arrival times mean nothing to Southwest. Extremely disappointed, will never fly with them again, and I’ll be sure to share my experience with all.

It is southwest seat was ok. Not the most comfortable seat

I’ve always loved Southwest. No issues at all. I was flying standby and the gate agent was extremely friendly and helpful. Boarding was smooth and I was able to get a window seat in the emergency exit row. Crew was fantastic! They were very professional and accommodating. We had to divert from our destination due to weather but the flight crew kept everyone at ease and informed us of all pertinent information. Excellent flight

The price of the tickets isn't matching the flight experience. No matter how long the flight is, you're only getting pretzels. The flight attendants looked unkept and over it.

Plz don't take away free bags and free seating

Great overall. There was a bit of turbulence so they could only serve water because too much turbulence for the carts. Was glad they prioritized safety though

Excellent flight, the planes were newer, they did a nice job with boarding, great service overall.

Great service. Flight was delayed while we sat on the runway for a couple of hours. Weather related. Staff made is very bearable. The steward servicing the first class cabin was exceptional. Thank you! 💗

5 hours of delay that could've been much shorter if Delta had taken the 1 hour delay they imposed on the flight before boarding to run any of the plane checks required for flight to find the hydraulic issue that required nearly 3 hours to fix. $24 of meal credit buys a sandwich and a soft drink. Poor communication within the terminal about what gate we'd be re-boarding from and when we'd be re-boarding.

Amazing flight! I have never noticed the uniforms of the attendants before in twenty years of flying except today when one female had the most amazing dress on. It was beautifully designed and showed she was in charge. I never dreamed I would google who designed Delta uniforms . The ultimate compliment is when another woman admires your outfit. . I hope your designer puts it on the market

It would be nice if was given wires ear buds. Overall was a good experience was able to sleep on the plane

My flight was 6 pm 6/6. Every hour they delayed it again - air condition issues then no pilot then the crew had worked too many hours and cancelled the flight at 11 pm. Sent customers to NJ a 45 minutes uber ride to a hotel. Had to be back by 5 am for a 7 am flight and again no pilot etc with another three hours of delays.

The entertainment and wifi mostly didn't work on this flight.

Terrible entertainment system - kept freezing and audio kept cutting out. Snacks were mediocre at best for a 5 hour flight.

The check in and bag drop off for Sky Priority members is slow. The Clear security was also slow - a TSA issue.

it was so bad. I tried to board my flight from vancouver to saskatoon. And to my surprise they did not board me cause the flight was changed and no email was send to me. and on my boarding pass which i got from seattle says different flight. I did not knew anyone from Vancouver, air canada crew was rude, i asked for today flight but they were rude and i had early morning dental appointment in saskatoon. I was so much in pain and my whole day is wasted today. and i suffered alot. They did provide me hotel but they did not provide me any food. I am really really disappointed first time had so bad experience with air canada. I may think twice to book it again. If i can get any reply or any composition that would be great. Thanks

It was fine, definitely older planes with no charging or anything. There’s no entertainment set up on board, but it is nice that they allow you to access the in flight entertainment from your phone without having to pay for the Wi-Fi and they do offer free texting.

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.

Impressed with the service despite turbulence because of the weather. Both flights arrived before their scheduled times.

I fly UAL 7-8 times per year. This flight was not up to snuff because it boarded very late "due to unexpected delays in restocking the plane" and yet Flight Aware showed the plane had landed some 10 hours earlier--so I think they could have planned accordingly. The FA's were nice but harried. The video system had to be rebooted 3-4 times. The food service was rather abrupt; they forgot my row and when I asked for my meal, they brought it with some impatience. Overall, the flight was fine, but the little details made it feel somewhat mundane and hurried.

Flight was great. Efficient boarding. Short flight. Early arrival. Friendly flight crew. The entertainment system did not work well. Could not access it until the aircraft reached 10K feet or more. Lots of glitches.

I didn’t get on plane. Passport being processed by consulate with visa application. Tried to cancel through underpricer after purchasing cacelling for any reason. No dice, they are thieves.

When I booked it on Kayak it aaid that I wasn't allowed hamd luggage. I called United Airlines and it took them 6 minutes to figure out if I was allowed free hand luggage. Surely something that simple they should be able to tell me instantly.

We were delayed in Toronto on the tarmac for THREE hours with no clear indication as to why except that it was not a safety hazard. Pilot did apologize more than once but even he was unable to explain why exactly we were delayed. I overheard the stewards saying that the captain was very frustrated with the situation as well because he was not able to explain why except it had something to do with water supply or system on the aircraft and now we needed to wait for an engineer to approve the aircraft for flight. It was very frustrating and distressing as a passenger and we should have been given complimentary meals at the very least.

Flight was cramped with every seat taken. The food was fine, nothing crazy to write home about. The plane felt dated and needing some TLC, the button for the window shade didn't work and there were no AC outlets to use. When communicating with staff all except one nice lady never seemed happy to help me almost like I was bothering them when asked for things like a glass of water or a snack. The flight was overall fine. It did what was needed which is get me from point A to point B. But it certainly was not special. I don't expect much in economy but I believe economy on a host of other airlines is more memorable and better experience.

5.5 hour delay with no explanation on why, along with no proactive effort to reaccomodate me.

It was one of my worst flight ever. First they were changing the gate for at least 4 times, changing from gate D7 to D12 to D44. Considering the size of the Miami Airport, we are talking about long distance and the train at the airport was not working. Then the flight was delayed around one hour. Then finally we boarded into the plane and when everybody was seated, there was an announcement that there is an issue with one of the tire of the plane, so we all had to get out of the plane with our belongings, to replace the tire. So we had around 2.5-hour delay

Most miserable flight ever. We waited almost 2 hours on the runway because the flight was oversold. American offered $1200 credit. Then there was some nonsense about weight distribution. Ridiculous. No food for 8 plus hours on the flight. I will be writing a letter.

Honestly, I haven’t flown American in years, probably due to the pandemic and my being unable to travel for certain periods in the last two years, but it was a good experience to dig out or obtain a new American Airlines account after many years of traveling for business with American in the past.

The plane was probably full boarding was easy. We were able to check our carry-on luggage for free. It was a return flight through Philly to LA. Never saw a stewardess do a demonstration of emergency Procedures. I think my flight was pretty full

Plane, flight, crew, captain were all great. The first flight had a Chipotle box lunch...delicious.

Plane, flight, crew, captain were all great. The first flight had a Chipotle box lunch...delicious. this return flight not as tasty, but filling.

The flight was 2 hour delayed, otherwise everything was excellent. The delay was due to the hourly limit requirement so given that as a reason, I'm happy with the flight!

Weather delay for 2.5 hours followed by half hour crew delay, did not have ginger ale, uncomfortable seats

Pitch was very small. Knees were on the seat back in front of me.

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.

Book with frontier airlines with the mentality that they'll cancel your flight, kick you off and lose your luggage. Anything besides that is a win. Compare prices with other airlines (to include luggage) and if frontier is still worth it, book it but know all of their policies.

You get what you pay for nothing essentially but a hard uncomfortable seat that doesn’t recline and kids screaming all around you and chaotic boarding and limited check bag weight allowance when compared to other airlines

I never got to experience the flight because they delayed my first flight and I missed this one. Then Frontier didn't want to help me rebook a flight to get me to my final destination.

The Boarding process in Denver was chaotic, and since the line was so long, we were lined up very far from the gate. If there were any announcements from the gate staff, we didn't hear them. The flight attendants were spectacular. The only negative part of the flight was sitting by a 2 1/2 year old who was unruly and unfortunately had parents that matched his behaviors. Also, the restaurants in Denver on the E concourse, they didn't have food (passengers could only order 1 item on the entire menu) or the restaurants had 12-14 people waiting for orders to be prepared and another 6 people waiting to order. If you have a layover in Denver and need to grab food, be prepared to visit the shops with pre-packaged sandwiches, or you can visit another concourse but it may take a while to transit throughout the airport.

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.

Although an hour and a half early was told by staff at check in they had overbooked and could not check us in for the flight.

The crew was delayed because they came on another flight that was delayed due to weather 10pm flight left at 1.30 am The airline made no effort to align alternate crew

Plane was down graded and I lost my uncharged exit row with more leg room. No mention or offer of refund from podium. Flight attendant was nice to explain this happens often and that I could request a refund via online form submission. I did this and have heard nothing back.

Worst airline experience. They were rude and kept changing our seats and/or giving our seats away so our family didn’t get to sit with each other. Almost everyone we dealt with at both airports with this airline was rude. The app kept giving us wrong information making things take longer. Dealing with them before TSA can take close to an hour…longer than I’ve ever had to deal with before. Never using this airline again.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines

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