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DSM - SFO

$86 Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines to San Francisco - 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 Des Moines to San Francisco departing on 9/14. 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, 0 bags

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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$172
Typical prices: $366-$413
Multiple Airlines
Mon 9/14Tue 9/29
DSM - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$86
Typical prices: $223-$318
Multiple Airlines
Mon 9/14
DSM - SFO • 1 stop
Nonstop flights
Not available
There are currently no direct flights between Des Moines and San Francisco. You'll need at least 1 connection.
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Top layover airports
Dallas (DFW)
Cheapest • Avg $403 (round-trip)
Phoenix (PHX)
Shortest trip • 6h 34m (one-way)
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When to book
5 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 5 weeks in advance save around 30% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
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When to travel
February
Cheapest • 20% price drop
September
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
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Good to know
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Des Moines to San Francisco (DSM-SFO)

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

Mon, Sep 14 - Tue, Sep 29
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:31 pm - 8:14 amDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
12h 43m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:11 pm - 1:52 pmSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
16h 41m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl
$172Multiple Airlines
Mon, Sep 21 - Tue, Sep 29
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:31 pm - 2:29 pmDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
18h 58m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:11 pm - 1:52 pmSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
16h 41m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl
$180Multiple Airlines
Mon, Sep 21 - Mon, Sep 28
Frontier Logo
8:30 pm - 12:14 amDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
5h 44m1 stop Denver Intl
Frontier Logo
6:04 am - 7:33 pmSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
11h 29m1 stop Denver Intl
$226Frontier
Thu, Sep 10 - Mon, Sep 14
Frontier Logo
11:29 am - 12:14 amDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
14h 45m1 stop Denver Intl
Frontier Logo
11:42 am - 7:33 pmSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
5h 51m1 stop Denver Intl
$236Frontier
Thu, Sep 10 - Mon, Sep 14
American Airlines Logo
6:57 pm - 11:51 pmDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
6h 54m1 stop Los Angeles Los Angeles
American Airlines Logo
10:46 pm - 8:39 amSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
7h 53m1 stop Chicago O'Hare Intl
$305American Airlines
Wed, Sep 9 - Mon, Sep 14
American Airlines Logo
5:30 am - 9:52 amDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
6h 22m1 stop Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl
American Airlines Logo
6:36 am - 3:10 pmSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
6h 34m1 stop Dallas/Fort Worth
$305American Airlines
Thu, Jan 14 - Mon, Jan 18
Delta Logo
7:00 am - 11:09 amDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
6h 09m1 stop Minneapolis St Paul
Delta Logo
12:40 am - 10:20 amSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
7h 40m1 stop Minneapolis St Paul
$305Delta
Tue, Oct 20 - Wed, Oct 21
Delta Logo
6:55 am - 10:52 amDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
5h 57m1 stop Minneapolis St Paul
Delta Logo
12:10 am - 10:11 amSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
8h 01m1 stop Minneapolis St Paul
$305Delta
Thu, Oct 22 - Mon, Nov 2
Southwest Logo
4:30 pm - 12:05 amDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
9h 35m1 stop Chicago Midway
Southwest Logo
6:00 am - 1:10 pmSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
5h 10m1 stop Denver Intl
$306Southwest
Thu, Oct 22 - Mon, Nov 2
Southwest Logo
7:10 pm - 11:10 pmDSM  Des Moines-SFO San Francisco
6h 00m1 stop Denver Intl
Southwest Logo
10:40 am - 10:00 pmSFO  San Francisco-DSM Des Moines
9h 20m2 stops San Diego Denver Intl
$312Southwest
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Des Moines to San Francisco flights

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

How much is a round-trip flight from Des Moines to San Francisco?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Des Moines to San Francisco departing in September.

Flight prices are below average for this route right now.

Flights to San Francisco from Des Moines usually cost between $400 and $483 in September.
The lowest price found in the past 5 days was $172 on Multiple Airlines (Sep 14-Sep 29).

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Des Moines to San Francisco, 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 Des Moines to San Francisco is February, where tickets cost $362 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $566 and $506 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Des Moines to San Francisco?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Des Moines to San Francisco, 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 Des Moines to San Francisco, you should book around 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 30% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 16 weeks before departure.

Find deals

Good to know

Low season

February

Cheapest flight

$86
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 21% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 20% lower on average.
Flight from Des Moines to San Francisco

When to book flights from Des Moines to San Francisco

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

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

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from Des Moines to San Francisco was $86 for a one-way ticket and $172 for a round-trip.

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

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

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Des Moines to San Francisco?

    Des Moines and San Francisco are both served by 1 main airport. You will leave Des Moines from Des Moines and will be arriving at San Francisco.

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

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

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

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

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to San Francisco from Des Moines?

    Denver is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from Des Moines to San Francisco.

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

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Des Moines to San Francisco are Southwest and Delta. With an average price for the route of $491 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 $532 and an overall rating of 7.8.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Des Moines to San Francisco?

    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 Des Moines to San Francisco.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Francisco from Des Moines 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 Des Moines to San Francisco?

    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 Francisco with an airline and back to Des Moines with another airline. Booking your flights between Des Moines and SFO 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 Des Moines to San Francisco?

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

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports

Des Moines (DSM)
San Francisco (SFO)