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Des Moines

$332+ Cheap flights from San José (SJO) to Des Moines (DSM)

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 1/11. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SJO — DSM
Feb 5 — Feb 121
Thu 2/5
Thu 2/12
1 adult, Economy
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Cheap flight deals from San José to Des Moines

Discover tips and strategies to find the most affordable flight options for your journey from San José (SJO) to Des Moines (DSM). Learn about various techniques such as flexible date searches, comparing prices across and setting up price alerts. Use these methods to find the cheapest flights available for your travel needs. Data last updated January 6, 2026.

Most accurate provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Most trusted provider

FlightHub
1 star

Round-trip from

$481
(Southwest)

One-way from

$332
(American Airlines)

Popular in

April

Cheapest in

July

Average price

$679
Provider with most accurate pricing for San José Juan Santamaria Intl-Des Moines flight deals.
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Provider most trusted by Cheapflights users for San José Juan Santamaria Intl-Des Moines flights.
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From San José Juan Santamaria Intl to Des Moines
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One-way flight from San José Juan Santamaria Intl to Des Moines
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Highest demand for flights based on searches. 5% potential increase in price ($33 potential increase over avg. RT price).
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Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($14 potential savings vs. average RT price).
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Average for round-trip flights in January 2026
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Find flight deals from San José to Des Moines

Cheapest flights from San José to Des Moines
Explore the most affordable flight options available from San José to Des Moines. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on January 6, 2026.

This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/5. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Fri 5/19:00 amSJO - DSM
2 stops13h 05mSouthwest
Mon 5/116:50 amDSM - SJO
2 stops13h 10mSouthwest
Deal found 1/5$481
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/5. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure United Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 2/56:30 amSJO - DSM
1 stop16h 00mUnited Airlines
Sun 2/88:10 amDSM - SJO
1 stop12h 29mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/5$554
This American Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/5. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure American Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Fri 5/111:35 pmSJO - DSM
1 stop18h 00mAmerican Airlines
Mon 5/1112:06 pmDSM - SJO
1 stop26h 16mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 1/5$569
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/6. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 2/239:40 amSJO - DSM
2 stops12h 50mSouthwest
Fri 2/271:00 pmDSM - SJO
2 stops23h 55mSouthwest
Deal found 1/6$581
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/6. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure United Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 2/232:20 pmSJO - DSM
1 stop8h 00mUnited Airlines
Fri 2/273:24 pmDSM - SJO
2 stops26h 52mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/6$582
This American Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/6. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure American Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sun 2/2212:35 amSJO - DSM
1 stop9h 59mAmerican Airlines
Fri 2/275:00 amDSM - SJO
1 stop15h 12mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 1/6$600
This Ovago deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/5. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Ovago is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 3/287:00 amSJO - DSM
1 stop8h 33mLATAM Airlines
Sat 4/411:33 amDSM - SJO
1 stop10h 42mLATAM Airlines
Deal found 1/5$623
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/5. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure United Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 1/66:30 amSJO - DSM
2 stops32h 03mUnited Airlines
Sat 1/103:35 pmDSM - SJO
2 stops26h 41mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/5$643

Cheapflights Fare Finder

 
Customize your flight search to find flights from San José to Des Moines that fit within your specific budget. Explore options based on user searches and filter the results based on your desired price range. Find flights that match your budget for a cost-effective journey. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated January 6, 2026.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights from San José to Des Moines that are best for you.

Fly from

San José

Fly to

Des Moines

Route

Depart

Return

Price

San JoséDes Moines

SJO - DSM

SJODSM

San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Fri 5/1

9:00 am-11:05 pm

2 stops13h 05m

Des Moines

Mon 5/11

6:50 am-7:00 pm

2 stops13h 10m

$481

San JoséDes Moines

SJO - DSM

SJODSM

San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Thu 2/5

8:45 am-10:30 pm

1 stop13h 45m

Des Moines

Sun 2/8

8:10 am-6:16 pm

1 stop10h 06m

$554

San JoséDes Moines

SJO - DSM

SJODSM

San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Fri 5/1

11:35 pm-6:35 pm

1 stop18h 00m

Des Moines

Mon 5/11

12:06 pm-1:22 pm

1 stop26h 16m

$569

San JoséDes Moines

SJO - DSM

SJODSM

San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Mon 2/23

9:40 am-10:30 pm

2 stops12h 50m

Des Moines

Fri 2/27

1:00 pm-12:55 pm

2 stops23h 55m

$581

San JoséDes Moines

SJO - DSM

SJODSM

San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Mon 2/23

2:20 pm-5:47 pm

2 stops27h 27m

Des Moines

Fri 2/27

6:55 pm-6:16 pm

2 stops23h 21m

$582

San JoséDes Moines

SJO - DSM

SJODSM

San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Sun 2/22

12:35 am-10:34 am

1 stop9h 59m

Des Moines

Fri 2/27

5:00 am-8:12 pm

1 stop15h 12m

$600

San JoséDes Moines

SJO - DSM

SJODSM

San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Sun 1/11

6:00 am-11:29 pm

1 stop17h 29m

$332

San JoséDes Moines

SJO - DSM

SJODSM

San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Sun 1/11

6:30 am-10:30 pm

1 stop16h 00m

$358

Flights are sorted by cheapest round-trip flights first.

Deals found on 1/5

  • Most accurate provider: When it comes to deals on San José-Des Moines flights, users find the pricing of FlightHub to be most consistent on Cheapflights vs. FlightHub Users can find the same prices on San José-Des Moines flight deals on Cheapflights vs. FlightHub >95% of the time. Price accuracy is based on data collected from San José-Des Moines flight searches over the past month and is updated monthly.
  • Most trusted provider: When it comes to deals on San José-Des Moines flights, Cheapflights users trust FlightHub the most. FlightHub has received a user feedback score of 3 out of 3 stars (3 being the best), meaning they have been trusted the most by Cheapflights users looking for San José-Des Moines flight deals. Provider user feedback score is based on Cheapflights searches over the past month and is updated monthly.

Best time to book a flight from San José to Des Moines

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Des Moines from San José with our price prediction graph.
Estimated round-trip price
Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Reviews of airlines servicing Des Moines

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to Des Moines. Read reviews, discover amenities, and learn about the overall travel experience offered by airlines. Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to Des Moines. Reviews last updated January 6, 2026.
Read reviews from past customers who have flown United Airlines and American Airlines from San José to Des Moines. Users can see the overall rating for each airline as well as how each is rated in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
United Airlines
7.4
Good
9,132 reviews

Entertainment

7.1

Food

6.6

Crew

8.1

Boarding

7.7

Overall

7.4

Comfort

7.3

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

Michelle,Dec 2025

DEN - MKE

I liked that the plane waited 5 minutes for a family whose incoming plane was late. This was the last flight of the day to MKE. Flight attendants actually checked in throughout the flight. Although, not really friendly. Happy to see screens on seat backs again. This is my first time not flying first class in over 10 years. It was economy plus.
United Airlines
7.4
Good
9,132 reviews
United Airlines
7.4
Good
9,132 reviews

Entertainment

7.1

Food

6.6

Crew

8.1

Boarding

7.7

Overall

7.4

Comfort

7.3

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

Michelle,Dec 2025

DEN - MKE

I liked that the plane waited 5 minutes for a family whose incoming plane was late. This was the last flight of the day to MKE. Flight attendants actually checked in throughout the flight. Although, not really friendly. Happy to see screens on seat backs again. This is my first time not flying first class in over 10 years. It was economy plus.
American Airlines
7.2
Good
11,084 reviews
United Airlines
7.4
Good
9,132 reviews

Entertainment

7.1

Food

6.6

Crew

8.1

Boarding

7.7

Overall

7.4

Comfort

7.3

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

Michelle,Dec 2025

DEN - MKE

I liked that the plane waited 5 minutes for a family whose incoming plane was late. This was the last flight of the day to MKE. Flight attendants actually checked in throughout the flight. Although, not really friendly. Happy to see screens on seat backs again. This is my first time not flying first class in over 10 years. It was economy plus.

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from San José to Des Moines. Access travel guides, tips, and recommendations to enhance your travel experience. Get information about local attractions, weather, transportation options, and more.

  • How long is the flight from San José to Des Moines?

    For as low as $481, Southwest can have you in Des Moines from San José in 13h 05m. There are 2253 mi between San José and Des Moines. When browsing for deals, the options you’ll see will be for both nonstop flights and flights with stops.

  • What are the cheapest airlines flying from San José to Des Moines round-trip?

    Cheapflights users have booked flights from San José to Des Moines round-trip from $495. Another airline that can offer you cheap pricing is American Airlines. You may be able to fly from San José to Des Moines for 20% less than the average price by searching for these airlines.

  • Can I find deals for flights from San José to Des Moines that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on San José to Des Moines flights, Cheapflights offers vacation packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from San José to Des Moines?

    After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from San José to Des Moines.

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from San José to Des Moines?

    Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from San José to Des Moines by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

See more FAQs

Traveling to a place near Des Moines?

Book flights to Des Moines if you plan to visit one of these locations
Altoona
Johnston
Boone
Ames
Clive
West Des Moines
Ankeny

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Alternative routes for San José to Des Moines

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Top 2 airlines flying from San José to Des Moines

Discover the top 2 airlines that operate flights from San José to Des Moines. Compare their services, reliability, and customer satisfaction ratings to choose the airline that best suits your travel preferences and needs. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated January 6, 2026.
AirlineCheapestAverageFlexibilityOn-time
United AirlinesCheapest$495Average$670FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time69%
American AirlinesCheapest$510Average$609FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time71%

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