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$86+ Cheap flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego (SBA - SAN)

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 2/25. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SBA — SAN
Jan 27 — Feb 31
Tue 1/27
Tue 2/3
1 adult, Economy
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Cheap flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Cheapest flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego
Explore the most affordable flight options available from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on December 28, 2025.

This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 12/26. 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 12/307:30 amSBA - SAN
1 stop3h 00mUnited Airlines
Thu 1/18:45 pmSAN - SBA
1 stop2h 57mUnited Airlines
Deal found 12/26$477
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 12/26. 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.
Fri 12/265:06 pmSBA - SAN
1 stop2h 51mUnited Airlines
Fri 1/307:52 pmSAN - SBA
1 stop13h 57mUnited Airlines
Deal found 12/26$481
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 12/26. 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 12/295:15 amSBA - SAN
2 stops5h 35mSouthwest
Wed 12/314:00 pmSAN - SBA
1 stop5h 05mSouthwest
Deal found 12/26$492
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 12/25. 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 12/267:25 pmSBA - SAN
1 stop4h 00mSouthwest
Sun 12/282:55 pmSAN - SBA
2 stops9h 20mSouthwest
Deal found 12/25$498
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 12/26. 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.
Tue 12/305:00 pmSBA - SAN
2 stops6h 10mSouthwest
Thu 1/11:15 pmSAN - SBA
2 stops7h 50mSouthwest
Deal found 12/26$522
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 12/26. 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.
Fri 12/268:33 pmSBA - SAN
2 stops13h 57mUnited Airlines
Sun 12/2812:42 pmSAN - SBA
1 stop9h 06mUnited Airlines
Deal found 12/26$667
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 12/27. 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 12/305:06 pmSBA - SAN
2 stops7h 09mUnited Airlines
Fri 1/211:12 amSAN - SBA
2 stops8h 19mUnited Airlines
Deal found 12/27$1,076

Find flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Discover tips and strategies to find the most affordable flight options for your journey from Santa Barbara (SBA) to San Diego (SAN). 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 December 28, 2025.

Most accurate provider

eDreams
3 stars

Most trusted provider

eDreams
3 stars

Round-trip from

$137
(Alaska Airlines)

One-way from

$86
(United Airlines)

Popular in

July

Cheapest in

September

Average price

$312
Provider with most accurate pricing for Santa Barbara-San Diego flight deals.
Search Deals
Provider most trusted by Cheapflights users for Santa Barbara-San Diego flights.
Search Deals
From Santa Barbara to San Diego
Search Deals
One-way flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 9% potential increase in price ($39 potential increase over avg. RT price).
Search Deals
Cheapest flight prices on average. 4% potential price decrease ($15 potential savings vs. average RT price).
Search Deals
Average for round-trip flights in December 2025
Search Deals

Cheapflights Fare Finder

 
Customize your flight search to find flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego 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 December 28, 2025.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego that are best for you.

Fly from

Santa Barbara

Fly to

San Diego

Route

Depart

Return

Price

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Wed 4/29

2:47 pm-3:51 pm

Nonstop1h 04m

San Diego

Sun 5/3

10:28 pm-11:38 pm

Nonstop1h 10m

$137

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Fri 1/23

6:20 am-10:27 am

1 stop4h 07m

San Diego

Fri 1/30

6:00 pm-10:30 pm

1 stop4h 30m

$177

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Thu 5/21

6:00 am-7:03 am

Nonstop1h 03m

San Diego

Mon 5/25

1:59 pm-3:19 pm

Nonstop1h 20m

$197

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Sat 2/7

6:06 pm-11:42 pm

1 stop5h 36m

San Diego

Tue 2/10

8:37 pm-11:44 pm

1 stop3h 07m

$231

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Sat 1/31

5:00 am-12:59 pm

1 stop7h 59m

San Diego

Tue 2/3

11:08 am-1:50 pm

1 stop2h 42m

$231

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Mon 1/19

6:06 pm-11:42 pm

1 stop5h 36m

San Diego

Mon 1/26

6:00 pm-10:39 pm

1 stop4h 39m

$231

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Wed 4/29

5:30 am-10:50 am

1 stop5h 20m

San Diego

Sun 5/3

8:30 pm-12:05 am

1 stop3h 35m

$269

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Mon 2/16

5:48 pm-11:40 pm

1 stop5h 52m

San Diego

Tue 2/17

11:05 am-5:07 pm

1 stop6h 02m

$275

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Mon 1/12

3:00 pm-7:10 pm

1 stop4h 10m

San Diego

Wed 1/14

5:25 pm-9:10 pm

1 stop3h 45m

$287

Santa BarbaraSan Diego

SBA - SAN

SBASAN

Santa Barbara

Sun 1/11

6:51 pm-11:05 pm

1 stop4h 14m

San Diego

Thu 1/15

7:45 am-11:55 am

1 stop4h 10m

$287

Flights are sorted by cheapest round-trip flights first.

Deals found on 12/26

Showing 1-10 of 19 results
1
2

Compare providers for flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Provider information is updated monthly. Please note that these providers often have deals for this flight, but the availability may vary on a day-by-day basis on Cheapflights.
Use the table below to compare price accuracy, trust ratings, and cancellation policies for each provider offering flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Diego in December.
ProviderPrice AccuracyTrust Score*
ExpediaPrice Accuracy2 starsTrust Score*3 stars
FlightHubPrice Accuracy3 starsTrust Score*1 star
eDreamsPrice Accuracy3 starsTrust Score*3 stars

*The Trust Score is based on feedback from users after their booking experience. It measures overall satisfaction, helping us identify issues like hidden fees, problems during the ticketing process, and the quality of customer service. This score is our best indicator of the provider's quality and reliability.

  • Most accurate provider: When it comes to deals on Santa Barbara-San Diego flights, users find the pricing of eDreams to be most consistent on Cheapflights vs. eDreams Users can find the same prices on Santa Barbara-San Diego flight deals on Cheapflights vs. eDreams >95% of the time. Price accuracy is based on data collected from Santa Barbara-San Diego flight searches over the past month and is updated monthly.
  • Most trusted provider: When it comes to deals on Santa Barbara-San Diego flights, Cheapflights users trust eDreams the most. eDreams 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 Santa Barbara-San Diego 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to San Diego from Santa Barbara 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.

Cheapflights Insights

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

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

Currently, January is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego (average of $63). Flying from Santa Barbara to San Diego in November is currently the most expensive (average of $158). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from SBA to SAN?

Find hourly flight availability from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Discover flight options and departure times throughout the day, allowing you to choose a departure time that suits your schedule. Data last updated December 28, 2025.

Unlike in the evening, when flights are generally more expensive, you can save up to 68% on flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego by exploring options for tickets in the afternoon.

Reviews of airlines servicing San Diego

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to San Diego. 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 San Diego. Reviews last updated December 28, 2025.
Read through reviews of airlines operating flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego, such as Southwest and United Airlines. Reviews also offer insight into each airline's entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,256 reviews

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.5

Food

7.0

Overall

8.0

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.6

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Walter,Aug 2025

OAK - SAN

Dozens of flights and I've never seen a row's beverages forgotten. I even went back and asked the attendant to check on them and nothing. I really hope it didn't have something to do with the Black mother with her kid in the row. Otherwise it was a typical Southwest flight, rapid boarding, tolerable leg room.
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,256 reviews
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,256 reviews

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.5

Food

7.0

Overall

8.0

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.6

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Walter,Aug 2025

OAK - SAN

Dozens of flights and I've never seen a row's beverages forgotten. I even went back and asked the attendant to check on them and nothing. I really hope it didn't have something to do with the Black mother with her kid in the row. Otherwise it was a typical Southwest flight, rapid boarding, tolerable leg room.
United Airlines
7.4
Good
9,114 reviews
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,256 reviews

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.5

Food

7.0

Overall

8.0

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.6

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Walter,Aug 2025

OAK - SAN

Dozens of flights and I've never seen a row's beverages forgotten. I even went back and asked the attendant to check on them and nothing. I really hope it didn't have something to do with the Black mother with her kid in the row. Otherwise it was a typical Southwest flight, rapid boarding, tolerable leg room.

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from Santa Barbara to San Diego. 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego?

    Airlines like Alaska Airlines and United Airlines fly from Santa Barbara to San Diego in about 1h 04m. The time it takes to get you to your destination can typically vary by up to 3h 03m. The distance between Santa Barbara and San Diego is about 192 mi. 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 Santa Barbara to San Diego round-trip?

    Currently priced at $216, Southwest will fly you from Santa Barbara to San Diego and back. In addition to Southwest, many other airlines offer competitively priced options for your trip. Check Cheapflights for deals on United Airlines for as low as $228. Southwest is currently priced 43% below the average price you’ll pay for this route.

  • Can I find deals for flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on Santa Barbara to San Diego flights, Cheapflights offers vacation packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

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

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego?

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

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

    Currently, January is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Diego (average of $63). Flying from Santa Barbara to San Diego in November is currently the most expensive (average of $158). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

Traveling to a place near San Diego?

Book flights to San Diego if you plan to visit one of these locations
El Cajon
Chula Vista
National City
Coronado
La Mesa
Poway
Julian
Lemon Grove

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Top 2 airlines flying from Santa Barbara to San Diego

Discover the top 2 airlines that operate flights from Santa Barbara to San Diego. 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 December 28, 2025.
AirlineCheapestAverageFlexibilityOn-time
SouthwestCheapest$216Average$448FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time63%
United AirlinesCheapest$228Average$406FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time69%

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