How do I find cheap flights out of San Diego?
Compare SAN against LAX and Tijuana on the same dates, book domestic trips about 39 days out (Google's 2026 data), and count bags: Southwest now charges $35 for a first checked bag. A cheaper LAX fare has to beat about $136 in shuttles.
- Book domestic
- ~39 days out
- Southwest bags
- $35 / $45
- SAN nonstops
- 87
- LAX shuttle
- $136 RT
Google Flights, Oct 2026
1st / 2nd bag, most fares
Most in its history (2026)
reLAXsan, per person
The short version
- Google Flights data puts the cheapest domestic window around 39 days before departure, with lows anywhere from 57 to 22 days out
- Southwest charges $35/$45 for first/second checked bags on most fares (since May 28, 2025) and assigns seats from Jan. 27, 2026
- SAN reached 87 nonstop destinations in 2026 after a record 25.32 million passengers in 2025
- Flying from LAX costs about $136 round trip per person on the reLAXsan shuttle, so the fare gap must beat that
- For Mexico, compare Tijuana's airport via the CBX bridge, from $19.95 one way to cross
The cheapest San Diego flight is usually found by comparing airports and booking at the right time, not by any trick on the day you search. We checked Google's 2026 booking data, Southwest's fee changes and SAN's route list on November 5, 2026.
When should I book a flight from San Diego?
39 days
Typical cheapest point for domestic
Google Flights, 2026
57–22 days
Range where lows usually fall
Start tracking 2 months out
Set a price alert for your route as soon as you know your dates, then buy when the fare dips inside that window. Holiday trips (Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break) fill up and are the exception: earlier is safer.
Is it cheaper to fly out of LAX or Tijuana?
What another airport really costs
| Airport | Getting there | Extra cost per person | Worth it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAN (Lindbergh Field) | Bus 992 from downtown for $3, or drive | $6 round trip by bus | Default; 87 nonstops |
| LAX | reLAXsan shuttle $68 each way, or train + FlyAway | About $136 round trip, plus 3+ hours each way | Long-haul or international fares far below SAN's |
| Tijuana (TIJ) | Cross Border Xpress bridge in Otay Mesa | From $19.95 one way / $37.95 round trip, plus a ride to Otay Mesa | Flights within Mexico and to Latin America |
SAN (Lindbergh Field)
- Getting there
- Bus 992 from downtown for $3, or drive
- Extra cost per person
- $6 round trip by bus
- Worth it when
- Default; 87 nonstops
LAX
- Getting there
- reLAXsan shuttle $68 each way, or train + FlyAway
- Extra cost per person
- About $136 round trip, plus 3+ hours each way
- Worth it when
- Long-haul or international fares far below SAN's
Tijuana (TIJ)
- Getting there
- Cross Border Xpress bridge in Otay Mesa
- Extra cost per person
- From $19.95 one way / $37.95 round trip, plus a ride to Otay Mesa
- Worth it when
- Flights within Mexico and to Latin America
Ground costs from our airport, LAX and CBX guides, checked November 2026
What changed at Southwest?
Southwest's new rules
| Change | Since | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Checked bag fees | Tickets booked on or after May 28, 2025 | $35 first bag, $45 second on most fares |
| Assigned seats | Flights on or after Jan. 27, 2026 | No more open seating; boarding Groups 1–8 |
| Basic fare | 2025 | Nonrefundable, no same-day change or standby, seat assigned at check-in |
Checked bag fees
- Since
- Tickets booked on or after May 28, 2025
- What it means
- $35 first bag, $45 second on most fares
Assigned seats
- Since
- Flights on or after Jan. 27, 2026
- What it means
- No more open seating; boarding Groups 1–8
Basic fare
- Since
- 2025
- What it means
- Nonrefundable, no same-day change or standby, seat assigned at check-in
New nonstops from San Diego in 2026
Domestic routes added in 2026
| Destination | Airline | Started |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa | Southwest | April 7 |
| Oakland | Alaska | April 22 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | Alaska | April 22 |
| Raleigh-Durham | Alaska | April 22 |
| Santa Barbara | Alaska | April 22 |
| Boston | Southwest | June 4 |
| Santa Barbara | Southwest | August 4 |
Santa Rosa
- Airline
- Southwest
- Started
- April 7
Oakland
- Airline
- Alaska
- Started
- April 22
Dallas/Fort Worth
- Airline
- Alaska
- Started
- April 22
Raleigh-Durham
- Airline
- Alaska
- Started
- April 22
Santa Barbara
- Airline
- Alaska
- Started
- April 22
Boston
- Airline
- Southwest
- Started
- June 4
Santa Barbara
- Airline
- Southwest
- Started
- August 4
Source: KPBS, April 28, 2026. New competition on a route tends to pull fares down.
A five-minute cheap-flight routine
- 01
Track two airports
Set price alerts for SAN and LAX (and TIJ for Mexico) on the same dates.
- 02
Flex a day
Check the date grid; moving a day either side often changes the fare more than switching airlines.
- 03
Price the whole trip
Add bags, seats and the ground cost to LAX or CBX before comparing.
- 04
Buy inside the window
For domestic trips, aim for roughly 3 to 8 weeks out.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 5, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
9to5Google · October 5, 2026
39 days; 57-22 day range
PointsCrowd · Updated June 4, 2026
Bag fees and exceptions, assigned seating date, Basic rules
San Diego International Airport · February 23, 2026
25.32 million passengers
KPBS · April 28, 2026
87 nonstop destinations; 2026 routes and start dates
sandiego.tips · Checked November 5, 2026
Ground costs: $68 reLAXsan, CBX $19.95/$37.95, Route 992 $3