Award flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)
In the last 30 days AwardTool saw award space on 1 program for SFO→DSM. Lowest economy: 10,000 miles + $5.60 (American Airlines AAdvantage). Lowest first class: 25,000 miles + $5.60 (American Airlines AAdvantage).
With American Airlines AAdvantage, first class started at 25,000 miles + $5.60, about 2.5 times the points of its lowest economy award (10,000 miles + $5.60).
Prices observed – ; newest observation .
Page regenerated from the Nov 12, 2026 data snapshot (normally daily). Summary last changed . Seats change quickly.
Compare programs by cabin
The lowest one-way award each program showed in each cabin, sorted by points.
Economy
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 10,000 pts + $5.60 | 2 stops |  AA AS | — | 16 | See dates |
First Class
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 25,000 pts + $5.60 | 2 stops | AAAS | 2 | 16 | See dates |
Premium economy: not seen in the last 30 days.
Business class: not seen in the last 30 days.
Not seen means AwardTool hasn't observed this cabin on this route in the last 30 days. It doesn't mean the airline has no seats. Dates seen counts departure dates with an open award in that cabin at any price; newest observation is the latest time AwardTool saw one of them. Seats is the count the program reported when we observed it; some programs report at most 9.
San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM) at a glance
- From
- San Francisco International, San Francisco, California, United States (SFO)
- To
- Des Moines International, Des Moines, Iowa, United States (DSM)
- Programs with award space seen
- 1 of 1 program tracked on this route
- Nonstop award space seen
- Not seen in the last 30 days
- Airlines seen on these awards
- American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS)
- Departures with open awards
- Nov 2026 to Sep 2027
- Most dates with space
- 16 of 17 departure dates checked (American Airlines AAdvantage, economy)
- Latest departure with space
- Observation window
- Awards observed in the last 30 days
- Distance
- 1,545 miles (2,487 km), great-circle
- Destination guide
- Award flights to Des Moines (DSM)
Observed award examples
| Departure | Cabin | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | American Airlines AAdvantage | 10,000 pts + $5.60 | — | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| First | American Airlines AAdvantage | 25,000 pts + $5.60 | 2 | 2 stops | Check this date |
Prices are one-way per traveler: the program's points or miles plus taxes and carrier fees in USD, as AwardTool observed them in the observation window. Award space changes constantly. A seat we saw may be gone, and space we haven't seen may exist. Always confirm with a live search before transferring points; most transfers can't be reversed.
Best months to fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM) on points
| Month | Economy | First |
|---|---|---|
| 12,000 pts + taxes not reported (5 dates)AAdvantage | 25,000 pts + $5.60 (5 dates)AAdvantage | |
| 10,000 pts + $5.60 (5 dates)AAdvantage | 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (5 dates)AAdvantage | |
| 10,000 pts + taxes not reported (3 dates)AAdvantage | 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (3 dates)AAdvantage | |
| 12,500 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)AAdvantage | 50,000 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)AAdvantage | |
| 11,000 pts + taxes not reported (2 dates)AAdvantage | 32,500 pts + taxes not reported (2 dates)AAdvantage |
A month's taxes are those of an award AwardTool recorded at that month's lowest price for a departure that month. “Taxes not reported” means the data has none for that month; the award still has taxes and fees.
Points that transfer to these programs
| Program | Amex | Bilt | Capital One | Chase | Citi | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage | — | — | — | — | 1:1 · Instant | — |
Check current transfer bonuses. Most transfers can't be reversed.
Search, calendar and alerts from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)
Route calendar
Every departure date with open award seats on SFO→DSM for American Airlines AAdvantage and the other programs: a limited window on the free plan and 365 days with Pro.
Open the route calendarLive search
Search one date across programs to see current flights, seats and taxes before you transfer points.
Search San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)Questions about award flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)
How many miles do you need to fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM) with American Airlines AAdvantage?
The lowest one-way American Airlines AAdvantage awards AwardTool observed in the last 30 days (newest observation Nov 12, 2026): economy 10,000 miles + $5.60, with a typical monthly low of 11,000 miles (taxes vary) over 5 months and award space on 16 departure dates; first class 25,000 miles + $5.60, with a typical monthly low of 25,000 miles (taxes vary) over 5 months and award space on 16 departure dates. Monthly lows varied in economy (10,000 to 12,500 miles + taxes vary) and first class (25,000 to 50,000 miles + taxes vary), so the award on your dates may cost more. Search live before transferring points.
How many points does it take to fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)?
The lowest economy award AwardTool has seen was 10,000 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage. Seen Oct 18, 2026, 23:41 UTC for a Dec 25, 2026 departure. American Airlines AAdvantage showed economy award space on 16 departure dates at any price (newest observation Nov 12, 2026, 06:52 UTC). Search live before transferring points.
Can you fly nonstop from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM) on points?
AwardTool hasn't observed nonstop award space on this route in the last 30 days. The awards it saw connected with 2 stops on itineraries including American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. That doesn't mean nonstop space never appears.
Which credit card points can book awards from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)?
Citi ThankYou Points: American Airlines AAdvantage (1:1). These are US card programs; ratios come from AwardTool's transfer partner list. Check current bonuses first.
What's the best month to fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM) on points?
Counting only month prices from programs with award space on 2 or more dates that month, and leaving out unusually low outliers: in economy, the lowest award was for Dec 2026 departures, 10,000 miles + $5.60 with AAdvantage (5 dates); in first class, the lowest award was for Nov 2026 departures, 25,000 miles + $5.60 with AAdvantage (5 dates). The month table shows every lowest price, including those. Based on dates we observed, not a forecast.
When do award seats open for flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)?
American Airlines AAdvantage publishes a booking window of about 331 days before departure (AwardTool's program data, reviewed Nov 6, 2026). AwardTool saw award space on this route for departures as late as Sep 19, 2027; seats can open earlier or later, and released seats may already be booked. See award release dates by program.