To San Diego

Cheap Flights from Raleigh to San Diego

Browse current best options from Raleigh. Become a member to unlock all deals and get alerts when new deals appear.

Deals from

Raleigh

RatePunk searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San Diego

Prices updated 24 days ago

486,190 searches this week

171 airlines compared

80%+ AI score for best value

Fares are subject to change and may not be available for all dates. (Data last updated May 29, 2026.)

Today’s best flight deals from Raleigh to San Diego

Explore current cheapest deals departing from Raleigh to San Diego

Round trip

Sort by: Cheapest

August 30 - September 10

Cheapest

RDU - San Diego

$264

$178

Round trip

August 30 - September 3

Cheapest

Best

RDU - San Diego

$294

$178

Round trip

October 13 - October 27

Cheapest

RDU - San Diego

$250

$178

Round trip

October 20 - October 27

RDU - San Diego

$272

$189

Round trip

October 7 - November 4

RDU - San Diego

$239

$196

Round trip

October 10 - October 27

RDU - San Diego

$242

$196

Round trip

October 7 - October 27

RDU - San Diego

$239

$196

Round trip

August 12 - September 10

Earliest

RDU - San Diego

$249

$196

Round trip

August 20 - September 10

RDU - San Diego

$253

$196

Round trip

October 1 - October 27

RDU - San Diego

$224

$196

Round trip

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Route Intelligence — 486,190 Searches this Week

Insights for flights from Raleigh to San Diego

For those seeking cheap flights from Raleigh to San Diego, April stands out as the most affordable month, with a median fare of $157. Other cost-effective options include January, with a median fare of $167, and May, where the median fare is $188. Planning your trip during these months can lead to significant savings.

Fares for flights from Raleigh to San Diego typically range from $168–$557, with a median price of $319. Right now, current fares are below the typical level, which is good news for travelers. In fact, 59% of recent fares have been classified as a good price, indicating favorable conditions for finding a deal.

When flying from Raleigh to San Diego, a meaningful share are non-stop, the rest connect once, with 45.4% of recent itineraries being direct flights. For those itineraries that do involve connections, the typical number of stopovers is 2. This means you have options for both direct and connecting routes, depending on your preference for travel time versus potential cost savings.

A typical journey from Raleigh to San Diego takes about 14h 10m, including connections. This duration accounts for the layovers often involved in routes that are not direct. Given that most itineraries connect at least once, this median time provides a realistic expectation for the total travel duration.

The distance between Raleigh and San Diego is approximately 3522 kilometers. This classifies the route as a medium-haul flight, meaning it's a significant journey that typically involves several hours in the air, often with a stopover or two.

How much is a round trip from Raleigh to San Diego

Regular price: $218 - $569

Prices for flights from Raleigh to San Diego are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for flights from Raleigh to San Diego is typically between $218 and $569. The current lowest deal is $178 with Breeze Airways for travel from August 30 to September 10.

now $178

Low $218

High $569

The cheapest time to fly from Raleigh to San Diego

The cheapest month to fly from RDU to SAN is April, with a median price of $157. The most expensive month is July, with a median price of $612. Prices are generally lower from January to November.

April

Cheapest

Flights from $157

July

Most Expensive

Flights from $612

Jan

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Direct flights from Raleigh to San Diego

Breeze Airways

Last-minute flights going from Raleigh to San Diego

Wed, Jun 17

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - San Diego

Raleigh (RDU) - San Diego (SAN)

United Airlines

$430

$331

One-way

Thu, Jun 18

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - San Diego

Raleigh (RDU) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$367

$250

One-way

Thu, Jun 18

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - San Diego

Raleigh (RDU) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$430

$250

One-way

Sat, Jun 20

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - San Diego

Raleigh (RDU) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$385

$250

One-way

Thu, Jul 2

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - San Diego

Raleigh (RDU) - San Diego (SAN)

American Airlines

$341

$246

One-way

Fri, Jul 10

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - San Diego

Raleigh (RDU) - San Diego (SAN)

American Airlines

$315

$236

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Raleigh to San Diego

3 nights

Jun 18 - Jun 21

$430 → $250

42%

5 nights

Jun 20 - Jun 25

$385 → $250

35%

7 nights

Aug 12 - Aug 19

$337 → $206

39%

7 nights

Aug 24 - Aug 31

$342 → $217

37%

Popular Airports to fly from Raleigh to San Diego

Raleigh - San Diego route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are below the typical level.

Recent fares for Raleigh to San Diego are below the typical level, with deals around $178.

📅 Best time to fly

April is historically the cheapest month to fly.

Historically, April is the cheapest month to fly from Raleigh to San Diego, with a median price of $157.

⏱️ Flight duration

Flights typically take 14h 10m.

Flights from Raleigh to San Diego typically take 14 hours and 10 minutes, covering 3522 km.

✈️ Airlines & availability

45% of deals are direct.

About 45% of deals for this route are direct, with connecting flights typically having 2 stopovers.

🏆 Airline highlight

Breeze Airways offers direct flights.

Breeze Airways has offered direct flights from Raleigh to San Diego in recent deals.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals appear frequently.

Deals for flights from Raleigh to San Diego appear frequently, with over one deal per day.

Raleigh main airports to depart from

Raleigh–Durham International (RDU)

Cheapest

Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) is a convenient departure point for flights to San Diego.

📍 ~15 km from Raleigh city center (reachable by car).

💸 Flights from ~$178

San Diego main airports to arrive at

San Diego International (SAN)

Cheapest

San Diego International is a primary arrival airport for flights from Raleigh to San Diego.

📍 ~5 km from San Diego city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$178

McClellan–Palomar (CLD)

McClellan–Palomar is an alternative arrival airport for travelers flying from Raleigh to San Diego.

📍 ~50 km from San Diego city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$380

Airports nearby San Diego used as alternative

Tijuana International (TIJ)

Tijuana International (TIJ) is an excellent alternative for Mexico flights with direct US access via Cross Border Xpress.

📍 ~25 km from destination city (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$490

John Wayne (SNA)

John Wayne (SNA) is a close major US domestic alternative, often less congested than LAX.

📍 ~135 km from destination city (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$292

Los Angeles International (LAX)

Cheapest

Los Angeles International (LAX) offers the most extensive international and domestic route options with competitive pricing.

📍 ~180 km from destination city (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$247

Ontario International (ONT)

Ontario International (ONT) is a reliable domestic alternative with growing service, often less congested than LAX or SNA.

📍 ~165 km from destination city (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$250

Long Beach (LGB)

Long Beach (LGB) is easy to navigate with fast security, good for specific West Coast routes.

📍 ~150 km from destination city (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$300

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Diego

66% AI deal score

$2,292

From RDU

Elite

Jun 19

San Diego, United States

66% AI deal score

$2,292

From RDU

Elite

Jun 18

San Diego, United States

66% AI deal score

$2,292

From RDU

Elite

Jun 17

San Diego, United States

66% AI deal score

$2,292

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Diego

Historically, the optimal booking window for flights from Raleigh to San Diego is typically 7-13 days before departure. During this period, the average price for tickets has been around $217. Prices tend to be significantly higher when booking 28-59 days out, averaging $738. For those planning further in advance, tickets booked 60+ days out averaged $410.

Across the trailing quarter, a good deal for a flight from Raleigh to San Diego is considered to be $168 or less. The median price for this route has been $319 in the trailing 90 days. Prices can go up to $557 or more, which represents the higher end of the typical price range for this route.

Historically, the cheapest months to fly from Raleigh to San Diego are April, with a median price of $157, and January, with a median price of $167. May also offers competitive prices, with a median of $188. The annual median price for this route is $319, indicating that these months offer notable savings.

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