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SFO - SJO

$146 Find cheap flights from San Francisco to San José, San José Province

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to San José departing on 5/14. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
0 bags
Wed 6/5
Wed 6/12

Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San José

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to San José.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to San José.
In the last 7 days travelers have searched 42,573,820 times on KAYAK, and here is why:

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Cheap flight deals from San Francisco to San José (SFO-SJO)

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to San José that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
10:07 am - 8:46 amSFO-SJO
21h 39m2 stops
1:30 pm - 10:35 pmSJO-SFO
10h 05m1 stop
Sat, Jun 1 - Tue, Jun 11
11:08 pm - 8:25 amSFO-SJO
32h 17m1 stop
7:50 pm - 12:45 pmSJO-SFO
17h 55m1 stop
Tue, Jul 16 - Tue, Jul 23
6:48 pm - 8:46 amSFO-SJO
12h 58m2 stops
5:10 am - 12:45 pmSJO-SFO
8h 35m1 stop
Wed, May 29 - Wed, Jun 5
2:10 pm - 9:10 amSFO-SJO
18h 00m2 stops
5:10 am - 12:45 pmSJO-SFO
8h 35m1 stop
$372Avianca
Find Deal
Wed, May 15 - Wed, Jun 12
2:10 pm - 11:15 pmSFO-SJO
8h 05m1 stop
3:15 pm - 10:35 pmSJO-SFO
8h 20m1 stop
$375Avianca
Find Deal
Wed, May 29 - Wed, Jun 5
8:00 am - 6:55 pmSFO-SJO
9h 55m1 stop
11:59 pm - 8:47 amSJO-SFO
9h 48m1 stop
$416American Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, May 9 - Wed, Jun 19
11:58 pm - 12:50 pmSFO-SJO
11h 52m2 stops
6:00 am - 7:02 pmSJO-SFO
14h 02m2 stops
$421American Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, May 13 - Thu, May 16
12:30 am - 10:03 amSFO-SJO
8h 33m1 stop
7:55 am - 7:00 pmSJO-SFO
12h 05m1 stop
$436United Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, May 26 - Fri, Jun 7
11:59 pm - 12:26 pmSFO-SJO
11h 27m1 stop
5:30 am - 6:52 pmSJO-SFO
14h 22m1 stop
$465United Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Jul 7 - Mon, Jul 22
7:56 pm - 8:01 amSFO-SJO
11h 05m1 stop
8:46 am - 11:40 pmSJO-SFO
15h 54m1 stop
$518Copa Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Jun 2 - Sun, Jun 9

Flights from San Francisco to San José - Travel Insights & Trends

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to San José to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to San José?

The average price of all flights from San Francisco to San José, San José Province clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to San José on a Tuesday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Saturday is the most expensive day to fly from San Francisco to San José. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Tuesday and avoiding Saturdays for the best deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to San José, San José Province?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from San Francisco to San José, San José Province, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.
The cheapest month for flights from San Francisco to San José, San José Province is May, where tickets cost $377 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of tickets is $913 and $608 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to San José, San José Province?

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from San Francisco to San José, San José Province, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price on the flight from San Francisco to San José, San José Province, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 39 days before departure.

Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from San Francisco to San José?

The cheapest price for the route for each airline clicked by KAYAK users in the last 72 hours.
In the last 72 hours, the cheapest one-way ticket from San Francisco to San José found on KAYAK was with Frontier for $176. Avianca proposed a round-trip connection from $372 and American Airlines from $416.

Good to know

Low season

October

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$146
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 21% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 79% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to San José

When to book flights from San Francisco to San José

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco to San José based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from San Francisco to San José

  • Where can I sleep when at SFO?

    Depending on your preferences and budget, there are a variety of places you can stay while at the airport. In the airport, near the airport travel agency on Level G in the Main Hall, you may access nap rooms that are less expensive than hotels. These nap rooms provide Wi-Fi, a desk, mirrors, and showers. The Grand Hyatt at SFO, La Quinta Inn and Suites, Aloft San Francisco Airport, Westin San Francisco Airport, San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront, and Vagabond Inn Executive San Francisco Airport are a few of the nearby hotels you can choose from. These hotels are typically between 10 and 30min away from the airport.

  • Does the SFO have a business center?

    Finding a place in the airport where you can conduct business while traveling, or even join that virtual meeting, may be a fantastic idea. At the airport's Trip Tel Business Center, which is situated in the Main Hall of the International Terminal, you may access other services like faxing, copying, and renting mobile phones. Additionally, working spaces are offered at the desks in the sleep rooms, and free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the airport.

  • What are my transportation options from SJO?

    You might want to keep an eye out for a few possibilities for getting from the airport to the city core. Numerous significant bus terminals exist, including the Terminal del Caribe, the Terminal Atlantica, the 7-10, and the Pulmitam. You can get to a bus terminal in downtown San Jose by boarding a bus from any of these locations. Private and shared shuttles are both options for getting you to downtown San Jose. Although shared shuttles must be accessed by taxiing to Denny's restaurant, private shuttles can be taken at the airport. You might also think about employing a taxi service, which is more practical because it gets you exactly where you want to go.

  • Where can I find food when at SJO?

    There is only one level of the San Jose Airport, which you can reach via the escalator. On this level, you can find a café, Starbucks, and Quiznos where you can get some food to eat. Additional dining options include Café Lavazza in the Landside Lobby Mezzanine, as well as the Airside Brioche Doree and Bar Imperial, all of which serve drinks.

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Francisco to San José, San José Province?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to San José, San José Province was $146 for a one-way ticket and $347 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between San Francisco and San José?

    Yes

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from San Francisco to San José?

    On your way to San José, you’ll fly out from San Francisco. You’ll be landing at San José Juan Santamaria Intl.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from San Francisco to San José?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San Francisco to San José?

    oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between San Francisco and San José, with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to San José from San Francisco?

    San Salvador is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from San Francisco to San José.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to San José, Copa Airlines or Avianca?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to San José are Copa Airlines and Avianca. With an average price for the route of $552 and an overall rating of 7.8, Copa Airlines is the most popular choice. Avianca is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $445 and an overall rating of 7.5.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco to San José?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San Francisco to San José.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San Francisco to San José?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San José from San Francisco is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San Francisco to San José?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to San José with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline. Booking your flights between San Francisco and SJO can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Francisco to San José?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to San José from San Francisco up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from SFO to San José

  • When arriving at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), proceed to the check-in area where you will locate Sky Cap, which provides porter and baggage wrapping services.
  • Rental options for baby equipment are available at the Cloud of Good shops in the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Online purchases can be picked up in-store. You can rent a car seat, a stroller, and other things.
  • If you require any assistance while at the airport, you can take advantage of the information desks located in each terminal at SFO.
  • To help you unwind before your trip, the Wag Brigade has trained canines with the message "Pet Me!" posted all over SFO.
  • Look for the Aviation Museum at Landside in the Mian Hall of the International Terminal if you are looking for a place you can take your family as you wait for your flight.
See more tips

Top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco to San José

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to San José. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to San José? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.8
Copa AirlinesOverall score based on 2781 reviews
8.3Crew
7.2Entertainment
7.3Food
8.1Boarding
7.7Comfort
Airline reviews

Copa performed as expected for the amount of money I was willing to spend for the flight; it wasn’t exceptional but it was not bad in any way either. The crew was good; friendly and straightforward. The food was airplane food, so no expectations there and the entertainment was lacking but that was my fault for owning an IPhone with a charging port that’s not compatible with the rest of the world. I’d fly Copa again.

8.0 ExcellentAntonio, Mar 2024LAX - PTY
Read more about Copa Airlines reviews

Copa performed as expected for the amount of money I was willing to spend for the flight; it wasn’t exceptional but it was not bad in any way either. The crew was good; friendly and straightforward. The food was airplane food, so no expectations there and the entertainment was lacking but that was my fault for owning an IPhone with a charging port that’s not compatible with the rest of the world. I’d fly Copa again.

Left my bags in origin city on a business class ticket , spent about 2-3 days in the same clothes plus the flight .

the planes are not modern there are no phone chargers

As usual, the flight with normal legroom was not very comfortable, but the second flight was much better because we had paid for extra legroom. It was very nice to check our bags without an extra fee.

LOCKED MY BAG WITHOUT CONSENT. Had to have my zippers cut upon arrival in Costa Rica.

Pros: "The seats in economy were confortable. The best thing was Copa gave us seats in the second line and my family traveled together."
Cons: "Coffe service could better the experience"
Pros: "The crew was very interested on help and attentive with the passengers. But the seat wasn't comfortable. The design of the cushion is not the best to be seating"
Pros: "You were on time, that is the most important thing in a fly"
Cons: "You could improve your entertainment, you are not a cheap company"
Pros: "That there was seltzer"
Cons: "The management of preparing the flight and plane so that it was ready for the trip!!"
Pros: "Copa was convenient and easy. Very easy boarding process and I appreciated the day flight."
Cons: "This is a business class that is equivalent to a US carrier domestic first class. Good seats, not lay flat but wide on my 737-800. The food and service emulated say American Airlines Domestic 1C as well. Everything was just good enough, and much cheaper that international business on the majors."

The plane was so outdated, that it made it uncomfortable. The temperature was hot during the whole flight

Some entertainment and food/snack service would have been nice

All the pessengers should be wait in a line útil the creo and piloto are arrived.

Planes seat could be bigger very uncomfortable for tall humans.

1 hour waiting for suitcases to come out traveling in business class and food in business class is a sandwich? Avoid Aeromexico .

No space reserved for anyone who didn’t have underseat in front of them. Made it inconvenient to get the backs secured. No inflight entertainment in the 190. Bring your own! Food was excellent and we were surprised to get a full breakfast.

Cons: "left Houston more than 2 hours later, arrive in Mexico over 2 am"
Cons: "El problema es que nunca pude cambiar mi vuelo y con ustedes fue imposible comunicarse para que me auxiliaran. Muy mal por ustedes no por la línea."
Pros: "The crew was amazing , the site is ok"
Cons: "I love Aeroméxico , thanks for de service and the food."
Pros: "Plenty a space between seats. Ver confortable seats and small entertainment screens!"
Cons: "Better selection of movie?"

No water for a 5 hour flight entertainment not working seats with little room for knees when person in front of me reclined kept bumping my knees.

I don't think anyone actually reads these comments, so I won't spend much time on this submission. If you want to talk, you know how to reach me. The D/FW manager of Avianca (self-identified), Juan Calderon, insisted I buy an onward ticket from San Salvador even though I have diplomatic status in El Salvador and live here. It cost me $1,393 and Mr Calderon would not let me make the ticked flexible so I could get a refund. He went out of his way to be rude to me. He gave me seat 32K -- windowless window seat in the last row and did not offer to let me upgrade even though there were plenty of seats. I have flown well over a million miles in my life and this is the worst experience I have ever had. I would like a refund on the ticket I was forced to buy. Just awful!

This is the Spirit of Latino travel. And don’t even get me started on customer service.

Awful. I checked in online and there was no option to pay for baggage, at the airport when I checked in my baggage was received and Iwas not charged. When I got to LA during the boarding process I was told I didn't pay for baggage, the crew resolved I was let in the plane. When I got to my final destination my baggage was not there. It took me two days to receive my baggage. Bad service ever!

There was no food or drink service, couldn’t even get a glass of water for free. It was a long and expensive flight to not offer food or beverage on the plane.

It is better at the jfk than my home country. It was very easy and everything was on time.

There is no food. There is no in-inflight entertainment. The seats are cardboard. The airline is a living hellscape.

My experience was amazing! They helped my elderly mother board on early through a wheelchair and were accommodating to have us sit together since our seats were in different locations. When landing at the airport in GUA they were very helpful with full of hospitality.

No complimentary snacks food, beverage (not even water), pillow and blanket on a 6 hours long flight (including economy comfort). A low form of nickeling an diming. Lost a recurring passanger over a soda. Avianca never again.

Flight departure late. Got late in Colombia making us take a different flight next day. Avianca airport crew messed up my ticket so when a I got in Brazil I didn’t have a ticket for my destination. Had to buy a new ticket out of my pocket.

Hated every minute of it. This flight should have only taken 1.5hrs but was delayed over 10hours. Now I am being told I cannot be compensated or refunded my ticket price or extra leg room, which I purchased but did not receive, because the airline is throwing the blame on the 3rd party I purchased tickets through and 3rd party putting the blame on airline. No one wants to help. They received their money and that's all they care about. Im going on 3 days of still trying to get to my final destination, had to cancel car rental, car insurance and hotel. Currently staying in airport until hotels open up. Thank you Lufthansa, Kayak, Underpricer and United for making this trip the worst ever.

Crew was great and did their best to make us comfortable and captain came out at the beginning to announce why the flight was delayed, weather situation up ahead, and kept us updated throughout the flight.

United WiFi is consistently unusable (it can take 10 mins to load a single web page). If you need Wifi to do work, be prepared to lose half a day of productivity.

Awful. I got stuck next to a person carrying a dog and behind someone with a dog. People need to board these dogs downstairs. The cabin is crowded enough with your pets

Packed in like sardines, very uncomfortable. Sitting the aisle my shoulder was rammed into numerous times by rushing flight attendants. Also flight was very cold.

Beverage and food services are excellent. We enjoy paying the extra for economy plus for the 3 inches more leg room to be exact.

Flight was delayed by 3 hours. The pilot made up 1 hour during the flight, but that made the wait at the airport 5 hours once you factor getting there 2 hours early.

Airline did not explain reasons why flight was delayed two hours. Explanations were badly needed and rarely provided. Problem seemed to clearly be the airline’s fault and not the fault of the weather or airport.

Very uncomfortable seats and seat backs, and I am only 5’9”. Delayed due to crew issues, spent a long time with no ventilation. Teeny overhead bins. Wifi worked well. Arrived safely.

I was delighted that we were able to get on the 4:40 pm flight rather than our original booking at 6:55 pm!! Other than that, the flight was comfortable and landed early😊

Horrible - they lied to me about baggage & boarding, even though I specifically spoke to their agents the day before my flight about my issue. When I showed up they did not let me board and stranded me at my airport until I bought a new flight with money I did not have to spend.

Not sure why JAL partnered with American Airlines because their service is no where near similar. Flight attendants were not friendly and didn’t smile. Food was horrible…

The experience was great and much better than the flight going out. of course I was in first class but the service was excellent

Comfort of seats, ease of boarding. Food selection could be better

Food options were limited which is absolutely embarrassing for a Flight of this size The staff did not come around as much and I am not accustomed to such poor service from American Airlines Drinks I believe were limited to soda and water

Crew were attentive and friendly. Flight was smooth and early! I enjoyed the less crowded plane. Thank you!

We are gluten free, there were not any available complimentary gluten free options.

No meal on a cross country flight? SFO-MiA is pretty much the definition of a coast to coast flight. No meal provided. Sky high wi-fi rates too. Stop nickel and diming your customers.

The staff was unprofessional and didn’t communicate very well. The boarding process was very disheveled, potentially due to a power outage the previous day but there was no contingency plan to properly get passengers boarded the following day. Once boarded the aircraft stayed on the tarmac for over 45 minutes due to high winds. The communication was sporadic but an announcement was finally made an additional 30 minutes later that the flight was cancelled but we couldn’t get off the plane. Prior to deplaning one of the gate agents came on the plane and made an announcement for everyone to pickup their checked bags and take a card to rebook a new reservation because they didn’t have adequate staff. Flights were missed, passengers went to different airports and there was little to no assistance from AA.

You cancelled my flight by email then made it very difficult to get in contact with you. Then put me in a flight with a long layover in Mexico returning to the wrong airport in uk. Mind blowing my stressful. I missed see my grand dad because of you.

Book cheap flights from San Francisco to San José

Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best one-way flight deals from San Francisco to San José found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
5/14Tue
2 stops
15h 27mSFO-SJO
$146
5/22Wed
2 stops
19h 39mSFO-SJO
$162
5/14Tue
1 stopAmerican Airlines
18h 53mSFO-SJO
$189
8/3Sat
1 stopAvianca
8h 00mSFO-SJO
$190
6/25Tue
1 stopAvianca
8h 05mSFO-SJO
$195
6/23Sun
1 stopUnited Airlines
8h 33mSFO-SJO
$199
5/11Sat
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
12h 09mSFO-SJO
$221
7/6Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
9h 04mSFO-SJO
$223
6/10Mon
1 stopCopa Airlines
16h 06mSFO-SJO
$247
6/30Sun
1 stopCopa Airlines
28h 43mSFO-SJO
$286

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Last minute flights from San Francisco to San José

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights from San Francisco to San José that are departing in the next 10 days.
5/9Thu
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
9h 55mSFO-SJO
6/19Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
9h 48mSJO-SFO
$416
5/7Tue
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
13h 00mSFO-SJO
5/14Tue
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
11h 31mSJO-SFO
$419
5/8Wed
multi-stopCopa Airlines
13h 06mSFO-SJO
5/16Thu
multi-stopCopa Airlines
31h 41mSJO-SFO
$445
5/8Wed
multi-stopUnited Airlines
16h 31mSFO-SJO
5/12Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
28h 45mSJO-SFO
$533
5/10Fri
multi-stopAvianca
8h 05mSFO-SJO
5/24Fri
multi-stopAvianca
21h 31mSJO-SFO
$663
5/10Fri
multi-stopAvianca
18h 00mSFO-SJO
5/24Fri
multi-stopAvianca
21h 31mSJO-SFO
$763
5/10Fri
multi-stopUnited Airlines
20h 05mSFO-SJO
5/26Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
19h 51mSJO-SFO
$1,018
5/9Thu
multi-stopAeromexico
23h 45mSFO-SJO
5/26Sun
multi-stopAeromexico
47h 08mSJO-SFO
$1,301
5/9Thu
multi-stopAeromexico
34h 04mSFO-SJO
5/26Sun
multi-stopAeromexico
47h 08mSJO-SFO
$1,302
5/8Wed
multi-stopCopa Airlines
10h 45mSFO-SJO
5/26Sun
multi-stopCopa Airlines
13h 36mSJO-SFO
$2,490

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San Francisco - San José Flights

Departure:

San Francisco (SFO)United States

Destination:

San José (SJO)Costa Rica

Return flight deals:

San José - San Francisco

Cabin classes: