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SFO - SBA

Find cheap flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara from $99

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 Santa Barbara departing on 6/11. 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
pt. 6/7
pt. 6/14

Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Santa Barbara

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, as well as popular online travel agencies
In the last 7 days travelers have searched 43,968,530 times on KAYAK, and here is why:

Save 21% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Cheap flight deals from San Francisco to Santa Barbara (SFO-SBA)

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara 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
8:30 am - 9:50 amSFO-SBA
1h 20mnonstop
6:15 am - 7:25 amSBA-SFO
1h 10mnonstop
$183United Airlines
Find Deal
pt., wrz 6 - ndz., wrz 8
10:53 am - 12:14 pmSFO-SBA
1h 21mnonstop
6:00 am - 7:12 amSBA-SFO
1h 12mnonstop
$197United Airlines
Find Deal
sob., cze 1 - wt., cze 4
10:53 am - 12:14 pmSFO-SBA
1h 21mnonstop
6:00 am - 7:12 amSBA-SFO
1h 12mnonstop
$198United Airlines
Find Deal
wt., cze 11 - sob., cze 15
8:30 am - 9:50 amSFO-SBA
1h 20mnonstop
5:15 am - 11:42 amSBA-SFO
6h 27m1 stop
$206United Airlines
Find Deal
pt., sie 23 - pon., sie 26
8:00 am - 5:03 pmSFO-SBA
9h 03m1 stop
6:01 pm - 3:54 pmSBA-SFO
21h 53m2 stops
$328Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
wt., cze 4 - wt., cze 11
1:40 pm - 10:24 amSFO-SBA
20h 44m2 stops
6:01 pm - 2:17 pmSBA-SFO
20h 16m2 stops
$333Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
wt., cze 4 - wt., cze 11
7:00 am - 5:03 pmSFO-SBA
10h 03m2 stops
6:01 pm - 8:15 amSBA-SFO
14h 14m1 stop
$348Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
śr., cze 5 - śr., cze 12
9:29 am - 10:22 pmSFO-SBA
12h 53m2 stops
6:25 am - 5:23 pmSBA-SFO
10h 58m2 stops
$544American Airlines
Find Deal
śr., lip 10 - wt., lip 16
9:32 am - 10:44 pmSFO-SBA
13h 12m2 stops
6:25 am - 6:27 pmSBA-SFO
12h 02m2 stops
$588American Airlines
Find Deal
wt., cze 11 - sob., cze 15
6:00 am - 6:08 pmSFO-SBA
12h 08m2 stops
6:39 pm - 9:45 amSBA-SFO
15h 06m1 stop
$739American Airlines
Find Deal
pt., cze 14 - ndz., cze 16

Flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara - Travel Insights & Trends

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara?

The average price of all flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
When flying from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, you should consider leaving on a Tuesday and avoid Fridays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to San Francisco, you’ll find the best rates on Thursdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara is September, where tickets cost $268 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, where the average cost of tickets is $383 and $358 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara, you should book around 2 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 56 days before departure.

Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

The cheapest price for the route for each airline clicked by KAYAK users in the last 72 hours.
In the past 3 days, the cheapest one-way tickets to Santa Barbara from San Francisco were found on United Airlines ($99) and Alaska Airlines ($168), and the lowest round-trip tickets were found on United Airlines ($183) and Alaska Airlines ($328).

Which airlines fly non-stop between San Francisco and Santa Barbara?

Airline and price data is aggregated from results in KAYAK’s search results from the last 2 weeks for flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara.
There is just one airline that flies from San Francisco to Santa Barbara direct and that is United Airlines. The best one-way deal found from United Airlines for the route is $148.

How many flights are there between San Francisco and Santa Barbara per day?

Each day, there are between 5 and 6 nonstop flights that take off from San Francisco and land in Santa Barbara, with an average flight time of 1h 20m. The most common departure time is 10:00 pm and most flights take off at night. Each week, there are 37 flights. The most frequent day of departure is Thursday, when 16% of all weekly flights depart. The fewest flights depart on a Monday.

Which cabin class options are there for flights between San Francisco and Santa Barbara?

The average price of flights for each cabin class for the route found by users searching on KAYAK over the last 2 weeks.
There are 4 cabin class options for the route. These are First, Business, Economy and Prem Economy. Perform a search on KAYAK to find the latest prices and availability for all cabin fares, which differ across airlines.

How long does a flight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara take?

A direct flight to Santa Barbara will take on average 1h 17m to travel the 262 miles flying distance from San Francisco.

What’s the earliest departure time from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

Early birds can take the earliest flight from San Francisco at 10:35 am and will be landing in Santa Barbara at 11:58 am.

What’s the latest departure time from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

If you prefer to fly at night, the latest flight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara jets off at 11:03 pm and lands at 12:22 am.

Good to know

Low season

January

High season

September

Cheapest flight

$99
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 13% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 18% lower on average.
Flight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara

When to book flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco to Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara

  • Does SFO have a hotel in the airport?

    Yes. The Grand Hyatt at the San Francisco International Airport hotel is convenient and comfortable place to stay, especially if you have an early flight to Santa Barbara. This accommodation is connected to the airport on the free AirTrain, which goes to all of the terminals. Some features of this upscale hotel include a restaurant and bar, room service, free Wi-Fi, a work-out room, and more.

  • Does the San Francisco Airport have a USO?

    Yes. The USO military lounge at the San Francisco airport is located landside in the Harvey Milk Terminal, Terminal 1, on the mezzanine level. Open daily from 7 am to 4 pm, this lounge offers its services and facilities free of charge to active duty US military personnel and their families. Some benefits of this lounge include comfortable seating, TV, snack packs to go, flight information, and more.

  • Does the Santa Barbara Airport have facilities for nursing moms?

    Yes. You can use the Mamava pod at Gate 2 in SBA, a free-standing unit designed to give nursing moms cleanliness and privacy to breastfeed or pump. This fiberglass pod has a fold down shelf, bench seating on either side, and electrical outlet, a USB port, a coat hook, and a mirror.

  • How can I get from SBA into Santa Barbara?

    At the Arrivals curb, you can catch a readily available taxi. Across from the airport, you can catch a bus at the station on Moffett Road. If you want to rent a car, there are a number of rental car companies on airport grounds, including Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, and more. Thrifty is just off airport grounds.

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara was $99 for a one-way ticket and $183 for a round-trip.

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

    No

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

    San Francisco and Santa Barbara are both served by 1 main airport. You will leave San Francisco from San Francisco and will be arriving at Santa Barbara.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

    American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and Alaska Airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the San Francisco to Santa Barbara flight route.

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

    The Embraer 175 (Enhanced Winglets) is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the San Francisco to Santa Barbara flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

    Star Alliance is the only airline alliance operating flights between San Francisco and Santa Barbara.

  • On which days can I fly direct from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

    There are nonstop flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara on a daily basis.

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

    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 Santa Barbara.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara?

    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 Santa Barbara with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline. Booking your flights between San Francisco and SBA 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 Santa Barbara?

    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 Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $129 or less one-way and $224 or less round-trip.
  • The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is in northwest California and has Alaska Airlines as its hub. The Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is on the shores of the Pacific a few miles north of Santa Barbara in the town of Goleta, California.
  • United Airlines is one carrier that offers non-stop flights between SFO and SBA. United and American Airlines offer one-stop flights between SFO and SBA. Common layover cities include Los Angeles and Phoenix.
  • If when you get to SFO you want to rest or freshen up, you can pay to use Freshen Up, nap rooms that include a bed, a desk, a mirror, and free Wi-Fi. You can even take a shower for an extra charge. You can find Freshen Up at Level G in the Main Hall, landside.
  • If you are traveling with children you would like them to exhaust themselves or to distract themselves while they are waiting for their flight to Santa Barbara, you can take them to the Kids Spot at Gate D15 in Terminal 2. This indoor playground is an interactive experience and it is open all day, every day.
  • When you are waiting for your plane to Santa Barbara at SFO, keep an eye out for the Wag Brigade. The Wag Brigade started out as a therapy dog program, where handlers and the dogs roamed Departures hoping to offer delight, distraction, or comfort to passengers. But now the ever-popular Wag Brigade also includes a pig and a rabbit. All passengers are encouraged to pet and cuddle these therapy animals.
See more tips

Prefer to fly non-stop from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?

Find which airlines fly direct from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Nonstop departures

San Francisco to Santa Barbara

Monday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, +2 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +3 more

Tuesday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, +3 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +4 more

Wednesday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, +3 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +4 more

Thursday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, +3 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +4 more

Friday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, +2 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +3 more

Saturday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, +2 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +3 more

Sunday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, +3 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +4 more

See more direct flights

Nonstop returns

Santa Barbara to San Francisco

Monday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Emirates, +2 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +3 more

Tuesday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, +3 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +4 more

Wednesday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, +3 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +4 more

Thursday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, +3 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +4 more

Friday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Emirates, +2 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +3 more

Saturday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Emirates, +2 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +3 more

Sunday

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, +3 more

Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +4 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top airline flying from San Francisco to Santa Barbara

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. 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 Santa Barbara? 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.
7.4
United AirlinesOverall score based on 11043 reviews
7.2Comfort
8.1Crew
7.7Boarding
7.1Entertainment
6.7Food
Airline reviews

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.

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2024SFO - BOS
Read more about United Airlines reviews

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.

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😊

Our flight was delayed many times throughout the day. The final delay was about 8 hours. I spent time in line to speak to someone at their understaffed desk, and also spent time waiting online and then chatting with a service rep. None of the United employees were any help at all. I desperately wanted to go get rest and possibly re-book my trip but I was denied any compensation or voucher for a hotel. I was repeatedly told it was not United's fault and therefore they had no compensation to offer. Overall, a cold and callous experience.

Paid WiFi was only available for a few minutes. Avoid at all costs.

Everything was great, only problem was that flights were delayed

Book cheap flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara

Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best one-way flight deals from San Francisco to Santa Barbara found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
6/11wt.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 21mSFO-SBA
$99
6/30ndz.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 21mSFO-SBA
$105
7/11czw.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 21mSFO-SBA
$115
6/6czw.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 19mSFO-SBA
$130
6/4wt.
2 stopsAlaska Airlines
20h 44mSFO-SBA
$168
6/5śr.
1 stopAlaska Airlines
6h 48mSFO-SBA
$186
6/14pt.
1 stopAmerican Airlines
23h 27mSFO-SBA
$278
5/16czw.
2 stopsSouthwest
7h 30mSFO-SBA
$302
7/10śr.
1 stopAmerican Airlines
10h 28mSFO-SBA
$665
6/11wt.
2 stopsAvianca
21h 51mSFO-SBA
$791

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Last minute flights from San Francisco to Santa Barbara

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 Santa Barbara that are departing in the next 10 days.
5/13pon.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 22mSFO-SBA
5/20pon.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 20mSBA-SFO
$493
5/13pon.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 22mSFO-SBA
5/20pon.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
5h 48mSBA-SFO
$502
5/9czw.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 23mSFO-SBA
5/14wt.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 12mSBA-SFO
$504
5/13pon.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
3h 17mSFO-SBA
5/20pon.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
5h 33mSBA-SFO
$512
5/9czw.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 23mSFO-SBA
5/14wt.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
3h 48mSBA-SFO
$513
5/11sob.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
12h 39mSFO-SBA
5/14wt.
nonstopUnited Airlines
1h 15mSBA-SFO
$518
5/9czw.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
3h 51mSFO-SBA
5/14wt.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
3h 45mSBA-SFO
$523
5/9czw.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
12h 39mSFO-SBA
5/14wt.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
6h 09mSBA-SFO
$528
5/13pon.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
11h 49mSFO-SBA
5/20pon.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
13h 49mSBA-SFO
$878
5/10pt.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
8h 32mSFO-SBA
5/12ndz.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
12h 24mSBA-SFO
$952

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San Francisco - Santa Barbara Flights

Departure:

San Francisco (undefined)United States

Destination:

Santa Barbara (SBA)United States

Return flight deals:

Santa Barbara - San Francisco

Cabin classes:

$387
$969
$389
$138

Browse origins:

Browse destinations:

Compare transportation modes for San Francisco to Santa Barbara

Average priceAverage duration
Flights$2541h 16m
Trains$1120h 00m