$49 Find Cheap Flights from California to San Francisco Bay Area

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Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$49
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 1% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 10% increase in price.
Flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco

Flights from California to San Francisco Bay Area: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from California to San Francisco Bay Area 
LindseyFlew with SWISS
SAN
-
SFO
Dec 2025
Ready for weather delays of wind in SFO, which happens often. Keep that in consideration when planning an additional leg of a trip after it from SFO.
Verified travelerFlew with United Airlines
ONT
-
SFO
Feb 2026
1 hr is doable if you're transferring at sfo but probably just get something to go food wise
JakeFlew with United Airlines
BIH
-
SFO
Jul 2025
Security in Bishop does not open until 1 hour before the flight.
RonaldFlew with Alaska Airlines
SNA
-
SFO
Apr 2025
The airport security can take a long time, the bathrooms are not always available near the gates due to construction, repairs, remodels.
AmyFlew with Spirit Airlines
SAN
-
OAK
Dec 2024
Make sure you download your movies in advance and try not to bring more luggage than you need. And keep in mind that the gate at San Diego airport is terribly small.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
LAX
-
SFO
Jan 2025
Bring water and snacks with shorter flights as some routes will not offer it.
DavianFlew with Southwest
LAX
-
OAK
Sep 2024
Don't rent a car or Uber. Add Clipper Card to your digital phone wallet and use it to take the Bart! It was super easy and very clean with spectacular views along the way
BryanFlew with Southwest
LGB
-
SJC
Oct 2024
Because it's a smaller airport, you can arrive at the airport a lot sooner if you're not checking a bag.
CongFlew with United Airlines
SNA
-
SFO
Nov 2024
Nothing really, being clothes that are easily taken off like shoes at the security will always save time
VyomaFlew with Alaska Airlines
SAN
-
SFO
Jun 2024
Be sure to read the signs, i have heard it's confusing for connecting flights if you don't follow the directions.
KathyFlew with United Airlines
RDD
-
SFO
Jun 2024
Realize it’s a smaller plane and you will probably have to green tag any carry on.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
LAX
-
SFO
Jul 2024
Bring a sweater, just incase other people's ac makes you cool.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
LAX
-
SFO
May 2024
Please be prepared to check in your luggage even if there is available space in the overhead bins. Despite the availability of space, Alaska Airlines employees refused to allow us to bring our bags onto the plane and insisted that we check them in.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
SNA
-
SFO
Feb 2024
Long Beach and SNA are convenient airports for flying out of Orange County. I wish I knew about the size of the plane which caused a fee for checking one small bag that normally was a carry on for other airlines such as SouthWest.

FAQs for booking flights from California to San Francisco Bay Area

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from California to San Francisco Bay Area?

    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 California to San Francisco Bay Area.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from California to San Francisco Bay Area 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 California to San Francisco Bay Area?

    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 from California to San Francisco Bay Area with an airline and back with another airline.

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

    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 from California to San Francisco Bay Area up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines fly most frequently to San Francisco Bay Area?

    California and San Francisco Bay Area are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are United Airlines (482 flights per week), Southwest (344 flights per week), and Alaska Airlines (299 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in San Francisco Bay Area?

    There are 2 airports in San Francisco Bay Area. The busiest airport is San Francisco Airport (SFO), with 89% of all flights arriving there.

  • Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in San Francisco Bay Area?

    Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in San Francisco Bay Area is San Jose Airport (SJC), with an average flight price of $187.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to San Francisco Bay Area?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to San Francisco Bay Area is Friday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $206. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Monday, where round-trip prices are $352 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to San Francisco Bay Area?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to San Francisco Bay Area is generally in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $184 on average. Morning departures are around 40% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to San Francisco Bay Area is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $304.

  • What is the cheapest flight to San Francisco Bay Area?

    The cheapest ticket to San Francisco Bay Area from California found in the last 72 hours was to San Jose, at $59 round-trip. The most popular route is Burbank (BUR) to San Francisco (SFO) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $73.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from California to San Francisco Bay Area?

    The cheapest month for flights from California to San Francisco Bay Area is April, when tickets cost $117 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and January, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $254 and $231 respectively.

  • How far in advance should I book a flight from California to San Francisco Bay Area?

    To get a below average price on the flight from California to San Francisco Bay Area, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 39% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 12 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to San Francisco Bay Area?

    From California, there are direct flights to San Francisco Bay Area from 17 cities. The city with the most direct flights is Los Angeles, with 1,302 direct flights each week.

  • How many direct flights to San Francisco Bay Area are there each day?

    There are around 532 direct flights from within California to San Francisco Bay Area every day. Most flights (43%) depart in the morning.

  • How many direct flights to San Francisco Bay Area are there each week?

    Each week there are around 3,722 direct flights from within California to San Francisco Bay Area. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 16% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to San Francisco Bay Area?

    An average nonstop flight from California to San Francisco Bay Area takes 2h 13m, covering a distance of 311 miles. The shortest route is Sacramento (SMF) to San Francisco (SFO) with an average flight time of 0h 52m.

  • How many long-haul flights are there to San Francisco Bay Area each week?

    There are not any long-haul (6-12 hour flight duration) or medium-haul (3-6 hour flight duration) flights to San Francisco Bay Area. Instead, there are 3,722 short-haul flights (up to 3 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Los Angeles.

  • What are the most popular destinations in San Francisco Bay Area?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is San Francisco (72% of total searches to San Francisco Bay Area). The next most popular destinations are San Jose (20%) and Oakland (4%). Searches for flights to Santa Rosa (4%) and to Concord (0%) are also popular.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from California to San Francisco Bay Area

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from California to San Francisco Bay Area? 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.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4318 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.6Crew
7.5Entertainment
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

8.0 ExcellentTobin, Mar 2026
SJC - BUR
Read more Southwest reviews

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

No food or entertainment, just a quick 40 minute flight. A little bumpy due to Santa Ana winds but pilot has no control over that. Good flight and landing!

Good but I prefer choose your own seat. With the new assigned seats they should board from the back I see no advantage to this new boarding. Just like every other airline

Mediocre. Boarding is now unpleasant. The employees, once friendly and nice, are now regularly speaking sternly to passengers, badgering them to do things right so they can take off on time and gate check bags because they don't have enough overhead bin space. The pretzel snack was crushed flat and broken into even smaller pieces, which happens frequently lately. Drink service was suspended before they reached my row.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

3 hour delay. Had to change plans and was still delayed.

The flight crew was extremely rude and especially not helpful when our flight was delayed.

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

Still a fan of open seating. Flight was on schedule and arrived on time. The 737 MAX is very comfortable.

You sent me an email saying boarding was at 9:29 and AA sent one that was 8:29 on Sunday morning. I had to call AA to get that it was indeed 8:29.

Good as usual. Just wished my seat was assigned at online check in. Thanks anyways

I bought tickets MONTHS ago for a flight that left SAN at 14:30. That is what it says on our tickets. I was never notified of any time changes. During online check-in. I discovered the flight time had been changed to 15:45. This was unacceptable and had I been notified, I would have changed flights, or airlines. That departure time was unworkable with our plans. We called Alaska and asked for an explanation. They said flight time was changed 11/08/25. No proof of notification could be offered. We asked to be moved to an earlier flight. After much pleading, the rep said she would allow a “one time exception..” While I appreciate being moved, this was YOUR fault Alaska Airlines.

I love Alaska! We arrived on the later side without seat assignments only to find the had oversold the flight by 1. The attendants worked extra hard to find a way for our party of 7 to stay together and we made it on the flight! Loved the free WiFi also!

The he whole flight was very smooth on every aspects.

Due to plane delays on both legs of my flight home, I had to be rerouted from Santa Rosa to Las Vegas on Skywest and then to DCA on American. SkyWest airlines sat on runway in Las Vegas for 20 minutes waiting for gate to clear. My boarding pass for American that I was given by Alaska was incomplete and the Las Vegas airport lacked signage and departure boards. I barely made my flight bc it was so confusing. American Airlines has a much better wireless connection. I’ll never fly Alaska again. It clearly has problems.

I paid for wifi and it never worked... it was miserable. I couldn't access my shared files to work on the plane, it didn't work on my phone. I paid for nothing but frustration and continual refreshing, hoping it would work

Again, very smooth and all of the Alaska folks were great. They continue to meet all my needs.

Overall it was fine, however one of my two checked bags did not arrive and I was told it was left in Palm Springs. I don't understand how one of the two bags made it through fine but the other got lost .

The whole experience went smoothly with no hitches along the way.

Left a few minutes early. Got in 15 minutes early. Very attentive service on board. Very organized boarding.

There’s not much to say about a one hour flight. This is a connection from LA to RNO that I missed the previous night due to a mechanical check delay on my originating flight from JFK to LAX. The short flight itself was fine. Instructions from the pilot and crew were per usual. The coffee was barely lukewarm, which possibly was purposeful so we would down it quickly. Bags were already on carousel upon reaching baggage claim, which was excellent.

Delta continues to set the benchmark for traveler-friendly service with minimal disruption and clear communication within the mainland US (coast to coast). I am consistently pleased to be a Delta customer, and this experience once again met my expectations. There was a brief delay departing from MIA due to a technical issue that required the aircraft to return to the gate. However, the situation was handled professionally and transparently. Fortunately, my planned layover allowed ample buffer time, so the adjustment caused no stress. Overall, another smooth and reassuring experience.

Awesome! On time flight, early arrival, and a complimentary upgrade!

Was forced to check in my small carry on, even though I informed the crew it has very fragile items inside

They double booked seats, the gate staff changed my ticket as I was boarding she went over to the computer and changed it without telling me. She messed up an entire three row section for me and others. Other travelers were outraged but the gate staff were so rude, so condescending saying it wasn't their problem to solve. I would rate this a zero if I could. Will not fly Delta again I'll stick with United and American.

I usually get upgraded so my experience is usually amazing. I did not get upgraded this time - which was fine - but the wifi had issues, the monitors were going in & out, & (though not Delta's fault) one of the gentlemen next to me desperately needed a shower.

I really liked the legroom. I am 6’4”.a at For some reason our seats were not together and using the app to fix it didn’t work. Passengers were nice enough to move for us but you should absolutely ensure a parent sits with their child.

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

They changed planes and the new plane couldn’t carry enough fuel to fly across the country so we had to stop in Kansas City to refuel. Flight was delayed .

Flight delayed for more than 16 hrs and no effort was spent to provide an alternate

Overall we had a good experience during our flight from San Francisco to Houston.

it was a very short flight so my expectations were low.

Very disappointing given gate agent behavior. Filed a formal complaint with United.

Flight delayed. WiFi connectivity very poor if not existant. Last minute arrival forced me to run to catch my connection.

The power at the seat didn't work and the seat itself was difficult to adjust - this was a business class seat. Flight attendant gave me miles to compensate. The attendant was very professional and on top of his game the entire flight.

the whole trip was smooth, and as comfortable as flying is these days. flight crew was friendly and very courteous and helpful.

First class ticket gets you a choice of chips or nuts. . Just like economy Southwest. Also no screen in the seats. This is first class???!

Flight arrived 30 min early and bag was waiting at the baggage pickup. United Club HNL was one of the nicest in the system

Yet another flight in which beverage and snack service was skipped. Other that that, firmly mediocre. Landed early, to gate late due to congestion at the gates. Airline's fault or airports fault: unknown.

Remind customers of the need to have passport or new ID for boarding.

The flight never took off and we spent 7 hours at the airport

Our flight was canceled. I will never use Kayak nor Frontier for travel again. The entire experience was a headache.

It was ok. It was expensive to check 2 bags ($75.00 per bag), and then it took a long time to wait for shuttle to take us from one terminal to the terminal where the plane was taking off at LAX. And all of this for a flight where we had to pay for any food or drink that was not water.

When I wanted to check in 3 hours prior to boarding time, the employees mentioned “a little over an hour delay” so I waited for an hour then I went to go look for food in the terminal and most people from that flight were in the same area looking for food. Finally I decided after food to check to see if it’s anytime closer and now it’s 2 mins until boarding closes?! What are you kidding me? I didn’t receive anything via sms about boarding now nor via email or on the intercom. I luckily made it through, barely, and then there’s no room for my carry on mind you I’m in the very first row so I had to place my purse in one further row back and my carry on sections down. Not sure who pays for better seats to get your stuff placed all over the plane but that was the worst experience I’ve ever had flying with anyone.

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

I think Frontier was very good at communication. Their app worked very well. Loading was great and the flight was nice and easy.

This airline sucks. They offer low rates then charge you for everything, the app does not work well, the seats are the most uncomfortable. Maintenance issues on the flight, and you still have to sit through their credit card commercials. People are nice enough but does not make up for overall poor experience.

Great for the price. No wifi or entertainment, but gate agents and crew were fantastic and we boarded quickly and left on time.

Everything you need to know for your flight to San Francisco Bay Area

Cabin class types available on flights to California

Cabin classes available on flights to California. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.