$59 Find Cheap Flights from California to San Francisco Bay Area

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Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$59
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 4% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 9% lower on average.
Flight from San Diego 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 (749 flights per week), Air Canada (500 flights per week), and Air New Zealand (378 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 92% 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 Santa Rosa Sonoma County Airport (STS), with an average flight price of $195.

  • 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 $215. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Monday, where round-trip prices are $349 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 $188 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 in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $293.

  • 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 $102.

  • 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 February, when tickets cost $239 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and September, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $302 and $289 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 40% 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 1,530 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 658 direct flights from within California to San Francisco Bay Area every day. Most flights (40%) depart in the morning.

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

    Each week there are around 4,603 direct flights from within California to San Francisco Bay Area. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 18% 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 307 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 4,603 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 (73% of total searches to San Francisco Bay Area). The next most popular destinations are San Jose (19%) and Oakland (6%). Searches for flights to Santa Rosa (3%) 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 4315 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
8.6Crew
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
Airline reviews

This leg was much better, but we did have to have a 3 hour lay o er after coming from a very exhausting hiccup with our flight from BNA to Den

8.0 ExcellentCheryl, Apr 2026
DEN - SBA
Read more Southwest reviews

This leg was much better, but we did have to have a 3 hour lay o er after coming from a very exhausting hiccup with our flight from BNA to Den

The Air hostess were very rude on my flight from Houston to Austin . Their regular communication itself felt a they are shouting at people.

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

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.

I had to change my flight last minute due to a medical emergency. Their agent was compassionate and extremely helpful. This airlines really cares about making travel, for fun, work, or an emergency a customer-focused experience. Thank you!

No headphones provided. No gf food. Only 1 beverage cart run sAN to HNL. Rarely saw crew members

A solidly good experience, but would’ve appreciated more communication with regards to travel delays.

No issues and clear sailing. What a preferred to have sat in one of empty seats other than my assigned seat that would be my only complaint if it was to complain.

The ticketing counter in SD was a mess. The lady handling the First-Class check-in seemed overwhelmed until a supervisor replaced her. It took almost 20 minutes to get once couple checked in, and then she started walking around the counters while 7 people just stood in line. Once her supervisor arrived, she announced she was going on break, never to engage with customers again.

Four hour delay. Missed our event. And they offered me $75. Absolutely shameful.

I have been flying commercial for decades. I was in one of the ladder boarding groups, had my bag tagged because they thought there was not going to be enough space for it in the overhead bins. I politely asked one of the attendance if I could try to find a space- she said I could and I did. I then took the bag tag off and gave it to one of the other attendants as I was told to do by the first one. He, in a curt, anal, and disrespectful manner, told me that I needed to take my bag down from the overhead bin and check it. This was a situation I’ve never encountered before. The attendant’s attitude was confrontational and belittling in front of other onlooking passengers as if daring me to challenge him. I am a physician who takes care of patients day in and day out. Not wanting to make a scene, I calmly told him, “do what you need to do.” he took my bag down from the overhead bin, put the back tag back on it, and checked it only to make room for another bag that was also supposed to be technically checked by a following passenger. The same male attendant later came up to me and said “you shouldn’t have showed me the bag tag,” as if conveying that he was just following protocol was a justification for treating me like a kid out of line. I cared about this because it took 15 minutes from my life to then retrieve the bag at baggage claim and it also felt like really poor customer service. I understand the need for protocols. This is also a service industry, and we the passengers are the clients. We should be made to feel welcome and respected and our life in transit made as easy as it can be within reason. This attendant clearly needs to be reminded of that. Of note, an older female fellow passenger sitting next to me agreed with this assessment.

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.

Everything went smoothly, although the usual gripes about airline travel were still present: the boarding process is inefficient, the snack selection is limited, and so on. Since there was extra space on the flight, the gate agent rearranged many people's seats to put people on the aisles and windows, leaving the middle seats empty, as much as possible, which was pretty great.

While they turned off most cabin lights to allow people to sleep, I was bothered by how bright the side lights still were. It was still quite bright for me in a window seat, when I wish I could have slept!

One of the flight attendants was a little cranky. I appreciated the free wifi and plug to charge my laptop

WiFi didn’t work most of the time. The usb chargers would work only occasionally for 5 mins and wouldn’t charge after that. Had to keep trying repeatedly at each of the seats in the row.

The crew bent over backwards to thank us for flying and make us comfortable. The food service was quick and efficient. The Captain communicated and said goodbye and thank you as we departed. They really stood out!

Generally on time departures and arrivals, clean planes, sky miles membership provides great benefits (complimentary upgrades, etc).

my mom urmila patel needed a wheelchair which was not available on the curbside. she needed to walk almost 50 meters inside (at the risk of falling) and then had to wait in line to get a wheelchair (this is not ok). Once obtained she had to seat in it for 30-45 minutes for someone to take her in thru the checkin process (which was fairly smooth and easy). the lady who helped her with her checkin process was very courteous and helpful

Staff at the check-in counter were friendly, happy and helpful. They tagged our bags and sent us to “bag drop off” but were not very clear about where that was. The airport was busy we headed off in what we thought was the right direction until a gentleman waved us down and actually came after us. He was the baggage handler for Delta and recognized our “deer in the headlights “ look-he brought us to the right area (which was marked as the Southwest Airlines Drop Off) and sent us on our way. Wonderful guy, low key and working with a big smile on his face. Loved it. Loved him.

Arlene was a great flight attendant. I also liked how one of the other flight attendants gave us a heads up about snacks and asked everyone to remove their headphones when it was their turn to order. Good idea.

I haven’t flown economy in over 20 years but it was not bad. Room by my feet for my bag and seat was roomy enough. Surprised in a good way.

Outstanding service, efficient & friendly crew, flight was safe, comfortable & on time

The crew was great. Very friendly and responsive. The plane was old, small and tight. We ran out of overhead space and I had to check. Middle seat was particularly tight.

The flight was delayed from take off because only one runway was operational in San Francisco.

Several missed and almost missed connections. It felt like everything was being patched together last minute without enough resources and it ended up being an extremely stressful experience that basically ruined our weekend on the west coast. What a waste.

Packed in plane small uncomfortable seats elbow to elbow nobody wants to be in that situation for the money they paid

Checking in united could not figure out my star alliance gold. Baggage did not get marked priority and didn't receive boarding passes. When got to SFO lounge personal fixed everything Immediately

Flight left on time, arrived early, pleasant staff provided water, coffee, etc. access to bathrooms was reasonable and were well maintained. blankets were available, lots of entertainment options. LUGGAGE SERVICE WAS GREAT. I got my one checked bag quickly and was able to make a bus connection for a 2 hour bus ride saving me from waiting another 1.5 hours.

Terrible, if possible won't be flying again anytime soon!

Wonderful in-seat entertainment with seatback screens and huge selection of quality movies. The ability to bluetooth connect headphones was amazing.

Horrible service no Wi-Fi connection on both leg of the flight and they are refusing to fix bad service

They didn’t offer a water, even after I asked

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.

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.