$28 Find Cheap Flights from California to San Francisco Bay Area - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from California to San Francisco Bay Area departing on 8/15. 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.
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Low season

January

Cheapest flight

$28
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 10% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 4% increase in price.
Flight from Ontario 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 
ClaudiaFlew with United Airlines
SAN
-
SFO
Jun 2026
Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future
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 (535 flights per week), Southwest (367 flights per week), and Air Canada (286 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 90% 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 $171.

  • 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 $230. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Monday, where round-trip prices are $347 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 $217 on average. Morning departures are around 28% 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 $303.

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

    The cheapest ticket to San Francisco Bay Area from California found in the last 5 days was to San Jose, at $58 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 5 days was $60.

  • 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 August, when tickets cost $128 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and April, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $167 and $166 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 46% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 7 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 18 cities. The city with the most direct flights is Los Angeles, with 1,598 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 565 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 3,950 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 10m, covering a distance of 310 miles. The shortest route is Sacramento (SMF) to San Francisco (SFO) with an average flight time of 0h 54m.

  • 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 3,950 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 (16%) and Oakland (8%). 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 4226 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.0Food
8.1Boarding
7.5Entertainment
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

8.0 ExcellentNicole, Mar 2026
LGB - OAK
Read more Southwest reviews

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.

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

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 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.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

The problem was going through San Diego, a trip that's become a new development.

The flight was very late departing the gate, for unknown reasons.

The plane was freezing. A few other customers mentioned how they can’t get their temperature right on their flights lately.

Flight was canceled in good weather due to mechanical issue. Rebooked to flight to different airport in area that landed 7 hours after initially planned arrival. We had to jump through hoops to get taxi reimbursement given flight landed in different airport at 12:45 am.

Our flught was rerouted to another airport 60 minutes from our destination. We were told we would get Lyft vouchers to get us to our original destination. We did get vouchers, but when we arrived at the rerouted airport, we realized the vouchers were for a Lyft ride from the starting airport to our original destination. We were lead to believe that once we arrived at the rerouted airport, we could use the voucher from there. Nope. So we got stuck with a $100, 1-hour Uber ride. The flight staff was annoying. We were seated near the rear, and for the entire flight, both attendants were gossiping about some drama on Facebook. And they weren't being quiet about it. The back dozen rows or so could easily hear their entire conversation. I've flown Alaska Airlines many times before and have never had problems. This was an awful experience.

delay was longer than the entire flight. I didn’t stop flying with delta for this.

They cancelled the 6am flight around 12:30 AM the day before. I was luckily able to book through another airline. I called for a one way fare refund, the new flight is much more expensive. I lost $$$ in the difference and this caused lots of stress. I intend to take action following my trip, really off to a bad start and I will never fly Alaskan again

My travel mate needed wheel chair assistance getting on and off, and it was excellent. Thank you!

The app booked me on a flight for July 1st as opposed to August 1st like it was supposed to be. No problem with Alaska Airlines, except they took a while to refund my money. But it was as taken instantly. So, yeah.

There were 5 delays IN TOTAL there and back. And we got a $12 food voucher, RIDICULOUS. Will never fly Alaska again!

Delta is always late. Ruined our first day of a short vacation. Timing is important. We pay to stay on an itinerary

Flight delayed four separate times. I’m now one hour hours late to landing.

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!

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

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

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.

There are 4 flights in consecutive gates with about the same departure time. Two flights were boarding at the same time. One was delayed or boarding would be happening at the same time. I am not sure what Delta and LAX need to do to have a better layout at the end of Terminal 2

There was a loud squeaky sound the whole time we were flying.

Like most domestic flights in the US, you are basically on your own with this airline when it comes to food, so be sure to purchase meals and drinks ahead of time or expect to arrive starving and dehydrated (like I was).

You need to be a hacker to get the (Free) WiFi

It was a short, comfortable flight. It did leave an hour late due to the pilot having to be replaced (family emergency) but that didn’t inconvenience myself & my friend. The situation was explained, eventually.

UA594 was delayed multiple times. I ended up getting picked up so I can make it in time for work 6AM on Monday, 7/6/2026

Service was professional and quick. Premium economy seat was comfortable given the class

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly at all times! They went above and beyond to get us into an earlier flight in San Diego to make our connection in SFO possible, because our original flight did actually not make it! I did so much appreciate the UA team and how they made this possible. We also didn’t have seats together on the long flight to Singapore, but they found us seats together last moment with no additional cost! Nobody sat next to us, so that we were able to sleep! Thanks to UA for improving their service and Underpricer for booking this trip! Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future

Seat pitch is horrible especially on the 15 hour flight. Gate crew at SFO was Outstanding. The flight crew was also great.

Late plane. Only one crew on the ground so we b had to wait for Denver flight to come in, board, and depart. At 78 yrs of age I was not pleased trying to get my connection. What really made me angry was the notification you sent me to hurry up or I would miss my connection. Why tell me to hurry up when you got me in late. It was not a good way of treating customers.

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

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

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

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

I really didn't like anything. Paid for my checked luggage online ($79) and then was told that I would have to paid another $79 for my carry on. Was not allowed to enter the terminal until 3 hours before my flight and when I finally was allowed to check my bag and enter, my flight was delayed 3 times. When I finally landed, we were all instructed to "run off the plane" as they had to do a quick turn around to Las Vegas. Me and several of my flying companions will never fly Frontier again.

No frills for sure. No gate announcements about flight delay, not even water to drink on the flight.

Charges unexpected. For seat that didnt recline. Please reverse extra seat and carryon charge. Bad business that is a bait and switch.

I couldn’t check in because the app didn’t work. It took 3 Frontier employees at the counter to get me checked in. Flight left 3 hours after departure time

Stop changing gates at sfo. When you are elderly going back for it’s not fun.

There was no easy way to check in. I don't want to install an app to checkin. I will use alaska from now on because they have a web check in method that is easy.

Horrible! The short distance flight ended up taking 5 hrs! There was a 3 hr delay for the flight to take off and there was a 70 min wait on the tarmac for some bogus reason that the pilot said the gate he was supposed to board was taken up. After a 30 min wait he said the plane that was supposed to push out of the gate called a medical emergency and 40 min later he ended up boarding another gate. For the initial 3 hr delay there was no information/alert about the gate or delay in the app or the boards up until the boarding time and even beyond! Had to walk all the way to the end of the terminal to find the frontier staff to ask what was going on. Avoid this airline at all costs! If you have carryon bags or checked bags , their prices come equivalent to the prices of more reliable airlines. They are the worst in timeliness at 60% (reported as delayed) this year (check the data) by a high margin even compared to the second worst airline. If you are ok with having a miserable flight experience with the odds close to flip of a coin, feel free to try them. If you value your time , money and flying experience, stay away.

I went to the Frontier counter in San Jose at 1030am or so on Sunday 10/13/24 to see if I could get an earlier flight to San Diego in lieu of my reserved 630pm flight. One thing led to another, and I was able to obtain an open seat for about $ 56. on the earlier flight. Fine. Then the agent asked if I "was checking a bag". Not knowing that carry-ons cost extra per Frontier policy, I thought that she meant a regular checked bag. Therefore, I said no. Once I got to the gate, the same gate agent who sold me a ticket told me that I had to pay $99 for a carry-on, and that all bags were extra on Frontier. Having never flown on Frontier, I was not aware of this. Part of the issue was that she was not a native English speaker, so there was a miscommunication as to what "bag" meant. I would have preferred for her to have clearly let me know at the front counter that any bag including a carry-on cost $99. It would have had the same outcome, as I had to take my carry-on. But it got hectic at the last minute at the gate itself. The baggage policy should have mentioned "including carry-ons" when we first spoke.

Most horrible airlines. Please avoid it. It's ok to spend $50 extra for delta, united or Alaska

The trip was good but the last minute changes I didn’t like because I had already talked to the attendee and they didn’t help me with my ticket I was having trouble checking in and when the time was up they help me but charge me for that and last minute luggage it was a small bag. After I was in the airplane I realized you were charging because the flight was almost empty and you have to get the money some how. Thanks for everything.

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.