CHI

Find First Class Flights from San Francisco to Chicago

1 adult
1 adult, First, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for first class flights from San Francisco to Chicago

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Chicago, 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 Chicago, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap First Class Flight Deals from San Francisco to Chicago

 
These are the cheapest deals for flights from San Francisco to Chicago currently on KAYAK along with options from the most popular airlines KAYAK users selected for this route. 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 for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent first class round-trip flight deals to Chicago

Tue, Aug 18 - Tue, Aug 25
Alaska Airlines Logo
11:52 am - 11:36 pm
SFO
-
ORD
9h 44m
1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
2:18 pm - 11:12 pm
ORD
-
SFO
10h 54m
1 stop
$798Alaska Airlines
Tue, Aug 18 - Tue, Aug 25
Alaska Airlines Logo
10:32 am - 11:36 pm
SFO
-
ORD
11h 04m
1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:01 am - 10:53 am
ORD
-
SFO
6h 52m
1 stop
$814Alaska Airlines
Tue, Aug 18 - Tue, Aug 25
Alaska Airlines Logo
10:32 am - 11:36 pm
SFO
-
ORD
11h 04m
1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 2:27 pm
ORD
-
SFO
10h 27m
1 stop
$823Alaska Airlines
Tue, Jun 30 - Thu, Jul 2
American Airlines Logo
11:00 pm - 5:29 am
SFO
-
ORD
4h 29mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
9:13 pm - 11:55 pm
ORD
-
SFO
4h 42mnonstop
$855American Airlines
Fri, Jun 19 - Wed, Jun 24
American Airlines Logo
11:10 pm - 5:39 am
SFO
-
ORD
4h 29mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
9:00 pm - 11:58 pm
ORD
-
SFO
4h 58mnonstop
$864American Airlines
Wed, Jun 24 - Fri, Jun 26
American Airlines Logo
11:10 pm - 5:39 am
SFO
-
ORD
4h 29mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
9:00 pm - 11:58 pm
ORD
-
SFO
4h 58mnonstop
$882American Airlines
Wed, Jun 24 - Wed, Jul 1
American Airlines Logo
11:10 pm - 5:39 am
SFO
-
ORD
4h 29mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
9:00 pm - 11:58 pm
ORD
-
SFO
4h 58mnonstop
$891American Airlines
Wed, Aug 5 - Wed, Aug 12
Delta Logo
8:59 pm - 8:39 am
SFO
-
MDW
9h 40m
2 stops
Delta Logo
9:59 am - 5:18 pm
MDW
-
SFO
9h 19m
1 stop
$1,183Delta
Wed, Sep 23 - Sat, Sep 26
Delta Logo
8:59 pm - 8:50 am
SFO
-
MDW
9h 51m
2 stops
Delta Logo
1:47 pm - 8:38 pm
MDW
-
SFO
8h 51m
1 stop
$1,191Delta
Tue, Jul 7 - Fri, Jul 17
Delta Logo
10:55 pm - 9:08 am
SFO
-
MDW
8h 13m
1 stop
Delta Logo
9:49 am - 5:12 pm
MDW
-
SFO
9h 23m
1 stop
$1,203Delta

Good to Know - First Class Flights from San Francisco to Chicago

Low seasonFebruary
Average price round-trip$1,586
Good deal round-trip$1,348
Good deal one-way$653
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 9% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 19% lower on average.
(avg. price over the last 2 weeks)
or less
or less

When to book first class flights to Chicago

Are your dates flexible? We break down the daily and monthly prices for first class flights to Chicago, so you can find the best time to fly.
Average price per month
Flight prices as travel date approaches

KAYAK’s Insights & Trends for San Francisco to Chicago First Class Flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to Chicago 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 first class from San Francisco to Chicago?

The average price of all flights from San Francisco to Chicago clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Look for departures on Friday when prices are cheapest and avoid leaving on a Monday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from Chicago, Sunday is the cheapest day to fly and Tuesday is the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly First Class from San Francisco to Chicago?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from San Francisco to Chicago, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for First Class flights from San Francisco to Chicago is July, where tickets cost $1,137 (round-trip) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are January and March, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,732 and $1,673 respectively.

Which airlines offer First Class tickets between San Francisco and Chicago?

There are 3 airlines that fly First Class from San Francisco to Chicago. They are: United Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. The cheapest price of all airlines flying this route was found with United Airlines at $723 for a round-trip flight. On average, the best prices for flying First Class on this route can be found at Alaska Airlines.

FAQs for First Class San Francisco to Chicago Flights

  • How much is a first class ticket from San Francisco to Chicago?

    The price of a first class flight ticket between San Francisco and Chicago depends on many factors, like when the ticket was booked, the departure date, season and much more. The average price for all bookings made on KAYAK for this route over the last 2 weeks is $1,586 for a round-trip.

  • Is it cheaper to fly business or first class between San Francisco and Chicago?

    Business Class tickets are usually cheaper, but that's not the case for this route, with an average return fare of $1,625, compared to $1,586 for First Class.

  • What is the best airline when flying first class between San Francisco and Chicago?

    The highest-rated airline by KAYAK users offering first class flights for this route is Alaska Airlines, with an overall rating of 7.9.

KAYAK's Tips for Finding Cheap First Class Flights from San Francisco to Chicago

  • Try flying direct if you’re looking to save, as direct first class tickets are cheaper on average.
  • What’s a good price for a first class ticket between San Francisco and Chicago? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $659 or less one-way and $1,272 or less round-trip.

Reviews of the Top 5 Airlines Flying First Class from San Francisco to Chicago

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Chicago. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from San Francisco to Chicago. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly first class to Chicago? 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.
7.9
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 12423 reviews
7.1Food
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

They called me 2 hours before my original flight from SFO was to depart to let me know it was delayed and that I would miss my connection. They then rebooked on a different flight leaving a half hour earlier to a different connecting airport, so that I would not miss my connection. It all worked out and I arrived at my destination without a problem and 15 minutes earlier than the original flight would have. Nice!

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, May 2026
SFO - PDX
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

They called me 2 hours before my original flight from SFO was to depart to let me know it was delayed and that I would miss my connection. They then rebooked on a different flight leaving a half hour earlier to a different connecting airport, so that I would not miss my connection. It all worked out and I arrived at my destination without a problem and 15 minutes earlier than the original flight would have. Nice!

It is a hassle to not have entertainment screens on the backs of the seats.

The flight would have been very good , if not dor the constantly screaming baby in the row behind me. Is there a way to isolate people traveling with infants? This is not the first time this has happened to me.

They treat me well because of my one world status. Crew is attentive and professional. One of the best airlines out there.

Crew were bad Didn’t help with luggage When asked for a glass of wine, I was told that they will serve later , which they didn’t to Me and didn’t serve anyone else in First class . Didn’t offer any snacks , Chips or Nuts to anyone . Flight was not crowded either. Worst Service/ or No Service !

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.

Alaska drastically changed our flight from a direct flight to a flight with connection and a long layover. So we canceled the Alaska flight and we learned a valuable lesson that we will never book through kayak again because the third party travel agent tried to withhold our money.

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.

It was a super old plane so the first class experience was just not luxurious

The flight was smooth. The Southwest experience has degraded overall, but this one was okay.

The checking experience in Orlando was terrible, almost missed the flight. Too many travelers and Southwest completely understaffed.

The entire experience from boarding to landing was amazing! The crew were very friendly. Will definitely be back.

no service at all due to turbulence. they should've at least given us snacks, there were only 10 people on the entire flight.

Delayed flight, lack of information, boarding process is a mess as is the carryon luggage causing issues when leaving the plane….just a poor experience.

Comfortable. Easy. No problems. Just wish they had gf options for snacks.

The crew was very kind and made going to Hawaii relaxing and fun to look forward to! Thank you Southwest for a pleasant flight!

For the first time in a long time, the Wi-Fi actually worked the entire flight! The flight crew was amazing as usual.

Great flight. I didn't get a drink because I was asleep whole on the flight.

Terrible. Even though there’s assigned seating now, they are still the slowest boarding airline of anyone.

My service dog and I were asked to deplane just before they closed the door - clearly very last minute they couldn’t find the documentation that I have filled out many many times before that is for flying service animals. I purposely purchase 3seats (a whole row) since he is large and not all passengers want to sit next to a dog on a cross country flight. The plane departed with my husband on it!!! They made me fill out a hard copy of the same form and had to reschedule me on a later flight where they could find 3 seats together!! I’ve done this so many times before - clearly the error was on their part in a technology glitch - but really people - do better!! Very traumatic - and my husband had to wait for us when he landed ….so bad. Poor pup was confused and tired.

No screens or meal options. Freezing cold. Dirty seats. Left late.

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

It was a red-eye, but the flight felt surprisingly quick. The seats were very comfortable, and that made resting much easier. I also want to thank the gentleman seated next to me, who graciously moved so my mom could sit beside me. We slept almost the entire way. The cabin crew was respectful in not disturbing us, while also being courteous and professional throughout. Thank you, United.

Boarding was again a "free for all". We were boarding group 4, and almost the entire plane was able to board before us. It's a shame that someone who follows the rules, gets the short end of the stick. Not fair.

It was perfect! I've never flown with United before, but I definitely will in the future

3 hour delay…. Nearly 2 hours sitting on tarmac. Do better, United. Or at least have the sense to not say “we hope you enjoyed your flight with us” upon disembarking.

They delayed the flight from 9:00 to 11:55 At 11:45 they canceled the flight. I paid a premium price for the tickets with poor service

Seats are uncomfortable. This has been a trend in the industry for decades. Trying to fit more seats on each plane to increase profits at the expense of the passenger.

Staff were good. My seat was in need of repair, but for a short flight was not problematic. Usual basic snack and drink setup that you'll find on any US carrier. Over, a decent, basic flight.

Awful, tons of delays, I got into Chicago multiple hours late meaning I hit the very traffic I tried so desperately to avoid. Just empty apologies from American Airlines text alerts. Trash behavior from a trash airline.

They lost my baggage and I am still struggling to the information and update

Requested early boarding to disinfect seat, tray table, etc. before general boarding. Instructed to board after wheelchair passengers. Waited on jet bridge behind 12 wheelchair passengers. Stopped immediately after entering plane to wait for gate agent in rear of plane cleaning a seat that was wet, got to my row and found both seats adjacent to mine already occupied, with the lack of room making it impossible for me to clean my own space and defeating the purpose of my boarding early. Cleaned the armrests and tray table as best I could.

The wifi experience is awful. I had to try again and again, taking over 30 minutes, to connect to the wifi. I had to watch the same two ads over and over until I was finally successful. Once connected, it was anything but "high speed" and disconnected at least three times during the flight.

Premium Economy Good crew, good service, excellent food. Seat back screen just not bright enough.

It was good, the staff was great, and the food, was as usual, tea and biscuit. Bathroom was clean, and the plane was clean as well.

The SFO Lounge crew were amazing. The bartender Faris was great. Thanks!

Very good I can’t complain one bit. Thank you American Airlines for making my flight enjoyable and safe!

The staff and service on American Airlines were truly outstanding. I had requested wheelchair assistance for my mother due to her knee issues, and the team went above and beyond every step of the way—from boarding in Boston to our arrival in Chicago. Their care, professionalism, and attentiveness made the entire experience smooth and stress-free. I’m very grateful for the support they provided.

The new planes (American Eagle) are beautiful and especially comfortable. The flight attendants are consistently professional and courteous. And, while it may seem inconsequential, the new liquid tube of coffee creamer—in contrast to the powdered coffee creamer—makes all the difference in a cup of coffee.

Flight was scheduled at 9:40pm. Got delayed to 10 am, the next day. crazy

The bag check, flight check-in, and onboard experience convinced my wife and me that we will actively go out of our way to avoid flying Frontier Airlines in the future. At bag check, we were informed that check-in could only be completed via the Frontier mobile app. Unfortunately, the app was extremely frustrating—sending us through repetitive, confusing loops that repeatedly forced us to decline add-on services with nearly every click. While most airline apps upsell, this one felt intentionally exhausting. As the process dragged on, we became genuinely concerned that my phone battery would die before check-in could be completed. We approached the bag check staff—who were standing together talking—and explained both our frustration and our predicament. They laughed. Later, my wife described the interaction as “gaslighting,” which felt accurate. We were then informed it would cost $25 per person simply to have our boarding passes printed. From that point forward, the tone of the experience was consistently hostile. The bag check employees were condescending and combative, behaving more like bullies than customer service staff. Unfortunately, that same attitude continued onboard. One flight attendant argued with me when I attempted to stow my backpack in the overhead bin. I explained that we had each paid $75 to check our bags specifically so we would not need to use carry-on space and could have adequate legroom. She demanded to see my ticket, pointed out that it said “no carry-on”—which I acknowledged—and I reiterated that this was precisely why we paid to check our bags. Her response was, “I don’t make the rules.” She then walked away, but not before asking if I “truly wanted to fly back to Chicago today?”—an unnecessary and unmistakable threat. It is also worth noting that despite booking our tickets together in the same transaction, we were not seated together. Upon our return to Chicago—where we could once again sit together—we compared onboard experiences. We both remarked on how unhappy the flight attendants appeared and how each of us was separately asked whether we would like to purchase a beverage. We declined. At no point was water mentioned as an option, leaving us with the clear impression that even water came at a cost—or that complimentary water, if available at all, was deliberately left unmentioned. Overall, the experience was shocking and deeply disappointing, but it was also a profound learning experience—one we will not forget and will not repeat. -Steve

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

Good for a budget airline! It was easy to get on, staff was really nice. Can’t say anything about the food or entertainment because it wasn’t available, which is fine.

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.

This company socks. It's fraud. They canceled our flight yesterday, and today we were late because of a really long line at the check in bag. At the rebook station, there was ton of people. The workers were all rude. I am gonna make a report to FTC.

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.

The single worst check in experience I could imagine. I’ll never do any business with Frontier or any affiliated company

Everything you need to know for your flight to Chicago

Cabin class types available on flights from San Francisco to Chicago

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