YOW - SFO

$169 Find Cheap Flights from Ottawa to San Francisco

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Ottawa to San Francisco departing on 9/8. 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
1 adult, Economy

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San Francisco

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

Cheap Flights from Ottawa to San Francisco (YOW-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Ottawa to San Francisco 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 for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Ottawa to San Francisco

Sun, Oct 12 - Thu, Oct 16
WestJet Logo
6:00 am - 11:54 amYOW-SFO
8h 54m1 stop
WestJet Logo
12:50 pm - 12:40 amSFO-YOW
8h 50m1 stop
$292WestJet
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Fri, Sep 12 - Sun, Sep 14
WestJet Logo
12:20 pm - 9:24 pmYOW-SFO
12h 04m2 stops
WestJet Logo
12:50 pm - 12:40 amSFO-YOW
8h 50m1 stop
$293WestJet
Find Deal
Fri, Sep 12 - Sun, Sep 14
WestJet Logo
3:35 pm - 9:24 pmYOW-SFO
8h 49m1 stop
WestJet Logo
6:05 pm - 6:45 amSFO-YOW
9h 40m1 stop
$295WestJet
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Fri, Aug 29 - Sat, Sep 6
Porter Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 12:23 pmYOW-SFO
8h 23m1 stop
Porter Airlines Logo
1:25 pm - 12:21 amSFO-YOW
7h 56m1 stop
$298Porter Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Sep 13 - Sat, Sep 27
Porter Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 12:23 pmYOW-SFO
8h 23m1 stop
Porter Airlines Logo
1:25 pm - 12:21 amSFO-YOW
7h 56m1 stop
$306Porter Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Sep 13 - Sat, Sep 27
Air Canada Logo
6:00 am - 11:11 amYOW-SFO
8h 11m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
11:35 am - 1:34 amSFO-YOW
10h 59m2 stops
$313Air Canada
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Fri, Aug 29 - Tue, Sep 2
United Airlines Logo
6:33 am - 7:03 pmYOW-SFO
15h 30m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
8:52 pm - 4:43 pmSFO-YOW
16h 51m2 stops
$323United Airlines
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Sat, Aug 30 - Fri, Sep 5
United Airlines Logo
2:45 pm - 7:57 pmYOW-SFO
8h 12m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
9:15 pm - 9:11 amSFO-YOW
8h 56m1 stop
$329United Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Sep 27 - Wed, Oct 8
Air Canada Logo
6:00 am - 11:11 amYOW-SFO
8h 11m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
11:35 am - 1:34 amSFO-YOW
10h 59m2 stops
$352Air Canada
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Thu, Aug 28 - Tue, Sep 2
Lufthansa Logo
7:29 pm - 12:59 amYOW-SFO
8h 30m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
12:43 am - 2:13 pmSFO-YOW
10h 30m2 stops
$357Lufthansa
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Ottawa to San Francisco flights

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

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

When flying from Ottawa to San Francisco, you should consider leaving on a Thursday and avoid Sundays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Ottawa, you’ll find the best rates on Wednesdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Ottawa to San Francisco?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Ottawa to San Francisco, 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 Ottawa to San Francisco is January, where tickets cost $302 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $469 and $465 respectively.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Ottawa to San Francisco, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Ottawa to San Francisco, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 54% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 18 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonNovember
Cheapest flight$169
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 20% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 9% lower on average.
Flight from Ottawa to San Francisco

When to book flights from Ottawa to San Francisco

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

  • Are there accessibility services at San Francisco International Airport?

    Yes. SFO offers passengers with limited mobility access with ramps and elevators throughout its premises. Furthermore, at SFO travelers with limited mobility have access to accessible designated parking garages, washrooms, and wheelchair assistance. Passengers with hearing impairment travellng through SFO have visual paging and TTY telephones while passengers with visual impairments in SFO have Braille signage throughout the Airport and free Aira service.

  • What are the most popular layover cities for flights from Ottawa to San Francisco?

    The flight from Ottawa to San Francisco is of considerable length. Thus the route will include at least one layover stop. On the route, you’ll find single and double layover flight choices. Toronto, Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Montreal, Chicago, Newark, Vancouver, Denver, Minneapolis, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, Calgary, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York are the route’s most popular layover cities.

  • What are the visa and passport specifications to fly from Ottawa to San Francisco?

    When traveling to San Francisco from Ottawa, Canadian citizens must have an official passport. Also, Canadian citizens can make the trip to San Francisco with their Nexus Card. Their passport must also be valid during their stay in San Francisco. Additionally, Canadian citizens traveling to San Francisco for less than 90 days, won’t need to have a visa. Alternatively, they may need a relevant visa for a stay of more than 90 days.

  • Are there animal relief areas at Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport?

    Yes. YOW offers service animals and pets designated relief areas throughout its faculties to take care of the fuzzy four-legged travelers’ potty needs. On that account, Ottawa Airport has a variety of service animal/pet relief areas past the security open throughout the day. At YOW, past security on the Canada/International Departure level next to Gate 18 and the United States Departure level is the service animal/pet relief areas. Additionally, YOW has an outdoor animal relief area located across from the terminal building along the Parkade (P1), supplied with waste disposal bags and receptacles.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Ottawa to San Francisco?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Ottawa to San Francisco was $169 for a one-way ticket and $292 for a round-trip.

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

    A passport is required to fly from Ottawa to San Francisco.

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

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

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

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Ottawa to San Francisco?

    Star Alliance, and SkyTeam are the airline alliances operating flights between Ottawa and San Francisco, with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Ottawa to San Francisco, Porter Airlines or United Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Ottawa to San Francisco are Porter Airlines and United Airlines. With an average price for the route of $393 and an overall rating of 8.0, Porter Airlines is the most popular choice. United Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $532 and an overall rating of 7.4.

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

    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 Ottawa to San Francisco.

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

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

    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 San Francisco with an airline and back to Ottawa with another airline. Booking your flights between Ottawa and SFO 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 Ottawa to San Francisco?

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

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Ottawa to San Francisco

  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is one of the main airports serving the San Francisco area. The Airport serves as a hub for Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which offer flights from Ottawa to San Francisco.
  • Do you want to lease a vehicle when you land in San Francisco? SFO has a rental car center. To access the rental car center take the AirTrain from SFO’s Terminals. Budget, Alamo, Avis, Thrifty, National, Dollar, Enterprise, SIXT, and Hertz, are the onsite rental agencies at SFO.
  • For business people traveling through SFO, who have important business to take care of while at the Airport, SFO has a business center. SFO’s business center is located in the International Terminal's main hall.
  • The flight from San Francisco to Ottawa is quite lengthy. Passengers flying with Delta Air Lines and Air Canada can sidetrack themselves en route with a variety of entertainment offered via the airline's entertainment device.
  • Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) is one of the primary airports serving the metropolis of Ottawa. The Airport serves as a base for Flair Airlines, Air Canada, and Porter Airlines, which offer flights to San Francisco from Ottawa.

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving from Ottawa to San Francisco

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Ottawa to San Francisco. 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 Ottawa to San Francisco? 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
Porter AirlinesOverall score based on 332 reviews
8.7Crew
8.2Boarding
8.0Comfort
7.6Food
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

There was a 5 hour delay. Missed connection and now an almost 21 hour lay over!

2.0 MediocreKirsten, Aug 2025BOS - YOW
Read more Porter Airlines reviews

There was a 5 hour delay. Missed connection and now an almost 21 hour lay over!

The flight was fine see earlier note for the problem

Three hours on the tarmac with almost zero communication from the cockpit. Not when offered a water in the interim. In my 67 years of flying all over the world the worst experience ever. The plane was half empty, however had to pay for seats to sit next to my girlfriend. Extra to take a carry on. I would never fly Porter again even for free.

All good the seats a little tight and no I pad screen

Everything was good except the fact you charge more for a carry on bag vs a check in bag and to top it off in US$ that was not impressive

Our flight was cancelled at the last minute for maintenance reasons and we were rebooked on a late flight when we purposefully booked our flight to be home early due to work.

Seemed like an old plane. Very noisy. The seat cushions were so old that the metal bracing of the seats were poking through. There was plenty of leg room though.

Flight was delayed over 2 hours, then landed at a different airport!

The whole experience from check in to deboarding was fantastic.

Just an evening before they canceled my ticket and offered me ticket costing 3 x times more than. I will not fall prey to these scams,Will never book through kayak now. Such a bad experience.

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

I found the staff to not be very attentive at all. When paying for Business Class you expect a certain type of service and that was not found. They were almost rude even

Our experience on United Airlines was extremely poor. The plane was extremely cold throughout our entire flight- which multiple people complained about- and we had to wait 2 hours to get a blanket which was too thin and barely helped warm us up. As well as this, none of the entertainment features were working so we had to sit through a roughly 10 hour flight with nothing to keep our attention, including the actual flight path screen. It was an extremely disappointing experience and I would hope that this gets fixed if we ever choose United Airlines again.

I really enjoyed flying with United airlines amazing experience , good customer service and great food

1.It will be better if sandwich is warm. 2.The food is too salty. 3.Breakfast needs some vegetables or fruits.

Boarded plane and then delayed 1.5 hours while on the plane

It was all good flight was on time, service was good I enjoyed a few movies and everything was smooth

My flight was delayed a very short period of time but they did not hold my connecting flight to San Diego, also through United. So they closed the doors before we got off our plane. They would only have to help the door open for another five to ten minutes. So I missed a court deadline for a manditory mediation settlement conference for my client. I had to get an associate to be there in person and be on the phone with him relaying what he needs to do the entire time. The court was very upset with me and so was my client. United cannot be trusted.

Really good 😊 the woman at the gate entrance was a little rude checking in our carry-on but i dont think she worked for the airline, she worked for the airport at sacramento, other than that amazing.

Boarding was mayhem. Late boarding by 15 minutes because of lack of staff (missing 1 flight attendant. We had to wait for an arrival of another plane before we could board). Flight was a little rough, but cannot blame on airlines.

In spite of purchasing premium, I felt it was perhaps the most uncomfortable seat I have flown in. The base was either broken or poorly made and had no support. Even placing pillows and blankets on the seat (1D aisle) didn’t help. It made for a long and mostly sleepless six hour flight. Crew also were very loudly talking to each other through the night making it very hard to sleep. It was purchased for the price, so I get the risk, but was not impressed.

The staff at the airport and on the plane were wonderful I especially wanna acknowledge the staff who boarded us at the Calgary airport. The women who helped us board at the airport were incredible… they were so kind and sweet…I very happy with WestJet and I am hoping I can fly more often to Canada.

Good value, minor delay due to waiting for inbound plane but they gave accurate information about wait time. Able to switch to a seat by my husband thanks to a kind flight attendant

Absolutely terrible, from the customer service to boarding the plane. On the phone, there was some mishaps with getting in my correct date and they did not help me retrieve a refund or any assistance. I’m gonna be reporting to all my followers and family around the region of Los Angeles to New York.

Arrival at Comox from, London,ON 6 hours later... No bueano

Generally good. However. The flight left 30 mins behind schedule with no reason given.

Flight delayed, missed my pick-up had to Uber, plus missed dinner and medication, so sad!

Nothing to like because my inbound flight was cancelled without notification by West Jet or third party, JustFly. I couldn’t take the inbound flight due to cancellation; therefore could not take the outbound flight back.

Not the greatest experience everything was pretty mediocre. My seat was by the washroom in the aisle and was not located well as everyone past each other people were right in my seat and space.

The small prop plane was crowded and the overhead luggage storage is a smaller than on the jets. Other than that, the crew was good, the flight was on time and the landing was smooth.

Staff was very courteous and kept things organized. We will definitely use Air Canada for further travel

Great flights. 90 minute departure delay for maintenance issues, not a great start but, afer that very good. Didn't pay extra for seats and lucked into a window and an aisle seat. Price was excellent at the super low economy level.

Short flight so no food or entertainment. Good landing at SFO and on time. We were told no carryon luggage yet lots of people were puting bags in overhead compartments. The rules need to be made more clear. I was on the first leg of an international flight and this is the first time I could not have carryon luggage.

Your crew was so so so wonderful Only thing sound be great if you kept some phone chargers and converters rest 👌👌👌👌

The speakers were way too loud. Music was played during boarding too. This noise could've been avoided.

The TSA people or whatever you call them were a bit rude- I asked why I had to take my shoes off bc I'm 75 and in the USA, I don't have to. The man didn't need to snap at me. It wasn't even busy! The plane was ok, a bit small for such a long flight, but I'm very familiar with the 737 used ( I fly it often between SFO and SAN) service was ok-nothing special. If I drank alcohol I guess I would be happy with free choices. the plane was HOT and even the FA commented on it. They tried to get it cooler, but it never happened.

Multiple change of the gates at Pearson, delayed flight was extremely uncomfortable.

Easy boarding, punctuality, decent service. I can only complain about the measly snack.

Never made this leg of the flight since we rebooked through United instead. Did not make it to immigration/US custom due to the delay. Had to spend the night on our own dime in Toronto

Booked flight was cancelled. Was rebooked but sat in airport for several hours for new departure.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Ottawa to San Francisco

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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