YOW - SFO

$146 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 11/13. 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
Travelers love KAYAK
41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 23% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Flight Deals
Booking Insights
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

Thu, Dec 4 - Mon, Dec 8
Air Canada Logo
2:50 pm - 9:22 pmYOW-SFO
9h 32m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
6:00 pm - 6:43 amSFO-YOW
9h 43m1 stop
$274Air Canada
Find Deal
Wed, Mar 4 - Thu, Mar 5
Air Canada Logo
2:50 pm - 9:22 pmYOW-SFO
9h 32m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
2:30 pm - 1:38 amSFO-YOW
8h 08m1 stop
$280Air Canada
Find Deal
Sat, Nov 22 - Sun, Nov 30
Air Canada Logo
4:10 pm - 9:34 pmYOW-SFO
8h 24m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
6:00 pm - 3:00 pmSFO-YOW
18h 00m2 stops
$299Air Canada
Find Deal
Wed, Nov 26 - Thu, Dec 4
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 12:40 pmYOW-SFO
8h 55m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:43 am - 12:42 amSFO-YOW
12h 59m2 stops
$308Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Nov 9 - Sun, Nov 16
United Airlines Logo
7:30 pm - 1:15 amYOW-SFO
8h 45m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
10:40 pm - 10:26 amSFO-YOW
8h 46m1 stop
$319United Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Nov 24 - Thu, Dec 4
WestJet Logo
7:15 pm - 12:12 pmYOW-SFO
19h 57m2 stops
WestJet Logo
1:00 pm - 6:21 pmSFO-YOW
26h 21m2 stops
$323WestJet
Find Deal
Mon, Nov 24 - Tue, Dec 2
WestJet Logo
7:15 pm - 12:12 pmYOW-SFO
19h 57m2 stops
WestJet Logo
1:00 pm - 12:42 amSFO-YOW
32h 42m2 stops
$327WestJet
Find Deal
Wed, Nov 12 - Wed, Nov 19
Porter Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 12:40 pmYOW-SFO
8h 55m1 stop
Porter Airlines Logo
1:40 pm - 12:39 amSFO-YOW
7h 59m1 stop
$328Porter Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Nov 7 - Sun, Nov 9
United Airlines Logo
2:15 pm - 1:15 amYOW-SFO
14h 00m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
12:43 am - 2:30 pmSFO-YOW
10h 47m2 stops
$332United Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Nov 21 - Thu, Dec 4
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:40 am - 12:40 pmYOW-SFO
10h 00m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:43 am - 12:42 amSFO-YOW
12h 59m2 stops
$364Multiple Airlines
Find Deal

Everything you should know

Top airlines
Air Canada
Cheapest • from $274 (round-trip)
Porter Airlines
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
3 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 54% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
January
Cheapest • 19% price drop
October
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Cheapest round-trip
$274
Overall average: $506
Air Canada
Thu 12/4Mon 12/8
YOW - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$146
Typical prices: $184-$342
Porter Airlines
Thu 11/13
YOW - SFO • 1 stop
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to San Francisco!
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 $295 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $506 and $463 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 seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$146
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 7% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 2% 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 $146 for a one-way ticket and $274 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 is the only airline alliance operating flights between Ottawa and San Francisco.

  • 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 $405 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 $481 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 379 reviews
7.6Food
8.2Boarding
8.6Crew
8.0Comfort
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

Smaller plane. Food and bar service for free is amazing. Drinks were in glass not plastic cups.

10.0 ExcellentMike, Oct 2025YYC - YYZ
Read more Porter Airlines reviews

Smaller plane. Food and bar service for free is amazing. Drinks were in glass not plastic cups.

Poor landing as we overshot the runway and had to re land the plane. Lost both of my luggage not found as of yet. Had to pay extra money for my luggage in USD, now great my luggage is gone. Will not fly with Porter again.

This flight to St. Johns was really good. Boarding was a breeze. We left spot on time. Seats were actually pretty good. Recliner further than I expected. Three more flights to go we will see if this is the status quo for Porter.👍

I was not happy with AirfareAssist, the agency that kayak advised me would be handling my booking. I was advised by porter airlines that I had been overcharged for the Basic express , a option that I had asked airfare assist to help arrange after I realized that the basic fare I had chosen with porter did not include a carryon. At each checkin porter advised I had been overcharged for this . They advised that money would be refunded to my credit card, however, this is not likely to happen as it is not my name and credit card that appeared on the porter invoice, but that of another individual/agent. When airfare assist was arranging the basic express with porter on my behalf, they asked me to confirm that I agreed to pay $263 USD for this. I did agree, as I was advised this was needed to proceed. When I checked the invoice on the porter website and saw that it was not my name and credit card on the invoice, I was advised that this was how airfareassist processed the payment. The Porter invoice indicated a billed amount of $126USD I will not use Kayak or their designated AirfareAssist again

Our flight was delayed by a bit. I appreciated that we were kept informed on why periodically. Boarding was fine. I overheard one flight attendant sounding very rude to a passenger who was not paying attention to the safety demonstration. The snacks were minimal as it was a short flight. There was no entertainment. Overall the flight was good back to LGA.

The flight was fine see earlier note for the problem

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.

The internet service I paid for didn’t work at all and the flight crew was not very friendly.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

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.

There is no snack and nit much that would be considered gluten free in yiur food selections. One of your snacks should be a gluten free cookie or small bar etc. maybe it was me but I didn’t see any free movies just internet connection and YouTube .

I like how spacious the plane was but I did not like the fact that there was no entertainment

No dogs! Can we have no dogs in the cabin? Why was there a yappy little dog behind me? Lucky I had ear plugs. Sorry for others without

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!

Flying with Air Canada is still better than the discount airlines like Flair. The seats are more comfortable and the on-board entertainment is better, with each seat having a built in screen and lots of content to watch. Onboard WIFI is also great to have, as well as plugs for charging. I think passengers in general are getting better at not bringing too much luggage onboard, and Air Canada is better at managing this without customers feeling like they are being taken advantage of with extra fees. I have travelled on different airlines and all seem to be loading faster, with fewer people bringing both a carry on and a personal item. Now I just bring one item and it fits under the seat so I don't need to worry about finding a place in the overhead bins. Overall, across the industry, asking customers to pay for carry on baggage is fair because it allows customers to only pay for what they need, and it helps to keep the planes on time. Kudos to Air Canada for its approach - the desired result is achieved without customers feeling that they are being surprised and caught with unexpected extra fees.

I liked the behaviour of the crew members.The flight was good.

Due to the strike by AC flight attendants, my flight was cancelled. Very disappointing! A refund is being processed. This was not a Kayak issue. I will be sure to come back to Kayak in the future.

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

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports

Not what you’re looking for? Find thousands of other hotels, flights, car rentals and package deals with KAYAK.